OLD GARDEN HOUSE RABBITRY
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Toxic Foods: What to avoid!

5/21/2019

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Rabbits have a sensitive digestive system that requires a high fibre, low sugar and low fat diet. There are a number of human foods that you should avoid feeding your rabbit, including:
  • Bread
  • Rice
  • Potatoes
  • Biscuits
  • Chocolate
  • Lollies
  • Chips
  • Avocado.
There are also a number of plants that are poisonous to your rabbit. While many wild rabbits instinctively avoid these plants, in your backyard, confined to a small area, your pet rabbit may decide to have a try anyway. Below is a selective list of poisonous plants to avoid. More comprehensive lists can be found by searching the internet:
  • All plants that grow from bulbs
  • Apple (seeds)
  • Apricot (all parts except fruit)
  • Onion
  • Tomato (leaves, vines) Tulip (bulb)
  • Macadamia Nut
  • Tomato Plant
  • Rhubarb Leaves
  • Wild Carrots
  • Almond
  • Arum lily (cuckoo point)
  • Bindweed
  • Bracken
  • Convolvulus (bindweed)
  • Deadly nightshade (belladonna)
  • Delphinium (larkspur)
  • Fools parsley
  • Foxglove
  • Most evergreens
  • Poppies
  • Potato tops
  • Ragwort
  • Rhubarb leaves
  • Woody nightshade
  • Wild Carrots
  • Wild Cucumbers
  • Wild Parsnip
  • Wild peas
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Safe Foods: What can they eat?

5/21/2019

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Picture
IN A RABBITS DIET THEY NEED...

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Water
Consistent access to fresh, clean drinking water. This can be drank from either a water bottle or water bowl. If your rabbit lives outdoors you must ensure that the rabbits water supply doesn't freeze in the winter. Without water rabbits can get very seriously ill.

Hay 
Rabbits also need an unlimited supply of good quality hay and/or grass. This should make up 80% of a rabbit's diet and should always be available. Rabbits are grazers and their digestive systems need hay and/or grass to function properly. Rabbit teeth also grow continuously and need to be worn down and kept at the correct length by eating hay and/or grass.

​Pellets
You can give a small amount of commercial rabbit pellets (a egg cup per day) but this is not essential and should not be the main part of their diet. It is recommended to only give a small amount of pellets a day, however growing or pregnant rabbits may need larger portions. Please avoid muesli-style foods as they can be linked with certain health problems - and can cause selective eating resulting in a rabbit not getting the essential nutrients they need. Not eating the right diet can result in serious dental disease- which would not only be uncomfortable for your bunny, but also a very expensive vet trip.

Veg
Once your bunny reaches 6 months of age you can give them safe, washed leafy green vegetables, herbs and plants daily. Vegtables should not be given to bunnies under 6 months of age as this can upset their digestive system.Root vegetables such as carrots and fruit should only be given in small amounts as occasional treats as they are very high in sugar.

SAFE VEGGIES LISTVegetables that should be considered as part of your rabbit’s diet:
  • Alfalfa, radish, and clover sprouts
  • Asparagus
  • Basil
  • Beet greens
  • Bell Peppers (green, red, yellow…)
  • Bok Choy
  • Broccoli
    • Some bunnies may find this a rather “gassy” veggie. If diarrhea occurs, remove from diet
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Carrot tops (organic)
  • Chard
  • Cilantro
  • Clover
  • Dandelion Greens (Pesticide Free!)
  • Eggplant
  • Endive
  • Escarole
  • Grass
    • Freshly cut from your backyard only
    • If you are sure there are no chemicals, fertilizers, or poisons (park grass usually has one or all of these)
  • Mint
  • Mustard Greens
  • Okra leaves
  • Parsley
  • Pea pods (AKA Chinese pea pods)
  • Peppermint leaves
  • Pumpkin leaves
  • Radicchio
  • Radish tops
  • Raspberry leaves
  • Squash: Zucchini, Yellow, Butternut, Pumpkin
  • Various lettuces
    • Romaine, butter, green leaf, Boston, bibb, arugula, etc
    • Avoid very light hearts
    • No iceberg
  • Watercress
  • Wheat grass
Vegetables that are higher in calcium should be used sparingly (once or twice a week).
For older buns, or those with bladder or kidney problems, avoid these, unless otherwise directed by your rabbit vet.
  • Collard greens
  • Kale
    • High in either oxalates or goitrogens, which can cause or exacerbate bladder sludging, and other calcium/kidney problems
    • Use sparingly!
  • Turnip greens
FruitsYou should only feed fruits once or twice a week in small amounts. NO SEEDS OR PITS!  Sugary fruits, such as bananas and grapes should be fed only as occasional treats, and NO fruit should be fed to an overweight rabbit.
  • Apple
  • Blackberries
  • Blueberry
  • Pineapple
  • Melon
  • Papaya
  • Peach
  • Plum
  • Pears
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries




Forage
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I really recommend creating your bunnies a forage box to demonstrate their natural instincts of digging and foraging for food. I use a mix of dried flowers, veg, herbs, berries etc mixed into Timothy hay and readigrass. 
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    Introduction

    I'm Aimee. Owner of Old Garden House Rabbitry. I have created this blog to put together some information of bunnies into one place to help pet owners & other breeders

    PLEASE NOTE: THIS SPACE IS NOT TO PROMOTE BREEDING, BREEDING BUNNIES TAKES A LOT OF TIME, MONEY AND COMMITMENT.

    Bunny Blog Contents 

    All
    Behaviour
    Breeding Genetics
    Colours: A Guide
    Diet
    Enrichment
    Herbal Remedies
    Herbal Remedies: Does
    Is My Doe Pregnant?
    Name Ideas
    Pairings : Do's & Don'ts
    Peanuts & Runts
    Sexing Kits
    Treat Recipes
    True & False Dwarfs

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  • Home
  • About
  • Meet The Bunnies
    • The Girls
    • The Boys
  • Care Guide
    • Set Up
    • Healthy Diet
    • Litter Training
    • Bunny Behaviour
    • Benefits of Neutering
    • Best Bunny Shop - LLR
    • Breeders Hub
    • Blog
  • Litters
    • Planned Matings >
      • Litters Due
    • In The Nest
    • Available Bunnies >
      • Babies looking for Forever Homes
      • Forever Retirement Homes
    • Reviews
    • Gallery >
      • Forever Homes Gallery
      • Past Litters Gallery
  • T & C
  • Contact