Diet questions! (staple veggies and pellet brand)

[Thefluffybunny]

Hi!

I’ve recently joined and have a few questions that I guess I’ll just post around the forums. 

First– what are some good staples for a rabbit(vegetables)? I currently do not have a rabbit, I have owned a rabbit before, but I figure I’ll adopt within 2-3 months. 

I was thinking two of them could be romaine lettuce and cilantro? Maybe there’s some veggies that provide a needed source of a certain vitamin?

What about pellets? What are some good pellet brands you can recommend? 

[peppypoo]

Welcome! Aside from the forums, BinkyBunny also has some great information on the basics of bunny care if you click the menu link that says “BUNNY INFO”. The House Rabbit Society is also a great resource: rabbit.org.

[Stickerbunny]

For pellets, I use oxbow. I try to avoid kaytee, though some use it. I also try to avoid brands like purina, due to their poor quality choices in other pet foods that make me wary, but some use that as well.

For veggies, main ones I feed are kale, romaine, cilantro, parsley and broccoli. Sometimes I add in bok choy, sometimes I will buy an herb mix.

[Thefluffybunny]

Stickerbunny– I’ve heard parsley should be fed in smaller/more sparing amounts because of higher oxalic acid content? Or am I wrong? 

Peppypoo– Yup(and thank you!) I actually read those before I joined. I’ve also read some stuff on HRS, but I should probably hand around there more.

[Stickerbunny]

You shouldn’t feed it daily due to the oxalic content, but I buy it with the other veggies and flip it in and out during the week for variety. Spinach also has high oxalics.

[Baxter n Boos Mom]

Along with the veggies mentioned above, my bunnies LOVE dandelion greens, bok choy, radicchio, endive, and carrot tops. I try to rotate the veggies – so they don’t get bored.

[Eucalyptus]

In terms of vitamins, it’s hard to know exactly how much of what nutrient each one will provide (unless you do the research, but I have not). You want to aim for providing a large variety of veggies so that you can cover all the bases, for that exact reason. Pellets cover all the nutrients that your bunny needs, but personally, I believe that getting your nutrients from fresh vegetables is much more natural and healthy, and your bunny will be getting hydration from the veggies water content. It’s more natural than getting your nutrients from a processed pellet … but that is a whole other discussion that many people have their own opinions on.

Here’s the list of veggies that Java gets everyday. Obviously most people think we’re insane or that he’s really spoiled, but it’ll at least give you an idea of great greens that you can feed.

– Lettuce mix (it’s an organic mix of baby lettuces, including romaine, green leaf, and oak leaf, and totals to like 6 or 7 different types that are all safe)
– Cilantro
– Basil
– Mint
– Watercress
– Kale
– Arugula
– Dandelion Greens
– Fennel Greens
– Carrot Tops
– Radish Tops
– Spinach > Italian Parsley > Mustard Greens > Swiss Chard (these are the veggies high in oxalic acids, so we never have more than one of these in the same salad, and rotate whenever we run out)
– Rosemary > Oregano > Marjoram > Tarragon > Thyme > Sage > Dill (we usually have 2 or 3 at once and just buy the next on the list when we run out of one)
– Broccoli
– Snow Peas (one pod per salad)
– Parsnip
– Celery (stalks and leaves)
– Baby Carrots (1 or 2 per salad)

He also gets maybe … 10 pellets .. every night. We’d remove it completely, due to him getting such a large variety of veggies and herbs, but he would probably skin us alive.

I recommend Oxbow. They’re more expensive, but have the best nutritional value. Also, I think Kaytee has had some recalls every now and then? Which is never good. Also, they recommend 1/4 to 1/2 a cup a day, but I would recommend less, unless you aren’t feeding anything more than 2-3 different veggies. The more variety you provide, the lower the pellets can go.

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