What do Rabbits Eat

The next question would be what do rabbits eat? Rabbits are herbivores with an efficient digestive system capable of eliminating non-digestible fiber and at the same time fermenting digestible fibers. In the wild rabbits eat a wide range of vegetation such as grass, brush, weeds, shoots, leaves, twigs and bark. Of course we’re all familiar with rabbits and carrots courtesy of Bugs Bunny, but rabbits enjoy other root vegetables, as well as fruits and garden vegetables.

Aside from the question of what to feed your rabbits you’ll need to know that they should be fed twice a day. Because they like to chew it’s recommended that you use a feeder that hangs on the wall of the hutch. Only feed each rabbit what they will eat in a session and remove any extra afterwards. By feeding a bit less everyday, you will eventually figure out just how much each rabbit will eat to ensure they "clean their plate" without not getting enough to eat. Continue...

Rabbit Breeds

When discussing rabbit breeds we are only looking at those breeds preferred for their meat. For that reason there are a couple of criteria to keep in mind. The giant breeds like the Flemish Giants do produce large fryers with a lot of meat. However, they also have larger bones, so the meat to bone ratio is not as good as some of the smaller breeds.

The rabbit breeds most commonly raised for meat are the California and the New Zealand White. They are both known for high milk production, ability to be bred frequently, and for producing large litters.

The California is a meat rabbit developed in the United States. Typically they weigh about 9-10 pounds and have white fur with black nose, ears, feet and tail. They are usually rather plump but have fine bones. Continue...