What Should You Feed a Baby Rabbit?

1 What to Feed a Baby Rabbit

1) Alfalfa hay

Alfalfa hay should be the staple for a baby rabbit. It is highly nutritious — the most nutritious of all hays — and meets the needs of rapid growth. It also tastes good, so babies love it. Quality junior rabbit pellets usually contain alfalfa.

2) Timothy hay

Besides alfalfa as the staple, you can offer a little timothy hay. Timothy has lower calcium and protein and higher crude fiber than alfalfa. It is the main food for adults, rich in protein and fiber, but baby rabbits should not eat much of it — their guts are delicate and too much coarse fiber causes poor digestion. You can skip timothy entirely for babies, but a small amount is recommended to prevent pickiness later. Adults need less nutrition and cannot stay on alfalfa as staple, or they become obese.

Adults eat mainly timothy, but it is less palatable than alfalfa, so to avoid trouble switching grasses later, add a little timothy to the baby’s diet.

3) Rabbit pellets

Pellets are formulated to a rabbit’s nutritional needs and give balanced nutrition and energy. Homemade food rarely varies enough to be balanced, risking deficiency or imbalance; pellets avoid that. There are meat-rabbit, junior, and adult formulas — use junior pellets for babies. Keep portions right and adjust to the rabbit’s growth and condition so it is neither overfull nor underfed.

4) Drinking water

Rabbits need water; give enough every day. Use cooled boiled water at every life stage — never tap water. Tap water may carry parasites and contains chlorine, which harms rabbits, especially babies. Although chlorine breaks down after standing, bacteria grow in the meantime and cause diarrhea. Keep water available around the clock and change it often to stay clean and fresh.