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Give a tasty diet to rabbits

Provide fresh water and a variety of food to make rabbits’ diets more enjoyable.

Last edited: 11/04/2024

Before you get started

Benefits of chewing

In the wild, rabbits spend around 70 percent of their time eating grass and other plants. Hay and grass takes a long time to eat, which keeps them occupied. Rabbits also need to chew to keep their teeth the right size and healthy. Regular eating is also important to keep food moving through their digestive system.

A rabbit’s diet should consist of:

85 percent grass or feeding hay
10 percent greens
Five percent good quality nuggets

Several wild rabbits grazing grass in a field.

Instructions

A healthy, varied diet

Constant access to water

Make sure you provide fresh water daily and check it twice a day for cleanliness.

Generally rabbits prefer bowls over water bottles, though make sure they are slop-proof.

Two rabbits drinking water from a large pot outdoors.

Free access to grass/hay

Give your rabbits fresh hay every day – an amount that’s equal to their body size.

If you can provide access to grass for grazing that would be fantastic! But make sure you don’t feed them grass clippings as these can make rabbits ill.

Two white rabbits nibbling hay in a pen.

Daily pellets

Measure 25g of pellets per 1kg of each of your rabbit’s body weight. For example, a medium-sized rabbit (2kg) should be given a maximum of 50g of pellets.

Avoid muesli-style foods. Learn why and how to transition your rabbit's diet here.

Two bowls of good and bad rabbit food next to a stuffed animal on a table.

Herbs and greens

Feed a variety of herbs and greens daily,ideally five or six different types, such as cabbage, kale, broccoli, parsley and mint. Introduce new types of greens gradually, in small amounts, to avoid potential stomach upsets.

Could you grow your own herbs and vegetables? Try ‘cut and come again’ varieties.