What Food Do Baby Bunnies Eat? (Ideal Diet & Care Guide)

Generally, it is known that a rabbit’s diet is important because it has a big impact on developing its overall health and well-being. And as herbivore animals, they mostly get their energy and nutrients from hays and grass. In fact, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), a bundle of hay should be consumed by rabbits daily.

However, you might wonder if baby bunnies have a different diet from adults. The answer is yes. Since they are delicate and young, they are required to gain more nutrients because they are more vulnerable than adults.

Moreover, when your Rabbit reaches adulthood, a good diet meal strategy avoids common diet-related issues.

Baby Bunnies Diet

The mother’s milk is your baby rabbit’s primary food source, like the other species, once they are born. According to studies, it is advisable to let your bunnies drink milk until they reach three to six weeks old.

The baby bunnies will depend on milk because they are still weaning, and their digestive system is continuously adjusting to everything. It is also important to have mother-to-baby contact because it enhances their instinct.

As time passes, your Rabbit will first attempt to nibble on solids, typically pieces of hay from their nest. Then automatically, they will lose interest in their mother’s milk.

Taking Care of Baby Rabbit

Since your baby rabbits are delicate animals, they should be given extra care. It would help if you took note of how their digestive system works. This will help you plan what foods are safe for your pet and what can harm their body.

According to the article of Oxbow Animal Health (Rabbit Food Manufacturer), if you want to introduce your pet to a new food, there is a proper transition for them to adjust their palette.

Slowly give baby rabbits soft food they can easily digest for a week. If they like the food’s meaning, it is suitable for them. However, once you see a few changes remove the food immediately from their diet meal list.

You can also notice the effects of the food your Rabbit is digesting by looking at the texture of its poop. Common signs of disrupted digestion are a soft and gooey texture; you can easily tell the difference because usually rabbit poop is hard and firm.

Orphaned Rabbit

Although it’s not common for mother rabbits to leave behind their newborn bunnies, there are times when it can happen. The question is, how would you feed an orphan rabbit without breast milk from its mother?

Taking care of an orphaned bunny is an extra challenge because they require much attention from you.

You first need to secure bedding and provide the baby with warm surroundings because their fur is still developing. Then check their tummy to make sure they have been fed for the last few hours; if it is flat, most likely, they have been starving for hours.

Baby bunnies also sound like they are crying when hungry, so it’s easy to tell. But if you’re not sure what you should do, you can always schedule a visit with a medical doctor.

In terms of food replacement for mother’s milk, there are many available manufactured rabbit milk. Look for a product that suits the baby bunny and will benefit their growth. You can also provide vitamin supplements to ensure they acquire the necessary nutrition for their development.

Ideal Diet for Young Bunnies

Now that your bunny is starting to grow, you should introduce them to solid food with high nutritional value, such as fiber and antioxidants. Here are some of the ideal diet foods you can offer your growing bunny.

Hays

Hays should also be the primary food your bunny should eat, just like adults. Other foods, such as veggies and fruits, are only used as supplements. You can choose high-quality grass hay like timothy or meadow. This type of hay is the best variety, especially for young rabbits. Giving them hay daily gives your pet the right amount of fiber that helps them develop a healthy digestive tract.

You can also try mixing grass hays with alfalfa, this will give a variety of food for your growing Rabbit, and they will not get easily bored by the mixture of flavors.

Rabbit Pellets

Rabbit pellets are a good alternative food source for your Rabbit because they were designed to assist the needs of your pet’s body. You can choose from many options, but make sure to buy the best quality, like containing a rich fiber content and other nutrition.

If you want to avoid problems in the future regarding your Rabbit becoming a picky eater, then you should start establishing their eating schedule and access at a young age. For example, young rabbits should be allowed limited access to pellets because this can lead to health issues.

Moreover, you might also notice that your Rabbit will enjoy pellets more than hay because pellets are made to suit the Rabbit’s taste buds. That is why it’s important to potion their meal to give your pet balanced nutrition.

Fresh Foods

Aside from the normal rabbit food like grass and pellets, it’s okay for the young rabbits to also enjoy small amounts of fresh foods like fruits and vegetables. However, before introducing them to this pallet, ensure you know the restrictions and what food is safe and unsafe for them.

At six to seven months old, young bunnies can start munching on some delicious treats from humans. A few slices are enough for them to enjoy a sweet dessert. If your Rabbit has never had access to fresh food before, do the introduction two to twelve weeks after the Rabbit has settled into your home.

It’s best to introduce veggies first because they have similar qualities and texture as grass hays. Here are some of the best vegetables that your baby bunny can enjoy on occasion.

For fruits, it’s best to give your bunny until they are adult enough to digest different nutrients because fruits tend to have more sugar and other compounds that may disturb the digestion. But here are some of the safest fruits you can fodder for your pet.

If you want to know more about the definitive guide to a Food list for your Rabbit, you can read this article: The Definitive Guide To What Foods Rabbits Can & Cannot Eat.

Water

Like all other species in the world, your Rabbit needs water in their body. After your baby bunny stops drinking milk from its mother, water will be its source of hydration. Giving your rabbit unlimited fresh water helps them absorb and digest the food well every meal.

In fact, according to one report, your Rabbit consumes water three times higher than eating their meal. This keeps them cool and hydrated, especially during hot weather.

Key Takeaways

Rabbits are herbivore animals, so they get their primary nutrients from grass hays and alfalfa.
Newborn rabbits have more delicate digestion, so you need to plan their diet meal to develop their health properly.
It is recommended, especially for newborn rabbits, to get their nutrients from latching on their mother’s breast milk because it is formulated to support their development as an infant animal.
On rare occasions, the mother rejects their baby rabbit, and when this happens, you will be the one to take responsibility for raising them. There is manufactured milk solely made to support orphaned bunnies, and you can feed it to them as an alternative.
The Ideal Diet for young bunnies are hays and pellets because of their fiber and nutrients; however, you can also fodder them occasionally with fresh foods like fruits and veggies. Fresh water is also important to growing rabbits because it will help them stay hydrated, especially on hot weather days.