All About
Domesticated Rabbits
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Domesticated Rabbits
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Domesticated rabbits
The only rabbit to be domesticated is the
European Rabbit. These
rabbits have been extensively domesticated for food or as a pet.
Domesticated rabbits have mostly been bred to be much larger than
wild rabbits, though selective breeding has produced a wide range
of breeds which are kept as pets and food animals across the
world. They have as much color variation among themselves as
other household pets. Their fur is prized for its softness, and
even today Angora rabbits are raised for their long soft fur,
which is often spun into yarn. Other breeds are raised for the
fur industry, particularly the Rex, which has a smooth velvet
like coat and comes in a wide variety of colors and sizes.
In the middle-size breeds, the teeth grow approximately 125 mm (5
in) per year for the upper incisors and about 200 mm (8 in) per
year for the lower incisors. The teeth abrade away against one
another, giving the teeth a constantly sharp edge.
Diet
The typical diet for a pet rabbit should consist of water, hay,
pellets, fresh vegetables, and its own caecal pellets. Anything
else, including fruit and other treats should be given only in
very limited quantities, as it may cause obesity in a rabbit.
Pellets should be less than a couple of months old to ensure
freshness, and should consist of a minimum of 18% fibre, low
protein (14–15%), and less than 1% calcium. Depending on the
amount of vegetables available, an adult rabbit should be given
between ¼ and ½ cup of pellets per 6 pounds body weight (20 ml to
40 ml per kilogram) daily. Pre-adolescent and adolescent rabbits
(7 months and younger) can be given as much pellets as they can
consume, although additional vegetables are preferable to
additional pellets. An older rabbit (over six years) can be given
more pellets if they are having difficulty maintaining a steady
body weight. Timothy hay-based pellets are great for rabbits that
have stopped growing and do not need to gain weight.
Alfalfa-based pellets are best only for young, growing bunnies or
older bunnies who are under-weight.
Pellets were originally designed for rabbit breeders for the
purpose of providing as much food energy and vitamins as
inexpensively as possible. This is optimal when the rabbits are
being bred for food or for experimentation, but the long-term
effects of a pellet-based diet on rabbits are quite negative,
resulting in an obese, unhappy, and unhealthy rabbit.
Vegetables are essential to the health of rabbits. At least two
cups of three different vegetables per 6 lb (170 ml/kg) of body
weight should be fed to the rabbit daily, ideally half in the
morning around sunrise, and half in the evening around sunset, as
this is when wild rabbits most frequently graze. Remove
vegetables that have not been consumed within a half-hour, as
they can develop unhealthy amounts of bacteria. A wide variety of
vegetables will result in the healthiest rabbit; preferably a
combination of dark green vegetables and a root vegetables. Stay
away from beans or rhubarb, as they can cause the rabbit to
become sick. Additionally, it is wise to select vegetables that
are high in Vitamin A.
To ensure that the rabbit can tolerate a specific vegetable, add
one vegetable at a time to its diet. If the rabbit starts to act
lethargic, or exhibit diarrhea or loose stools, then discontinue
use of the new vegetable immediately.
See Also:
Index of All Rabbit Care & Bunny
Fun Stuff
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