Holland Lop Diet
Holland Lops are a very fragile, delicate species and commonly have digestive issues. Keeping your rabbit at a steady, usual diet is the best thing to do to keep your rabbit healthy.
First of all, rabbits should have a constant supply of clean, fresh water. This is necessary for the well being and health of your rabbit. A rabbit cannot thrive without clean water.
Pellets are the most common way of providing your rabbit with the necessary vitamins and nutrients they need to grow, develop and stay healthy. There are many different types of rabbit pellets on the market, but there is a fine line between what is actually healthy and what is considered junk food for rabbits. Plain, green pellets are the healthiest kind you can buy. The greener, the better. I know the "fiesta mixes" often look yummier and more appetizing, the rabbits honestly don't care. As long as they get regular treats, fruits and greens (once they are over 6 months, that is), they will happily eat their plain pellets with out complaint. With the mixes, often the rabbit will pick out its favorite bits and not eat the healthy parts. That can lead to fat rabbit which will cause lots of other problems in the long run.
Holland Lops are very sensitive and can't handle things that bigger, meat-breed rabbits can. The point of a good rabbit feed is to be well-balanced and have everything a rabbit needs without providing a ton of other supplements.
No matter the feed you buy, you should always look for these traits:
16% PROTEIN: Hollands cannot have high protein because they are a small breed. Under 16%, for Holland Lops, is not enough protein for this active breed.
AT LEAST 16% FIBER: Purina Show has between 18% and 22% fiber. The more fiber it has, the least amount of hay you need to feed. Hay should still be in the diet because it's what consists of wild rabbit's diets, and helps keep the teeth at a normal length.
FAT CONTENT: Purina has 3% crude fat. There should be as little fat as possible, yet still some.
SALT: There should be some salt in the pellets. If there is none, offer a salt spool.
VITAMINS AND CALCIUM: Vitamins and calcium are optional. Most feeds have added vitamins and calcium, I have never seen a feed without.
TIMOTHY OR ALFALFA BASED: Purina is Alfalfa-based. If you feed an Alfalfa-based pellets, never feed Alfalfa hay.
NO CORN!! : Rabbits cannot have corn. Corn clogs their digestive system and doesn't break down properly in their stomach.
First of all, rabbits should have a constant supply of clean, fresh water. This is necessary for the well being and health of your rabbit. A rabbit cannot thrive without clean water.
Pellets are the most common way of providing your rabbit with the necessary vitamins and nutrients they need to grow, develop and stay healthy. There are many different types of rabbit pellets on the market, but there is a fine line between what is actually healthy and what is considered junk food for rabbits. Plain, green pellets are the healthiest kind you can buy. The greener, the better. I know the "fiesta mixes" often look yummier and more appetizing, the rabbits honestly don't care. As long as they get regular treats, fruits and greens (once they are over 6 months, that is), they will happily eat their plain pellets with out complaint. With the mixes, often the rabbit will pick out its favorite bits and not eat the healthy parts. That can lead to fat rabbit which will cause lots of other problems in the long run.
Holland Lops are very sensitive and can't handle things that bigger, meat-breed rabbits can. The point of a good rabbit feed is to be well-balanced and have everything a rabbit needs without providing a ton of other supplements.
No matter the feed you buy, you should always look for these traits:
16% PROTEIN: Hollands cannot have high protein because they are a small breed. Under 16%, for Holland Lops, is not enough protein for this active breed.
AT LEAST 16% FIBER: Purina Show has between 18% and 22% fiber. The more fiber it has, the least amount of hay you need to feed. Hay should still be in the diet because it's what consists of wild rabbit's diets, and helps keep the teeth at a normal length.
FAT CONTENT: Purina has 3% crude fat. There should be as little fat as possible, yet still some.
SALT: There should be some salt in the pellets. If there is none, offer a salt spool.
VITAMINS AND CALCIUM: Vitamins and calcium are optional. Most feeds have added vitamins and calcium, I have never seen a feed without.
TIMOTHY OR ALFALFA BASED: Purina is Alfalfa-based. If you feed an Alfalfa-based pellets, never feed Alfalfa hay.
NO CORN!! : Rabbits cannot have corn. Corn clogs their digestive system and doesn't break down properly in their stomach.
I feed Purina Show to my rabbits. My rabbits do great on it and I've never had problems/issues with it. I agree with the ingredients and feel good about feeding this to my bunnies. It has a high fiber content, and says that hay doesn't need to be provided in the diet. I feed hay anyway, but because of this I don't need to feed hay as often as if it didn't have much hay already in it. This kind of feed only comes in bulk, so if you are a pet owner with only one or two rabbits, you may decide to choose a different brand instead, since the bulk will probably go bad before you have used it all up. Remember, the greener the better, and avoid the "fiesta mixes".
Hay is next. One of the most important parts of a rabbit's diet, hay keeps the gut moving and everything working properly, the way it's supposed to. Rabbits are grazers by nature, but as rabbit owners, most of us don't have the ability to provide fresh grass to our rabbits every day all year long. The alternative is hay.
I feed Orchard Grass and Timothy hay. I alternate depending on what kind is available. Timothy is coarser, and helps keep the teeth trim and neat, but I find that my rabbits like Orchard Grass better and it makes less of a mess.
Fresh hay smells clean and grassy. Keep the hay from getting wet or else it could mold. I feed my rabbits a handful of hay every day. Hay must be fed as part of the diet, but does not need to be given every day. Keep three times a week as your absolute minimum of hay feeding.
Hay is next. One of the most important parts of a rabbit's diet, hay keeps the gut moving and everything working properly, the way it's supposed to. Rabbits are grazers by nature, but as rabbit owners, most of us don't have the ability to provide fresh grass to our rabbits every day all year long. The alternative is hay.
I feed Orchard Grass and Timothy hay. I alternate depending on what kind is available. Timothy is coarser, and helps keep the teeth trim and neat, but I find that my rabbits like Orchard Grass better and it makes less of a mess.
Fresh hay smells clean and grassy. Keep the hay from getting wet or else it could mold. I feed my rabbits a handful of hay every day. Hay must be fed as part of the diet, but does not need to be given every day. Keep three times a week as your absolute minimum of hay feeding.
Lastly are the fruits, veggies and treats. Fruits and veggies should be fed often in the diet, as long as the rabbit is 6 months or older. Rabbits are herbivores, and fruits/veggies and hay should make up the bulk of their diet.
Good For Bunnies:
Apples and Apple branches,
Artichoke,
Asparagus,
Banana (no skin),
Basil,
Beet greens,
Blackberry leaves,
Black oil sunflower seeds,
Cardboard (pieces or toilet paper tubes),
Carrots and Carrot tops,
Cauliflower,
Celery,
Cheerios (not many),
Clover,
Coriander (Cilantro),
Dandelion greens and flowers,
Eggplant,
Grass,
Kale,
Mint,
Mustard greens,
Oats,
Parsley,
Peaches,
Peppermint leaves,
Peppers (sweet),
Pineapple,
Pine Cones,
Plums,
Pumpkin and leaves,
Radishes and leaves,
Shredded Wheat (plain),
Spinach,
Strawberries and leaves,
Summer squash,
Zucchini (none of my bunnies like this, lol)
Ones in bold are the only ones babies can have.
Bad For Bunnies:
Alfalfa hay,
Apple seeds,
Baby carrots,
Banana peel,
Broccoli,
Cabbage,
Candy,
Carpet,
Cherries and leaves,
Citrus peels,
Corn,
Dried fruit,
Lettuce,
Nuts,
Pear seeds.
Visit this BLOG for all plants/herbs that are TOXIC to rabbits!
Visit this PAGE for more foods that should be completely avoided!
Good For Bunnies:
Apples and Apple branches,
Artichoke,
Asparagus,
Banana (no skin),
Basil,
Beet greens,
Blackberry leaves,
Black oil sunflower seeds,
Cardboard (pieces or toilet paper tubes),
Carrots and Carrot tops,
Cauliflower,
Celery,
Cheerios (not many),
Clover,
Coriander (Cilantro),
Dandelion greens and flowers,
Eggplant,
Grass,
Kale,
Mint,
Mustard greens,
Oats,
Parsley,
Peaches,
Peppermint leaves,
Peppers (sweet),
Pineapple,
Pine Cones,
Plums,
Pumpkin and leaves,
Radishes and leaves,
Shredded Wheat (plain),
Spinach,
Strawberries and leaves,
Summer squash,
Zucchini (none of my bunnies like this, lol)
Ones in bold are the only ones babies can have.
Bad For Bunnies:
Alfalfa hay,
Apple seeds,
Baby carrots,
Banana peel,
Broccoli,
Cabbage,
Candy,
Carpet,
Cherries and leaves,
Citrus peels,
Corn,
Dried fruit,
Lettuce,
Nuts,
Pear seeds.
Visit this BLOG for all plants/herbs that are TOXIC to rabbits!
Visit this PAGE for more foods that should be completely avoided!
Treats should be fed in moderation and never very much at a time. Oats and black oil sunflower seeds are great treats, I feed them to my rabbits a few times a week. Oats and a little bit of BOSS can be fed weekly for babies. BOSS also help a rabbit stay or get into condition for show. Rabbits, just like humans, love a little extra treats in the diet. As long as the treats don't interfere with the rabbit's hunger for its pellets and hay, and the rabbit doesn't become obese, we have no reason to withhold a yummy "something".For treats, I prefer giving fresh fruits/veggies to older rabbits and oats to babies. Store-bought treats with added sugar are just bad for the rabbit's teeth and don't need to be bothered with. If you want to feed something other then a fruit or vegetable, try Special Bunny Cookies made with everything a rabbit over 6mos can eat!!! You don't need to add the honey, because rabbits don't really have a sweet tooth, and your rabbit will appreciate it just as much as a pat on the head!! I'm going to be making these soon for my bunnies, but so far I haven't got around to it.
Feeding:
Many older rabbit-related books will say that feeding your rabbit twice a day is a must. 1/4 cup in the evening and 1/4 cup in the morning. That works for some people, but not all.
Most of the time the books are saying that because when you feed, you should also be checking up on the rabbit. Seeing it move and get excited for food. If a normally excited rabbit is at the back of the cage hunched over, there could be a problem.
A lot can happen to a rabbit in the 24hr period between meals. But if you check up on your rabbits several times per day like I do, feeding twice a day is not necessary. If you only look, pet and play with the rabbit once a day at mealtime, and that's all you have time for, then maybe increase the feedings to two meals.
I feed my rabbits half a cup of feed and a large handful of hay per day. For most of the rabbits, this will last all day, especially the hay. For some, they'll have it finished by bedtime, but they got their portion and need to wait until breakfast.
A good way to judge if your rabbit is getting enough to eat is if they look hungry in the morning. If they're practically breaking down the door and scarfing their food, they probably need more or to be fed twice a day so they don't eat it all in one sitting. If they are excited for their food but pause between bites and take their face out of their food dish, they're getting enough. If they are never excited for their food and lazy, you could probably cut back on how much you're feeding them.
Feeding:
Many older rabbit-related books will say that feeding your rabbit twice a day is a must. 1/4 cup in the evening and 1/4 cup in the morning. That works for some people, but not all.
Most of the time the books are saying that because when you feed, you should also be checking up on the rabbit. Seeing it move and get excited for food. If a normally excited rabbit is at the back of the cage hunched over, there could be a problem.
A lot can happen to a rabbit in the 24hr period between meals. But if you check up on your rabbits several times per day like I do, feeding twice a day is not necessary. If you only look, pet and play with the rabbit once a day at mealtime, and that's all you have time for, then maybe increase the feedings to two meals.
I feed my rabbits half a cup of feed and a large handful of hay per day. For most of the rabbits, this will last all day, especially the hay. For some, they'll have it finished by bedtime, but they got their portion and need to wait until breakfast.
A good way to judge if your rabbit is getting enough to eat is if they look hungry in the morning. If they're practically breaking down the door and scarfing their food, they probably need more or to be fed twice a day so they don't eat it all in one sitting. If they are excited for their food but pause between bites and take their face out of their food dish, they're getting enough. If they are never excited for their food and lazy, you could probably cut back on how much you're feeding them.