Rabbits are on the expensive side when it comes to raising them. If you are adopting a rabbit and not buying one, that is even more cost-effective. There are other ways to reduce the costs of raising your furry baby.
Nonetheless, a healthy bunny would require essentials, especially food and snacks. It is the major chunk of a bunny’s costs. So, how much does bunny food cost on average?
On average, $25 per month is what you will be spending on your bunny’s food. It will include hay, pellet, greens, and treats. The estimated budget can vary depending on your area, rabbit’s breed, and how you buy the products.
Bunnies are fragile, physically and emotionally. Skimping on their food will be bad for your rabbit’s health. These furry creatures have sensitive digestive systems that can react to bad quality food, which can sometimes prove fatal for your rabbit. However, there are things to consider before panicking about food costs. Keep reading to explore more!
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How Much Does A Rabbit Eat?
As grazing animals, rabbits love to eat all the time. The reason behind this is them being herbivores. They digest plants and herbs quicker than their other furry friends. Hence, they have bigger appetites.
Furthermore, a bunny’s incisors grow throughout their lives. Eating leaves and fresh veggies help them tame their wildly growing teeth. Therefore, munching on leaves and plants is their favorite hobby, second to the zoomies.
The amount of food per day also depends on your bunny’s weight. Every rabbit would require a different quantity of the food as per its chubbiness. For example, an everyday diet of a 2lbs bunny should be 1 cup of leafy greens and 2 tbsp of pellets with hay. You can keep adding 0.5 cups of greens and 1 tbsp for each 1lbs your bunny gains.
What Should Be The Regular Diet Of Your Bunny?
Rabbits need a high-fiber and carbs daily diet to keep their digestive systems smooth and their bones strong. Bunnies are hyperactive pets. They love to hop, run, play, and zoom around places. They need an adequate amount of energy to do all their favorite things.
It is important to feed your pet rabbit high-quality hay, greens, and occasionally fruits or veggies. Your rabbit’s meals should have a perfect balance of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and taste. To achieve the optimal goal of nourishment for your bunny, ensure that every meal consists of 70-80% hay, 5-10% pellets, and 10-15% fresh leafy greens.
How Much Hay Can A Rabbit Eat Monthly?
You cannot put a number or limit on hay when it comes to bunnies. Hay is the safest and most vital for a bunny’s healthy digestive tract. This long-stemmed fiber-filled food should be available for your bunny 24 hours a day.
Rabbits can eat approximately 2-3kg of hay in a month. Of course, this number depends on the size and breed of your bunny. Sounds expensive, right? That’s conditional on where you buy it. Buying your hay from big online shops or marts can cost you double the actual price. It can even surpass the average that we mentioned above.
The key to cutting your hay cost is to buy it directly from the supplier. Yes, it is a bit of work, but it is better for your wallet and your bunny! Explore some farmers or hay suppliers and buy the product directly from them. You can buy in the bulk of a week’s rations.
Direct buying of hay can ensure high quality as you would be on the quality control team yourself. It will also increase your connections in the industry and make your bunny’s life easy regarding food and a healthy lifestyle.
How Many Pellets Can Your Bunny Eat In A Month?
All pets require a few extra nutrients through packaged foods. Dogs have dog food, and cats have their own. Rabbits have pellets. Fresh greens and hay are perfect for your furry friend, but pellets give them a chance at having a long, healthy life.
Pellets are a little more expensive than other things. Quality is the key point when choosing a pellet brand. Make sure you get a trusted brand as your bunny’s pellet source. Bunnies have a sense of good and bad food. So, they will quickly figure out if you feed them low-quality food.
The good part is that pellets are the smallest portion of your bunny’s daily food routine. It means that one bag could last you a couple of months. Depending on the breed and size of your rabbit, your monthly pellet cost could range from $2 to $17.5. However, you can split this cost in half as a bag will last at least 2 months.
Do not omit pellets from your bunny’s diet. It can result in deficiencies in your bunny and cause serious health issues, which will cost you more long-term.
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How Many Greens Would Your Bunny Love Monthly?
Bunnies love to munch on leafy greens and juicy fruits. However, when it comes to veggies or fruits, feed your bunny a limited amount. Due to its high vitamin and mineral content, too many greens can harm your bunny’s health. It can cause diarrhea and disrupt its GI bacterial flora.
When feeding your furry buddy veggie and fruits, always buy them fresh. You can buy them in bulk but no more than for a week’s supplies. Your rabbit will eat fresher greens and refuse the older ones, which can be a financial loss if you buy old food.
In addition, just like hay, you can buy greens directly via farms. It will be cost-effective for you, and you can keep an eye on the quality of the product your buy. While you do that, remember to wash the veggie before feeding your bunny and check for insects.
Here is a list of vegetables you can give your bunny in moderation every day:
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
- Bell peppers
- Fennel
- Bok choy
- Brussel sprouts
- Wheatgrass
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Parsley
Following are vegetables that you can give your bunny twice a week:
- Carrots
- Kale
- Spinach
- Broccoli (only stems and leaves)
- Chard
- Clover
- Collard greens
Rabbits love to eat flowers too. Here are a few flowers you can add to their meals twice a week:
- Chamomile
- Daisy
- Hibiscus
- Rose
- Marigold
- Honeysuckle
- Pansy
Your Bunny Would Love A Treat With Its Daily Meals
Apart from the necessary foods mentioned above, you should give your bunny a special treat once in a while. We all know dogs love to have treats for being good boys. Rabbits are the same. These emotional creatures demand an intense amount of love and care. A treat from time to time will speak volumes about how dear they are to you.
It is extra in your monthly costs, but you do not have to treat your bunny daily. The best treats are fruits! Bunnies love to eat sweet, soft foods. However, due to high levels of sugar and carbs in fruits, it is advised to feed your bunny twice a week in one meal a day.
Bunnies cannot digest all fruits or all fruit parts. Carefully choose and cut the fruits before feeding them to your furry baby. Here are a few delicious and nurturing fruits you can give your bunny:
- Peaches
- Melons
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- Pineapples
- Cherry
- Orange
- Peach
When you feed your bunny these fruits, remove seeds, take off the peels and throw away the leaves. Rabbits can only eat the fruit of these foods.
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Beware, Your Bunny Cannot Eat Everything
As much as they love to eat, bunnies have some enemy foods. Due to their fragility, some gems of nature are a no-go zone for our furry friends. Eating these foods can cause harm to rabbits. Some of them are listed below:
- Beans
- Chocolate
- Corn
- Nuts
- Pasta
- Potatoes
- Peas
- Yogurt
- Sugar
- Turnip
- Legumes
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Iceberg lettuce
- All human treats
Final Word
Every pet comes with huge responsibilities. The cost is more for the first few months with any animal. You try different foods and different things to finalize what suits your pet the most. Once that is settled, your costs will become stationary. You can allocate a monthly budget on the first of every month.
Being sure of your bunny’s needs and wants can help you find permanent suppliers that can give you discounts and deals on your pet’s food.
Having a happy, jumpy, energetic bunny around you will uplift your spirits for sure. Isn’t that worth the cost?