Feeding

Basics of Feeding

Like most rabbits, english angoras should have a diet consisting of Pellets, Hay, Fresh water, and fresh greens. All should be fresh, free of dust, bugs, mold, moisture, and parasites. I will go into detail on each component of this. Some things to consider is angora rabbits are constantly expending more energy that their normal furred counterparts because their fiber grows so fast and so much. For this reason, there are some differences when feeding. 

Pellets

All rabbits should get a commercially available complete nutrition pellet as the base of their food. This is the main source of vitamins and minerals that your bunny needs, and a vital part of a balanced diet. We feed Nutrina Naturewise 18% pellets, but there are a few others I would also recommend if they are easier to find, Such as Kalmbach 18% all natural or 18% best in show. English angoras need a higher amount of protein than most other breeds of rabbits. They should not be fed less than 17% protein while growing, and 16% as an adult. Some elderly rabbits need to drop down to 14%, but you should only do this if your vet recommends it do to health issues. You should not feed any seed mix or trail mix style feed, as rabbits will pick out the parts they like and leave the parts they don't, and will no longer be getting all the nutrients they need. 

Hay

All rabbits should have hay, but it is doubly important for angoras. Hay helps keep the digestive track moving. It also provides much needed fiber into the diet. Gut health is vital to the well being of rabbits, and Hay is the center of maintaining good gut health. Rabbits under 6 months old should have alfalfa hay, as it provides a little extra nutrition for the fast growing body. Once they are done growing, they should be slowly swiched over to a grass hay. There are many varieies of grass hay, the most common being timothy, orchard, meadow, and oat grass. Whatever hay you decide to get, it should be clean, dry, free of dust and mold, relatively uniform, free of weeds, and soft. Rabbits are notoriously picky eaters. If they feel the Hay is just a bit off, they will not eat it. I am allergic to timothy and meadow grass hay, and oat hay is very rare in my area, so I use orchard grass. If you only have one rabbit, I recommend buying hay in smaller quantities so it doesnt go bad before you are able to use it all.  I like getting my hay from Small Pet Select or in a pinch will buy Oxbow or Standlee hay at our local stores. I also often use hay cubes for rabbits when we are travelling as it takes up less space and gives them something to do. If you want to buy larger quantites, its also an option to buy hay by the bale. You just need to make sure it still meets all the requirements stated above. 

Water

Water is crucial for all living things. It is one of the most important resources needed for life. This is no different with rabbits. There should be fresh, clean water available at all times for your rabbit. I don't recommend water bottles for a few reasons. The first is the water becomes stale over time, and the bottles are almost never cleaned all the way. The second is angora fiber gets tangled on the end very easily, and quickly creates a constant drip. The third reason is angora fur should never get wet, because when it gets wet it creates nasty mats. If your rabbit leans against the bottle, it may not feel itself getting soaked until its way too late. For this reason, I prefer bowls. But not just any bowl works for rabbits. They love to have fun, and will turn anything they can move into a toy. use a bowl that either clips to the side of the cage, like a Lock Crock or EZ Crock, or use a heavy bowl that is either as wide or wider on the bottom than the top. I like ceramic crocks made specifically for rabbits for this. Some heavy ceramic or plastic dog bowls also work great. 

Fresh Fruits and Veggies:

When we were kids, we learned that rabbits eat what? Carrots! WRONG! Carrots and most other root vegetables should only be fed in very small quantities, as they are too high is sugars or starches. Additionally, many fruits can cause issues when fed in large quantities. A good rule of thumb is to limit these to a teaspoon per 2lbs of body weight in a day. You should introduce these very slowly. I do not allow any rabbits under 6 months old to have any fruits or non leafy green veggies. That said, many rabbits can and do enjoy a good leafy green. In fact, my rabbits all get leafy greens every day. The best part? Many of the things they can eat can be grown in a garden. If you are lucky and you have a place to forage for greens, even better. You just want to make sure you are not picking anything that has been sprayed with any chemicals. When buying from the store, it is always best to buy organic for your bunnies. Most leafy greens fall into one of two categories. the first are plants high in oxalic acid, and the second are plants that are relatively low.  Some plants that are high in oxalic acid are Parsley, Spinach, Mustard greens, and Sprouts. These should be fed in lower quantities, and should make up no more than 1/3 the daily greens. Some fruits are also good to give rabbits, as long as they are fed in small quantities. Total amount of fruits and veggies should be less than a cup a day. Something that is angora specific, it is recommended to feed Papaya to rabbits to help lubricate the digestive track so when the rabbits swallow their fur while grooming, it is able to pass through instead of causing a blockage. Unlike cats, rabbits cannot spit up hairballs. I like to buy a whole papaya and cut it up into one inch cubes and put them in the freezer. In the summer my rabbits like to eat the cubes frozen as a treat to cool off, in the cooler months, we thaw them first. I give them Papaya once or twice a week. For a full list of fruits and veggies you can give to your rabbits, head to the Safe Treats page under Angora Care.