T.L.C. Holland Lops
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Picture

Feeding Your Bunny


That picture is so cute, right?
Yeah!  ;-()

But it is WRONG.  :-(
Read on to learn more...  :-)
​THIS PAGE IS BEING UPDATED AS OF 10/15/21. WHEN THIS NOTICE IS REMOVED, YOU WILL KNOW THIS PAGE IS COMPLETE.
​(YOU MAY NEED TO CLEAR YOUR BROWSER HISTORY TO VIEW THE LATEST VERSION).
To better assist our bunnies and their people, we are revising this page with more detailed information regarding the proper feeding of their buns. In the meantime, please research the best feeding practices of "Holland Lops" or "dwarf rabbit breeds".

We cannot emphasis strongly enough the vital importance of Holland Lops having proper diets and bunny parents understanding "GI stasis". It is so important that we are developing a "Test Your Bun Knowledge" page, and no one will adopt a bunny from us until they are able to pass the test. This is to help ensure your success as a Holland Lop parent, and to be honest, for our peace of mind as well. As soon as we can upload the "Test Your Bun Knowledge" page, we will link it at the bottom of this page and it will be part of the process of adopting a bunny from us. The successful completion of the test will be a win-win-win for you, us and especially the buns!

FACTS ABOUT FEEDING YOUR HOLLAND LOP:

Owning a bunny is not like owning a dog or cat. You cannot pour kibbles into a bowl and provide them with water and think you are done. Rabbits, and for this discussion, specifically Holland Lops, have specific dietary needs, and every bunny's GI tract can be slightly different. In all cases, you will not only need to provide your bunny with a proper diet, but you will also need to give your bunny very small introductions to different foods to see how well your bunny does (or does not do) on a particular food. We will go into more details later, but for now, read below for a general understanding of Holland Lop dietary needs. 

DISCLAIMER: We are not veterinarians and there is no substitution for your veterinarian's advice. Please consult your veterinarian. 

BASICALLY - A Holland Lop's diet should consist of approximately 80% high quality hay. There are different types and cuttings of hay that provide different profiles of fiber, protein, fats, nutrients, etc., as showcased below in the Hay Chart.  In this paragraph, we are talking about adult rabbits at least seven months old. We feed our grown herd, "2nd cutting Timothy hay" with occasional *treat* hays of "Gourmet Hay" and/or "Orchard Grass Hay" and/or "Oat Hay". We like to give our buns a nice variety for optimum health and vitality. However, the great majority of our bun's hay intake is "2nd Cutting Timothy hay". The other 20% of their diet are veggies/herbs, pellets and treats. As you can see, that 20% is divided into 3 groups as detailed here:

​​

Definition of treat;

An especially unexpected source of joy, delight, or amusement;
“I gave her a little candy as a treat”.


​Therefore, when we use the word, "treat", we mean exactly that. Generally, for bunnies, a "treat" can be anything from a thumbnail size to a tablespoon, or maybe as much as a quarter cup to a handful size, depending on what we are giving our bunnies. A piece of banana, carrot or other sweet treat would be a thumbnail sized slice. A sprinkle of treat hay would be as much as a handful size. 

For all bunnies, large, unlimited amounts of fresh hay (whichever kind is best for your bunny) should be easily accessed and available 24 hours a day, for the life of your bunny. Young bunnies should be introduced to Alfalfa hay as soon as they can eat on their own then later transitioned to Timothy or Orchard Grass hay.

(PLEASE NOTATE THE TABLE & FEEDING INFORMATION BELOW - YES, THERE WILL BE A TEST :-)

Holland Lop Hay Feeding:
Again, hay is essential to a rabbit’s health, and should be approximately 80% of their diet when they’re an appropriate age. Before 3 weeks of age, your rabbit should only be consuming its mother’s milk. As they get older, you should supplement their diet with Timothy-based pellets, and safe veggies/herbs and fruits - the latter, (fruits) in very small quantities and only as a treat. (Babies from our rabbitry never leave their mothers before eight weeks of age. Mothers ween their babies between seven and eight weeks of age.)
HAY CHART
​AGE
​TYPE
​QUANTITY
3-4 weeks
Alfalfa
Small nibbles only
4 weeks - 7 months
Alfalfa
Abundant amounts/Unlimited
7 months - 1 year​
Timothy, Oat, Orchard, Other (but decrease Alfalfa)
Abundant amounts/Unlimited
​1 year +
Timothy, Oat, Orchard, Other, (but no Alfalfa)
​Abundant amounts/Unlimited

        
Timothy Hay for Rabbits, 101:
Choosing the Right Hay for your Holland Lop…
Timothy hay is a very popular bunny hay. Purchase only the freshest hay for your bun! Timothy hay is available in three (important) cuttings, so you can choose specifically what your bunny needs:

First cutting Timothy hay: High in fiber, but low in protein and fat. It’s great for weight management and GI issues, and helps wear down bunny teeth with its opulent stem growth and low leaf quantity.
Second cutting Timothy hay: Has a springy stem and medium texture/size leaf. It has standard levels of fiber, protein and fat that make it the perfect hay for adult rabbits. Although 2nd cut Timothy hay is the standard for healthy adult rabbits, mixing and matching (non-alfalfa hay/adult rabbits) is good too... it keeps things interesting for your bunny and helps ensure a more varied diet.
Third cutting Timothy hay: is low in fiber, high in protein and fat, so it’s the best hay type for bunnies looking to liven up their diets and work on weight management. Its soft texture is also ideal for bunnies dealing with mouth pain.

NOTE: If someone in your household is allergic to Timothy hay, Orchard Grass hay is the best substitute and is well tolerated by most people with allergies.

Use a good quality, high fiber Alfalfa or Timothy based pellet as a small part of your rabbit’s diet:

Feed app. of 1 cup vegetables for each 4 lbs. of body weight. Fully grown Holland Lops weigh about 4 lbs. Leafy greens are best, in our opinion. We use organic, baby mixed greens, easily attainable at most grocery stores. But you will want to introduce other veggies and herbs as well.

--Add one vegetable to the diet at a time. Introduce gradually and only in small amounts - about the size of a fresh cherry. Eliminate it if it causes soft stools or diarrhea.
--Keep a list, prominently displayed, of all fruits, veggies and herbs that are and are not tolerated by your bunny! The last thing you want is for a new person in your house to feed your bunny something that will make him or her sick, especially if you are out of town and it was fed by a bunny sitter. Any rabbit can very quickly develop "GI stasis" and become too ill to recover before you can get home to help your bunny. Always keep your bunny's veterinarian information easily at hand, in case intervention is needed.

Limit fruits to 1-2 tablespoons per 5 lbs. of body weight (none if dieting) from the list below of high fiber fruits only. Sugary foods such as bananas, carrots, grapes, etc., should be used only sparingly, and only as occasional treats - not every day. Bunnies have a sweet tooth and if left to their own devices will devour sugary foods to the exclusion of healthful ones.

​Vegetables:
Eventually, you will s
elect about three types of vegetables daily. We always suggest using organic everything but that is up to you. A variety is necessary in order to obtain the necessary nutrients, with one each day that contains Vitamin A, indicated by an (*) below. Also, see the note below regarding anything marked with (!).

Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts
Basil
Beet greens (tops)*
Bok choy
Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)*
Brussels sprouts
Carrot & carrot tops*
Celery
Cilantro
Clover
Collard greens*
Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)*
Endive*
Escarole
Green pepper
Kale (!)*
Lettuce: Romaine, Red or Green leaf (no iceberg!)*
Mint
Mustard greens*
Parsley (!)*
Pea pods (the flat edible kind)*
Peppermint leaves
Raddichio
Radish tops
Raspberry leaves
Spinach (!)*
Watercress*
Wheat grass

(!)=Use only sparingly. High in oxalates, vitamin A or goitrogens and may be toxic in accumulated quantities over a period of time.
Please note there is currently dispute within the scientific community regarding the levels of oxalates and goitrogens in Kale.  Many of our rescuers have fed Kale daily, combined with other veggies, with no ill effects.  Others have found that Kale fed in large amounts on a daily basis may contribute to bladder sludge and other health issues.  We encourage you to make your own decisions on how you feed Kale to your rabbit.

​Fruits:
Apple
Blueberries
Melon
Orange (including peel)
Papaya
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries

Absolute NO-NOs!:
NO chocolate (poisonous!), cookies, crackers, breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, yogurt drops, popcorn or other “human treats.” There is research to suggest these items may contribute to fatal cases of enterotoxemia, a toxic overgrowth of “bad” bacteria in the intestinal tract which can lead to a very quick death.

WHERE TO BUY HAY:​

We absolutely LOVE this company, and is where we order all of our hay! I cannot say enough good things about them and their quality of hay. It is always delivered fast and on time, it is hand-packed, super fresh and in perfect condition. Enjoy!
The best value at $2.42/lb. at the time this was posted.
As an Amazon or other associate, links may earn us a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you, but helps us support this educational website and our premium rabbitry. Thank you for your support!
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  • Home
  • MEET OUR BUNNIES
    • OUR BUNNY PARENTS
  • BUNNY ADOPTION CHECKLIST
    • AVAILABLE BUNNIES
    • WAITING LIST
  • LEARN ABOUT BUNNIES
    • BUNNY FEEDING
    • BUNNY CARE & BEYOND!
    • BUNNY HEALTH
    • BUNNY BEHAVIOR
    • BUNNY FACTS
    • BUNNY CARE VIDEOS
  • CONTACT