When to feed your rabbits and how much to feed them

137. You have already learned that rabbits eat at night as well as during the day. So, you must be sure that they have enough to eat all of the time.

138. The best time to feed rabbits is once early in the morning and once in the evening, before it is dark.

Morning; evening

139. Each time you feed your rabbits, put fresh or dry plant materials in the plant feeder, and put some of the rich food that you are using, such as crushed maize, in the grain feeder.

Fresh or dry material and food

140. If you are feeding your rabbits any larger foods, such as sections of banana stalk or whole carrots, beets or yams, you can put them on the floor of the pen.

Put food on the floor of the pen

141. Rabbits need different amounts of food at different times in their lives.

Differen amount of food at different times in rabbit’s life

142. The following items will help you learn how much to feed your rabbits.

143. Female rabbits, when they are not having babies, and male rabbits, when they are not mating, need much less food.

Less food needed when not mating

144. They must be given enough food to keep them strong and healthy but not so much that they get fat.

145. Female rabbits that are fat do not have babies easily. Male rabbits that are fat are lazy and do not want to mate.

146. Female rabbits that are going to have babies need more food, and after their babies are born they need much more food.

147. Once you know that a female is going to have babies, give her as much food as she can eat.

Give pregnant female as much food as she can eat

148. She will have to eat for herself and for the babies inside her. After the babies are born, she will have to be able to produce a lot of rich milk for them.

She has to produce a lot of milk

149. So, watch your rabbits carefully to see how much they need to eat and how they grow. You will have to learn by your own experience just how much to give them.

150. If you see that your rabbits do not eat all of their food, give them a little less.

151. If you see that your rabbits eat all of their food, give them a little more unless they are too fat.

152. You will learn what baby rabbits eat in the next section in this booklet, Raising your own baby rabbits.