What to Feed a Rabbit: Hay First, Then Pellets and Greens
A rabbit's diet is mostly unlimited grass hay. How much pellet to feed by weight, timothy vs alfalfa, safe greens and treats, and a slow switch.
A rabbit's diet is mostly grass hay. Pellets are a small, measured extra, not the main meal.
Get the hay right and you protect the two things that go wrong most often: a gut that stops moving and teeth that grow too long.
At a glance
- Best staple Unlimited grass hay, day and night
- How much About 1/4 cup pellets per 5 lb adult
- Pellet type Plain timothy-based for adults, not muesli
- Greens 1-2 cups of leafy greens a day
- Switching Slowly, over four weeks
- Avoid Seed mixes, iceberg lettuce, alfalfa as an adult staple
Hay comes first
Unlimited grass hay, day and night. It is most of what your rabbit eats.
How much hay
Our care sheet says about 80% of the diet. The Merck Veterinary Manual puts it at 85-90%. Either way, it's most of what your rabbit eats.
What it does
Chewing hay wears down teeth that never stop growing. The long fiber keeps the gut moving.
How big a pile
Roughly a pile the size of your rabbit, every day, per our care sheet.
- Timothy
- Alfalfa
- Timothy
- Stalky grass hay with seed heads. The everyday hay for adults.
- Alfalfa
- Leafy and darker. Higher in calcium and protein.
- Timothy or orchard grass is the everyday hay for adults. Oxbow says the common grass hays are interchangeable on nutrition.
- Alfalfa is a legume, not a grass. Oxbow says it is richer in calcium and protein.
- Young, pregnant and nursing rabbits can have alfalfa freely, per Oxbow.
- Healthy adults get alfalfa only as an occasional treat.
Pellets: the small part
Plain, timothy-based pellets for adults. Alfalfa-based pellets for young, pregnant or nursing rabbits.
The Merck Veterinary Manual says adults that aren't pregnant or nursing generally shouldn't eat alfalfa hay or alfalfa-based pellets. Too much calcium over time can contribute to kidney damage or bladder and kidney stones, per Merck.
- Plain pellets
- Muesli mix
- Plain pellets
- Uniform pieces. Every bite is the same.
- Muesli mix
- Rabbits pick out the tasty bits and leave the rest.
Do
- pick a plain pellet where every piece looks the same.
- choose timothy-based for an adult, alfalfa-based for a young, pregnant or nursing rabbit.
Don't
- feed seed-and-nut mixes or colorful "fiesta" blends. Our care sheet rules them out.
- use pellets in place of hay. Every maker pairs pellets with unlimited hay.
Oxbow and Supreme say uniform pieces stop rabbits picking out the parts they like, which a muesli mix allows.
Compare 6 rabbit pellets: protein, fat, fiber and calcium
| Pellet | Base | Life stage, per the label | Protein | Fat | Fiber | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxbow Essentials Adult | Timothy | Adult | 14.0% min | 2.0% min | 25-29% | 0.35-0.75% |
| Oxbow Essentials Young | Alfalfa | Under 1 year | 15% min | not listed | 22-25% | 0.60-1.10% |
| Kaytee Timothy Complete | Timothy | Adult | 12.5% min | 1.5% min | 22.0% max | not listed |
| Supreme Science Selective Adult | Alfalfa meal | 20 weeks and up | 14.0% typical | 4.0% | 25.0% | 0.6% |
| Supreme Science Selective Junior | Alfalfa meal | Babies, pregnant or nursing | 17.0% typical | 4.0% | 19.0% | 0.8% |
| Purina Complete Rabbit Feed | Alfalfa | All rabbits | 16% min | 1.5% min | 17-20% | 0.5-1.0% |
Figures are each maker's guaranteed analysis. Supreme lists UK-style typical values, not minimums and maximums. Merck suggests pellets with 15-20% crude fiber.
Nut allergy in the house? Kaytee and Supreme labels say their foods are made in facilities that handle peanuts and tree nuts.
How much pellet
About 1/4 cup a day for a 5 lb adult, plus unlimited hay. Your bag is the final word.
Pellet amounts go by body weight, so weigh your rabbit. Oxbow's adult table, fed alongside unlimited grass hay:
| Your rabbit's weight | Oxbow Adult pellets a day |
|---|---|
| 1-4 lb | 1/8 cup |
| 4-8 lb | 1/4 to 1/3 cup |
| 8-10 lb | 1/3 to 1/2 cup |
| Over 10 lb | 3/4 cup |
The cross-check
The Merck Veterinary Manual says about 1/4 cup per 5 lb a day. Our care sheet says 1/4 cup a day.
The makers disagree
Kaytee's figures run larger: 1/3 to 1/2 cup for small breeds and 2/3 to 1 1/2 cups for large breeds. That's roughly double Oxbow's amount for a small rabbit.
- Underweight
- Healthy
- Overweight
- Underweight
- Spine and hips show. See a vet.
- Healthy
- A smooth, rounded body.
- Overweight
- Broad and heavy. Extra weight adds to sore hocks.
A rabbit that looks thin, or loses weight, needs a vet visit. Our care sheet lists extra weight as one cause of sore hocks, the raw sores on the heels.
Feeding schedule
Hay is unlimited for every rabbit. Alfalfa and pellets change with life stage.
A sample week
Young (still growing)
Adult
Pregnant or nursing
Feed Optional Rest day
Show as a table
| Life stage | Grass hay | Alfalfa hay | Pellets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Young (still growing) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited young formula, per Oxbow |
| Adult | Unlimited | Occasional treat only | Every day, measured by weight |
| Pregnant or nursing | Unlimited | Unlimited | Alfalfa-based formula, as the bag says |
When to move off young food. Our care sheet stops alfalfa at about 6 months. Oxbow's young pellet runs to 1 year, and Supreme moves rabbits to adult food at 20 weeks. Follow the bag you're feeding.
Greens and treats
1-2 cups of leafy greens a day. Sweet foods are a thumb-sized treat once or twice a week.
- Every day
- Small amounts
- Avoid
- Every day
- Romaine, cilantro, parsley, dandelion greens.
- Small amounts
- Carrots and fruit are high in sugar. A thumb-sized treat.
- Avoid
- Iceberg lettuce, raw potato, raw onion.
Every day
1-2 cups of romaine lettuce, cilantro, parsley, basil or dandelion greens, per our care sheet.
Go easy on
Spinach and kale, which are high in oxalates.
Treats only
Carrots and fruit such as apples and bananas are high in sugar. Keep it to a piece the size of your thumb, once or twice a week.
Never
Iceberg lettuce, which has almost no nutrition. Oxbow also lists raw onions, leeks and garlic, rhubarb, and starchy foods like potatoes and corn.
Switching foods slowly
Take four weeks. A rabbit's gut doesn't like sudden changes.
Makers give anywhere from 5 days to 4 weeks. We go with Oxbow's slow end, the safest choice.
Week 1: 3 parts old pellet to 1 part new.
Week 2: half old, half new.
Week 3: 1 part old to 3 parts new.
Week 4: all new pellet.
Mix a little more new food in each week.
Setting up the feeding corner
Hay goes over the litter box. Pellets and water sit in heavy dishes.
- Hay over the litter box: rabbits eat and go at the same time. A hay rack or feeder keeps hay clean.
- Heavy pellet dish: a heavy dish won't tip over.
- Water: a bottle or heavy bowl, checked every day.
- Hay over the litter box: rabbits eat and go at the same time. A hay rack or feeder keeps hay clean.
- Heavy pellet dish: a heavy dish won't tip over.
- Water: a bottle or heavy bowl, checked every day.
- Litter: unscented paper pellets or kiln-dried pine pellets.
- Never clumping cat litter, which is dangerous if eaten, or cedar.
- Chew toys such as apple sticks or willow help keep teeth trimmed.
Health checks: teeth and droppings
Check teeth and droppings often. Both tell you if the diet is working.
- Normal
- Overgrown
- Normal
- Short, even front teeth.
- Overgrown
- Long or curling front teeth. A vet must trim them.
Teeth
Watch for drooling, a wet chin, trouble eating, or front teeth that curl or look too long. Lack of hay is a common cause, per our care sheet. A vet has to file them down.
Droppings
A rabbit should pass droppings steadily. No droppings, or droppings much smaller or fewer than usual, is a warning sign.
- Healthy
- Problem sign
- Healthy
- Plenty of round, fibrous droppings.
- Problem sign
- Few, tiny or misshapen droppings. Call a vet.
GI stasis
A rabbit that stops eating and stops pooping, and sits hunched, may have GI stasis. Our care sheet calls it a life-threatening emergency.
Common causes
Not enough hay, stress, or eating something it shouldn't, per our care sheet.
Storing pellets
Buy a bag you'll finish within 30-45 days of opening, and keep it sealed and dry.
- Kaytee says reseal the bag and use it within 30-45 days of opening. The fridge or freezer stretches that.
- Purina says keep feed dry and well ventilated, and throw out any that's moldy or has insects.
- Oxbow and Supreme don't print a shelf life.
Quick answers
How much pellet does my rabbit need? For a 5 lb adult, about 1/4 cup a day plus unlimited grass hay, per Oxbow and Merck. Check the table on your bag.
Timothy or alfalfa? Timothy-based for adults. Alfalfa-based for young, pregnant or nursing rabbits.
Can my rabbit live on pellets? No. Hay is most of the diet. Pellets are the small part.
Can my rabbit have a seed or muesli mix? No. Rabbits pick out the sweet bits. A plain pellet is the safer choice.
How do I switch brands? Slowly. Oxbow says four weeks, starting with 3 parts old to 1 part new.
How long does an open bag last? Kaytee says 30-45 days after opening.
My rabbit stopped eating. What do I do? See an exotics vet today. A rabbit that stops eating or pooping is an emergency.
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Reviewed by our team 2026-11-06. Nutrition figures are each maker's published guaranteed analysis.
