Building a Balanced Weekly Feeding Plan

Knowing the principles of rabbit nutrition is one thing — actually translating them into a practical daily and weekly routine is another. This guide builds you a complete, vet-aligned feeding schedule that you can start using immediately to give your rabbit the balanced diet they need.

The Daily Diet Template

Every day, your rabbit’s diet should include these components, in order of importance:

Component	Amount	Frequency
Timothy hay or grass hay	Unlimited	24 hours a day, always available
Fresh water	Unlimited	Change at least once daily
Fresh leafy greens	1–2 cups per 5 lbs bodyweight	Daily
Plain timothy pellets	¼ cup per 5 lbs bodyweight	Once daily
Fruit/treats	1–2 tablespoons max	2–3 times per week only

Why Variety in Greens Matters

Offering the same lettuce every day is nutritionally adequate but falls short of optimal. Different greens provide different vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Rotating at least 3–5 different greens per week also:

• Prevents selective eating habits
• Provides broader nutritional coverage
• Reduces the risk of any one green’s “limit” items (oxalates, calcium) building up
• Provides mental stimulation through varied tastes and textures

A Sample Weekly Feeding Plan

Here is a practical week-by-week rotation for a healthy 5 lb (2.3 kg) adult rabbit:

Monday

• Greens: Romaine lettuce + fresh cilantro + basil
• Pellets: ¼ cup timothy pellets
• Extras: None

Tuesday

• Greens: Bok choy + watercress + fresh dill
• Pellets: ¼ cup timothy pellets
• Extras: 1–2 strawberries (treat day)

Wednesday

• Greens: Endive + green leaf lettuce + fresh mint
• Pellets: ¼ cup timothy pellets
• Extras: None

Thursday

• Greens: Romaine lettuce + cilantro + parsley (moderate amount)
• Pellets: ¼ cup timothy pellets
• Extras: 3–4 blueberries (treat day)

Friday

• Greens: Bok choy + escarole + fresh basil
• Pellets: ¼ cup timothy pellets
• Extras: None

Saturday

• Greens: Watercress + dill + carrot tops
• Pellets: ¼ cup timothy pellets
• Extras: Small apple slice without seeds (treat day)

Sunday

• Greens: Endive + green leaf lettuce + fresh thyme
• Pellets: ¼ cup timothy pellets
• Extras: None

This rotation provides a minimum of 8 different greens over 7 days — varied, balanced, and nutritionally rich.

Adjusting Portions for Your Rabbit’s Size

The portions above are for a standard 5 lb (2.3 kg) rabbit. Scale up or down proportionally:

• 2.5 lb rabbit (small breed — Netherland Dwarf): ½ the amounts — ~¾ cup greens, ⅛ cup pellets
• 5 lb rabbit (average — Dutch, Lionhead): Standard amounts as above
• 10 lb rabbit (large — French Lop, Rex): Double the amounts — 3–4 cups greens, ½ cup pellets
• 15+ lb rabbit (giant — Flemish Giant): Consult your vet for tailored guidance, typically 1–2 cups per 5 lbs

Seasonal Adjustments

Spring/Summer

• Rabbits may eat slightly less hay (humidity affects palatability) — ensure hay remains fresh
• Offer extra water-rich greens in hot weather to support hydration
• Foraged greens from safe wild plants (dandelion, plantain, bramble) can supplement the rotation beautifully
• Limit fruit treats on very hot days — high sugar increases the risk of cecal dysbiosis in warm temperatures

Autumn/Winter

• Rabbits often eat more hay in colder months — this is healthy and natural
• Outdoor rabbits need slightly more calories; slightly increase pellet ration for outdoor rabbits in winter
• Hot root vegetables (cooked carrot, pumpkin pieces) can be a warming occasional treat

What To Do When Changing Diets

If you’re transitioning from a poor diet (e.g., muesli mix, limited hay) to the correct diet, go slowly:

1. Week 1–2: Begin offering unlimited hay alongside whatever they currently eat. Start introducing one new green per week.
2. Week 3–4: Gradually reduce the muesli mix or excessive pellets while greens are being accepted
3. Week 4–6: By now, hay should be the primary food. Two or three greens should be well tolerated.
4. Week 6–8: Aim for the full rotation as above. Pellets at the correct quantity.

Never make dramatic dietary changes all at once — the cecal microbiome needs time to adapt, and sudden diet changes can trigger diarrhoea or GI stasis.

Track Everything with the RabbitCare App

Sticking to a weekly rotation, tracking which greens you’ve offered, monitoring treat days, and logging weight — it’s a lot to keep in your head. The RabbitCare App (free on Android) is designed for exactly this: daily diet logs, feeding reminders, a safe/unsafe food guide, and weight tracking in one place. Download it today and take the guesswork out of rabbit nutrition.

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References & Sources

1. House Rabbit Society (HRS) — “Suggested Vegetables and Fruits for a Rabbit Diet” — rabbit.org
2. RWAF — “Feeding Rabbits” — rabbitwelfare.co.uk
3. Oxbow Animal Health — “Rabbit Nutrition” — oxbowanimalhealth.com
4. PDSA — “What do rabbits eat?” — pdsa.org.uk
5. Harcourt-Brown, F. (2002) — Textbook of Rabbit Medicine, Butterworth-Heinemann