I had read more conflicting information on the internet saying that babies under 7 months should not eat grass and only be on hay and pellets. The other information said that rabbits are made to eat grass so why not give it to them?

Eating Grass

All bunnies of all ages can eat grass. It is their natural diet. They actually need it in their diet more than pellets. Bunnies can have any quantity of grass as long as they also have and hay.

When people say that bunnies can’t eat grass until they are 7 months old, this is absolutely not true. Baby bunnies can’t eat vegetable greens, herbs and lettuce until they are 6 months old, because it causes chemical build up in their gut and they can get intestinal ruptures.

Give bunnies fresh grass that grows in tall clumps, not the grass that spreads across the ground. Kikuyu, couch, red fescue and buffalo grasses can bind calcium, which means bunnies won’t be able to get any calcium out of their food and it can cause huge problems, and ultimately cause blockages because their digestive tract will cease up, among other things.

Baby bunnies should eat a pile of grass about twice the size of their bodies. Grass is measured in dry matter, and if the grass was dry there really wouldn’t be that much in a pile. Baby bunnies need at least 90% grass and hay in their diet. The remaining 10% should be good quality pellets. The pellets are there to boost the vitamin and mineral intake, making sure that they get fats and protein. That’s why it’s important to get a good quality pellet for your babies. Not the cheap crappy ones.

Some rabbit owners, breeders and pellet manufacturing companies say that baby bunnies should have unlimited pellets, this may be the case if they are only on hay. Hay does not have the same vitamins and minerals as grass does, because it has been dried out of it, so they boost intake of those missing things with pellets.

Also, pellet companies don’t always make balanced pellets, where the proper percentages of minerals, vitamins, fats and proteins are suitable for baby bunnies. If it’s not a balanced pellet their digestive system will be destroyed right from the start. It is possible to fix, and it will take a long time, even years. So it’s just better to start a baby bunny with the right diet from day one. It’s much simpler in the long term.

I have written an article on pellets, what is in them and what constitutes a quality pellet compared to crappy pellets in the Health area.

I have also written an article on the different grasses, weeds and hays that bunnies can and cannot eat.