Rabbit — Feed Requirements Guide
Rabbits are highly efficient small livestock with the best feed-to-meat conversion ratio of any land animal after poultry. An adult rabbit at 8 lbs consumes approximately 0.28 lbs of pellets per day (about 4 ounces) plus unlimited grass hay. Rabbit nutrition centers on high-fiber pelleted feeds supplemented with timothy or orchard grass hay, which is essential for maintaining proper cecal fermentation and dental health. Unlike ruminants, rabbits practice cecotrophy, re-ingesting soft cecal pellets to extract additional nutrients from their high-fiber diet. Commercial rabbit pellets typically contain 16-18% crude protein, 2-4% fat, and 18-22% crude fiber. Proper nutrition is critical for preventing gastrointestinal stasis, the most common and potentially fatal health problem in domestic rabbits. Meat rabbits, including New Zealand and Californian breeds, reach market weight of 5 lbs in just 8-12 weeks, making them an increasingly popular sustainable livestock option.
Rabbit Nutritional Requirements by Life Stage
The table below shows how dry matter intake, protein requirements, and feed costs change across the 3 life stages of rabbit production. Life stage adjustments account for the dramatically different energy and protein demands of lactation, growth, gestation, and maintenance. Click any life stage for a dedicated page with detailed feeding recommendations and management tips.
| Life Stage | DMI Adj. | Daily DMI | Protein % | Daily Protein | Monthly Cost* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | 1x | 0.3 lbs | 16% | 0.0 lbs | $0.72 |
| Lactating Doe | 1.6x | 0.5 lbs | 19.2% | 0.1 lbs | $1.15 |
| Growing Kit | 1.3x | 0.4 lbs | 19.2% | 0.1 lbs | $0.93 |
*Monthly cost estimated using grass hay at $150/ton. Actual costs vary by feed type and region.
Recommended Feeds for Rabbit
The following feeds meet both the minimum crude protein and TDN requirements for rabbit at maintenance level (16% protein, 65% TDN) when fed as the sole feed source. In practice, most feeding programs combine multiple feed ingredients to optimize cost and nutritional balance.
| Feed | Protein | TDN | As-Fed/Day | Cost/Ton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soybean Meal | 44% | 84% | 0.3 lbs | $450 |
| Cottonseed Meal | 41% | 75% | 0.3 lbs | $380 |
| Distillers Grains (Dried) | 27% | 86% | 0.3 lbs | $200 |
| Wheat Bran | 16% | 67% | 0.3 lbs | $180 |
| Corn Gluten Feed | 21% | 80% | 0.3 lbs | $200 |
| Canola Meal | 36% | 74% | 0.3 lbs | $350 |
| Layer Pellets | 16% | 70% | 0.3 lbs | $400 |
| Broiler Starter | 22% | 78% | 0.3 lbs | $450 |
| Brewers Grains (Wet) | 26% | 66% | 1.2 lbs | $60 |
Feeds Requiring Supplementation
These feeds meet either the protein or TDN requirement but not both, and would need to be combined with other feeds in a balanced ration. The table indicates which nutritional requirement is met and which needs supplementation.
| Feed | Protein | TDN | Protein OK? | TDN OK? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfalfa Hay | 18% | 58% | Yes | No |
| Corn Silage | 8% | 70% | No | Yes |
| Whole Corn | 9% | 88% | No | Yes |
| Cracked Corn | 9% | 88% | No | Yes |
| Oats | 12% | 70% | No | Yes |
| Barley | 13% | 84% | No | Yes |
| Beet Pulp | 9% | 74% | No | Yes |
| Rice Bran | 13% | 65% | No | Yes |
| Molasses | 5% | 72% | No | Yes |
| Horse Sweet Feed | 12% | 72% | No | Yes |
Feeding Rabbit at Different Body Weights
Body weight directly determines dry matter intake. The table below shows how daily feed requirements change across a range of body weights for rabbit at maintenance level. Use the calculator for custom weights, life stages, and herd sizes.
| Body Weight | Daily DMI | Daily Protein | Monthly Feed | Annual Feed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 lbs | 0.2 lbs | 0.0 lbs | 5 lbs | 0.03 tons |
| 6 lbs | 0.2 lbs | 0.0 lbs | 6 lbs | 0.04 tons |
| 8 lbs | 0.3 lbs | 0.0 lbs | 8 lbs | 0.05 tons |
| 10 lbs | 0.4 lbs | 0.1 lbs | 11 lbs | 0.06 tons |
| 12 lbs | 0.4 lbs | 0.1 lbs | 13 lbs | 0.08 tons |
Herd Size Feed Budgets for Rabbit
Planning feed purchases and storage requires estimating total feed needs for your herd over time. The table below shows monthly and annual feed requirements and costs for various herd sizes of rabbit at maintenance level using grass hay at $150/ton.
| Head Count | Daily DMI Total | Monthly Feed | Annual Feed | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1.4 lbs | 0.02 tons | 0.26 tons | $43.55 |
| 10 | 2.8 lbs | 0.04 tons | 0.51 tons | $87.10 |
| 25 | 7.0 lbs | 0.11 tons | 1.28 tons | $217.76 |
| 50 | 14.0 lbs | 0.21 tons | 2.56 tons | $435.51 |
| 100 | 28.0 lbs | 0.42 tons | 5.11 tons | $871.02 |
| 200 | 56.0 lbs | 0.84 tons | 10.22 tons | $1,742.05 |
Other Animals
Browse feed requirement guides for other livestock species.