What to Feed Wild Rabbits in Winter? (Do’s & Don’t)

Winter can be an extremely difficult time for wild rabbits to find food. As temperature drops and natural vegetation dies off, wild rabbits rely heavily on humans providing them with supplemental nourishment. Feeding wild rabbits appropriately during winter months can mean the difference between life and death for these gentle creatures.

In this article, we’ll discuss the best foods and techniques for sustaining wild rabbits through the cold weather. Learning what and how to feed wild rabbits in winter will help you support your local bunny community when they need it most. With some preparation and basic knowledge, you can be a lifeline for wild rabbits this season.

Without further ado, let’s go on.

Can You Feed Wild Rabbits?

While feeding wild rabbits may seem kind, it can do more harm than good. Rabbits can become dependent on human food and lose their natural foraging ability. It’s better to let them find their nourishment, except in extreme weather when food is scarce. Even then, feed healthy greens and veggies, not processed foods. Stop once conditions improve so they don’t rely on you.

So, use your common sense when you see a wild rabbit. If the bunny is poor, you should provide some rabbit-safe food for the bunny.

Hay, Pellet, water, vegetables, and fruits are the basic diet for the house rabbit. The feeding behavior of wild rabbits is completely different from house rabbits. All fruits and vegetables are not safe for the bunny. Anyway, I have added a list of rabbit-safe vegetables and fruits in the latter part of this article. 

Why Expert don’t recommend providing food to wild rabbits?

Feeding wild rabbits can unfortunately do more harm than good in many cases. Rabbits are resilient animals that are well-adapted to find their natural food sources. If they grow accustomed to being fed by humans, they may lose some of their foraging abilities and become dependent on that as an easy food source. This can be detrimental to their survival.

Feeding wild rabbits can also cause them to associate humans with food. This could draw them into hazardous areas like roads to look for handouts. And leftover food can attract predators to where the rabbits are feeding.

The only times supplementary feeding may be appropriate are during extreme weather when natural food sources are buried under deep snow or unavailable due to long stretches of bitter cold. In those cases, providing some healthy greens, vegetables, oats, and timothy hay can give them the calories they need to avoid starvation. But this should not be an indefinite solution. As soon as the extreme conditions improve, the feeding should stop so the rabbits return to their natural foraging behaviors and do not become reliant on humans.

In summary, feeding wild rabbits is generally not recommended, except in temporary cases of extreme winter weather when natural food is scarce. Even then, care should be taken to provide healthy foods and end the feedings as soon as weather permits.

What to Feed Wild Rabbits in Winter

What Do Wild Rabbits Eat?

Here is a summary of what wild rabbits eat:

  • Wild rabbits are herbivores and eat a variety of plant foods. Their diets change with the seasons to take advantage of what’s available.
  • In spring and summer, rabbits will eat grasses, clover, wildflowers, weeds, leaves, buds, and green shoots. They particularly enjoy grazing on grass.
  • In fall and winter, they adapt to more woody foods like bark, twigs, branches, buds, and any green plants they can find like kale, carrots, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.
  • Rabbits also eat some fruits like blackberries, apples, pears, and cherries when available. But they tend to avoid citrus fruits.
  • Fresh, clean water is important year-round for hydration. Rabbits get much of their water from the greens they eat but will drink from streams, ponds, puddles, and dew on grass.
  • Rabbits have complex digestive systems that allow them to extract nutrients from fibrous foods that other animals can’t digest. This adaptation lets them thrive on plant foods.
  • Their front teeth grow continuously and enable them to efficiently gnaw through tough woody vegetation in winter when herbaceous plants are less available.

In summary, rabbits are well-adapted to live off the land and forage for a wide variety of seasonal plant foods including grasses, leaves, buds, bark, twigs, green shoots, and selected fruits. This varied plant diet provides the nutrition and water rabbits need to survive.

What to Feed Wild Rabbits in Winter?

Here are some recommendations for what to feed wild rabbits:

  • Dark, leafy greens – Kale, parsley, romaine lettuce, arugula, spinach, swiss chard, radish greens, carrot tops. Rabbits love leafy greens and they provide important nutrition. Introduce new greens slowly.
  • Root vegetables – Carrots, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes. Can feed these peeled and raw, or cooked. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
  • Herbs – Cilantro, basil, dill, mint. Offer a small handful as a supplement.
  • Oats – Scatter a small amount of raw rolled oats. A healthy grain.
  • Timothy Hay – An excellent source of roughage if you can provide it.
  • Fruit tree cuttings – Apple tree, pear tree, or other fruit wood branches with leaves. Allows rabbits to nibble on bark and new buds.
  • Occasional fruit treats – Small pieces of apple, melon, berries. Only provide 1-2 times a week.

Avoid feeding processed foods, bread, dairy, beans, nuts, seeds, or anything moldy or rotting. Focus on providing a variety of natural, healthy foods rabbits would encounter in their habitats. Supply fresh water in a shallow bowl as well. Monitor to see what gets eaten and adjust.

Feeding Tips for Wild Bunny

Here are some tips for safely feeding wild rabbits:

  • Chop foods into bite-sized pieces to prevent choking. Rabbits have small throats and cannot swallow large chunks.
  • Scatter the food in different areas rather than piling it all in one place. This prevents dominant rabbits from monopolizing it all.
  • Avoid using plastic or metal food containers, which could harbor bacteria. Scatter food directly on the ground.
  • Feed at dawn and dusk when rabbits are most active and hungry. Not in the heat of the day.
  • Place food in quiet, protected areas away from roads, dogs, and predators. Near brush piles or burrows are ideal.
  • Do not leave uneaten food out overnight. Clean up any leftovers at the end of the day so it doesn’t spoil or attract other animals.
  • Provide fresh water in a shallow bowl, dumping and refilling it daily.
  • Wash hands before and after handling food. Avoid direct contact with rabbits.
  • Do not attempt to feed if weather conditions are very hazardous. Safety first.
  • Stop feeding once extreme weather has passed so rabbits return to natural foraging.

With some basic precautions, supplemental feeding can temporarily help wild rabbits survive extreme winters. But the goal should always be to help them without disrupting natural behaviors.

How Much Food Does A Wild Rabbit Need Per Day?

Here are some guidelines on how much food a wild rabbit needs each day:

  • An adult wild rabbit will eat approximately 1/2 to 2/3 cups of fresh vegetables, greens, and other rabbit-safe foods per day.
  • Baby rabbits and juveniles will eat a bit less – around 1/4 to 1/3 cups per day.
  • When providing supplemental food in winter, scatter about 1/4 cup per rabbit per day as a starting amount. Adjust up or down based on what gets consumed.
  • Rabbits are crepuscular, meaning most active at dawn and dusk. They do most of their grazing during those times.
  • It’s better to split the daily portion into two feedings – one at dawn, one at dusk – to align with their natural feeding behaviors.
  • During the day, rabbits tend to rest in sheltered spots rather than graze continuously.
  • Leave out a bowl of fresh water as well, replenishing it daily.
  • Monitor consumption and adjust amounts as needed. Provide just enough to supplement natural winter food sources, not replace them entirely.
What do you feed a wild baby bunny

What Do You Feed a Wild Baby Bunny?

Here are some guidelines on what to feed a wild baby bunny:

  • Baby bunnies under 2 months old have special nutritional requirements and their diet should ideally be consulted with a wildlife rehabilitator.
  • Mother’s milk provides the best nutrition, so returning the baby to its nest or calling a rehabber is recommended.
  • If those options aren’t feasible, you can provide Kitten Milk Replacer formula specifically formulated for baby rabbits. Use kitten, not puppy formula.
  • Use a small animal bottle and nipple to feed the formula. Never use a bowl – it can lead to aspiration pneumonia.
  • Starting around 3-4 weeks old, also offer timothy hay, rolled oats, rinsed spinach, and leafy greens.
  • Once 6-8 weeks old, can supplement with some vegetables like carrot, cucumber, and romaine. Avoid fruits.
  • Always introduce new foods slowly and one at a time.
  • Make sure ample water is available at all times.
  • Avoid cow’s milk, cereals, nuts, seeds, beans, citrus, iceberg lettuce. These can make baby bunnies very sick.
  • Get advice from an experienced wildlife rehabilitator whenever possible. Raising orphaned babies has many nuances.

The goal should be reuniting babies with moms or getting them to a licensed rehabber. But if neither is feasible, consult experts and use proper milk replacer and increased greens until weaned.

You could read this article for the Take Care of Orphan Baby Rabbits 

Frequently Asked Question

Should I Rescue A Wild Rabbit Baby?

Upon confirmation that the wild baby rabbit is orphaned, you could rescue it. If not, do not rescue it. Remember that wild momma bunnies explore their surroundings in search of food. You might come across one. However, it does not mean it is orphaned. 

Do Wild Rabbits Eat Carrot?

Whether it is a pet rabbit or a wild rabbit, they love carrots insanely. Moreover, carrot is a popular food for the bunny all over the world. In nature, wild rabbits eat a lot of carrots. Carrots contain a high amount of carbohydrates that are not good for a rabbit’s health. But the wild rabbit runs miles to miles daily. Comparing their workout, this extra amount of carbohydrate doesn’t affect them. But for the pet rabbit, you should not provide carrots daily because pet rabbits do have not the luxury of running miles to miles daily.

Do wild rabbits eat bird seeds in winter?

It’s Okay to eat the bird seeds for the wild bunny when food is scarce. Usually, Bird seeds that fall on the ground are not the regular diet for the bunny. Some birdseed contains a high amount of fat and carbohydrates that keep the rabbits warm and healthy in the winter.

What Are Predators to Wild Rabbits?

Wild rabbits are prey animals. Despite the rabbit’s life expectancy of 5-8 years (which varies from breed to breed and care), the wild rabbit can not survive for more than a year in the wild. Here are the common predators for rabbits. They are Foxes, Buzzards, Falcons, Kestrels, Hawks, Badgers, Owls, Weasels, Ferrets, Snake, and Cats.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to feeding wild rabbits, the best policy is usually not to interfere with nature’s systems. Healthy rabbits are well-adapted to find their nourishment. However, in extreme weather when food is scarce, we may choose to provide temporary supplementary feeding with healthy greens, veggies, oats, and hay. If you do opt to feed wild rabbits this winter, be sure to do it responsibly by providing natural foods, avoiding dependence, and stopping once conditions improve. With some care, we can give them a helping hand until spring arrives.

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Alex

Alex is a full-time rabbit lover and part-time Biologist. He is a proud parent of two rabbits. It's his childhood dream to rescue endangered animals and make the world better for living.

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