Rabbit Internet Myth Bingo Spent the morning reading through a comment thread about rabbit diets and it turned into a perfect case study in how misinformation spreads. The same handful of lines kept appearing again and again—different people, same script. Here’s the greatest hits from the thread: “Rabbits need hay 80% of their diet.” “They must have hay 24/7.” “Without hay their teeth will grow into their cheeks.” “Pellets cause obesity.” “Feed romaine lettuce daily but NEVER iceberg.” “Timothy hay for adults, alfalfa only for babies.” “Give greens and fruit every day.” “Pellets should only be fed once or twice a day.” Notice something interesting. Almost every one of these statements sounds confident… but none of them actually come from rabbit nutrition science. They come from repeated pet-care advice that’s been copied around the internet for decades. Rabbit nutrition research doesn’t talk about “percent hay.” It talks about fiber fractions. Things like: • NDF (neutral detergent fiber) • ADF (acid detergent fiber) • lignin • digestible energy density A properly formulated rabbit pellet already contains those fiber sources. Look at a typical feed label and you’ll see ingredients like: • dehydrated alfalfa meal • soybean hulls • wheat middlings Those ingredients are there specifically to provide the correct balance of fermentable and structural fiber. The goal of a complete pellet is simple: every bite already contains the correct nutrition. Hay is just forage. Pellets are forage that has already been balanced. Another thing that jumped out in the thread was how often people repeated the same dental myth. “Rabbits need hay to grind their teeth down.” Tooth wear comes from mastication and occlusion, not from a specific plant type. Malocclusion is overwhelmingly linked to genetics, jaw alignment, or trauma—not a lack of hay. Now the myth breakdown. 1. “Rabbits must eat 80% hay.” There is no universal peer-reviewed rule that rabbit diets must be “80% hay.” Rabbit nutrition science talks about ADF, NDF, lignin, digestible fiber, and energy density, not a fixed hay percentage.

Now that we’ve covered flooring, the next topic that always comes up is cage size. And this is where a lot of internet arguments start. Rabbit housing standards are not based on what looks roomy to humans or on pet culture trends. They’re based on measurable factors: • body size • posture and movement • species behavior • stress physiology • hygiene and disease control • actual welfare outcomes That’s why the Animal Welfare Act, ARBA recommendations, and decades of WRSA housing studies all use weight-based space requirements instead of the “every rabbit needs a whole room” claims you see online. For individual rabbits, the commonly used standards are: Under 4.4 lb → 1.5 sq ft 4.4–8.8 lb → 3 sq ft 8.8–11.9 lb → 4 sq ft Over 11.9 lb → 5 sq ft For does with litters, space increases: Under 4.4 lb → 4 sq ft 4.4–8.8 lb → 5 sq ft 8.8–11.9 lb → 6 sq ft Over 11.9 lb → 7.5 sq ft That places most commercial meat breeds and many show breeds in the 4–6 sq ft range, depending on whether they are singly housed or nursing. That isn’t opinion. That’s the standard. Another point people tend to miss: Preference studies do not consistently show rabbits choosing the largest possible space. They often choose secure, moderate, enclosed resting areas. And the more recent stress research keeps pointing in the same direction. A 2022 study measuring cortisol and IL-6 found rabbits in an open-air niche system actually had higher stress markers than rabbits housed in conventional cages in a shed. Movement alone isn’t welfare. “Looks active” isn’t the same thing as low stress. There’s also a problem with some of the anti-cage studies people cite. One recent housing study used ~1.6 sq ft single cages, which doesn’t even meet US AWA minimums. Then they reported more stereotypic behavior. That’s not a fair test of proper single housing. That’s a test of undersized cages. For reference, my own cages for New Zealand-type rabbits are: Singles → ~576 sq in (4 sq ft) Doe with litter → ~864–900 sq in (6+ sq ft)

Rabbit manure is classified as a cold manure. That means it can be applied directly to garden beds without composting first. It’s relatively low in ammonia, so it won’t burn plant roots like fresh poultry or cattle manure can. Typical nutrient range (varies by diet, but consistent overall): • Nitrogen (N): ~2–2.5% • Phosphorus (P): ~1–1.5% • Potassium (K): ~0.5–1% Balanced. Slow-release. Plant-available over time. Rabbit manure is processed plant material. Pelleted. Uniform. Easy to handle. As it breaks down, it feeds soil microbes — bacteria and fungi that drive nutrient cycling in living soil. It also: • Adds organic matter • Improves soil structure • Breaks down quickly • Doesn’t require aging like “hot” manure • Is relatively dry and low odor Now let’s zoom out. Rabbits eat pellets. They make manure. The garden needs manure. You eat the vegetables. The extra manure goes back into the feed bags to sell to buy feed , and the cycle keeps turning. That’s not trendy sustainability marketing. That’s a closed-loop system. We’re not selling anything here (althoughwe do sell on the farm ;) . Just acknowledging that sometimes the most valuable thing on a farm is the thing everyone pretends not to notice. Still talking sh*t. Just scientifically.

For the specialty, But here is our leg yay !! And some Candids!

Some pics