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Rabbit Fresh Food Calculator

How many greens, vegetables and fruit does your rabbit need a day? Enter its weight – we use the German veterinary welfare guideline and show US guidance to compare.

Weight of one rabbit

Small breeds usually weigh 2–6 lb (Merck). A kitchen scale is the most accurate.

How many animals?

We use this weight for each animal.

Fresh food a day

about 29 oz

14 oz (410 g) each, for 2 animals together

Greens (grasses, herbs)
20 oz (570 g)
Vegetables
5.8 oz (160 g)
Fruit at most
2.9 oz (80 g)
Per week
12.6 lb (5.7 kg)

US guidance is lower: Merck suggests about 4½ cups of fresh vegetables a day for all of them.

What can rabbits eat? · Fresh food for guinea pigs

Hay is always available on top, as much as your pet wants – it isn’t counted here (TVT).

The amount assumes a hay-only diet. The TVT gives no amount for pets that also graze.

Fruit is a limit, not a must: UK and US sources give fruit only as an occasional treat (PDSA, Merck).

Introduce new foods slowly, over two to four weeks (PDSA).

How we calculate

Fresh food a day = 200 g × weight in kg (German TVT guidelines no. 157 and 159), about 3.2 oz per pound. Of that, 70% greens, 20% vegetables and no more than 10% fruit. For several animals we add the amounts up. Cups to compare: Merck, about 1 cup of vegetables per 2 pounds (rabbits); PDSA, one cup per guinea pig.

The short answer

The German veterinary association for animal welfare (TVT) recommends about 200 g of fresh food per kg of body weight a day for rabbits on a hay-only diet: 70% greens such as grasses and herbs, 20% vegetables and no more than 10% fruit. A 4.4-lb (2-kg) rabbit gets about 14 oz (400 g): 9.9 oz greens, 2.8 oz vegetables and at most 1.4 oz fruit. US guidance is lower: Merck suggests about 1 cup of fresh vegetables per 2 pounds of body weight a day. Hay must always be available.

How we calculate: formulas and sources

Fresh food by weight

WeightPer dayGreensVegetablesFruit at most
2 lb6.4 oz4.5 oz1.3 oz0.6 oz
3 lb9.6 oz6.7 oz1.9 oz1 oz
4 lb13 oz9 oz2.6 oz1.3 oz
5 lb16 oz11 oz3.2 oz1.6 oz
6 lb19 oz13 oz3.8 oz1.9 oz
8 lb26 oz18 oz5.1 oz2.6 oz
10 lb32 oz22 oz6.4 oz3.2 oz

For one animal, following the German TVT: 200 g per kg of body weight, 70% greens, 20% vegetables and no more than 10% fruit, on a hay-only diet. The guidelines cover rabbits up to 3 kg (6.6 lb) and guinea pigs up to about 1.5 kg (3.3 lb); rows above that are only a rough guide. In ounces (1 oz = 28 g); the calculator shows grams too.

Questions

How much fresh food does a rabbit need a day?

The German TVT recommends about 200 g per kg of body weight (about 3.2 oz per pound) for rabbits that otherwise get only hay. Merck suggests about 1 cup of fresh vegetables per 2 pounds, and the House Rabbit Society at least 2 cups of chopped vegetables per 6 pounds.

What counts as greens and what as vegetables?

In the TVT guideline, greens are grasses and herbs, and vegetables are things like fennel, bell peppers and celery root. RWAF says bell peppers should be offered only occasionally and in small amounts, and calls leafy greens such as arugula and lamb’s lettuce excellent choices.

How much fruit can a rabbit have?

No more than 10% of the fresh food (TVT), so at most 1.4 oz (40 g) a day for a 4.4-lb rabbit. UK and US sources are stricter: Merck gives fruit only as an occasional treat, and the House Rabbit Society about 1 teaspoon per 2 pounds a day.

Why do UK and US sources suggest less?

They count differently: RWAF suggests about 100 g (3.5 oz) of greens a day for a 5.5-lb (2.5-kg) rabbit, Merck about 1 cup of vegetables per 2 pounds, and the House Rabbit Society at least 2 cups per 6 pounds. The TVT amount is higher. If your rabbit isn’t used to much fresh food, increase it slowly over two to four weeks (PDSA).

Does this work for large breeds?

The TVT guideline covers rabbits up to 3 kg (6.6 lb). Above that, the calculator keeps going, but the amount is only a rough guide.

How much hay does a rabbit need?

As much as it wants: hay must always be available (TVT). The RSPCA says hay and grass make up about 85% of the diet, about a bundle as big as your rabbit every day.

Sources (9)