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Home > Rabbits > 10 Best Rabbit Foods & Pellets in 2023 – Reviews & Top Picks

10 Best Rabbit Foods & Pellets in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Silky Angora rabbits eating rabbit food

Choosing the perfect food for your rabbit may feel like a massive undertaking. Don’t let this process overwhelm you. Keep in mind that rabbit foods should be thought of as a supplement to the other foods, not the primary source of calories. You must take into consideration if you have a young, middle-aged, or old rabbit when purchasing food. If you know of any particular health issues that your rabbit may suffer from, be sure to talk to your vet before choosing the proper rabbit food.

Let’s get into the article! Here are the best rabbit foods out there:

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A Quick Comparison of Our Top Picks in 2024

Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet
  • Fair value for the quality of the food
  • Crunch pellets
  • Good source of protein, fiber, oils, and nutrients
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Blend Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Blend
  • Includes hay and other natural ingredients
  • Good for omega-three fatty acids and probiotics
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Oxbow Garden Select Adult Oxbow Garden Select Adult
  • Farmed and produced in the USA
  • Contains hay
  • Natural foods found in a garden
  • Kaytee Fiesta Gourmet Variety Diet Kaytee Fiesta Gourmet Variety Diet
  • Wide variety of ingredients
  • Promotes foraging
  • Omega 3 fatty acids
  • Oxbow Essentials Adult Oxbow Essentials Adult
  • Very well balanced
  • Made especially for the adult rabbit
  • The 10 Best Rabbit Foods

    1. Kaytee Supreme Pellet Rabbit Food – Best Overall

    Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet Rabbit Food

    At the top of our list is the Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet Rabbit Food. Anything claiming to be both fortified and supreme must be a good choice, right?

    Kaytee makes a variety of pet supplies, and they are known for being of good quality and affordable. The Kaytee Supreme Rabbit food contains natural protein, fiber, oils, and nutrients. The food is in a pellet form which helps rabbits who love to chew.

    Some of the ingredients that make up the Kaytee Supreme Rabbit Food include alfalfa meal, corn, oat groats, and wheat. If you want your rabbit to get their essential B12, E, and D3 vitamins, this food will handle that for you. We love that this food has no artificial colors or flavors, as those are not at all necessary when it comes to rabbit food.

    All in all, we think that this is the best rabbit food on the market.

    Pros
    • Fair value for the quality of the food
    • Crunch pellets easy to digest
    • Good source of protein, fiber, oils, and nutrients
    • Vitamins B12, E, and D3
    Cons
    • The main ingredients are alfalfa meal

    2. Sunburst Gourmet Blend Rabbit Food – Best Value

    Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Blend Rabbit Food

    If the Kaytee Supreme seems a bit more expensive than you would like, we found a great alternative for you. The Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Blend Rabbit Food is the best rabbit food for the money. We love that this food also includes some hay as many other rabbit foods require hay to be fed in addition.

    Along with the hay, the Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Blend Rabbit food has dried mixed fruits, sun-cured hay, flaked vegetables, and pre-cooked legumes.

    From a nutritional standpoint, the Higgins Rabbit Food has plant-based DHA omega-three fatty acids and probiotics. These nutritional standouts will help with overall health and immune system support and a high-functioning digestive system. Just as we mentioned with the Kaytee, there are no artificial ingredients in the Higgins Rabbit Food.

    Pros
    • Includes hay and other natural ingredients
    • Good for omega-three fatty acids and probiotics
    • Great price
    Cons
    • More treat type food than complete nutrition
    • Some corn and seed mixed in

    3. Oxbow Garden Select Adult Rabbit Food – Premium Choice

    Oxbow Garden Select Adult Rabbit Food

    If you are a rabbit owner that wants the best food out there, and the cost is not an issue, the Oxbow Garden Select Adult Rabbit Food is a great option. Since this is a premium choice, you can expect to pay quite a bit more (almost double our value choice), but you do get some significant benefits.

    Some of the ingredients featured in the Oxbow Garden Select include whole yellow pea, tomato, rosemary, and thyme. If you want to send your rabbit on a trip through a garden, this is the food for that.

    The Oxbow Garden Select does also contain a variety of grass and hay to make sure your rabbit gets the range and stability in their diet that they need. This rabbit food is farmed and produced in the USA. Truly the only downside of this high-quality Oxbow Rabbit Food is the pricing.

    Pros
    • Farmed and produced in the USA
    • Contains hay
    • Natural foods found in a garden
    • Provides excellent variety in the diet
    Cons
    • High price

    4. Kaytee Fiesta Gourmet Variety Diet Rabbit Food

    Kaytee Fiesta Gourmet Variety Diet Rabbit Food

    Next on our list is another option by Kaytee, this one was sent further down the list as it is a bit more expensive and has a few ingredients you may or may not find necessary to feed your rabbit. Kaytee likes to help encourage the foraging behavior that is so good for rabbits by adding a large variety of ingredients to this Fiesta Gourmet Rabbit Food.

    Some of the most prominent elements in this rabbit food are bananas, papaya, carrots, seeds, grains, and raisins. The top two ingredients are timothy hay and alfalfa hay. The Kaytee Fiesta Gourmet does contain omega-3 fatty acids to help support the heart, brain, and eyes as well. The primary issue we had with this food is that a good portion of it seems to be made up of seed. Although a few seeds would be fine, we wish that it had some more of the other ingredients, especially for this price.

    Pros
    • Wide variety of ingredients
    • Promotes foraging
    • Omega-3 fatty acids
    Cons
    • Seems to be predominantly seeds
    • Expensive
    • A bit high in sugar

    5. Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Food

    Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Food

    Oxbow makes another appearance on our top ten list with the Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Food. The Oxbow Essential Rabbit Food is specifically designed to work for those rabbits that are older in age and do not need quite as much fiber as a younger rabbit.

    The main ingredient in this rabbit food is timothy grass, which many believe to be the best rabbit food available. Timothy grass is used to help with digestion, and it has some great protein in at as well.

    Many people consider Oxbow to be a high-quality brand when it comes to natural and well-balanced food for pets. Some picky rabbits don’t like the healthier food, but if you can slowly transition them to the more nutritious option, it is better for the long term.

    Pros
    • Very well balanced
    • Made especially for the adult rabbit
    Cons
    • High price
    • Picky rabbits tend to dislike it

    6. Mazuri Timothy-Based Pellet Rabbit Food

    Mazuri Timothy-Based Rabbit Food

    Next on the list is the Mazuri Timothy-Based Rabbit Food. It’s a timothy hay-based food that will work for rabbits in any stage of their growth. These Mazuri pellets tend to have better mineral balance than alfalfa, and they have a lot of fiber.

    One thing that is unique about the Mazuri Rabbit Food is that it contains yucca schidigera, which will help to reduce stool and urine odors. If you have an indoor rabbit, this is a benefit of this food that you may want to consider.

    In addition to the high fiber, the Mazuri Rabbit Food also is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. There is nothing that really stands out about the Mazuri food that makes it a wrong choice but nothing that makes it a great option either.

    Pros
    • Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and fiber
    • Helps to control stool and urine smell
    Cons
    • Priced a little higher than other options
    • Pellets that will not help promote foraging

    7. Vitakraft VitaSmart Complete Nutrition Rabbit Food

    Vitakraft VitaSmart Complete Nutrition Rabbit Food

    The Vitakraft VitaSmart Complete Nutrition Rabbit Food is another food with Timothy grass as the main ingredient. The Vitakraft also contains DHA and omega-3 fatty acids. This food is best suited for rabbits that are middle age or older.

    The Vitakraft tends to be a great source of fiber, and it is built to promote healthy growth and development. The Vitakraft food is not a pellet and is instead a mix that will be helpful for the rabbit when it comes to foraging skills.

    Pros
    • No artificial colors or preservatives
    • DHA and omega-three fatty acids
    Cons
    • Not for younger rabbits
    • Some bunnies will pick the treats out and not eat healthy items

    8. Brown’s Timothy Hay Food for Rabbits

    Brown's Tropical Carnival Craveables! Small Animal Food

    Next on our list is Brown’s Tropical Carnival. A carnival is a great way to describe this bag of food. It is supposed to be a hay-based food mixed with real fruits and vegetables. There are also oat sprays in this to help with natural chewing and again some foraging instincts.

    The good news about Brown’s Tropical Carnival is the fact that it is high in fiber and helps when it comes to chewing. There are also no additives or preservatives in this food.

    Now for the bad news. Brown’s Tropical Carnival is not quite what is pictured or described on the website. Most of the bags are essentially hay and oat mixture with a handful of the other natural ingredients. This is not a problem as long as it is advertised correctly, and it is also priced a bit high to not get all of the proper ingredients that are mentioned. If you are looking for a mixed type of food like this, try the Higgins Sunburst, you will save some money and get a better mix of food.

    Pros
    • Great for chewing and foraging
    • No preservatives
    Cons
    • Expensive for what you get
    • Mix of food is not balanced
    • Mostly a hay and oat feed

    9. Tiny Friends Farm Russel Rabbit Food

    Tiny Friends Farm Russel Rabbit Food

    The Tiny Friends Farm Russel Rabbit Food is a unique recipe that is designed to encourage that natural foraging behavior that we keep seeing come up. This is supposed to be a balanced option for an adult rabbit. The food contains peas, maize, timothy hay, and alfalfa. This food claims to have zero added sugar, but we have a bit of a complaint when it comes to that statement.

    Unfortunately, when you get this food and look at the ingredients, you can see that it is actually quite high in sugar for a rabbit. Tiny Friends food does not have enough of a balance between the healthy ingredients and the treats. Rabbits may enjoy eating this food, but as a responsible pet owner, you must determine if it is truly the best option for them.

    In addition to the problem with the sugar content, this food is quite expensive. If you really want to use it, use a few spoonfuls as a treat but make the bulk of your rabbits’ diet with less sugary ingredients.

    Pros
    • Does contain timothy hay
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • High in sugar
    • Not the healthiest option on the market

    10. Small World Pellet Rabbit Food

    Small World Complete Rabbit Food

    Last on our list is the Small World Complete Rabbit Food. This is a pellet-based food that will give your rabbits a mix of wheat, alfalfa meal, and soybean meal. The good news is that Small World Food is high in fiber, and it will help support digestive health. The Small World Complete also does not have any corn in it, and that is a great thing.

    Here is what put the Small World Complete at the bottom of our list of rabbit foods. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a budget type of food. It comes in a large bag for a reasonable price, but when you look at the actual ingredients, your rabbit isn’t going to be getting high-quality nutrition. You must look for foods that contain the correct balance of natural vegetables and hay, especially timothy hay.

    Pros
    • Very low price for a large bag
    • Helps support digestive health
    Cons
    • Budget type of food
    • Not a good source of nutrients
    • Not a good source of vitamins
    • Will need to supplement with other foods and hay

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    Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Rabbit Food

    Now that you have all this great information about the rabbit food choices available to you, how will you pick the one that works best for your rabbits? Unfortunately, finding a rabbit food can sometimes be a bit of a project. Some rabbits will be picky and refuse to eat certain foods; others will pick out the things they like and leave the rest. The best thing you can do is try and start with a high-quality option that leaves you at peace with the nutrients and vitamins you are providing for your rabbit. We put together a list of some of the most asked questions when it comes to choosing the right rabbit food.

    What Else Should I Feed My Rabbit?

    Pellets should be a great source of vitamins and minerals for a rabbit, but it should not be their only source of food. The majority of a rabbit’s diet should be hay. There are several different types of hay available, but there are two you should focus on.

    Alfalfa hay is good for young rabbits because it has a higher protein and sugar content. This helps young rabbits grow at the fast pace they need to. As rabbits age, this alfalfa hay can cause them to gain too much weight and have some digestive issues. At this point in a rabbit’s life, it is best to switch to timothy hay.

    In addition to hay, it is important to give your rabbits some fresh vegetables to chew on as well. Giving your rabbits things to chew on is essential for proper teeth and gum health. Some of the best vegetables to give rabbits are dark lettuces, carrot tops, bok choy, and celery. Not all rabbits will enjoy all of these vegetables, start with a small amount, and see how they do.

    Lastly, it is imperative that you also provide your rabbit with plenty of water every day.

    How Much Do Rabbits Eat? How Much and How Often?

    Rabbits will graze continuously throughout the day. It is essential to make sure that your rabbit has access to both hay and vegetables at all times so that they can continually chew and eat. If a rabbit has nothing to eat for an entire day, it could be detrimental to their health.

    As far as pellet food is concerned, if your rabbit is less than ten pounds, they need about a ¼ cup of food a day. Rabbits over 10 pounds should need even less as they should be eating hay and vegetables as their primary source of food. Read the instructions on the food packaging to make sure you are giving your rabbit the proper amount of food each day. Do not feel the need to overdo it with pellet food; it is important but not the primary source.

    How Long Will Rabbit Food Last?

    All rabbit food will come with an expiration date on the side of the bag. When purchasing food for your rabbit, you must consider how much you will use to make sure the food does not go bad before you can use it all. Many times, larger bags of food are quite a bit less expensive. However, if you don’t think you will use the food within two months, order a smaller size bag.

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    What Are the Main Ingredients to Look for in Rabbit Food?

    You will want to make sure that there is absolutely no sugar in any of the rabbit pellets that you purchase. If you can find something that has a good mix of protein and fiber that will help your rabbit with their digestive health. Another healthy alternative is something that contains a natural probiotic. Again, you will want to make sure that the pellets you choose are hay-based and made up of natural ingredients, and nothing sugary like corn.

    What Foods Are Dangerous or Fatal to Rabbits?

    If you think that you want to build your rabbit’s diet naturally without using any pellets, there are some foods that you should be aware are dangerous or fatal to feed a rabbit. Just because vegetables are suitable for rabbits does not mean that they can eat all vegetables. Here are a few things to watch out for when feeding your rabbit. Rabbits should never eat . . .

    • Avocado
    • Rhubarb
    • Cat food
    • Dog food
    • Chocolate
    • Iceberg Lettuce
    • Sugary Food

    What If I Want to Give My Rabbit a Treat?

    It’s only natural that you want to give your favorite pet rabbit a little treat every now and then. There are packaged rabbit treats available to buy but these are generally not recommended as they have high sugar content. It is always best to give your rabbit a more natural treat when you have the option to do so. The best natural treat to give is fruit. Certainly, you don’t want to overdo it as the fruit is very high in sugar, however, giving your rabbit a few blueberries are a healthy and satisfying treat for them. Try not to make this a daily occurrence as your rabbit will start to look for this as part of their diet.

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    Conclusion

    If you haven’t already figured there is out, there are a lot of decisions and choices that go into picking a rabbit food. What seems like it should be an easy process is actually quite complicated and can cause rabbit owners a bit of stress. If you want a great all-around option offered at a fair price, then take a look at the Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet Rabbit Food. The Kaytee Supreme is easy to digest food packet with the vitamins and nutrients that a growing rabbit needs the most.

    Sometimes, the most critical factor in rabbit food is the price. We understand this, having any pet is not a cheap experience. If you are looking for the best value when it comes to rabbit food, the Higgins Sunburst. We love that this rabbit food helps give the rabbit such a nice variety of ingredients. Hopefully, the information in this gives you the confidence you needed to find the best food for your rabbit!


    Featured Image Credit: Zanna Pesnina, Shutterstock

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