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.

It was at least warm today, so I’m taking the win. I’m recording the next narration tonight so I can drop the next module tomorrow and get everything back on track. I’m going to be straight with you — Skool subscriptions and TikTok Lives are what are covering the feed bill right now. Courses, memberships, live participation… that support is literally what keeps the rabbits fed and this project moving. If you’ve been meaning to upgrade, grab a course, or jump into a live — it matters. This community is what keeps the lights on in the barn and the research moving forward. We build this together.

Alright, I need your brains. What nutrition advice have you been told that now makes you go… wait… is that actually true? What’s confusing? What doesn’t add up? What “rule” have you always followed but never really understood? Drop it all !! • “Hay should be 80%.” • “Golden poops = perfect health.” • “Pellets are junk.” If you’ve side-eyed it even once, I want to hear it! This is your chance to throw your myths, questions, and half-explained advice into the ring. I’ll break them down in upcoming modules and shorts. No judgment. No dogma. Just data and discussion. Let’s clean house. 🧹🐇

It will follow the adult course but is broken into 3 age groups . Just posted the history of rabbit nutrition timeline simplified for 5-10 or olds . These will be geared towards 4H, FFA and Farm Kids . Contact me for access 4H and FFA family account get instant access.

This graphic is built on outdated assumptions, not rabbit nutrition science. • Pellets are not a “supplement” in modern rabbit nutrition. Properly formulated MEASURED pellets are designed to be a complete, balanced diet • “LOOSE Hay as the foundation” is not evidence-based. When fed as the primary diet, it pushes nutrients through the gut too fast, leading to chronic under-nutrition despite full stomachs. Meat rabbits fed hay-heavy / pellet-restricted diets routinely take 12–16 weeks to reach fryer weight. The same genetics on a balanced, pellet-based ration reach fryer size in 8–10 weeks. That difference isn’t “corners being cut” — it’s chronic under-nutrition for excessive forage and tractor setups ie ." Feeding naturally " based on internet myths. Loose Hay-forward systems also increase disease risk: • Higher exposure to coccidia and enteric pathogens • Greater fecal contamination when hay is fed loose or in litter areas • Increased GI instability from excess indigestible fiber lignin and NDF. Longer grow-out time = more parasite cycles, more feed waste, more mortality, not healthier rabbits. FULL article for Premium members: Let's Talk about Homestead Myths - Rabbit Education Video Archive · MMC BunClub