A Healthy Diet means Happy Bunnies, which is the focus of Rabbit Awareness Week 2024. A key part of this is ditching muesli-style mixes and opting for nutrition-packed nuggets instead. And the great news is, there are yummy nuggets to suit every type of bun!
24th June 2024
If colourful muesli mixes catch your eye in the pet shop or supermarket as something that will appeal to your bunny chums, it’s time to stop and face up to the facts. When they’re eating, rabbits can’t see in front of their noses, so what their food looks like isn’t particularly important to them.
What is important, however, is what’s in their food – and if it’s doing them any good or not.
Stamping out selective feeding
When it comes to muesli mixes, what rabbits will do is selectively feed. They’re likely to be attracted to the less healthy pieces that are high in sugar and starch and turn their little bunny noses up at the healthier fibrous pieces.
Burgess in-house vet, Dr Suzanne Moyes MVB MRCVS, explains: “This is similar to giving a child a plate of chocolate and vegetables, they’re unlikely to make the healthy choice!”
Nutrition-packed nuggets are best for buns
By contrast, Burgess Excel tasty nuggets are a single component food that’s 100% natural. High in beneficial fibre, fortified with vitamins and minerals for healthy eyes, skin and coats, all Burgess Excel nuggets also contain a prebiotic to help maintain good digestive health. What more could your buns ask for?
The experts at Burgess Pet Care developed nutrition-packed nuggets after working with the University of Edinburgh on research that revealed rabbit muesli diets encourage selective feeding. This is a bad habit that can lead to rabbits developing all sorts of health issues including dental disease, obesity and problems with their digestion.
Following this ground-breaking research, Burgess Pet Care has developed a range of high quality, grass-based nuggets for rabbits that are:
- High in beneficial fibre to keep your rabbits’ digestive system working correctly
- Contain vitamin A and vitamin C to support the immune system
- Contain vitamin D3, which has an important role in calcium absorption, vital to support bone and dental health
- Contain vitamin E, which has an antioxidant function that aids the body’s natural defences
- Are formulated with minerals such as zinc for healthy skin and coat, iron to support the blood, and copper for nerve function
- Are made with tasty, natural ingredients, such as mint and oregano, to ensure your bunnies absolutely love their yummy nuggets!
Since launching the Burgess Excel range – one of the first premium foods established for small animals – 25 years ago, this independent family run business, based in Thornton-le-Dale, Yorkshire, remains dedicated to improving the health and welfare of pet animals.
Innovations include developing a range of rabbit nuggets to meet the nutrition needs of buns of all types, ages, shapes and sizes along with the world’s first food specifically formulated for indoor rabbits.
TOP TIP!
Nuggets are a complementary food that have been specifically formulated to ensure your buns get all the vitamins and minerals they need. However, nuggets should only make up around 5% of your rabbits’ daily diet. As a guide, feed each bun an around one egg-cup full of rabbit nuggets, twice a day. The majority of your rabbits’ diet (85-90%) should be delicious and nutritious feeding hay, which, as well as providing essential fibre, plays an important role in helping wear down your rabbits’ continually growing teeth.
Choosing the best nuggets for your buns
Check out the range to see which nugget recipe suits your buns best!
* EXCEL TASTY NUGGETS FOR JUNIOR & DWARF RABBITS *
Young and dwarf rabbits have higher metabolic rates than adults, so our Junior & Dwarf variety accounts for this through its higher protein level. Suitable to feed to baby rabbits from one week old, the extra protein supports the growth and development of young rabbits.
* EXCEL TASTY NUGGETS FOR ADULT RABBITS *
With four varieties to choose from: Mint, Oregano, Light (with L-carnitine, an ingredient that can help to promote lean body mass for buns who are watching their weight) andNature’s Blend (with dandelion, nettle and lemon balm for a taste of Great British hedgerow and lucerne to support eye health), your rabbits can enjoy plenty of variety in their diet, just as they would in the wild. This range is suitable for all adult rabbits from 4 months to 5 years.
* EXCEL TASTY NUGGETS FOR INDOOR RABBITS *
House bunnies can require a specialist diet. Excel Indoor Rabbit Nuggets with Dandelion & Nettle is specially formulated with vitamin D, dandelion and nettle to support your rabbits’ needs, providing all of the nutrients that they would find grazing in the wild, even though they may roam the lounge rather than the great outdoors. This variety is suitable for all adult rabbits from 4 months to 5 years.
* EXCEL TASTY NUGGETS FOR MATURE RABBITS *
Our delicious, high fibre Mature Rabbit Nuggets with Cranberry & Thyme supplement your buns’ diet with vitamins and minerals to support brain health and glucosamine to support healthy joints. This variety is suitable for older rabbits aged 5 years+.
TOP TIP!
Along with hay, nuggets and fresh water, your buns also need some fresh greens daily. Good greens to feed your buns a handful of include kale, asparagus, basil, cauliflower leaves, celery, carrot tops, green pepper, kale, mint, and spring greens. As an occasional treat, you can offer your buns a little bit of apple (pipless), banana, savoy cabbage, turnip, spinach, parsley, basil, dill, oregano and coriander.
TOP TIP!
Every bun deserves a treat and Burgess Excel Nature Snacks certainly fit the bill. These delicious, nutritious and natural snacks promote emotional health, help prevent boredom and encourage bonding and interaction between you and your buns. They can be fed daily because they’re packed with beneficial fibre and made with natural ingredients. Some are specifically designed to be fed by hand which helps pets to get comfortable with human attention. Snacks work really well when mixed through Burgess Excel Feeding Hay.
Show your buns how much you love them by following the Excel feeding plan
Ensure your buns get the balanced nutrition they need in 5 easy steps:
FEEDING HAY + EXCEL NUGGETS + NATURE SNACKS + FRESH GREENS + FRESH WATER = HEALTHY DIET, HAPPY BUNNIES!
With a whole host of 5-star reviews, this is what our customers have told us about our rabbit nugget range:
* “I absolutely love this for my rabbits. The nutrition value is invaluable as every one of my babies have thrived on this and are all healthy with lovely coats. It also has mint in it which the bunnies seem to love.” * “My male bunny loves this won’t eat anything else.” * “First time trying something new for my buns and they really enjoyed these nuggets, will buy again.” * “My rabbits absolutely love these nuggets!! They’re always dead excited to be fed, the crunch is perfect to help keep my rabbits’ teeth healthy, and the nuggets provide the best nutrition for their bodies, not to mention how glossy their coats are.” * “Burgess nuggets for indoor rabbits are tasty and contain the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D, so they are especially good for rabbits who live indoors all the time or do not spend much time outdoors.” * “Excellent rabbit food, they love it.” * “My older bunnies love this stuff, and some are in their teens thriving on this food!” *
TOP TIP!
Because rabbits’ digestive system is so delicate, moving from one food to another has to be done very carefully. Even changing within the same brand, for example from a junior rabbit food to an adult rabbit food, requires a transition period of 14-28 days. In the first few days, measure out your rabbits’ normal nugget intake for the day. Take out a small amount and replace with the same amount of the new nuggets. Mix them together so that your rabbits eat a combination of the two. Each day, slightly reduce their old food and replace it with some of the new. At the end of the transition period, your rabbits should be eating their new rabbit nuggets happily with no issues!
Need more advice?
If you’re at all unsure about the best rabbit food, how often to feed your rabbits or if you have any concerns about specific nutritional requirements, ask your local veterinary practice for advice. You can also call our expert team, available 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, on +44 (0)1405 862241 and they’ll be happy to help. Alternatively, use our online contact form to get in touch.
NO WONDER THAT 92% OF VETS RECOMMEND OUR BURGESS EXCEL SMALL PETS RANGE!
At Burgess, all our small pets nuggets, feeding hay and healthy treats are made using only the finest quality ingredients that meet our stringent specifications and homegrown grass that’s exclusive to Burgess – no other pet food manufacturer has access to our grass!
CARE MORE Find lots of useful advice on caring for your rabbits from Burgess, the pet experts. Training, nutrition, grooming and general care, it's all here >>
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LET’S GET SOCIAL Sign up to the Excel Bunny Base – a safe Facebook community for rabbit guardians that are looking for advice and friendly discussions from likeminded owners – and there are lots of cute bunny photos and videos! Also join us on Instagram.
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