What to Feed Rabbits in the Wild During Winter Wild rabbits exist right across the United States in rural areas and on the bordering grass and woodlands near suburbia. In the summer, allow grass, wildflowers or weeds to grow in this area you’ve chosen to feed the rabbits. They eat lower nutrient bark, tree and bush buds, and twigs. Aren't rabbits cute? Wild rabbits live outside all year long, and simply dig a burrow to crawl into to keep warm or cool. The highest mortality rate for rabbits is the winter time as food becomes scarce. This is the time when humans and other animal predators target them as prey. Wild rabbits eat things such as lettuce, twigs, grass, herbs, clover, bark and buds. Solunar Calendar: Because rabbits are easy prey for animals like owls, hawks, eagles, falcons, and wild dogs, they tend to be less active during times when the moon is more full providing light for predators to easily spot them. However, after ice and snowfalls, they cannot access these food sources. Wild rabbits typically live within a 5-acre area. 5 Things I Recommend Feeding Wild Rabbits Squirrel/Wildlife mix -almost impervious to heat or cold or weather and they love it! Unlike their wild counterparts, captive rabbits … Water is the most important thing you can provide for your rabbits during the hot summer season. In IL, during a cold winter, I watched a bunny stand stock still in my garden for days, as the snow collected around it. Cover doesn’t attract rabbits … "Feeding rabbits during the winter in much the same way as feeding wild birds might divert their attention from trees and shrubs and thus reduce damage in some areas. Wild rabbits typically live within a 5-acre area. When there is not a ready supply of their favorite grasses, hay and clover, they survive on two main sources of nutrients. Rabbits kept in captivity should be kept indoors during the winter. As alephzero points out, that is the choice you are faced with. It’s also the most important thing you can give them in the winter. Clover is a preferred food of rabbits and provides much of the nutrition they need during warmer parts of the year. Much to the chagrin of our hard-working grounds staff, cottontail rabbits … Rabbits also eat leafy weeds, and they search for fruit and crops to eat. It is challenging to feed the baby bunny because of its size. How can I keep my rabbits warm in winter? Should I feed a wild rabbit? All rabbits are herbivores, eating only plant material, and the greater part of their diet is grass and hay, accompanied by large Rabbits in Your Yard This Winter. If a rabbit doesn’t have water to drink, it won’t eat… Their diets primarily consist of eating grass and other ground-level plants. Rabbits … You will rarely see them. Pick a place in your yard where you’ve seen wild rabbits. Wondering how it will survive the winter … December 16, 2016 9:05 AM Subscribe. Kale -A very hardy green that’s also very inexpensive to feed. Winter living for wild cottontails. I wouldn't blame you if you opted to feed them in the winter and turn over your garden produce to them in the summer. And guess what? Most types of wild rabbits will semi hibernate during the winter months. Pet rabbits … During the winter, rabbits take in more wood-based food sources, such as tree bark, twigs, and conifer needles. Wild rabbits live outside all year long, and simply dig a burrow to crawl into to keep warm or cool. Ragnarsson, that is a very sweet picture. Wild rabbits eat different foods during different seasons of the year but they maintain a plant-based diet. If your home has enough space to hide and fulfill their food requirement, then it will be an ideal place for the wild rabbits to seek shelter in. ... Rabbits eat their own poop for nutritional reasons so it is important that their digestion not be … After snow falls, however, ... During winter, rabbits look for areas where they can eat without being harassed. Their diets primarily consist of eating grass and other ground-level plants. They have a wood-based diet in the cold season (gnaw tree bark, twigs, pine needles), but they usually feed on green plants during … I whouldnt feed wild ones as they are the reason we have the term "breed like rabbits". However, you may feed them with the syringe. As you yourself note, they are wild… They live in the same environment they do in the summer, but normally find places that will shelter them from the weather. Rabbits often have a wood-based diet in the winter, and they usually feed on green plants during the spring. When the weather turns cold, rabbits will munch on twigs, buds, bark, conifer needles, and any remaining green plants. Clover. So what do they eat? Rabbits in the wild are very good at finding food despite the apparent lack of the things that they normally eat.