Does anyone do an all salad diet?

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we3pnuts

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I was thinking of doing an all veggie/greensdiet. I don't have a good store around here to pick up pellets easily. I have read other places that an all veggie dietis sometimes better since that is what they are born to eat anyway. Pellets were only developed by labs and stock breeders to fatten the bunnies up. If anyone does this could you tell me what age is a good age toremove the pellets and should I increase the amounts of greens? Right now I do about1 cupmixedsalad in the morning and evening and I put pellets in her bowl when we put her away at night. And of course unlimited hay all day. My bunny is three months old right now.

Thanks!!
 
At three months of ageyour bun should be on very limited greens and unlimited pellets. An alfalfa-based pellet is best until he reaches around 7 months of age. Alfalfa hay is also preferable to timothy hay at that young age.

When he becomes an adult,a no-pellet diet is doable, but I dont know anyone who does it. From what Ive read, its very difficult to feed your rabbit a no pellet diet because rabbit pellets (the good kinds) have so many essential vitamins and minerals in them.

Instead,I wouldfeed a small amount of pellets (about 1/4 cup per 4 lbs body weight) and 1-2 cups of fresh greens. And, of course, unlimited hay.

If youre still interested in a no-pellet diet, check outwhat Naturestee wrote in our Feeding Q&A

Remember, as he matures his diet will change. Any changes should be made very gradually over a period of a few weeks time. Check out our Bunny 101 section for more info on veggies/pellets etc.
 
I've never heard of a no pellet diet, but I think you should still feed your bun pelltes (even if you have to limit them). The greens are good and tasty but they won't have the vitimins and minerals needed to keep your rabbit healthy. My buns have unlimited hay & timothy and pellets. We give them fresh greens as treats. Even though its like thrice-a-day.

I guess you could do it but I don't think It's that healthy. :?

-TK
 
At three months of age if your bunny is eating lots of greens with no ill-effects like diarrheoa, gas, etc. then I think it's fine for him to be eating those greens but I don't think a no pellet diet is a good idea when he is doing all his growing at this time and needs all the right vitamins and minerals.
 
Thanks everyone for the second opinions. I'll stick to pellets along with the greens. I knew she was still to young yet but didn't know if it would be a positive or negativething to do.

That's why I:heart: this board, great advice!
 
Hi All,

This thread is quite interesting and brings up some excellent points of conversation. I agree with the original statement about pellets. Pellets are much more for the convenience of humans rather than the benefit of the rabbits...IMO. As far as the "suggested amounts"...from what I have seen, they are all excessive taking into consideration of the protein requirements of the rabbit and the amount in the food. Our 25 pound (and still growing) Flemish gets less than a quarter cup of pellets per day.....that's right andAndre "The Giant"is still packing on mass. I have no problem with my buns not eating pellets as long as they eat their hay.

Now I would like to offer another point up for discussion on this matter. The rule has always been not to feed baby rabbits under 6 months old greens. Does anyone know where that rule came from? The same reason there is a lot of other misinformation out there...unsupported old tales. Most of you know that I also rehab wildlife and my focus is eastern cottontails. The usual argument against comparing the two are that they are different species. That is true...but the only difference is two chromosomes and they have more to do with the shape of the body. The inner workings are the same. Since the guts of wild and domestic rabbits are exactly alike...and I treat them exactly alike...it makes me wonder how cottontail rabbits can live perfectly well off greens at about 2 weeks old but domestics can't. I have a cottontail that just turned 14 days today and is eating spring mix totally on it's own...and thriving. And a slightly off target comment, I argue with lots of rehabbers and wildlife centers regarding feeding commercial pellets to cottontails. I have never seen dishes of pellets in the woods. I have routinely fed greens to young baby rabbits. Maytag, an orphaned New Zealand, came to us before weaning as her mother was "set free" and killed in the road. I weaned her using our cottontail protocols. She is a beautiful adult now.

Of course, there can always be too much of a good thing. I do feed lots of greens to the babies...but they also have unlimited alfalfa and grass hays and they munch all day long. The key to feeding a greens/hay diet is to fully understand...in detail..what the requirements of the gut are and how it works.

I welcome any discussion and comments regarding offering greens to baby rabbits. This is an excellent opportunity for a very educational exchange of ideas and maybe put some of the misinformation to rest.

Randy
 
Any babies i breed get veg and greens from as soon as they are starting to wean from their mums, the mothers have their veg right through i never stop it, i don't try to only feed mum not babies i just put it in and usually the babies are straight in there. Occasional poopy butt if they are to greedy for a day but no probs and they all love it.Wouldn't have it any other way. They get into the garden for fresh grass too and it has never been a problem
 
I understand what your saying about pellets being created to fatten bunnies up and make profit- but the thing is- rabbits eat their poos becuase their diet is not that nutritious in the wild etc.(please correct me if I'm wrong)- giving them pellets gives them fibre and protein and helps to keep them strong etc.

I would feed a little pellets (otherwise too much pellets ur bun would be gettnig a diet that is tooo good and wouldn't eat their poos and then would just sit on them and get mucky bottoms all the time)- feed a small handful of pellets a day- some veggies and of course, lots of hay and grass.

That's probably the best diet you can give them, from what I've heard.

 
I've thought about an all hay/veggie diet, but don't feel confident enough to take out pellets completely. I'd be worried about them becoming malnourished. You'd need to make sure the bunny eats a wide variety of hays and vegetables, and even then I still think the bunny would be lacking some vital nutrients. So I just stick with limited pellets to make sure along with hay and vegetables, they are getting everything they need.

I've always wondered about feeding vegetables at a young age too. I think it has part to do withwhat themother has been fed.The breeder I got Bruno from feeds her rabbits vegetables and fruits a couple times a week and she's never had a problem feeding vegetables, except the occasional messybutt when someone over eats too much of a certain vegetable. I also think people sometimes over doit when they are first introducing the vegetables and give a large quantity without introducing slowly, so then they assume it's because the bunny is young.

I just like to be on the safe side and introduce later, or if I do it's only a small amount at first and slowly as they get older increase the amount of vegetables.


 
There is a theory started by Susan Brown that pellets are not necessary. She used to own the exotics vet practice in Chicago where I used to go before I movedto Wi.

I know that she has published papers on this topic.

I thinkher ideawas based on the idea that people who raised rabbits for meat fed exclusively pellets to "fatten" up the rabbit before slaughter and she opposed this by going the opposite way in thinking.

I think a small amount of pellets is fine , a moderate amount of greens and all the hay they want.

I did not know that baby rabbits could not get greens. we have six four month olds at the shelter now and they have been eating them since they came in a month ago ...and they are fine.


 
If a rabbit is getting a very wide variety of hays, grasses and veggies, they can do without pellets, but there really has to be a lot of variety.

I'll always feed indoor rabbits at least some pellets because they're lacking the vitamins they get from the sun and I can't be surethe vitamin content of sun-dried hays is high enough.

I've never agreed with the 'no veggies for babies' rule, but I understand it. When you get a baby bunny from a pet store or a breeder who only fed pellets, their digestive tracks can be seriously thrown out of whack with the change.

But I'm a firm believer that babies can eat anything that their mothers were being fed without cause for alarm. It's just really hard to know what their mothers were being fed.

The age bunnies go to new owners/caregivers is always a delicate one. Best to err on the side of caution and introduce foods VERY slowly if you're not very familiar with the baby's history. Thus the no-veggie rule.

sas
 
I think that is healthy for a baby rabbit to eat grasses and veges as soon as they start eating solids if that is what their mum is eating. I think the trouble starts when you get a bunny at eight weeks old who hasn't had any green food and then start introducing it.

A rabbits digestive system is designed to be eating grass so I'm not sure why people avoid feeding it.
 
I read on a website that a rabbit's caecotrophs contain 34% protein so I would imagine (but could be wrong) that a rabbit would be getting ample protein from it's cecotrophs so does not need need the high protein from pellets.

The composition of grass is roughly 20-25% crude fibre, 15% crude protein and 2-3% fat, so surely if a rabbit is eating enough grass (and/or hay)then they are gettin all the fibre they need, add to that the protein from their caecotrophs aswell as the amino acids, volatile fatty acids and vitamins B and K that they get from caecotrophs then their naturaldiet can't be all that bad surely?

If you researched all the vegetables safe for rabbits and then made sure you were feeding a range of vitamins and minerals each day by giving a variety of those vegetables then I can't see how that sort of diet would be any less healthy than pellets.

I'm by no means an expert, this is just what I think really so feel free to disagree and point out where I'm wrong.
 
ra7751 wrote:
...it makes me wonder how cottontail rabbits can live perfectly well off greens at about 2 weeks old but domestics can't. Randy



Domestic kits at 2 weeks can do perfectly well on an all green diet when their dam has been acclimated to that diet. Feeding an all green/veggie diet to domestic rabbits was the practice before commercial pellets became available.

One major issue to keep in mind is that the wild rabbit diet was not made to maintain the lifespan of a pet rabbit. It isspecifically designedto maintain a prey animal with a limited lifespan.

Wild rabbits also have available a wider variety of vegitation than we could ever provide in captivity. This also provides the vitamins minerals they require. The wild rabbits also have access to many grains and carb sources such as root plantsthat a "salad diet" would not provide. Variety is the key to provide the nutrients a wild rabbit needs.

I advise a small amount of pellets for the domestic pet rabbit, with a high percentage of greens and hay.

Pam
 
Pipp wrote:
The age bunnies go to new owners/caregivers is always a delicate one. Best to err on the side of caution and introduce foods VERY slowly if you're not very familiar with the baby's history. Thus the no-veggie rule.
Yup, this is exactly why I usually advise people to be very careful with veggies (and even pellet choice)for bunnies under 5 months or so. I know that it can be fine for bunnies who are raised on it, but it can also be deadly for a rabbit who has never had greens. Better safe than sorry IMO.

Interesting discussion though!
 
Great discussion!

I also disagree with the 6 month rule. I starting feeding Mocha greens when she was 8 weeks old. But with sensitive little babies, it's very easy to give too many greens to start with and upset their stomachs, so the 6 month recommendation does hopefully make owners feed veggies more cautiously. When I started with Mocha I'd only feed one or two mouthfuls of of anything new and slowly increase it over time. That's probably a good way to proceed.

I do think growing rabbits should have access to pellets, although it doesn't necessarily have to be unlimited as long as they are maintaining a healthy body condition.

Adult rabbits possibly could go on a no pellet diet as long as the owner researches nutrition and feeds a wide variety and large quantity of veggies. The thing is, most rabbit owners don't know enough and can't always provide enough variety. I don't like the possibility of nutritional deficiencies, which can happen. I think pellets are a good way to provide a bit of nutrition as a "just in case" when you primarily feed veggies and hay. I know a number of people who only feed a few tablespoons of pellets a day along with lots of veggies and hay. This sounds to me like a very good idea and a very healthy diet.

I do this to some extent although I don't cut the pellets down quite that far. Mocha won't eat many different veggies (never has) so she needs more pellets to make up for that. Fey and Sprite are dwarf hotots that get 1/8 cup of pellets each per day. More sometimes upsets their stomachs, but they need pellets for the energy because they are always slightly skinny and loose weight very easily. Loki and Oberon could go without pellets if I was sure I could get enough variety in winter, but Loki is bonded to Mocha and Oberon is being bonded to Fey and Sprite. It makes it easier to feed them the same.

Edit: We3pnuts, do you have a feed store near you? They usually have good brands of rabbit pellets for growing babies. Much better than the majority of pet store brands. Purina, Heinhold, Blue Seal, and Manna Pro are popular and healthy brands.
 
I also read somewhere that plantain is good for weanling rabbits - "Plantain does not cause digestive problems. The plant regulates the function of the intestines and is generally good for the mucous membranes. Useful in the diet of weanlings". I'm going to feed my next lot of kits some of that during weaning time to see what sort of effect it has and whether they have any poopy butt problems.

One thing I don't give young kits is apple, I did that once and the next day their bottoms were a mess. I cleaned them up and they were fine but I won't feed them that again!
 
Haley wrote:
When he becomes an adult,a no-pellet diet is doable, but I dont know anyone who does it. From what Ive read, its very difficult to feed your rabbit a no pellet diet because rabbit pellets (the good kinds) have so many essential vitamins and minerals in them."








Well, we do. Actually, that's what Hazel chose to do herself. She ate pellets when she was very young, up to maybe 5-6 months old. But when we switched her to "adult" pellets, she didn't want anything to do with those. We tried different kinds, but she didn't budge. She also doesn't eat much hay, she only likes alfalfa hay.
She gets 2, sometimes 3 bowls full of veggies and greens per day, usually with about 10-12 different types in summer, maybe 5-6 in winter. She gets carrot slices as treats, plus maybe 10 different kinds of herbs (mints, savory, chervil, sages, oreganos, hyssop, taragon, marjoram,....).
She also gets fruits every day, either blueberries, strawberries (the little "wild" ones), raspberries ( and the leaves of all those), cherries (few), cherry tomatoes, dried mango and pear (without additives or sugar). Not all of them every day, and not too much (anymore.. she used to get more, but had poop problems).
She does get a few (mainly alfalfa based) treats, the "nibble rings" and heart shaped cookies, which she loves. We hide them for her around the house, she loves finding them.
Not only did she thrive on this diet (hasn't had a day's stasis or gas, or other sickness), she did too well! She got over weight, so we had to cut back on her fruit treats.
And I had to talk to my husband. He used to sneak her nuts and bits of his cereal!:nope:
luckily he stopped doing that now :). She is slowly loosing weight now, and getting back to where she should be :yes:.
She also just started to get interested in White Chocolate's timmy pellets, but only if she gets them as a treat, handfed. Go figure. A handfull can last her a few days. Maybe as she ages, she'll change her diet again. We're certainly hoping she'll get more interested in hay, though she seems to have done alright without, except for alfalfa once or twice a week. She usually eats more of the wicker basket it comes in!:shock:
 

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