pellet types!

[devilzzy]

hello does it really matter which type of pellets you give your rabbits? do you give you adult rabbits alfalfa or timothy pellets?

my rabbit is only 5 months and 2 weeks old- and he's on brandless pellets which doesn't say which type.

which type do your rabbits eat? and how old are they? :biggrin2:

 

[naturestee]

Yup it matters! Rabbits that are breeding or still growing need to be on an alfalfa pellet, while non-breeding adults can be switched to timothy. Alfalfa is higher in protein and calcium than timothy. You can think of it as puppy food vs. adult dog food.

Check the ingredients on the bag. That will tell you what's in the pellets. Also check the nutritional content. I don't recommend feeding pellets with more than 16% protein to pets and the fiber should be a minimum of 18%.

Some adult rabbits don't tolerate the higher protein levels of alfalfa pellets very well, resulting in messy cecals. Others can shed more. The higher calcium levels may also contribute to kidney and bladder stones/sludge, although it probably wouldn't make too much of a difference if the diet is extremely limited in pellets and the rest of the food is grass hay and veggies.

Hay is the same- alfalfa can be fed to young buns although IMO all rabbits should have unlimited grass hay such as timothy.

Edit: I have 6 rabbits. One is over one year and on a 15% protein alfalfa pellet (very high metabolism but will probably switch at the end of this bag). The others range from 1.5-6 years and are all on timothy pellets. Pellets are a very small part of the diet for my rabbits except for the youngest who is still on alfalfa. She's a Britannia Petite and has a crazy high metabolism.

 

[Myia09]

I didn't know this. What type of pellet is Purina Advanced Show? I am assuming alfalfa?
So what timothy brand should I switch to?

 

[naturestee]

Purina is an alfalfa pellet. How old are your rabbits and what is the rest of their diet like? Like I said, if the pellets are only a small part of the diet then you don't necessarily need to change to timothy as long as you aren't seeing problems.

I feed Oxbow Bunny Basics/T for a timothy pellet. Some people like Kaytee Timothy Complete but I don't trust the company. There are other brands available online such as American Pet Diner that others here use. Always check the nutritional content on the packaging (timothy pellets should be 14% protein or less and lots of fiber) and make sure there aren't treats mixed in. These are all American brands, I'm not very familiar with brands in other countries.

 

[devilzzy]

can i switch over to timothy pellets when donut is 7-8months old?

 

[Myia09]

I have a adult holland lop who is 2 1/2 and former breeder,
A lionhead who is estimated to be under a year but over 6 months (She did have a litter, so at least 6 months)
and another lionhead who is only two months with two other rabbits who are going to be about 8 weeks.

I don't notice a problem, I was giving unlimted pellets like they say for babies, but I felt they were eating too much so I am following the 2/3 cup a day, and there is usually some left over.
I also feed Spinach, Green Lettace, Romaine, Parsley, Cilantro along with apples, papaya, bannanas and other fruit as treats.
I also feed oats as my main treat.

They get unlimted fresh timothy, and I throw in brome, alfalfa, orchard grass, and other hay in once and awhile.

I don't trust Kaytee either

 

[aurora369]

I feed my guys an alfalfa pellet, but it is a low protein (14%) feed. I also only feed 1/8th cup to my chubby buns and about 1/4th to the others with faster metabolisms.

And my buns get tons of unlimited timothy hay. I buy by the bale so that I always have lots.

It is important to get a lower protein pellet, but in some feed stores you can get a lower (12 or 14%) protein pellet.

Or, you can go with the timothy pellet

-Dawn

 

[Myia09]

Do you know of any that are low in protien? I don't like ordering online, so I just go to a feed store where I get my Hay. I don't think they carry anything besides a bland pellet, purina, and kaytee.
But I use no kaytee products after all the horror stories I have read.
I will see if they have Oxbow however
Should I switch my older lionhead with my holland lop? Since she is not a year yet?
I am assuming thats when they fully stop growing.

 

[Myia09]

Oh, and sorry for thread jacking devilzzy lol

 

[devilzzy]

what kind of stories have you heard about Kaytee products? :O thank god i didn't order any products from them then..
Oxbow timothy pellets (bunny basics/T) has low protein- i think 14%.
i think i'm going to switch to timothy-based pellets when donut is around 8 months old

don't worry about it Myia09- this thread was made to talk about pellets

 

[Myia09]

I tried looking for the photo..but my friend bought a bag of hay and in it was a huge clump with mold all over it.
They have experation dates, and most of them are really old by the time it gets to the petstore.
Also, most of thier food contains treats and junk.
And if you go on Chins 'n' Hedgies fourm, they have a thread dedicated to horror stories of Kaytee..its a pretty long thread of really awful stories! Besides the usual culpriet of potato bugs, one girl found maggots.

 

[Little Bay Poo]

We have been giving our adult (2 years and 4 years old) Netherland Dwarfs alfalfa based pellets. They don't like the taste of timothy pellets, but we have been sneaking some in with their mix of alfalfa and they don't seem to know the difference. The timothy pellets (Oxbow BBT) say protein minimum 14%, and the alfalfa ones (Oxbow 15/23) say protein minimum 15%. Protein maximum is not listed.

Our Nethies are very active, but I think we'll try to switch to a half alfalfa, half timothy pellet diet for the future. They also get unlimited timothy hay.

 

[ra7751]

This goes back to an outdated and inaccurate view of a rabbit's diet based on non-clinical observations. It really shouldn't matter what type of pellet you feed since pellets should be such a small part of the diet. The concern of calcium induced bladder sludge isn't exactly accurate. While it is true that rabbits excrete over half the calcium they take in their urine, it's not the calcium that causes a sludge problem....it's dehydration. Since domestic rabbits eat an artificial diet, most pet rabbits are clinically dehydrated...and that is what causes the problem. In the wild, a rabbit's dietis primarily tendervegetation that is mostly water....in fact, I don't offer wild rabbits in rehabwater....they get all their hydration from the greens just like nature intended. Rabbits have bones and teeth and need calcium. Lack of calcium can lead to dental issues and a misdiagnosis of arthritis....it's actually Metabolic Bone Disease. Most house rabbits are also deficient in Vitamin D....Vitamin D and Phosphorus, in correct levels, help with the absorbing of calcium and other nutrients. This is something that those of us in wildlife rescue have been keenly aware of for years....and it's now coming to the forefront of human medicine. Vitamin D comes either from dietary supplements or exposure to unfiltered sunlight. We use pellets in very limited amount....only to maintain body conditioning. In the real world, if you feed your house rabbit correctly, it doesn't matter if the pellets are alfalfa or timothy based.

Randy

 

[naturestee]

Randy, I still find that protein amount can have an affect even when the rabbit only gets 1-2 tablespoons a day if they are sensitive. Also, since a large percentage of pet rabbit owners do not feed what you and I consider to be the "correct" diet (with very low pellet amounts) I've found it much better to err on the side of caution and recommend timothy pellets.

As a shelter volunteer I've had a much easier time getting people to buy timothy pellets than to restrict the amount of pellets enough. The shelter itself practically free-feeds pellets to the rabbits but since adults get timothy it doesn't have as many negative effects on poop and fur quality.