Pellets and Hay and Grass

[warminwisco]

The breeder I got the two buns from felt pellets and unlimited amount of hay and grass is the best way to keep them from having GI problems and visits to the vets in general. What do you all think. I gey bales of grass, alfalfa from her for 5 bucks a bail, I think its mostly orchard grass and some alfalfa, they love it.

We use Pen Pals pellets as that what she uses.

 

[majorv]

You're going to get differing opinions. Pellets and hay provide all the nutrition a rabbit needs. That's all we feed our rabbits and it's unusual for them to have GI issues, and I can count on one hand the number of rabbits we've taken to the vet in the last 5 years. That's our situation and others who have pet rabbits will probably have a different view.

 

[Flick]

Hay should be the main part of their diet, like 80%. Pellets provide trace vitamins and minerals that they may otherwise not get. I'm not familiar with Pen Pals so I looked it up. It's an Alfalfa based pellet. Assuming your rabbits are still young, an Alfalfa based pellet is fine and should be free-fed while they're growing. Once they've reached maturity, gradually switch them over to a Timothy based pellet that has low protein (14% or less) and high fiber (20% or more). Read the ingredients on the pellet package. Timothy hay should be the first ingredient listed. Timothy middlings is not acceptable, nor is wheat middlings as a second or third listing. "Middlings" is essentially floor sweepings. It's filler. It's okay to give them some fresh vegetables. A leaf of Romaine lettuce, a few stems of parsley, and a leaf of Green Leaf lettuce is fine. Be careful with sugar foods like carrots and raisins. The only "treat" my rabbits get is a pinch of pumpkin seeds per night which they happy dance for. No carrots, no raisins, no blueberries. If they've never had them, they can't miss them. I order KMS Hayloft pellets and hay.

 

[warminwisco]

Thanks when are they done growing in months? Pumpkin seeds, salted?

 

[geekgirl101]

Alfalfa should only be fed to young bunnies as it can cause diahorrea in adults. It's like eating baby food all the time as an adult. There are also pellets designed for young bunnies that mostly contain alfalfa. Any good quality hay and timothy grass is good for them, slowly introduce timothy grass to their diet as they get older. I use Excel pellets and timothy grass and I get their hay from the local farm. Amazon does a good deal on their subscribe/save with pellets and bags of mixed herbs, depending on where you get the timothy grass you could probably get it cheaper from pet or pound shops.

 

[Blue eyes]

Thanks when are they done growing in months? Pumpkin seeds, salted?

Around 6-7 months of age is usually when one transitions to an adult diet (unless you have a large breed like a Flemish giant). There are a few brands out there that make pellets specific for juveniles and specific for adults. Oxbow Essentials is one that I use.

Here is an article on feeding that may be helpful.

Unlimited hay (timothy, bermuda, orchard... anything but alfalfa for adults) and pellets and greens make up my rabbits' diets. As Flick said, alfalfa-based pellets are for juveniles, timothy-based for adults.

I also feed mine around 2-4 cups of greens daily. I've never had a rabbit get GI stasis.

I've read conflicting info on seeds. Hulls of some seeds are indigestible. I don't offer any types of seeds. Mine do get the occasional carrot slice, banana slice, a few raisins or limited amount of other fruit. As you can see, we each have our differing opinions on caring for our rabbits. But hay seems to be a constant.

 

[Flick]

Raw pumpkin seeds, unshelled. Some grocery stores carry them in the "bag your own" aisle. Health food stores also carry them. Pumpkin seeds help flush calcium from the system which is a good thing. I give my rabbits about a tablespoon.

Blue eyes is correct about being careful with seeds and such. Mine only get unshelled raw pumpkin seeds.

 

[warminwisco]

Thanks so much for all the replys!!