Do rabbits really need pellet food?

[Wolpertinger]

or can they do just fine on a diet of say, Timothey Hay, a little alfalfa, various greens, and even some clover and dandelions from the yard? I'm just wondering 'cause pellets are just so dang expensive and things are really tight right now financially.

Thanks for your help!
Marsha

 

[missyscove]

It is possible to do a pellet-free diet well, but not easily.

What kind of pellet are you using? How much are you feeding? My rabbits only get about 1/4 cup of pellets a day each. A pellet is the simplest way to make sure they're getting the essentials of their diet (kind of like a multivitamin for humans) and doing a pellet-free diet would likely require lots of varied veggies which would actually be more expensive for you in the long run.

Buying your pellets in bulk, from a local feed store, can really reduce your costs.

 

[ra7751]

Rabbits are made to live off a diet exactly like you described. The only issue is lack of Vitamin D. This vitamin comes from either exposure to unfiltered sunlight or by supplements. A diet deficient in Vitamin D can lead to a condition known as Metabolic Bone Disease...and the name is misleading since it can affect all body systems. Vitamin D is essential in the use of nutrients in the body....particularly calcium. In a rabbit, lack of Vitamin D can lead to brittle bones, dental issues and deposits in the renal system.

I feed very few pellets to my rabbits....some only get a dozen or so a day. Even my huge Flemish pair only get about a half cup to share. The only reason I feed pellets is that my rabbits do not get sunlight. A no pellet diet is possible but really isn't practical in most home situations.

Randy

 

[Maureen Las]

You only need to feed a very small amount of pellets to get the minerals and vitamins from them so a bag can go a long way
Missycove is correct in that it is sort of like giving a multivtamin for humans .

 

[Wolpertinger]

Thanks for the info! i was definitely feeding too many pellets to them.

I'm feeding them Kaytee Timothy Complete.

Money is tough right now, so I'm trying to find ways in cutting the cost of my rabbits care without cutting what they need, if that makes sense.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

Wolpertinger wrote:

Thanks for the info! i was definitely feeding too many pellets to them.

I'm feeding them Kaytee Timothy Complete.

Money is tough right now, so I'm trying to find ways in cutting the cost of my rabbits care without cutting what they need, if that makes sense.

Thanks for all the help!

the diet you described is good,,timothy grass is a nondigestible fiber,-,grasses equal 70%-of the diet.,,-,therefore-only a small amount of pellets -(digestible fibers)-will keep the gitract happy,-(this amt is debateable-some say in tablespoons,,or 1 ounce per pound of rabbit.//.as timothy grass/pellets won,t make the rabbit fat//as matter of fact i use timothy pellets not only for vitamins and nutients,,but for weight lose for the fat ones.//.rabbits are consumate groomers and chewers because their teeth are constantly growing--they need to chew alot.!!-a constant feeding daily of soft pellets quickly leads to a variety of severe health problems-death-//-grasses provide a silica based friction to wear down the teeth,,pellets for vitamins and nutrition,,treats like dandylions,clover-(alfalfa is not a grasss,,it is a digestible fiber,caution.)-and check the safe lists on the house of rabbits or medirabbit.com,,adoptarabbit--fruit tree branches/twigs make excellent chew sticks/even blackberry vines,leaves...sincerely james waller--this is a lot of work but i do it every day for 6 years..:big wink:

 

[pamnock]

I agree with Randy that you can cover the nutritional bases with very few pellets and supplement the diet.

If you are limiting the pellets that much, do not overfeed timothy hay - be sure that your rabbit is receiving the nutritional ration it needs. (All fiber with limited carbs = starving rabbit).

 

[mistyjr]

You can always go to the farm store and buy big 40 pound bags that isnt a good brand name..

 

[pamnock]

james waller wrote:

alfalfa is not a grasss,,it is a digestible fiber,caution.)-

Why caution? The composition of alfalfa is complex and it contains a high percentage of indigestible fibers as well as digestible nutrients and is a primary component of many rabbit feeds.

The Oregon State University Rabbit Research Center found alfalfa to be a good substitute for grains in a rabbit's diet. (Which is very important if feeding a primarily grass diet because alfalfa is high in minerals and carotene.)

 

[pumpkinandwhiskersmom]

Our vet really is committed to feeding as few pellets as possible. Her philosophy is the rawest form of food is the best for them. Just my $0.02...or rather, our vet's.