Feeding Question

[JAM]

Hi Everyone !

Remy came with food, but I still need to pick food up right ?
I have Alfalfa hay covered but I am mostly curious about pellet's, I have looked through you're article's, and must of passed over exactly WHAT I wanted to know.

My question's mostly are,
What would you reckon is a good pellet to feed ? ( I really don't like Kaytee food's, because I had a hamster and they had a product in their that had something bad for hamster's in the hamster food, So I am wary of their products)

How much do you generally feed?

What is the nutrition content etc, you want in a pellet ?

What about Alfalfa Cube's etc, would you feed those ? :?
Because I don't see much of a point, they seem just like a substitute for Alfalfa hay

Why or why not would you feed an alfafa or hay based pellet ?

What type of hay do you feed and why ?

Any answer's to my question's would be greatly appreciated !

 

[MikeScone]

I have Alfalfa hay covered but I am mostly curious about pellet's, ... What would you reckon is a good pellet to feed ?

My first answer would be "a pellet Remy will eat." I feed Scone the Agway house brand (Big Red Rabbit's Choice) because that's the only pellet he likes. It's alfalfa based, which wouldn't be my preference, but he won't eat timothy in any form and all the other pellets I tried are timothy based. Given the choice between Agway and nothing, it's Agway.

How much do you generally feed?

A handful a day - that's one pellet-deep in his bowl, or about 1/8 cup. Not a huge amount, which is why I'm not really concerned about the protein level of the alfalfa. I look on the pellets as Bunny Centrum, basically, to cover any possible nutritional shortfalls in the hay and veggies.

What about Alfalfa Cube's etc, would you feed those ? :?

No, not if he's getting alfalfa hay - and assuming he's young enough to need alfalfa and not a grass hay.

Why or why not would you feed an alfafa or hay based pellet ?

Younger rabbits need the protein and calcium from alfalfa, a legume. Once they're mature they should transition to grass hay.

What type of hay do you feed and why ?

Several kinds, at different places around the house so Scone is encouraged to graze naturally. He gets an assortment including Orchard Grass, Oat Hay, Brome Hay, Bermuda Grass and Peter's Meadow Mix (not all at once, it varies depending on what I can get at our local pet and feed store. As I said, Scone rejects Timothy, so that's out for us, but if Remy likes it that's a standard grass hay.

 

[JAM]

Thank's Mikescone
Yes Remy like's Timothy hay alot, so it is still an option for us.
I still don't know what he will eat, or what brand he had been fed previously, (I got him early this morning or late last night around 12AM)
But he does like timothy hay,
He is 1 years old, so would you consider that mature?

 

[LV426]

I don't feed a pet store pellet. I feed Mazuri and Pfau. Most feed stores can get or will carry Mazuri.

Mazuri :
Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein (min.) 15.0%, Crude Fat (min.) 2.5%, Crude Fiber (min.) 20.0%, Crude Fiber (max.) 24.0%, Calcium (min.) 0.80%, Calcium (max.) 1.30%, Phosphous (min.) 0.50%, Salt (min.) 0.75%, Salt (max.) 1.25%, Vitamin A (min.) 8000 IU/lb., Vitamin E (min.) 20 IU/lb., Ash (max.) 9.0%.

Pfau is a little harder to find but sometimes can be ordered by a feed store. If neither of those are available I would try to get a pure pellet form from a feed store. The last option I would go with is maybe Oxbow. It's fairly similar in nutrition content and doesn't have extra crap in it.

As for alfalfa. Just a little info that alfalfa isn't really a grass or hay, it's a legume. This means that the protein content is higher than a normal hay or grass. Since most pellets are alfalfa based, I prefer to feed timothy hay and orchard grass. As for the cubes, they are just compressed alfalfa or timothy and in my opinion make more mess than they are worth plus they are more expensive.

How much? Well everyone has a different opinion but I like to let the rabbit decide how much. Most recommend 1/4 to 1/2 cup per 5lbs. But depending on age and activity that can be more or less. The best way is to offer as much timothy hay or orchard grass as your rabbit can eat and then start off with a 1/2 cup of food in the mornings. If by the following morning all pellets are gone then you know that's a pretty good start. But if there are pellets left over then you should cut back. If there are no pellets left and your rabbit starts attacking the food bowl and acting like he's starving then increase a little at a time until you get the right balance.

Depending on his age you can also offer him fresh greens but stay away from vegetables that are high in sugar content. Dark greens like dandelions and plantain, collard greens, beet root tops, carrot tops, parsley, Cactus pads (thorns removed with a peeler or burned off), and wheat grass are good for them. Phase them in slowly so as to accustom his digestive system to the greens. Maybe just one leaf a day or so and increase slowly.

 

[MikeScone]

JAM wrote:

He is 1 years old, so would you consider that mature?

Yes, I'd consider that "mature". Generally a rabbit gets his full growth and maturity at around one year old. Some large breeds may take longer, but on average that's about right.

 

[JAM]

Thank you both for the replies
LV, there is a pet store that i know of, that sell's Mazuri, I will have to see if the petstore closer to me sell's it also.
I was thinking of getting and organic mix, and I really favour Zupreem food ( which I feed my parrot)

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

JAM wrote:

Hi Everyone !

Remy came with food, but I still need to pick food up right ?
I have Alfalfa hay covered but I am mostly curious about pellet's, I have looked through you're article's, and must of passed over exactly WHAT I wanted to know.

My question's mostly are,
What would you reckon is a good pellet to feed ? ( I really don't like Kaytee food's, because I had a hamster and they had a product in their that had something bad for hamster's in the hamster food, So I am wary of their products)

How much do you generally feed?

What is the nutrition content etc, you want in a pellet ?

What about Alfalfa Cube's etc, would you feed those ? :?
Because I don't see much of a point, they seem just like a substitute for Alfalfa hay

Why or why not would you feed an alfafa or hay based pellet ?

What type of hay do you feed and why ?

Any answer's to my question's would be greatly appreciated !

I feed what the rabbit will clean up in a day. generally its between a half a cup, to a full cup of pellets per day, depending on the rabbit.

i would recommend feeding anything that doesn't list corn in the ingredients list. Corn can be harmful to them if it ferments. Purina show formula, and fiber 3 are good to feed. However, the downside is you have to buy it in 50 pound bags, and find a place to store it. You can only use it for about 4 months, then throw the rest out. Use rubber maid garbage containers if you end up having to buy more then what you need. Or you can keep what you want and donate the rest to a rabbit rescue.

i feed alfalfa grass hay. You can get it by the bale from local farmers. Just have to have a place to store it. Timothy is also good too.

When I look at feed I look at the fiber and protein content. The best to feed is something that is high in fiber, and low and protein. you want fiber to be no less then 20%. the higher it is the better quality the feed will be. Protein should be around 15%. A lot of people make the mistake of looking at protein instead of fiber when they first purchase the feed, under the impression that high protein is much better for the rabbit. Not always true. Get it too high, and it can produce some pretty sever gut issues.

You also want to pay attention to the ingredients listed. You will not believe what they put in some brands. One i was feeding for awhile had the clay they use to make drywall mixed into it. i stopped feeding it when I found out that it was in it.

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

JAM wrote:

Thank you both for the replies
LV, there is a pet store that i know of, that sell's Mazuri, I will have to see if the petstore closer to me sell's it also.
I was thinking of getting and organic mix, and I really favour Zupreem food ( which I feed my parrot)

Zupreem isn't ne better for rabbits, then kaytee. Their other pet foods are good. their rabbit feed is lacking.

 

[missyscove]

If Remy is a year old he's definitely old enough to be on a grass hay based diet. I'd transition him over to grass hay (timothy, orchard, brome, etc.) rather than alfalfa because at this age he doesn't really need all the extra protein like a growing or breeding rabbit would need.

You want a pellet diet that is just pellets, no colorful junk. You're looking for one that is high in fiber and low in protein.
Personally, I feed Oxbow bunny basics T. Each of my rabbits is about 4.5 lbs and each of them gets 1/4 cup of pellets every morning.
Young rabbits can be free fed but after 6 months of age or so it's important to limit their pellet intake because they simply don't need as much. Limiting pellets will keep them from gaining too much weight and encourage them to vary their diet by eating more hay and veggies.

Personally I think of the pellet portion as sort of a multivitamin. I feed just enough to know they're getting their essential nutrients and fill the rest of their diet with more variety that I feel is better for their GI tract and more mentally stimulating as well.

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

missyscove wrote:

If Remy is a year old he's definitely old enough to be on a grass hay based diet. I'd transition him over to grass hay (timothy, orchard, brome, etc.) rather than alfalfa because at this age he doesn't really need all the extra protein like a growing or breeding rabbit would need.

You want a pellet diet that is just pellets, no colorful junk. You're looking for one that is high in fiber and low in protein.
Personally, I feed Oxbow bunny basics T. Each of my rabbits is about 4.5 lbs and each of them gets 1/4 cup of pellets every morning.
Young rabbits can be free fed but after 6 months of age or so it's important to limit their pellet intake because they simply don't need as much. Limiting pellets will keep them from gaining too much weight and encourage them to vary their diet by eating more hay and veggies.

Personally I think of the pellet portion as sort of a multivitamin. I feed just enough to know they're getting their essential nutrients and fill the rest of their diet with more variety that I feel is better for their GI tract and more mentally stimulating as well.

Not sure what you mean by breeding rabbits needing extra protien. They don't get a lot of extra protein. Most of us feed pellets and hay that are low in it. They don't need it, and its dangerous for their digestive system if they get too much of it. their dietary needs are no different then feeding a pet rabbit.

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

Why or why not would you feed an alfafa or hay based pellet ?

All pellets are hay based. Some of the best are alfalfa based. Those work really well then they are balanced off by feeding the rabbit a good quality grass hay along with it. A few of the brands are timothy based, which are also good.

 

[JAM]

missyscove wrote:

If Remy is a year old he's definitely old enough to be on a grass hay based diet. I'd transition him over to grass hay (timothy, orchard, brome, etc.) rather than alfalfa because at this age he doesn't really need all the extra protein like a growing or breeding rabbit would need.

Remy is on Timothy hay, He does not get any Alfalfa currently. I just used Alfalfa when I said that as an example of a hay.

 

[missyscove]

dixonsrabbitry1 wrote:

missyscove wrote:

If Remy is a year old he's definitely old enough to be on a grass hay based diet. I'd transition him over to grass hay (timothy, orchard, brome, etc.) rather than alfalfa because at this age he doesn't really need all the extra protein like a growing or breeding rabbit would need.

You want a pellet diet that is just pellets, no colorful junk. You're looking for one that is high in fiber and low in protein.
Personally, I feed Oxbow bunny basics T. Each of my rabbits is about 4.5 lbs and each of them gets 1/4 cup of pellets every morning.
Young rabbits can be free fed but after 6 months of age or so it's important to limit their pellet intake because they simply don't need as much. Limiting pellets will keep them from gaining too much weight and encourage them to vary their diet by eating more hay and veggies.

Personally I think of the pellet portion as sort of a multivitamin. I feed just enough to know they're getting their essential nutrients and fill the rest of their diet with more variety that I feel is better for their GI tract and more mentally stimulating as well.

Not sure what you mean by breeding rabbits needing extra protien. They don't get a lot of extra protein. Most of us feed pellets and hay that are low in it. They don't need it, and its dangerous for their digestive system if they get too much of it. their dietary needs are different then feeding a pet rabbit.

That last line is exactly what I mean. Yes, significant extra protein would be a bad thing, but a growing or breeding doe, like any production animal, needs more energy than an animal at maintenance, like an adult pet rabbit. They need more protein than a pet rabbit would, perhaps extra was the wrong word. I don't mean more than would already be in the pelleted diet.

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

missyscove wrote:

dixonsrabbitry1 wrote:

missyscove wrote:

If Remy is a year old he's definitely old enough to be on a grass hay based diet. I'd transition him over to grass hay (timothy, orchard, brome, etc.) rather than alfalfa because at this age he doesn't really need all the extra protein like a growing or breeding rabbit would need.

You want a pellet diet that is just pellets, no colorful junk. You're looking for one that is high in fiber and low in protein.
Personally, I feed Oxbow bunny basics T. Each of my rabbits is about 4.5 lbs and each of them gets 1/4 cup of pellets every morning.
Young rabbits can be free fed but after 6 months of age or so it's important to limit their pellet intake because they simply don't need as much. Limiting pellets will keep them from gaining too much weight and encourage them to vary their diet by eating more hay and veggies.

Personally I think of the pellet portion as sort of a multivitamin. I feed just enough to know they're getting their essential nutrients and fill the rest of their diet with more variety that I feel is better for their GI tract and more mentally stimulating as well.

Not sure what you mean by breeding rabbits needing extra protien. They don't get a lot of extra protein. Most of us feed pellets and hay that are low in it. They don't need it, and its dangerous for their digestive system if they get too much of it. their dietary needs are different then feeding a pet rabbit.

That last line is exactly what I mean. Yes, significant extra protein would be a bad thing, but a growing or breeding doe, like any production animal, needs more energy than an animal at maintenance, like an adult pet rabbit. They need more protein than a pet rabbit would, perhaps extra was the wrong word. I don't mean more than would already be in the pelleted diet.

Nope. They don't need more protein. I raise rabbits. babies do not do very well extra protein. Neither do breeders. Everything I have gets about 15% pellets,and that's it. Go any higher and you run the risk of them getting enteritis. thats why a lot of breeders steer clear of the maintenance feeds. They tend to grow much better on the lower protein/high fiber feeds then they do the others.

 

[elrohwen]

I don't think you're listening to what Missy is saying: Her point is that house rabbits need less protein than breeding bunnies, hence they need less pellets overall and I agree with her. Lazy house bunnies generally need less pellets than a breeding bunny. Many house rabbit owners feed 2cups of veggies per 6lbs body weight, and only 1/4cup pellets per 6lbs, in addition to unlimited grass hay.

I feed Oxbow Bunny Basics T to both of my buns.

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

elrohwen wrote:

I don't think you're listening to what Missy is saying: Her point is that house rabbits need less protein than breeding bunnies, hence they need less pellets overall and I agree with her. Lazy house bunnies generally need less pellets than a breeding bunny. Many house rabbit owners feed 2cups of veggies per 6lbs body weight, and only 1/4cup pellets per 6lbs, in addition to unlimited grass hay.

I feed Oxbow Bunny Basics T to both of my buns.

I have had house rabbits in the past too,and they got the same amount of pellets as my breeding rabbits did. They still get a low protein diet. The conflicts between feeding pellets vrs not feeding a whole lot of pellets can be confusing. then again, I didn't feed a lot of greens and produce either, they were lazy, retired show rabbits that didn't end up fat either. I am being told off the forum by someone else that has done a lot of research on feeding greens and produce that sometimes you end up with protein and calcium then the rabbit can handle when feeding them too.