how long can I feed alfalfa pellets?

[piperknitsRN]

Hi: I've read different time frames about when rabbits should go off alfafa pellets. Olive is 5 months old and I just transitioned her to timothy hay pellets. Is there any reason to keep her on alfafa pellets for longer? I know they have more calcium, but she is a Holland Lop and appears to be done growing (hard to tell, but doesn't look like she's grown much in the last month).

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Alfalfa is generally more for growing rabbits, most adults do not need alfalfa. Once the rabbit is done growing, they can be switched to timothy pellets and hay. When they are done growing depends on the rabbit and the breed, a holland lop would be done around 5-6 months while a flemish giant won't be done until 12-15 months.

While I would have kept her on the alfalfa for a bit longer, she should be fine on timothy pellets now. Since she is also spayed, she doesn't have the higher metabolism of an intact rabbit. This means that it can be better to have her on timothy to help prevent too much weight gain (it can be an issue with altered rabbits).

 

[piperknitsRN]

Hi: Thank you for that informative answer! I actually ran out of alfalfa pellets and didn't want to buy another huge batch as I had timothy pellets already--otherwise I probably would have kept her on alfalfa pellets longer. For one thing, she goes crazy for them! She loves her pellets in general, and practically mobs the dish before I can set it down in the morning. But she's well-fed, and doesn't seem to need the extra calories that alfafa pellets have. Thanks again for responding!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Our vet said at 6 months.

 

[David.]

Here is a review on different rabbit feeds that you'll find interesting. http://www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-feed.html