What do you think of a no pellet diet?

[Sarah93]

hey everyone

I was wondering what you think about a diet of all hay and grass and no pellets?
And then more veggies and fruits when they're older since its harder on their tummies now since they're so young.

I just dont know if pellets is a needed staple in their diet?
Because I mean bunnies in the wild only live off grass and such and seem to be fine.
I would just rather give my bunnies fresh grass to eat every day and with some hay that I put in their nest box, they eat that too.
And then come winter hay (and by then veggies and fruits cause they'll be old enough).
I have hay all the time too cause we have a horse and two mules.
So I just think the fresher stuff is better for them?
And less likely for them to become over weight?
I have some pellets the breeder gave us and they eat it along with their grass.
I would just like to not have to buy pellets all the time if they're not needed.
I think it might be healthier with the fresh stuff anyways?
Maybe I'll get some pellets come winter since I wont have fresh grass on hand...

What do you guys think?

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Wild rabbits live off a lot more than just grass. They eat may different plants and vegetation. If you go out to a natural area, you will see that there is a lot a variety than what is in your yard or even neighbourhood. Even a horse in a pasture has more than just grass to graze on.
To get the variety of vitamins and minerals needed to replicate what a wild rabbit would eat, you would need to feed lots of grass, weeds, leaves and other vegetation. Even if you just gave veggies, you would need 4-5 different ones a day and rotate what you give often.
If you want to limit pellets you can, but I think that it is important to still give a few every day. Depending on the size of your rabbit, it could only be 1 tablespoon a day, maybe a bit less. You can treat is as a vitamin and mineral supplement rather than a staple of the diet.

 

[Spot]

If you have everything they need to be healthy then go for it!A no pellet diet would probably be healthier.I would try to transition them slowly because they have probably gotten used to the pellets.How old do buns have to be to eat fruits and vegetables?

 

[Sarah93]

I've been told by my breeder and other breeders you should wait until their about six months old, its easier on their digestive tracks by then.
I of course forgot this and gave them a plate of lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and apples...lol
They ate it and I didnt notice any diarrhea, but I'm going to hold off until they're a bit older...they're only about nine weeks.

and with nutrition I might research what to give them that you can get from outside.
Cause I live in an area that all the wild stuff grows in my yard.
I dont live in a big town or anything.
But just a little bit of pellets could be good too.
then they dont get over weight but still get the nutrients and they dont go through a big bag as fast.
I suppose I just need to research it more

 

[Happi Bun]

Definitely research more if this is the route you want to take.
Feeding a no pellet diet just worries me. I like the security of knowing my bunnies are getting everything they need nutritionally. Over-feeding house rabbits pellets is common. They actually do not need a lot to get all the nutrition required. My adult bunnies get 1/4 of a cup every morning. That is just enough to cover the bottom of their bowl in a light layer. The bulk of their diet is grass hay and I try to give nightly salad's with at least 3 types of of different veggies.

Just remember, any diet changes need to be made extremely slowly to prevent upset. So any new foods need to be introduced in very small amounts.

 

[TinysMom]

I don't understand why anyone would want to go to a "no pellet" diet when pellets are so easy to use and can provide much needed nutrition.

I understand wanting to use veggies and hay and stuff...but why take away something that is so basic and easy to use and is often a "staple"?

 

[Sarah93]

yeah, I have two babies living in the same cage right now, maybe I should give them 1/3 a cup for both of them?
And that way they dont fly through it, so my wallet stays fat and they stay slim!
not the other way around...
lol

I mean I dont care about the money really.
I just spent $60 on them yesterday...to get all that I wanted it would have been over $100 lol
Which I would have spent...but I only had $60
lol
I just dont want to be buying it if it isnt really necessary, you know?

But yeah that sounds good...a little bit of pellets with grass for them to be eating.
Then when they get older they'll have salads
They seem to be adjusting to the grass more.
And I shouldnt have given them those veggies when I did...but they seem fine.
I'll just put that off for a few more months and only give small portions at first and then larger portions

 

[Pipp]

There was already a thread on this running concurrently.

Pellet Only diet? (with some veggies)
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=58195&forum_id=48

Its a bit confusing to have too near identical threads running at the same time.

I won't close this one, but there is already a lot of good info in the other one, especially early on in the thread.


sas :thanks:

 

[Pipp]

TinysMom wrote:

I don't understand why anyone would want to go to a "no pellet" diet when pellets are so easy to use and can provide much needed nutrition.

I understand wanting to use veggies and hay and stuff...but why take away something that is so basic and easy to use and is often a "staple"?

This needs a caution that RO strongly advocates a VARIED diet which can include pellets, a convenient staple especially for people with lots of rabbits but does NOT include a pellet-only option.

That is not what's being said here.


sas :thanks:

 

[Spot]

Sarah93 wrote:

I've been told by my breeder and other breeders you should wait until their about six months old, its easier on their digestive tracks by then.
I of course forgot this and gave them a plate of lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and apples...lol
They ate it and I didnt notice any diarrhea, but I'm going to hold off until they're a bit older...they're only about nine weeks.

and with nutrition I might research what to give them that you can get from outside.
Cause I live in an area that all the wild stuff grows in my yard.
I dont live in a big town or anything.
But just a little bit of pellets could be good too.
then they dont get over weight but still get the nutrients and they dont go through a big bag as fast.
I suppose I just need to research it more

LOL.I gave my rabbit tons of fresh fruits and vegetables when she was a baby.That was almost 8 years ago..........

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

OK NOW I am really confused!

I agree with happi bun. Thoroughly research this before decide to take that route. You want to be sure that the rabbit gets the right amount of nutrition. Its good that you are asking, because so many jump right into this head first without doing any research and the poor animal ends up with issues.

 

[Sarah93]

Really?

Yeah...I dont know...
I think a lot of things said is just a lot of talk...
cause I dont know, I mean what do rabbits eat in the wild, you know?
They have to have a much stronger digestion track then most people would think...

Just like they say to never feed dogs human food.
Yes you shouldnt feed them potato chips or a snickers bar, obviously.
But if I let my dog have some left over hamburger, of when I give them carrots because they love carrots, or I'll give them chicken and other stuff thats good.
A lot of people would say thats wrong...I mean they shouldnt eat cookies but a lot of stuff is good for them. I mean what did they eat before about 100 years ago people invented dog food?
Which is just the lowest quality of meat anyways...lol
And of course before then they didnt have junk food...but I'm not saying to feed them junk food

So yeah, I dont know.
Your bunny didnt die..haha
I would say to be more safe then sorry...but I might give them small amounts of lettuce or apples and carrots.
just not a ton of it all the time...I dont know

 

[Sarah93]

lol wait, why are you confused?

And yeah I agree...I'll ask the women I bought them from.
And research it online...
its just hard cause so many people have different opinions.
I'm sure a lot of people will agree that they shouldnt have a ton of pellets all the time.
But some will say some amount of pellets if very important while others would say its not needed at all and would probably be better without it.

I'm thinking no pellets would be good if I could figure out what all they need.
Like the right nutrition's and stuff. I just have to figure out what those are...

And then that brings you back to when its ok to give them veggies and fruits...

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

Its confusing because it was all under one post, and now its plit up into several different ones? LOL! I amnot complaining about that, its just confusing when it happens and you are trying to respond to someone.

No they shouldn't have pellets all the time either. That is what causes the most problems with them. People tend to make the mistake of overfeeding their pets, which leads to obesity, and other problems. Rabbits fed on a strict limited pellet diet with nothing else(or hay) are fine.

 

[Happi Bun]

How old are they? Babies 8 weeks to 7 months should be fed unlimited alfalfa pellets and hay. I would watch the hay intake though, because at that age you do want them to be eating more pellets than anything else.

I would really caution against feeding a young bunny (under 12 months) a 'ton' of veggies, especially fruits which actually should be used as a healthy treat due to the high sugar content and given in very limited quantities. The way to safely introduce veggies and fruit is to give a small amount one at a time. That way you can see if it causes diarrhea or constipation. This always gives the body time to adjust to the new additions in the system.

Rabbits in the wild eat a large variety of vegetation; grazing of grass, leafy weeds and flower plants. The hard part with not feeding a domestic rabbit pellets is making sure all their nutritional requirements are met by providing a vast variety of different plants, veggies, herbs, etc. It can be done, but one much be very knowledgeable. Also, a high quality pellet will have Vitamin D in it. When feeding a pellet-less diet you will have to supplement with your own Vit D.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

For so many reasons, I would not go pellet free. I feel like re-posting what I've said in the past would just get the same response as in the past, so I won't do that.

The point is, I feel like pellets are needed in the diet just to ensure that the rabbit is getting all the nutritional requirements it needs. Opinions on *how much* pellets should be fed is often where the debate lies.

 

[Sarah93]

yeah, I think I'll keep it.
But only give them 1/4 a cup a day each righe now, and then maybe 1/3 a cup later one when they're full grown.
And still research what things from outside I can give them so they stay healthy

Sound good to everyone?
lol

 

[Happi Bun]

How old are they?

 

[Sarah93]

About nine weeks.
I got them on Tuesday and the breeder said they were eight weeks then.
not sure of the exact day of birth but yeah, for sure under 10 weeks old

 

[Happi Bun]

I wouldn't limit their pellets then. They really should have alfalfa pellets available at all times at their age. They are just babies and need the protein and calcium to grow properly. Limiting the the alfalfa pellets could cause problems like malnutrition or deficiencies. Also if they are not provided the proper diet as babies it can lead to health problems later in life.