most certainly not!!! alfalfa hay should only be given to growing rabbits. once they are adults, it should be switched to another type of hay as alfalfa is very high in calcium and other nutrients that are not good for adult rabbits. too much calcium can cause digestion problems. they should be fed a timothy based pellet in addition to unlimited hay that is NOT alfalfa. unless of course they are young rabbits, but you stated that yours are not. alfalfa hay for adult rabbits is only safe in moderation. as in, a nice treat every once in awhile. think of it as wheat grass covered in chocolate.

it is true that some pellets are used for beefing up rabbits and maintaining that weight, but that is usually practiced when the rabbit is a commercial meat rabbit. pellets you get at the pet store however, are full of nutrients that your rabbit won’t get from hay or veggies (i say that with caution – it depends on the veggeies your feeding them) and since your rabbit is domesticated, the only way they can get these nutrients are through pellets. pellet’s should not be unlimited though, they should be fed based on their weight. if you were to give your rabbits hay only, i’m fairly certain you will have very hungry rabbits. think of it as you only eating lettuce all day.

it is good that you are also feeding them veggies, but it depends what veggies you are feeding them exactly. broccoli, for example, is generally not a good thing to feed them as it can cause them to become gassy and uncomfortable and the level of calcium is also unhealthy for an adult rabbit. greens, such as romaine lettuce (not iceberg – it has no nutritional value and you burn more calories chewing it than you get from eating it) or kale are good. herbs like parsley and cilantro are good as well. you can find lists of good veggies for rabbits on the internet.

a combination of the three is your best bet. but i definently DO NOT recommend only feeding them hay.

 broccoli, for example, is generally not a good thing to feed them as it can cause them to become gassy and uncomfortable and the level of calcium is also unhealthy for an adult rabbit. greens, such as romaine lettuce (not iceberg – it has no nutritional value and you burn more calories chewing it than you get from eating it) or kale are good. herbs like parsley and cilantro are good as well. you can find lists of good veggies for rabbits on the internet.

a combination of the three is your best bet. but i definently DO NOT recommend only feeding them hay.

Broccoli does not cause gas in rabbits as they have a different digestive system than that of humans. What can cause issues in a rabbit is too much starch and sugar because it changes the pH in the cecum. That said, broccoli is a veggie that should only be fed in small amounts (about 1 tablespoon per 2 lbs a day) because it is considered to be higher in starch and sugar. It is in the non-leafy veggie group.

I would only feed alfalfa as a treat or topper to their existing hay. Alfalfa is actually a legume and it is very high in protein and calcium; too much for a grown rabbit. If you want to go pellet free just be sure to up their leafy veggies and of course always provide unlimited fresh hay daily.

I feed alfalfa (about a handful a day) to my rabbits, but they are all young. There is an excellent article from Dr Susan Brown on the House Rabbit Society (http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-7/gi.html) She recommends a pellet-free diet in house rabbits. Read over the article … it may answer your questions. BTW kale is safe to feed daily.

I sent you the link in a private message. It should work. Check your inbox.

Domestic rabbits are just that: domesticated. They do not share the same instincts as wild rabbits do, and have lost the knowledge of knowing what is safe and not safe, and what foods they should eat in the wild. So the no pellets for wild rabbits discussion is moot, as we do not have wild rabbits as pets.

I would not feed adult rabbits any alfalfa, if you want to go on a pellet free diet, they need a TON of variety of greens a day to make up for it. Check and see the diet BB had her Jack on. He was a pellet free bun, and should give you a good indication of what to feed yours.

Hi, I think that if you want to go pellet-free then go for it! Just make sure you’re providing a variety of veggies and enough of them so that they get all the vitamins needed. You might also want to consult with your vet on making the switch. Sometimes I think about switching to a pellet-free diet, but I’m holding off on it for now. 

I can tell you my experience with pellet free diets.

For the most part my rabbits don’t get pellets (and my vet is fine with this) – I have three 10 year old rabbits and one 4 year old rabbit. And I have fostered and rescued countless rabbits as well.

I think that a nice variety of vegetables, hay, fresh water, and some treats are just fine – let’s be honest too – are you really going to check all the nutritional facts on veggies for your rabbits – probably not – but you know when you give a variety (and that is probably going to vary by season as well) that it is going to be enough of a variety to keep them healthy. Even rabbits in the wild most likely eat the same thing day in and day out – although they really don’t live long at all due to predators and the hardships of life in the wild and they most certainly don’t eat pellets although I think they might eat dirt (which you obviously don’t want to feed your rabbits).

I feed my rabbits usually the same variety daily (and they don’t always eat all of this) but I feed cilantro, mint, basil, romaine, dandelion greens, kale – I feed one of my rabbits broccoli every single day and one gets a slice of carrot daily – the only reason the others don’t get that is because they don’t eat it. Sometimes I’ll feed them parsley but overall, it’s basically the same variety. I do feed my rabbits treats from Oxbow and some get craisins and some get acidophilous tablets as treats.

I can tell you that the ones who have passed away hasn’t been due to poor diet or husbandry either. Just genetics and diseases beyond my control.

I think you are extremely conscientious and if you want to feed a pellet free diet then just do it and I bet your vet will be on board with it as well.

My vet reccomends a pellet free diet, but then you get bunnies like Mr. Hopper who will just refuse to eat and go into stasis. just cause he is weird and loves pellets and is stubborn. but as a general rule the grass hay is soooo much better for them and thier teeth.