Do rabbits really need pellets?

[Rabbit lover]

  So do rabbits really need pellets?

[Stickerbunny]

Some people do without them, but if you do… you need hay available at all times and a large variety of greens every day to make up the nutrient loss. I prefer feeding pellets, though I will admit my buns get most their needs from veggies, I just like to make sure – so for me pellets are more of a supplement than a main diet. It’s hay>greens>pellets for my two and honestly my male won’t even finish his serving of pellets. *shrug*

[Monkeybun]

Unless you can give them a very large quantity and variety of greens, yes. They need the vitamins and nutrients from them if they can’t get them elsewhere. BB’s Jack was pelletless, and had to have a TON of veggies to make up for it.

[Beka27]

Yes, I think Binkybunny was feeding something like 12-15 different veggies a day. Most people can’t do that, so pellets are necessary, but in a very limited amount.

[CocoVermont802]

I know my bunny loves her pellets!

[bunnyfriend]

I was wondering the same thing today after my vet appointment. I know it can be done, like others have said. I personally wouldn’t trust myself with making sure that my bunnies got everything they needed from veggies

[Beka27]

I think of pellets like a bottle of Pediasure or Ensure. It’s not every meal, and MOST of the nutrition is going to come from “real food” (hay and veggies), but it’s a little boost of nutrition.

[Sarita]

I used to just give veggies to all my rabbits who are now seniors and I give them to my Netherland. I do give a variety each day of veggies though – not 12 to 15 different ones LOL but about 4 or 5. I’ve let some free feed them but they really don’t eat much of them at all.

I’ve recently given them to Toffee though after many years of not having them (she’s a bout 9 years old) because she has had a weird change in her eating patterns.

I agree with Beka though that they are more like Pediasure or Ensure but they do make good treats.

[Rabbit lover]

I think I’ll just stay safe and keep feeding them pellets. c=

[Sam and Lady's Human]

I cut Samsons pellets back to about 1/4 cup. Its been really good for her, she eats a ton more hay, and is less destructive (she used to love carpets…). She also gets a large salad every night.

[Fluffy Bunnies!!!]

I had a vet tell me that the healthiest diet for rabbits is 100% high quality, leafy grass hay and clean water… she is a professor at the University of MN who also has a private clinic that specializes is pocket pets so she probably knows what she’s talking about . In her lecture to our small animal management class, she said that many pet rabbits are fed way more calories and protein than they need and that pellets were originally devised for meat rabbit operations to fatten up kits quickly (10 wks fryer age) and to maintain body condition in animals that were being bred constantly (meat does are often bred every 40 days!!! gestation is 30 days so kits are only 1.5 wks when mamma is rebred! Yikes!). Most rabbits don’t need that many calories in their diet. Also most pellets are alfalfa based but maintenance diets do not require the high protein and calcium in alfalfa. So, feeding only grass hay, or hay plus veggies is certainly feasible. You would want to make sure the hay is relatively fresh, green and mostly dust-free. And that the animal gets enough natural light for vit D production since hay isn’t vitamin fortified. I found that lecture fascinating since the horse world has been moving away from concentrates back to mostly hay diets for the benefit of the horses’ need to graze, and there is a real movement in dog and cat feed to make more natural diets to the extent of people feeding homemade raw meat diets. It makes me wonder if the bunny world will be headed the same way with people reverting back to hay and veggie diets like the early 1900s.

That said, I feed pellets and hay free choice and none of my bunnies are fat. I use pellets because it is nice to know for a fact that they are getting all of their nutrients. But if you choose to go with hay as the main course it would be safe and your bunny would probably be happier because it’s less concentrated feed and their is more chewing involved which is very satisfying to grazing animals. It would be a much more natural diet.

[LoveChaCha]

^How old are your bunnies? Free feeding is only advised for growing, baby bunnies.

As stated above, the pellets should be used as something similar to ensure. It is just a little part of the diet. A lot of the members on this board do not free feed their rabbits pellets. My dwarf is on one tablespoon of pellets daily.

I had no idea that rabbits have to watch their calories *shrug*

[jerseygirl]

LoveChaCha, i do know some other members free feed pellets but their rabbits are good at not over eating. I know I couldn’t do it!! Jersey and Jelly would gorge themselves. haha. Rumball and Tim would probably not.

Re the original question; my vets are anti pellets in the diet too. They’re more “Grass, hay, veggies”. I do feed some pellets because I’m a sucker. As widely recommended, in very limited rations.

[TaraMichele]

I could never free feed, Sophie doesn’t stop eating as it is! Fluffy bunny you mentioned most pellets are alfalfa based? I believe most members on here use Timothy based pellets for adults, specifically oxbow. My two combined get about 1/4 cup if that and salads with 3-4 veggies twice a day plus unlimited hay mostly timothy and orchard and are both very fit.

[Sarita]

You definitely want a timothy based pellet, not alfalfa based.

I definitely think measuring pellets out is the best thing to do. I have been giving Toffee about a 1/2 cup measure of pellets a day lately because she’s eating so weird but she definitely doesn’t eat even half of that. Peppermint has pellets all the time but I cannot remember the last time I refreshed his pellets. I’ve been giving Bogie about a 1/2 cup a week lately as well.

Bobby is free feed but he hardly eats any so I don’t worry too much.

[Sam and Lady's Human]

Tara, Fluffy has outdoor rabbits, so I believe she just started feeding them alfalfa to put on some winter weight. But you’re right, with adult house rabbits timothy is a good choice.

[TaraMichele]

Oh I caught that I was just referring to when she said most pellets are alfalfa

[Stickerbunny]

I could free feed Powder pellets, he never eats the portion I measure out for him anyway! But Stickers, she would eat every pellet should could get her mouth on and blow up to 100lbs, ha. I already had to cut back on what I give them cause Stickers eats what he leaves behind, the little pig.

[mya's buns]

What amount of pellets would you feed a Californian rabbit ? Is there like a weight ratio or something? Like however many ounces of pellets for every 5 pounds of rabbit?

[Deleted User]

The house rabbit society has a lot of excelent information on pellets, and the correct amount to feed. you might want to take a look at rabbit.org

[Sarita]

Hi Mya, please start a new thread – if you don’t know how you can message me…we ask that members do not pull up and reply to old threads – this thread is 2 years old.

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