Hay only diet issues….

[Deleted User]

I am having a real hard time moving Finn & Myrtle to a pellet free diet. In fact i am struggling to cut their pellets down at all.

At the moment they get two table spoons of pellets each, and are on both Timothy and Alfalfa King Hay, with a little Kale each day. I have also tried them on some herbs which they like. 

However they are still not mad on hay and will sit and wait to be fed pellets all day. Myrtle use to be a good hay eater but now she has coped Finn and so they are now both pellet crazy…they both seems always hungry at the moment.

Myrtle is always trying to pick bits off the carpet when she is out, yet they will have a load of fresh hay to eat. I have tried several different hays but they have the same attitude them all. I have noticed that Finn may has lost some weight since I have cut down the pellets so i feel he is now below his average weight….however his due back at the vet on Monday so i can check then. 

I do feel to just stop the pellets completely….but worried they will go hungry and will effect their behaviour (Myrtle). I think the problem is that they don’t see Hay as their food, and only see pellets as a food source. 

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[tobyluv]

I don’t know if you have made other posts saying why you want to cut out Finn and Myrtle’s pellets, but I haven’t seen them. Two tablespoons of pellets isn’t a lot for an average sized rabbit. I’m not sure how much yours weigh. Are they having GI issues from eating pellets? I have read that if pellets are cut out of a rabbit’s diet, the rabbit should get a variety of 15 different greens/veggies a day, to ensure that they get enough vitamins and minerals. (With plenty of hay, of course.) That seems like it would be hard to accomplish, and maybe some people who feed their rabbits a pellet free diet have found that they are doing well with less than the suggested amount of greens. If you are only feeding them a little kale and some herbs, it sounds like you need to increase the amount and number of different greens that you are feeding them.  If they haven’t had certain greens or veggies before, you should go slowly with introducing them.

[Deleted User]

Hi Toby

I want to cut pellets out due to Finns gut issues. Pellets are like sweets to rabbits so they should be getting a tiny amount anyway so they don’t fill up on them and not eat their hay. Some people only give their buns 10 pellets. Finn would just scoff pellets all day so i am trying to cut them down to try and get him to eat more hay (plus it would be better for him). They are on 2 hay types and kale (which they like over anything else) as well as some herbs.

I am going to try them on Fibre First Sticks and RediGrass

[Bam]

Fibafirst sticks work well for my Bam. He has a tummy issues in the past. The good thing with Fibafirst sticks is that they’re both very high in fiber and apparently very yummy for most buns.

Switching a bun over to a hay only diet cold turkey has its risks. Some buns won’t eat the hay and go into stasis because they have an empty tummy. Dogs will eat when they get hungry, but rabbits will lose their appetite if they haven’t eaten in a while.

Another risk factor is that even if the bun starts eating a good amount of hay, it might not be able to extract enough nutrients from it. It’s gut bacteria that convert cellulose to usable carbs, and if the bun’s gut isn’t well populated with the required bacteria, the bun will starve despite eating lots of hay. The gut flora will adapt to a hay only diet, but it needs time to do that.

So I think tapering out the pellets is the safest way to go. I give my bun very little pellets. He mostly gets grass. Luckily we had a very mild winter last winter so I could cut grass for him every day ?

[Deleted User]

Hi Bam

The issue is with pellets is thats all he will eat and pellets do tend to upset his stomach. That said he I have cut back on his pellets….although they do get hungry and this is triggering Myrtles behaviour issues. 

[Bam]

Yes, I understand. That’s why I’m thinking Fibafirst could be good. They’re 30 % fiber. Hay is 32% (at least). I don’t know if there are all hay pellets in Britain. I’ve bought some from Germany (I think), the problem is that they’re “just” hay and thus not appetizing enough for Bam. *sigh*

[Deleted User]

I am thinking of getting Fibre Sticks — i just know its going to work out more expensive as i know you don’t get many.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Emma on 6/11/2018 3:17 AM

I am thinking of getting Fibre Sticks — i just know its going to work out more expensive as i know you don’t get many.

You can get a 2kg box for £9. I give Peanut and Buttercup a couple per day and a box lasts a few months

[Author]

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