Rabbit Pellet and Feeding

[JennyL]

What kind of pellets do you buy for your bunnies? I know Oxbow is the go-to brand for most people, but it’s extremely pricey in all of the pet stores around where I live. I have two rabbits, a 12 lb flemish who gets 1 cup a day, and a 3.5 lop who gets half that. They both get unlimited hay, of course, but pellets don’t last long in my house and I go through them too fast to afford buying Oxbow every time. I normally settle for Kaytee’s Forti-Diet, but I always feel guilty because there’s alfalfa hay in with the timothy. 

What brand of pellets does everyone else use? I’ve been to just about every pet store in my town looking at ingredient lists, but so far Kaytee is the only predominantly timothy blend I can find that I’m able to buy in bulk. 

Also, I wanted to see if I could clear up the issue of how much I should actually be feeding them. On the HRS website they say 1/4 to 1/2 cup her 6 lbs, but how in the world do I know which one to go with? I know I need to cut the little one’s intake down, but not sure if I’m safe keeping the big one at the same amount or not.

[BB & Tiny]

Feed stores sell pellets in large quantities. The last time I looked the protein level in those were the same as Oxbow. With any luck they are minus the ” soy hulls ” and ” cane molasses “. I’d buy them there but i have tiny bunnies and the bags are far to large to retain freshness. I think the bags are 40 lbs.

[JennyL]

BunLove, are there any other ingredients I should avoid besides soy hulls and cane molasses? And do you have any commercial feed store recommendations? I live in NC, and Tractor Supply is where I get my hay from. However, I haven’t been able to find a single brand of pellets at their store that don’t list alfalfa hay or “wheat middlings”, god forbid, as their main ingredients. 

[Bam]

Alfalfa is a problem because of the High protein-content and the high calcium-content. If those two components are balanced off by the other ingredients in the pellets, so the protein and calcium-levels are appropriate for rabbits (and there is a high enough content of fiber,) I don’t think alfalfa in pellets is necessarily bad. What you should avoid is giving both pellets and alfalfa hay to an adult bunny, because you then get too much protein and calcium.

Soy is a goiitrogen which means it slows the metabolism down by acting on the thyroid gland. That is one reason why some people are reluctant to feed their pets soy. That said it’s good quality protein that has all the essential amino-acids.

[tobyluv]

I usually get my pellets from Drs. Foster & Smith. They sometimes have sales, and they are cheaper than Pet Smart anyway. They do have shipping costs ($5.99), but shipping is free if the order is $49 or more. I just checked their site and Oxbow pellets are on sale now. The largest bag they sell, 25 pounds (adult), is on sale for $26.39, regular $32.99.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=6067+10381+11257+16618&pcatid=16618

This is the feeding chart that was made by a vet I know:

Weight        Daily Pellets
2 – 4 lbs       1/8 cup
5 – 7 lbs       1/4 cup
8-10 lbs       1/2 cup
11 – 15 lbs    3/4 cup

[BB & Tiny]

The feed store I was looking at had Timothy pellets in various fiber or protein % I’m not sure which the % stands for without calling them ?

I myself currently use oxbow but may donate the other half of that and seek out a pure timothy pellet in future. I don’t want my bunnies eating added sugars or beans. Beans are not recommended in their diet so why would I want it in their pellets ?

I make my bunny cookies with whole grains, timothy, greens and fruit I grind myself which are treats as grain isn’t in their diet either. The cookies are a treat though, pellets are a staple in their diet so I’d prefer clean ones.

[vanessa]

Unfortunately – pellets without the soy and wheat are expensive. Oxbow has pellets I wouldn’t feed my bunnies. But they also have pricey pellets that I feed my buns. Which is really good motivation to reduce the pellets, increase the hay and grass, and greens. I’m giving my buns 1/4 cup twice a day each. The 2 buns that I just brought in from outside – already eat only 1/8 cup each a day. They prefer grass and hay. My indoor buns love their pellets and greens. There are so many pellet choices. In the end, it would be great to be able to afford the top quality pellets. But like I’ve read in some threads, us humans also eat different quality foods, soda, chips, chocolates, etc, and we are still healthy (for the most part). Sure – we want the best for our buns – we want better than we want for ourselves.

Look for the highest fiber content possible. 18% is a good start. Some biologists recommend 22%. I look for 23-28%. Look for the lowest fat content, between 1 and 2.5%. Those are the bare basics. After that, it often depends on your wallet. There are websites out there that compare foods, I have posted such myself. I look for no soy, no wheat middlings, and I look for timothy based pellets. No alfalfa (for adult bunnies). I want the ingredient list to look as close to – fortified grass in a pellet form – as possible.

[vanessa]

I buy oxbow natural science adult, and oxbow terre organic. I mix them so they don’t get picky. If I find another acceptable pellet, I’ll mix it too.

[BB & Tiny]

Yes you hit the nail on the head, I’m a weight lifter and nutrition is paramount. So I actually don’t even have sugar in my household

In addition to adding appeal to the pellets molasses is used in feed to enhance lower quality hay. I posted a link about that somewhere ?

That organic seems like it might be a good alternative. I will have to google it.

[redbunbun]

I use Burgess Excel pellets (Mint at the moment, I may try Oregano next) for my tummy-troubled sickly Sukka, because they have the best possible nutritional values of any pellets on the Finnish market. Tossu, however, gets Dodgson&Horrel’s Rabbit Royale, because it was the cheapest best pellet available when I got him (15e/20kg!) and he didn’t have any special nutritional needs like Sukka. I may switch him to Burgess Excel as well once this sack runs out, as the distributor I’ve bought Rabbit Royale from up until now is removing it from their selection.

I’ve liked both those pellets, though Rabbit Royale is very light, which isn’t a problem for a neutered male like Tossu but may present issues for rabbits who need higher energy levels in their food. Both have quite good nutritional scores on the House Rabbit Society pellet comparison chart, with RR being “quite good” and Excel essentially checking the requirements for every category.

[JennyL]

Thanks everyone, these are some great suggestions. I’m going to shop around some more and see if I can’t find any feed stores in the area that carry better quality pellets.

[Reeem]

I use the Beaphar adult sadly its very expensive , but its the only good brand.

[Author]

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