Weight Gain – Alfalfa?

[AnnaW]

I am trying to help the buns gain a bit of weight, Belle is gaining height and no weight, and Barney has always been a little skinny due to the bad home he came from. They have unlimited good quality timothy hay, and a good portion of pellets twice a day, as well as various greens everyday. I am wondering whether to start giving them alfalfa pellets or alfalfa hay?

Thanks guys, any tips would be great  

x

[LongEaredLions]

Sometimes I give my skinny lil Asha a bit of alfalfa to fatten her up a bit, I think it is ok as long as you see no evidence of calcium issues. The only thing you want to be aware of is sometimes bunnies get “addicted” to alfalfa and wont eat anything else.
If they are not gaining weight normally, I might talk to the vet.

[AnnaW]

Ok, will keep an eye for that Belle I think is just leggy and a big athletic bun, she’s so tall and muscular! She isn’t THIN, but I just want her to have a little extra chunk on her to make me feel better Barney is a different kettle of fish, he had a VERY bad diet in his last home and I think was not fed sometimes, as a result of which he gets bouts of having a sore tummy quite often. My vet is aware of this and said I could try him on a variety of pellets and hays, but at that point we were concentrating on getting his condition stable so we said we’d talk about it when he was a bit better, and forgot!!
Consultations at my vets cost a small fortune, especially just to clarify which pellets and hay she meant! I will grab some alfalfa hay and see how they go, mixed in with their other hay x

[LongEaredLions]

I wouldn’t mix it in with the grass hay, as they may think that this is what the hay is now and expect the alfalfa. I would give a handful separately, like a treat. Does that make sense? It makes sense in my head, but not so much in text….

[LBJ10]

People have used alfalfa as a “topper” with no problems. If you’re worried, you could do like LEL suggested and offer it like a treat.

[AnnaW]

Great, I will do that Thanks guys!! Could I do the same with a small amount of alfalfa pellets?

[LongEaredLions]

Yep. Sometimes I give my girls some.

[DaisyBunz]

This would be fine. Alfalfa is good for bunnies younger that 6 mos, but malnourished bunnies that don’t eat as much can be fed some alfalfa for the health of the bunny.
I agree with the top comments, though. Try to mix it in with the usual grass hay. It’s not good for you or the buns if they want to eat just alfalfa instead of the Timothy hay.

[AnnaW]

Great, thanks guys! I might buy the alfalfa pellets instead, and offer them as a treat to ensure that they dont go off their hay. My last bun, Biscuit didnt eat ANY hay for 5 years, and it caused me a great amount of distress especially when he developed dental issues due to his lack of chewing, so I’d really rather retain their hay eating habits
Alfalfa pellets here we come! x

[Rabbit Ears]

Oxbow has a line of adult rabbit pellets called “Natural Science Adult Rabbit Food” that lists a minimum of 3% fat (most quality pellets I’ve seen list a 2% minimum). I’ve been using this for my senior bun for at least a year (maybe longer) as one more tool to help keep his weight up. It also has a low (but acceptable) calcium level, which I pay attention to because of a previous bladder stone condition.

Here are some product links:

http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/…bject=8239

http://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Animal-Health-…B007PZEBTY

I get mine from a local PetSmart (where it’s actually cheaper than the Amazon price from the above link).

I don’t know how old your rabbits are, but I’d be cautious about feeding anything to an adult on a regular basis with a higher than recommended calcium level. Bladder stones and sludge are not uncommon, and trying to increase weight with a food that’s high in calcium may solve the weight problem at the expense of other problems later on. If you have a rabbit-savvy vet, I’d talk to her/him to get some recommendations.

[Author]

Messages