# Feeding rabbit clover hay



## ElWray (Nov 25, 2009)

A friend of mine has a farm, and can get me a bail of clover hay for $4. Would that be alright as a normal part of his diet? (hay, and timothy pellets)


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## Maureen Las (Nov 25, 2009)

You could give a small amount of clover but it would need to be a treat. i woudn't give my bun a lot of clover..too rich in calciumand gas producing 
Some other members may feed clover regularly ..wait and see


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## jamesedwardwaller (Nov 26, 2009)

*angieluv wrote: *


> You could give a small amount of clover but it would need to be a treat. i woudn't give my bun a lot of clover..too rich in calciumand gas producing
> Some other members may feed clover regularly ..wait and see


this is my opinion of alfalfa also,,only as a treat,,i know there are those who totally disagree in a big way,,please continue the thread,,,also ask yourself what is common for both clover and alfalfa...??..sincerely james waller:wave:


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## Orchid (Nov 26, 2009)

*james waller wrote: *


> *angieluv wrote: *
> 
> 
> > You could give a small amount of clover but it would need to be a treat. i woudn't give my bun a lot of clover..too rich in calciumand gas producing
> ...



That would be the calcium issue James...


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## jamesedwardwaller (Nov 26, 2009)

*Orchid wrote: *


> *james waller wrote: *
> 
> 
> > *angieluv wrote: *
> ...


is it possible that a herbivore,s main staple should-not- be either one,,??and why??-sincerely james waller:wave:


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## Orchid (Nov 26, 2009)

*james waller wrote: *


> *Orchid wrote: *
> 
> 
> > *james waller wrote: *
> ...



I do not think this is the apporpreate post/thread for these kind of questions and think we should redirect our thoughts to the orginal question.

Hopefully we can find some answers for ElWray...



ElWray...I went to the HRS site and found these few thing for you..

http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html

Select at least three kinds of vegetables daily. A variety is necessary in order to obtain the necessary nutrients, with one each day that contains Vitamin A, indicated by an *. Add one vegetable to the diet at a time. Eliminate if it causes soft stools or diarrhea. 



Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts
Basil
Beet greens (tops)*
Bok choy
Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)*
Brussels sprouts
Carrot & carrot tops*
Celery
Cilantro
Clover
Collard greens*
Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)*
Endive*
Escarole
Green peppers
Kale (!)*
Mint
Mustard greens*
Parsley*
Pea pods (the flat edible kind)*
Peppermint leaves
Raddichio
Radish tops
Raspberry leaves
Romaine lettuce (no iceberg or light colored leaf)*
Spinach (!)*
Watercress*
Wheat grass

(!)=Use sparingly. High in either oxalates or goitrogens and may be toxic in accumulated quantities over a period of time

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http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-5/calcium.html

Calcium is an important mineral for bone growth and maintenance, nerve and muscle function, and blood clotting. However the minimum daily requirement for calcium of a medium sized rabbit is about 510 milligrams. This amount of calcium is contained in less than two ounces of commercial pellets or 1 cup of turnip greens.* The percentage of calcium in alfalfa and clover hay is 2-5 X the amount needed for an adult nonbreeding rabbit. Grass hays have a much lower amount of calcium, less than half the amount found in alfalfa and clover hay.* Commercial pellets provides more than enough calcium for the average house rabbit and could cause a persistently elevated ("high normal") level of calcium in the blood. If the amount of calcium excreted in the urine becomes too high, problems may develop.[suP]1[/suP] 



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http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-3/fiber.html





Digestible
Energy
(kcal/kg)
Crude
Protein
%
Crude Fiber
%
Calcium
%

Alfalfa hay
90
1800*
15.3*
27.0*
1.4*

Barley hay
87
1790
7.6
24.0
.2

Barley straw
91
1580
4.0
38.0
.3

Bermuda grass hay
92
1656*
11*
27.6*
.4*

Clover hay red
88
1760*
17.3*
21.8*
1.3*

Clover hay white
92
2024*
21.4*
20.9*
1.8*

Lespedeza hay
92
1290*
12.7*
28.1*
.9*

Oat hay
88
2000
7.3*
29.5*
.3

Oat straw 
92
1640
4.1
37.0
.3

Orchard grass hay
89
1829
9.8*
30.0*
.3

Prairie hay
92
1670
5.3
31.0

Ryegrass hay
86
2070
7.4
26.0
.5

Sudan grass hay
91
1860
7.3
33.0
.5

Timothy hay
89
2010
6.3*
30.2*

Wheat hay
88
1870
7.4
25.0
.2

Wheat straw
89
1340
3.2
37.0
.2

From the United States-Canadian Tables of Feed Composition, National Academy of Sciences, Third Revision, 1982 unless otherwise noted. 
*Values adapted especially for rabbits by Peter R. Cheeke, Rabbit Feeding and Nutrition, Orlando; Academic Press, 1987. 360-365 

_(personally I would remember these things mentioned need to be considered into the type of bun you have, age, and health requirements)_


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## Orchid (Nov 26, 2009)

sorry the hay table came out all wonky but you can see the correct form on the page, just click the link and scroll down to the bottom..

I hope some of this helps..

(I made a post about Standlee hay that I found recently..they might have a retail seller around you...50lb bales go for 12 bucks ish...I know money can be a concern for all of us 

Good luck!


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## Maureen Las (Nov 26, 2009)

James,
Your light -hearted quizzing is fine ; I did not feel that it distracted from the thread or the topic at hand 

Elwray, 

Lots of info in this thread..

I just a found a good article by Dana Krempels re. clover and alfalfa. 

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

A quick summation: grass hays are a far better choice for your rabbit than clover or alfalfa mainly because of the excess protein and calcium in alfalfa and clover. 


Orchid 

Thanks for all the info you found for us. 

Maureen


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## ElWray (Nov 26, 2009)

Ok, thanks everyone!
Right now, I have been feeding him timothy pellets. The kit I got came with alfalfa hay, which he ate fine. However, I bought a bag of Timothy hay, and he seems to like it alot more.
My buddy said he could sell me a bale of clover hay for $4. However, he also said I could just come fill a grocery bag up, and have it for free. So maybe Ill do that as a treat now and then?
Also, every couple of days, I give him a baby carrot as a treat too.
What is your opintion? What do you all feed your rabbits?


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## Maureen Las (Nov 26, 2009)

How old is he?


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## missyscove (Nov 26, 2009)

Clover is a legume so nutritionally it would be very similar to alfalfa which most people agree is too high in protein for a mature rabbit. I would only feed it on occasion, as a treat and stick with a grass hay for the staple diet.


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## jamesedwardwaller (Nov 27, 2009)

*missyscove wrote: *


> Clover is a legume so nutritionally it would be very similar to alfalfa which most people agree is too high in protein for a mature rabbit. I would only feed it on occasion, as a treat and stick with a grass hay for the staple diet.


very-good,,and staying with the original question from elwray/choosing proper diet is essential,,a rabbits diet must be-70%- non-digestible-(fiber)..ie timothy/orchard grass....if you tip the balance to 70% digestible fiber.ie.clover,alfalfa there is a good chance of the rabbit going into gi stasis(death)..does anyone want to add to this thread,,there is lots more to know...hopefully randy might spot this and add to it,,,or let me know if i am nuts....i,m ready....sincerely...james waller:wave:


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