# Time to find new rabbit food?



## abbenator (Apr 11, 2012)

I got my new bunny Monday, and I was given a bag of Wild Harvest rabbit food. This is what she had been eating while her previous owner had her. She is only about three or four months old, but after reading the ingredients and nutritional info, I was feeling pretty iffy about it. He also gave me a bag of hay with alfalfa mixed in with it, although I bought two bags of Kaytee Timothy hay in advance. 

The reviews for Wild Harvest were pretty bad for the most part, and I read that the rule of thumb with rabbit pellets should be that the fiber content should be higher than the protein, which isn't the case here. 

Her stools all look fine, she is eating and drinking normally, and she is eating both the pellets and the hay. 

Is the alfalfa hay alright since she is still young, or should I toss it and use Timothy hay? And is the Kaytee brand alright? Also, what should I do about the pellet situation? I'm scared to completely switch her brands and upset her tummy. 

Sorry for all of the questions-- I'm still trying to find a good vet to direct these kinds of questions to.


----------



## 1234bunnies777 (Apr 11, 2012)

You should start using timothy hay or at least mixing it in because she is old enough and timothy is better for them once they are old enough. Because the nutrients in alfalfa is in most of the pellets

As for the pellets you cant really go wrong of course the food with higher nutrition is better but as long as your bunny likes it is probably ok. usually any food at a pet store is fine for them. When you go to the pet store you can ask them for higher quality food and they should know some.

You wont upset her tummy unless she doesn't like it but my bunny likes everything!!!!

Good luck :biggrin2:


----------



## LakeCondo (Apr 11, 2012)

Transitioning from one food to another should be gradually mixing in the new in larger & larger proportions.

Rabbits need more calcium than timothy pellets provide if the rabbit is still growing, pregnant,or lactating. Pregnant & lactating does can get the calcium by adding carrot tops to the diet, as can growing rabbits if they're old enough to eat veggies.

If you want to give your rabbit the longest possible life, do some reading to see recommended ranges of calcium, protein, fat, etc. Store clerks may want to sell you the most expensive rather than the best for your rabbit.


----------



## MagPie (Apr 12, 2012)

Kaytee is what Harvey is on and he likes it. The Timothy brand is good for adult rabbits. A lot of people also recommend Oxbow pellets, they are supposed to be really good pellets. Harvey didn't like Oxbow so I have him back on Kaytee.


----------



## Flick (Apr 13, 2012)

I checked Wild Harvest on Wal Mart's web site. You're right. This rabbit food is not healthy! It's full of junk food. When looking for a good rabbit pellet, read the ingredients on the package. The protein should be no higher than 14% (for an adult), and the fiber should be at least 18%. The higher the fiber, the better. So, you're looking for LOW protein and HIGH fiber. Then look at the list of ingredients. They are listed in the order of how much of that ingredient is in the product. In other words, the first ingredient is the most and the last ingredient is the least. So, the first ingredient should be timothy hay for an adult rabbit and alfalfa for a young rabbit (4 months or younger). 

As stated by another person, Oxbow is a good brand. Oxbow Essentials - Young Rabbit is alfalfa based. Oxbow Essentials is Timothy hay based. However, my rabbits don't like Oxbow pellets, either. So, I buy Zupreem Nature's Promise which is sold in Petco. It has 14% protein and 28% fiber. My rabbits love it. I buy several bags online from Petco when it goes on sale, so I get the free shipping and the sale price. 

When you switch your rabbit to a better pellet start with mixing the two about 2/3 to 1/3 for a few days. If she's doing okay, go half and half for a few days, etc. 

BTW, I use Care Fresh bedding/litter and also buy it in bulk from the Petco site when it's on sale at a substantial savings.


----------

