# What if you can't get alfalfa pellets for a baby bunny?



## whiskylollipop (May 19, 2013)

I'm a new bunny owner of two 10 week old bunnies, Merlin and Rose. Available brands of rabbit feeds where I live are pretty sketchy, of the 10% fibre variety. Only one place sells a decent pellet brand, Oxbow, but just the Adult Rabbit version.

So I got that, and I've been feeding it to my babies three times a day (not free choice) along with unlimited meadow hay and the occasional slice of banana or tomato for a treat.

They will eat the Oxbow but don't seem overly keen on it (at least not the way they go crazy over a whiff of banana), and usually get distracted before they finish their meal portions.

I've noticed they feel a bit skeletal. They look fat but it's mostly fluff, and when I pet them I can feel their spines and shoulderblades quite clearly. I've considered giving them unlimited pellets, but even increasing their pellet portions doesn't make them eat more.

So my question is, are the adult Oxbow pellets simply not good enough nutrition for a growing bun, even in large quantities? How important is feeding alfalfa pellets to growing bunnies? Or should I just leave out unlimited Oxbow pellets in the hopes that they'll snack on it more? Are they malnourished? D:

PS. My bunnies are peeing opaque yellow. Completely non-see through. Is that normal? Their poos seem regular and healthy.


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## JBun (May 19, 2013)

If your bunnies are a good weight, you'll still be able to feel their spine a little, but it won't protrude, and it will be fleshy along the sides of it, and the rump should look rounded and not boney. The reason alfalfa pellets are recommended is because they have higher protein and calcium for growing rabbits. The timothy pellets aren't really designed to be fed unlimited, so you still want to feed them limited, and they still aren't going to provide enough protein. If you can get some good quality alfalfa hay, then you should be ok to continue to feed the timothy pellets, as the alfalfa hay will provide the extra protein and calcium needed. But alfalfa hay needs to be gradually introduced into the diet to minimize the chance of digestive upset. If you can't get any alfalfa hay, can you order some alfalfa based pellets online, or depending on your location, do you have a walmart near you that carries small animal supplies? They sometimes carry the small world brand of plain pellets, if you are in the US and maybe Canada. Also you can check tractor or feed supply stores, but you'll usually have to buy a 50 lb bag, sometimes they'll carry smaller bags though. If you do end up switching pellets, make sure to transition to the new pellets slowly, over a couple weeks.

You'll also want to be a little careful introducing veggies and fruit into your bunnies diet. Usually it's recommended to wait until 12 weeks old, but if your buns aren't showing signs of digestive upset or soft poops, then they are probably ok. You just won't want to overdo the fruit and sugars, as too many can cause a gut flora imbalance, which can sometimes cause serious digestive problems. Here are some veggies lists and some feeding info.

http://www.3bunnies.org/feeding.htm
http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

The pee sounds normal to me.


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## whiskylollipop (May 19, 2013)

Thanks!

I don't feel any fleshiness, the spine doesn't seem to protrude but I can feel its ridges. Same for their ribs. They are somewhat longhaired minilops, so it's very hard to gauge visually - they just look like plump fuzzy oval furballs. I'm so worried I'm not giving them proper nutrition  I suppose I'll have to order alfalfa pellets online. Darn, I was hoping the timothy would be fine.

Thanks for the note on the gut flora, I was actually considering increasing their fruit/veggie intake to help them put on some weight. I didn't know you had to wait till 12 weeks, why is that? They seem fine so far, I just give them very small pieces once or twice a day because they follow me around the house like little curious, hungry, living plush toys and I just have to give in and let them have something yummy.


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## OakRidgeRabbits (May 19, 2013)

Alfalfa and timothy should be balanced for young rabbits. Most people who raise rabbits feed a balanced alfalfa pellet with timothy hay. But in your case, it may be more convenient to feed timothy pellets with alfalfa hay.

I would cut back on the pellets to about 1/2 cup per 5 lbs. body weight for each baby. Feeding too much pellet or hay can cause "hay belly." Basically, the rabbits will have big, fat bellies, but gain little muscle or condition over the body. Food should always be limited, for every age. Just like dogs, cats, or people...it's important to provide needed nutrients with over-doing it.


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## whiskylollipop (May 19, 2013)

Blimers! What is this "hay belly" then? Googled it but it seems to be a horse thing? If bunnies get it too, I think one of my buns might have it 

It's Rose, she's slightly bigger than Merlin and shows a lot more interest in eating. My boyfriend thinks I feed her too much because she always has a big round belly you can feel when you pick her up. But I can still feel her bones along her back, she's not fleshy at all. How do I know if she's got hay belly and how do I cure it?


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## majorv (May 19, 2013)

Hay belly isn't just for horses. We had a goat my daughters first year in FFA. Being naive, we bought a bale of alfalfa to feed him along with his feed. He ended up with a belly on him that exercising wouldn't get rid of. We stuck with grass hay on her future animals and we're careful about feeding it to our rabbits.


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## whiskylollipop (May 19, 2013)

So too much alfalfa/rich hay causes hay belly?

But I've read that buns can survive purely on good quality hay + veggies.


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## majorv (May 20, 2013)

You can feed grass hay unlimited, like Timothy, coastal etc. I would not feed unlimited alfalfa hay.

Yes, it's possible for rabbits to survive on hay/veggies alone, but if you don't feed pellets then its definitely more work to make sure they're getting a balanced diet and the nutrients they need to stay healthy.


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## roxyllsk (May 21, 2013)

Can you get alfalfa pellets that are designed as supplemental horse feed ? I give these, and mixed alfalfa hay cubes, to my bunnies in limited quantities. They enjoy both.


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