Alfalfa vs. Grass vs. Timothy-which one?

[gentle giants]

Ok, so which one is best for my guys? They are mostly breeding bunnies, so I need to keep in mind the calorie needs of rabbits that will be producing litters. I have heard that timothy is too rich for full grown rabbits, is that true? They are on grass hay right now, they were on alfalfa a few weeks ago. Do their hay needs change with the seasons? I want to make sure they are on the best diet, I especially don't want my does to get run down when I breed them. Thanks!

 

[naturestee]

Actually, alfalfa is the rich stuff. I don't know what your needs are, but if you're wanting to get more calories in them then alfalfa would be best. If they don't need extra calories or protein beyond their pellets, timothy or other grass hay would be the best. Or you could feed mainly grass hay with more alfalfa for those that need it.

 

[SunnieBunnie Rabbitry]

:yeahthat:

The only other thing I would like to mention... especially for your breeding does... is to that added calories aren't a real necessity - and be very careful on how much you feed.

If you wanted to suppliment their calories with the Alfalfa hay, then slightly reduce their pelleted feed for the amount of Alfalfa. Too many calories will cause fat buildup and that can be very dangerous for a doe in production.

But feed all the Timothy hay you want - it is full of fiber which will promote a healthy digestive tract.

~Sunshine

 

[gentle giants]

They are on grass right now-that's ok, then? I will have to check if the guy I get hay from has timothy. I would think he would, really, he and his uncle have a small business just selling hay.

Would someone mind kinda laying out to me the differences in the different kinds of hay? Thanks....

 

[pamnock]

Commercial rabbit pellets for production animals are specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of those animals (including thecorrect balance of fiber and protein). Adding non-nutritional fillers (too much fiber)to the diets of production animals can actually result in a nutritional imbalance. You are better off increasing feed for a producing doe to meet her nutritional needs. Too much hay can also result in nutritional deficiencies to a growing litter, so I limit the amount of hay I feed to does with litters.

Rabbit Production has an extensive listing of roughage comparisons.

Alfalfa hay is the most rich in nutrients and is the primary ingredient of most rabbit feeds. It is an excellent source of many minerals. Grass hays are lower in protein, calcium and vitamins than alfalfa and clover.



Pam

 

[gentle giants]

Ok, thanks.

 

[Akkatia]

Is it okay that I feed my litters a lot of timothy hay? I heard that you really can't go wrong with giving younger rabbits a lot of fiber so they don't get diarhea.

 

[Spring]

You can give grass hays like timothy hay in as large of quantities and feed as often as you want. The more fiber the better for a healthier digestion .

 

[pamnock]

Moderate hay for does/litters is fine. I recommend limited hay for large breeds due to the nutrients required for their rapid development.

Pam

 

[Akkatia]

Okay. Sometimes the hay can be long and kind of pokey, so I cut it into smaller pieces and mix it in with their rabbit pellets and horse oats that I mix in with it.