Are rabbits ok eating only orchard grass hay?

[Zia]

When I first got my bunny I tried alfalfa hay and he HATED it, so I was feeding him timothy, which he loved.

Then I went to an allergy doctor. They did the poke test on me with timothy and the red stain from the reaction went all the way from the tip of my finger to above my elbow (the poke was in the middle of my forearm). My Dr. told me to get rid of my rabbit to get the hay out of my house (not acceptable) or to move him outside (also, not acceptable as I live in an apartment).

I've been feeding him Oxbow orchard grass and Oxbow Bunny Basics pellets. The pellets have been free-feed because he is still under a year old, and he gets all the hay he wants. I also occasionally give him various herbs, apples, and other fruits/veggies that I have around.

Is it ok to only feed orchard grass? I can't keep timmothy in the apartment, even though that seems to be the most recommended type of hay to feed. I want to make sure my bun is getting the right nutrition even if my allergies don't approve.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Fibre is fibre is fibre - Hay of any variety is fiber.
Long and stemmy stuff to keep the teeth ground down, and the rest keeps the tummy moving.

Any hay variety will work. The timothy vs. alfalfa thing is more related to micronutrients that can negatively affect some rabbits. To be completely honest, the best hay is a mix of all hays. There doesn't appear to be an advantage of feeding only one type of hay (except to some special needs cases).

Here is a breakdown of all of the different type of hay by nutrient value:
Guinea Lynx - Hay Chart
 
Here is a bit more explanation from OREO: Diet - Hay for Bunnies

And finally, here is the RO Lagomorph Library section: Hay - All About It!

So yes, in my opinion, you can choose to feed only orchard grass to your rabbit without ill effect.

Hope this helps you a bit


ETA: Sorry, just wanted to ID that I was only speaking to the long hay point - my answer didn't take your pellets into consideration. My answer assumes that you were continuing with the pellets. Are you?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

our vet doesn't believe in using pellets. He says that bunnies can do fine with an unlimited amount of any hay, except alfalfa because of the high calcium content, and a good variety of fresh greens daily. Seems to work for us--we do give them Timothy Complete pellets too.

 

[missyscove]

Orchard grass instead of Timothy as a hay source is definitely okay. Timothy is generally most recommended just because it's more common. If you want to give him more variety you might try oat hay, brome, etc.
If at all possible I would still feed a pellet though - I like to think of pellets as like multivitamins for rabbits; I know they're getting more complete nutrition when they're included.
It is possible to create a balanced diet of just hay and fresh greens, but it is more challenging to make sure everything they need is there.

 

[Zia]

Thank you guys. That's what I figured about the hay, and there are more varieties I can try. I'm technically allergic to all grasses but the reaction to any but timothy is tolerable.

I just wanted to make sure it was alright for him and he wouldn't be missing any nutrients or anything. The biggest difference I notice is there is a decent amount more protein in orchard grass than timothy. About 3% more. Is this increase in protein anything to worry about?

I will continue to feed pellets, but he's going to be rationed soon. He's starting to get a chubby chin. And... everything else.

 

[GorbyJobRabbits]

and another option since everyone here has different opinions on feeds.

I only feed pellets... with other things as treats rarely. And they are always on a self feeder. Which means they nibble on a bit here and there when they are hungry. A LOT of rabbits and other animals, if you only feed them once a day a small bit, they know thats all they are getting and they stuff themselves and eat too quickly. If you're feeding him everything else you listed, I wouldnt jump to the conclusion that the pellets is what is making him get a bit chubby. Not to mention he looks as though he has californian in him (avatar pic)... which are just large rabbits anyway.

 

[Suz]

Wow am I glad I found this post. I am severely allergic to Timothy hay myself and have been just "dealing" with it the past few weeks since I've had Muppet. I'm going to go find orchard hay after this bag of Timothy is gone!

Woo hoo!

 

[MikeScone]

Zia wrote:

I'm technically allergic to all grasses but the reaction to any but timothy is tolerable.

Have you tried oat hay? Oat is a grain - don't know if that counts as grass for purposes of your allergies.

Bunnies have very definite preferences in hay. My first rabbit, Scone, wouldn't touch timothy in any form, but he loved orchard grass and oat hay. Natasha, my present rabbit, loves timothy and orchard grass, but ignores brome and oat hay.

 

[Zia]

I've only been shopping at Petsmart for supplies and mine doesn't carry oat hay, so I haven't tried it. I have been wanting to though.

Also I'm going to start investigating feed stores and talk to some of my co-workers who have horses to figure out where to get better hay for cheaper. It sounds like I've been getting ripped off at Petsmart.

 

[missyscove]

Definitely check out feed stores. If you have room to buy by the bale, you'll be set. My mom didn't want a bale, but our feed store will sell us 2 or 3 flakes of hay in a huge trash bag for $5-$6 (compared to one of those little petstore tubes for that same price.

 

[ra7751]

Couple of comments here.

First, any grass hay can be fed to a rabbit. If it's safe for a horse, it's safe for a rabbit. I buy all my hay, in all sorts of mixes, from horse farms. Hay provides the fiber that keeps the GI tract moving. It also is the primary way to keep the teeth worn down. In an ideal world, a "buffet" of hay should be offered as each type and cut of hay requires different chewing mechanics which works the teeth in more ways.

As far as pellets, this product was originally intended for the meat industry. When that market fizzled, producers starting marketing their "complete food"...which is hogwash. Pellets are made to add weight as all pellets contain far more protein and fat than the everyday house rabbit needs. Now with breeders, I can understand this "overfeeding" and "free feeding" to breeding stock....but to do that to an average rabbit is very incorrect. The excessive proteins can easily stress the renal system. Pellets also usually lead to an over weight rabbit...and most every domestic rabbit is overweight. And a diet of all pellets can also lead to a painful dental condition known as molar spurs. Pellets are crushed and not technically chewed. Chewing is what keeps the teeth worn down. Pieces of wood, pumice rock and all that other stuff sold at stores don't do the job. It's tooth to tooth contact that wears the teeth and that is done by hay. I feed a pair of Flemish less than a cup of food per day to share between them.

Having said all of that, high quality pellets do have value. Unless you have an outdoor rabbit or take your rabbit outside for at least 20 minutes of unfiltered sunlight per day, they are Vitamin D deficient. This affects the absorbing of calcium and that can result in a condition known as Metabolic Bone Disease Most high quality pellets do contain appropriate amounts of Phosphorus, Vitamin D and calcium. If your rabbit is a total indoor rabbit, a small amount of fortified pellets is desirable. That is the only reason I feed pellets at all....and some of my smaller rabbits get only a dozen or so pellets per day.

But to answer your question directly....feeding only orchard grass, while not perfect, is perfectly OK under the circumstances. And oat hay is great....a bit messy but an awesome hay.

Randy

 

[missyscove]

ra7751 wrote:

Having said all of that, high quality pellets do have value. Unless you have an outdoor rabbit or take your rabbit outside for at least 20 minutes of unfiltered sunlight per day, they are Vitamin D deficient. This affects the absorbing of calcium and that can result in a condition known as Metabolic Bone Disease Most high quality pellets do contain appropriate amounts of Phosphorus, Vitamin D and calcium. If your rabbit is a total indoor rabbit, a small amount of fortified pellets is desirable. That is the only reason I feed pellets at all....and some of my smaller rabbits get only a dozen or so pellets per day.

Not to bring this completely off topic, but I'd learned that rabbits do not require Vitamin D for Ca absorption.


"Rabbits have an unusual calcium metabolism,
absorbing Ca without vitamin D facilitation; the excess
calcium is excreted in the urine (parathyroid hormone
and calcitonin regulate serum Ca levels). Diets high in
Ca (alfalfa based) may result in kidney damage for
animals at maintenance."

http://www.asas.org/jas/jas0942.pdf

If this is not the case, I'd love to learn more about it.