Best Rabbit Food?

[LauraBerridge]

What brand are the healthiest rabbit pellets? I’ve researched so much, and apparently the pets at home ones aren’t great? I need ones with high fibre content don’t I? Please tell me which brand to buy, there’s millions out there! Also, is Timothy hay a good shout?
thanks so much
Laura x

 

[Blue eyes]

http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp
Here's a great resource that not only compares various brands but explains what factors to look for as well. They highlight the best options.

Timothy hay is one of several types of grass hays. It is considered a standard hay but others can work just as well.

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

I buy my hay from Hayboxclub but because of corona I’ve had to get pets at home hay. If you’re going to buy hay from pets at home, I’d get the meadow hay with Timothy hay rather than pure Timothy hay as I’ve found it to be dusty. As for pellets, I used to use SmallPetSelect pellets but the science selective grain free from pets at home is what I’m using now. I’d just look at the ingredients, hay should be the first one.
If you’re getting a baby rabbit, you’ll have to feed Alfalfa hay and timothy pellets or Timothy hay and alfalfa pellets.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

I get these pellets and this Timothy Hay. You could also get meadow or orchard hay.

 

[Blue eyes]

I get these pellets and this Timothy Hay. You could also get meadow or orchard hay.

That pellet brand is not ideal. The nutritional ratios aren't bad but the ingredients are lacking. Grass hay of some type should always be listed first. This brand has two other ingredients listed before. The 3rd ingredient is alfalfa meal which is dehydrated. 4th is molasses (ie. Sugar). Between the starchy cereals listed first and the molasses, it may be why Theo keeps having bouts of GI issues.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

That pellet brand is not ideal. The nutritional ratios aren't bad but the ingredients are lacking. Grass hay of some type should always be listed first. This brand has two other ingredients listed before. The 3rd ingredient is alfalfa meal which is dehydrated. 4th is molasses (ie. Sugar). It may be why Theo keeps having bouts of GI issues.

Good to know! I am finishing the bag and then he is going on a hay only diet because the pellets have been giving him gas. I might just throw the food to the wild rabbits.

 

[Hermelin]

Myself feed my bunnies beaphar nature rabbit pellets.

They are in great size and good nutrients. With these pellets I have nothing to worry about my bunnies choking.

But I have also tried oxbow essential, selective and cuni complete pellets

I can’t understand how oxbow have so good grades. My gluttony to bunnies choke on those pellets when they eat too fast. While beaphar nature rabbit they will have to chew slowly and work with the food instead. I’ve had many choking hazard on oxbow pellets while the other pellets it didn’t happen. So they aren’t for gluttony bunnies.

 

[LauraBerridge]

Omg thank you so much!!! That’s SO helpful!!! Right off to the online shop! Thank you thank you!
xx

 

[zuppa]

What brand are the healthiest rabbit pellets? I’ve researched so much, and apparently the pets at home ones aren’t great? I need ones with high fibre content don’t I? Please tell me which brand to buy, there’s millions out there! Also, is Timothy hay a good shout?
thanks so much
Laura x

Hi, there are different feeding rules for different age rabbits so if you could give us more information about your rabbit (age, breed/size, are they over/underweight etc) we can advise better.

Some pellets would suit babies under 4-6 months and others would suit an adult, also there's always ingredients listed so you can choose which ones would be best for your rabbit.

So before you buy anything let us know!

 

[zuppa]

P.S. Also ask previous owner what food they used until now as you shouldn't change it abruptly it can lead to health problems you need to change gradually. Is your rabbit coming from a breeder or rescue or else?

 

[LauraBerridge]

Hi zuppa!

Well I haven’t actually bought my bunny yet, ( I’m going to go to a private breeder rather than a pet shop, that’s best isn’t it?)
I’m currently just getting everything ready, preparing absolutely anything!
I want to get a dwarf lop ( called Ruby )
So if I go for Timothy hay and Beapher Nature Rabbit pellets?

Thanks so much, I’ve got so many questions I’m a complete newbie to rabbits, but I want to give her the best possible life!
I LOVE this forum, you’ve all been invaluable to me already, hope you don’t get annoyed with all my questions!
Laura x

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

I would visit your local RSPCA as well as a breeder. As they often have great rabbits too. Timothy hay and Beapher pellets sounds okay.
Questions are great. It makes sure that you know what your doing.

 

[LauraBerridge]

Right, excellent shout! Oh good, I’m glad you said that because I do have a few more hehe, I’m googling everything and I’ve bought some books but some things can only be answered by actual real life bunny owners! Thank you! X

 

[Donna Standar]

I use little friends pellets, never had a problem with them. They have dandelion and lots of good stuff in them.. Orchard grass hay is my first choice. I have one bun that refuses to eat any other hay... good luck with your new bun

 

[zuppa]

Hi zuppa!

Well I haven’t actually bought my bunny yet, ( I’m going to go to a private breeder rather than a pet shop, that’s best isn’t it?)
I’m currently just getting everything ready, preparing absolutely anything!
I want to get a dwarf lop ( called Ruby )
So if I go for Timothy hay and Beapher Nature Rabbit pellets?

Thanks so much, I’ve got so many questions I’m a complete newbie to rabbits, but I want to give her the best possible life!
I LOVE this forum, you’ve all been invaluable to me already, hope you don’t get annoyed with all my questions!
Laura x

Hi! If you don't have a rabbit yet you better don't buy pellets now you better ask breeder what pellets they feed so you can get same because less changes you make to her diet less problems with her stomach. When you buy from a good breeder they usually give you one week food so you can continue to feed same food and if you decide to change it you can do it gradually mixing old food with new food, gradually decreasing old and increasing new pellets. So I would suggest to ask your breeder and post the name of pellets here so we can discuss.

Also maybe you can buy pellets from breeder so your rabbit can stay on them for another month.
Buying from a good breeder you may ask for advice and you better follow it because they know their rabbits and it is best to follow. That is if your breeder is good, sometimes people without any experience or knowledge just breed their rabbits their food and advice won't be best probably but still try making very little changes for the first week or so, because your rabbit will be stressed by changing home already so at least she will have her usual diet and other food and stay healthy.

Other option as mentioned above would be to get a rabbit from a rescue. I know most new owners want a brand new very young baby but also when you have zero experience with rabbits you will have to learn constantly as baby grows and usually at 8 weeks all the babies are sweet but at 12-14 weeks they are entering their teenage and can change dramatically, 3-5 months that is the age when many rabbits being rehomed by their new horrified owners because they are absolutely not what they expected, many rabbits at that age go to the rescues or just left by the shopping centres as unwanted in hope that someone will take care of them.

When you are taking a rabbit from a rescue there you can find a baby as well but as a new rabbit person I would go for an adult, at 6-7 months you can see what character they have and they will be most likely already neutered which will save your some money, carpets and furniture.

Also when taking rabbit from a rescue you reduce irresponsible breeding as it makes breeding not that profitable, there is already large population of rabbits living in rescues and there you can find a very good and pretty and fixed rabbit and give them a new good home and new life, give them a chance.

Anyways, do whatever you feel suits you best but with food you better get their old food and check with us if it's good so you can continue or get a different one but transfer gradually over 2 weeks.

If you get a baby you will probably need to change food around 4-6 months to an adult food as they are not growing and won't need high protein and calcium.

 

[Blue eyes]

Bear in mind that there are several lines of Beaphar pellets and they are not all equal. The link I gave earlier (and here) shows the differences. As others have noted, a new rabbit should remain on the same food for several weeks. After that, it is fine to switch to a favored brand by mixing the old and the new so bunny can transition slowly to the new food.

The link has 2 separate charts -- one for juvenile rabbits and one for adults.

http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp

 

[Blue eyes]

I'd also like to second what @zuppa stated. It is recommended for a first time bunny owner to get an already fixed rabbit from a rabbit rescue instead of a baby. There are multiple reasons for this, as zuppa has noted. It may be easy to dismiss this thought because the idea of a baby rabbit is so appealing (not knowing what's in store), but I would encourage you to seriously consider this option.

There have been several times over the years on this forum where a member disregarded this advice and then, months later, admitted that they really wished they had gone with an older rabbit. Here is some more on that topic:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/choosing-your-first-bunny.html

 

[zuppa]

Bear in mind that there are several lines of Beaphar pellets and they are not all equal. The link I gave earlier (and here) shows the differences. As others have noted, a new rabbit should remain on the same food for several weeks. After that, it is fine to switch to a favored brand by mixing the old and the new so bunny can transition slowly to the new food.

The link has 2 separate charts -- one for juvenile rabbits and one for adults.

http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp

If they live in the UK most popular brand there would be Burgess (btw in that table there's 19% fibre but on their package stated 38%) but honestly I didn't like them, very small pieces and lots of dust, also I didn't like the sweet smell of yeast and molasses. I'd rather go for one of Supreme foods a bit more expensive but I really hated Burgess.

 

[Blue eyes]

If they live in the UK most popular brand there would be Burgess (btw in that table there's 19% fibre but on their package stated 38%) but honestly I didn't like them, very small pieces and lots of dust, also I didn't like the sweet smell of yeast and molasses. I'd rather go for one of Supreme foods a bit more expensive but I really hated Burgess.

The Beaphar brand the OP is considering is also available in the UK. The food chart is actually from the UK. It's been around awhile so it's possible some analysis may need to be updated.

 

[JBun]

Good to know! I am finishing the bag and then he is going on a hay only diet because the pellets have been giving him gas. I might just throw the food to the wild rabbits.

It may not be that Theo is sensitive to the pellets, but that those pellets have a contaminant or toxin making Theo sick. And continuing to feed them could not only continue causing him to get sick but could possibly result in irreparable internal damage and even possibly be fatal. If there is any chance that those pellets are the cause of him continually getting sick, please stop feeding them immediately.

Something that you don't understand about bulk feeds like that is they don't always use quality ingredients, which means there is a higher likelihood of something going wrong with them. There are instances where contaminants or toxic amounts of vitamins have been inadvertently added during the mixing process and this has resulted in causing permanent organ damage and the death of hundreds of rabbits that were given the feed.

It happened in my state a few years ago where toxic levels of vit D caused the death of hundreds of rabbits due to causing organ failure, and I also have a friend who's rabbits were adversely affected by a bad batch of feed with toxic levels of vitamin A, where either her does couldn't get pregnant, or when they finally did, all of her newborn baby rabbits died within the first few weeks from hydrocephalus and other symptoms of vit A toxicity. These things don't happen frequently, but they do and can hapoen, and need to be taken very seriously.