Can my bun have these pellets?

[Jacob Goldis]

Hello!
I was looking at a local farm's rabbit pellets which they sell for cheaper than store-bought pellets, and was looking to get a second opinion from other fellow rabbit owners! I have been feeding Snowflake the Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Food for practically years now and was wondering if she could change to these new pellets since they come in bigger packages (and aren't as pricey! )

Here is the Guaranteed Analysis:
"Crude Protein (Min) 17.0%, Crude Fat (Min) 2%, Crude Fibre (Max) 18.0%, Calcium (Actual) 1.0%, Phosphorus (Actual) 0.6%, Sodium (Actual) 0.25%, Vitamin A (Min) 11,000IU/kg, Vitamin D (Min) 1,100IU/kg, Vitamin E (Min) 50IU/kg."

"Alfalfa forms 25% of these pellets - with the rest being wheat shorts, soybean meal, soybean husks, corn chops, vitamins, and minerals ..."

Thanks!

 

[Penelly]

definitely would not, for an adult bunny the pellets should be timothy based. Also there is too much protein and not enough fiber. I would recommend small pet selects timothy pellets, you can buy them in bulk.

 

[majorv]

Based on the alfalfa base and protein %, these pellets would likely be targeted more for commercial rabbit breeders and show breeders, not pet owners.

 

[Blue eyes]

The Oxbow Essentials you are currently feeding is a decent pellet feed. It is nearly identical to the Small Pet Select rabbit food recommended by Penelly.

If you aren't already doing so, the pellet amount should be limited. An average (5-7 lb) rabbit should be getting no more than 1/4 cup of pellets per day. With that small amount, the bag of pellets should last quite a while and that alone helps minimize costs.

The bulk of their diet should be unlimited hay. Daily greens (introduced slowly) should also be a part of a daily diet. (Just adding this info since it wasn't mentioned -- I didn't want to assume)

 

[Jacob Goldis]

The Oxbow Essentials you are currently feeding is a decent pellet feed. It is nearly identical to the Small Pet Select rabbit food recommended by Penelly.

If you aren't already doing so, the pellet amount should be limited. An average (5-7 lb) rabbit should be getting no more than 1/4 cup of pellets per day. With that small amount, the bag of pellets should last quite a while and that alone helps minimize costs.

The bulk of their diet should be unlimited hay. Daily greens (introduced slowly) should also be a part of a daily diet. (Just adding this info since it wasn't mentioned -- I didn't want to assume)

Yes, Snowflake is only around 3 pounds, and I give her 3 tablespoons of Oxbow Essentials per day. (Of course will unlimited Timothy hay and daily veggies!). I was just wondering about the nutritional value of the pellets from a local farm, and whether I could change to those!

 

[Blue eyes]

^ Yes. You're better off with the Oxbow. As majorv said, those higher percentages of protein and the richer alfalfa are suited for breeding rabbits. They have different nutritional requirements that are too rich for pet rabbits.