feeding hay cubes

[jaclatks5]

We have 21 himalayan rabbits. My daughter shows them at various times of the year. We feed them Purina Show Pellets and today I was given a bag of hay cubes. I heard that you shouldn't give rabbits alfalfa hay, is this true. Can someone give us some advice?

 

[Buttercup n Charlie]

alfalfa is ok if they are younger than 6mo. But it shouldnt be given to older rabbits as it has a lot more protein and fat.

 

[Watermelons]

I dont have any experience with showing rabbits, but dont most breeders/showers feed the bunnys higher protein foods during breeding/showing season anyway?

Besides the food youre feeding them is alfalfa based, and most big breeders feed stuff like this because its just cheaper (and some really dont care). If youre feeding them the alfalfa pellets, giving them the alfalfa cubes wont do any more damage then alfalfa pellets. The purina pellets also have alot of other "junk" in them that high quality pet bunny pellets like Oxbow, dont have.

High protein foods like alfalfa hay and alfalfa hay based pellets are typically avoided in rabbits over 6 months due to the high protein levels and the damage it can do to the kidneys and other vital parts of the bunnys.

 

[LakeCondo]

What's in the cubes? Are they mostly timothy with a little alfalfa?

 

[Pet_Bunny]

You can get Timothy Hay Cubes or Alfalfa Hay Cubes.

 

[majorv]

There is nothing wrong with Purina Show rabbit feed. It's used by a lot of people who show rabbits, which is what it's marketed for, not for pets.As to the alfalfa cubes, you could break them into parts and give them toyour Himmies as anoccasional treat, but they can be fattening if you give too much. It can be given toarabbit that needsto gain weight,and ithelps with condition, too, but again, don't give too much.

 

[LakeCondo]

The KayTee brand say call theirs Timothy Pellets, but mention they contain some alfalfa "for processing."

 

[Nancy McClelland]

The ingredients are listed by weight, so if it's in the first ones listed it is a higher quantity. Alfalfa is alright for young, growing rabbits but the higher protein and calcium is hard on older bunnies kidneys and bladder.

 

[LakeCondo]

Nancy McClelland wrote:

The ingredients are listed by weight.

There is no ingredient list with KayTee. The only way to figure out the % of each is to do the math with the nutritional info for the cubes, for alfalfa & for timothy. I haven't bothered with that, but it can be done.