Has anyone thought about a NO pellet diet?

[JBun]

There's protein in hay. Alfalfa has more protein and calcium than grass hay, which is why it's not recommended for older buns. I don't know about all the other grass hays, but for timothy hay, early cut has somewhere around 11%, and late cute (the really stemmy stuff) has about 6%. You can google the protein levels of the different hays and find plenty of info on it. So usually with the timothy pellets, because the protein level is lower, they do add something like a soy product to bring the protein levels up. You could maybe add a little alfalfa instead. Just keep in mind the calcium levels.

I don't know if you've read any of the posts where some of us have been discussing good rabbit foods, but the sherwood forest food is something some of us really like, if you are still interested in a pelleted feed. I have a rabbit with GI stasis issues, so I was trying to find a rabbit food without any added grains or sugars. This was the only one I found, so that's why I like it. It does have some alfalfa in it. It's a mix between timothy, alfalfa, seed oils, and vitamins and minerals. The protein level is 15% and the calcium level is just slightly higher than, I think, the Oxbow timothy adult rabbit food. So there is that if your interested. Otherwise just check your different hays to get the protein that she'll need.

 

[Imbrium]

the calcium only differs by .1% between sherwood and oxbow

 

[whitelop]

I've tried Sherwood Forest food. I had no problems with it, and I think its probably the best pellet food out there. I would just like to do a no pellet diet, if she doesn't need them and I can give her everything she needs in the greens, veggies, hay and fruits, then that's what I would like to do.

I read some other things about hay and protein, I read a lot of information before I posted the above and my brain is a little frazzled with vitamins and minerals in fruits and veggies. hahaa.

 

[whitelop]

I read a few more articles that weren't based on pellet diets, and it says that just a good mix of greens and the occasional non leafy green veggie will be sufficient enough in vitamins and minerals for rabbits. Also, a good variety of hay will provide extra vitamins, minerals and proteins.

For a leafy green diet, everything I've read suggests a minimum of 3 leafy greens a day. One out of the three greens would be high in oxalic acid and given 3 times a week. Then alternated with something else high in OA the next week. Just monitoring the intake. The other two(+) greens would be low in OA. With the occasional non leafy green veggies, from what I've read, it should be about 1 tablespoon per 2lbs body weight, making up no more than 15% of the diet.
Then about 1 teaspoon per 2lbs of body weight for fruits. (we all know that though!) I've also read that instead of fruits as treats, you can give them pear and apple twigs and leaves.
From what I've read, all of the vitamins and minerals they need are in the leafy greens, veggies and the small amount of fruit.

So basically, with a few adjustments here and there of food and a little more variety, I think I should be able to give her a balanced pellet free diet. I don't think that it will be that hard at all. I PMed Geoff and he said I was over thinking it, and as I read more articles that he recommended, I realized I was over thinking it a little.

 

[audrinasmommy88]

Gracie will not eat pellets AT ALL. i have tried oxbow, kaytee, sherwood forest, and two others I cant remember. She refuses to eat them. So I quit wasting my money. She eats her hay and greens and she is at a great weight and does fine without the pellets

 

[whitelop]

Thanks Rachel! That actually makes me feel loads better!
What are some of the things you feed her everyday? Is it like the normal things, like what I have listed in the OP?

 

[audrinasmommy88]

I felt the same way you did. i actually took her to the vet and they said as long as she was getting enough nutrients and sustaining her weight that she would be fine. They had me add a few things to her diet just to be sure she was getting the right nutrition

She gets:
Unlimited Timothy Hay and i add some orchard grass to it
1 1/2 cups daily of whatever greens I have bought that week
1/2-1 teaspoon of steel oats daily
and 1 of these daily http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/type/detail?object=8404

 

[whitelop]

Awesome! Thanks!

 

[LakeCondo]

Vets are hardly experts at rabbit diets. I'll trust Lucile Moore, whose career is devoted entirely to researching rabbit nutrition.

 

[Paddy Ohara]

I feed mostly fresh greens twice a day probably close to 3-4 cups. I just fill her bowl and havn't been exact in measuring. She prefers the fresh greens over anything so she isn't the best when it comes to eating her hay, she will only eat orchard grass. I really cut down on the pellets I will give her about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of pellets each night with a pinch of oats and a few sunflower seeds. On the days when she gets extra greens I do not feed the pellets which seems to work out nicely. There are tons of poops all the time so I think things are fine and she has great teeth too.

 

[whitelop]

Orlena, I've been doing a lot of reading on this. I feel comfortable in no longer feeding my rabbit pellets. I'm not trying to make anyone switch to a pellet-less diet, I'm just sharing the things that I find, so if someone is interested in it, they will have some information. I am not an expert on rabbit nutrition, I'm not an expert on rabbits. But, I research like crazy about things that I'm interested in.

I have 1 rabbit, who is a pet. She isn't show quality and she isn't going to be bred. I don't feel like she needs pellets, because she gets a good variety of things. I can respect the research that Lucile Moore has put into her books and I can respect her views, but they aren't mine.

I know that pellets have come along way since they first hit the market. But, I'm choosing not to feed them to my rabbit anymore.
It seems like we're all feeding such small amounts, does it really matter if they're taken away as long as they have hay and greens and other non leafy veggies to eat.

 

[LeFuzz]

whitelop wrote:

Orlena, I've been doing a lot of reading on this. I feel comfortable in no longer feeding my rabbit pellets. I'm not trying to make anyone switch to a pellet-less diet, I'm just sharing the things that I find, so if someone is interested in it, they will have some information. I am not an expert on rabbit nutrition, I'm not an expert on rabbits. But, I research like crazy about things that I'm interested in.

I have 1 rabbit, who is a pet. She isn't show quality and she isn't going to be bred. I don't feel like she needs pellets, because she gets a good variety of things. I can respect the research that Lucile Moore has put into her books and I can respect her views, but they aren't mine.

I know that pellets have come along way since they first hit the market. But, I'm choosing not to feed them to my rabbit anymore.
It seems like we're all feeding such small amounts, does it really matter if they're taken away as long as they have hay and greens and other non leafy veggies to eat.

I feed almost pellet free. Pellets for us are more of a habit, not a need. My bun gets a huge variety of greens each week- this week was dandelion greens, sprouts, arugula, cilantro, parsley, with a few leaves of either kale or spinach mixed in. It's all tossed in a huge salad and that doesn't include the wheat grass or brussel treats during the week. The variety will change each week depending on season or what looks good at the market.

He also has a 3-4 mix of hay at any given time. I'd be lying if I said he didn't get the odd fruit treat (bananas being his bunny crack) or stolen apple. The pellets he does have are Sherwood and he does like them, but he prefers his veg and hay. If my vet ever says his weight or health is in decline due to diet, then I would re-think what I was doing. Until then, the bun and I both like what he's getting.

 

[majorv]

I'm curious to know if it's more expensive to buy the variety of foodneeded for proper nutrition than using pellets. Anyway, I hope your pellet free diet works out. Unfortunately, you probably won't know right away if they're not getting the proper nutrition they need...that can take months down the road, maybemore, to show up.

 

[LakeCondo]

the calcium only differs by .1% between sherwood and oxbow

I don't know where this 0.1% figure came from, but I calculate that sherwood maintenance contains between 50% and 100% more calcium than does oxbow adult essentials.

SF contains between 0.7 & 1.2, while Ob between 0.35 & 0.80.
0.7/0.35=2.00 or twice as much, an 100% increase.
1.2/0.8=1.50 or half again as much, 50% more.

Now if SF actually averaged at the low end of the range [eg 0.7] & Ob at the high end
high end [eg 0.8] Ob's calcium actually would be higher than SF's, but this is very unlikely.

 

[dhill711]

Hi! Both my buns are on a pellet free diet per Vets suggestion because the pellets gave them gastronial upsets (over $500 in vet bills ughh) so now they are doing wonderful and have great digestive systems. She also put them on a vitamin supplement so they are not missing out on any nutrients. I also give them a papaya tablet once a day to avoid their hair blocking up their intestines. They are both very healthy and happy : )

 

[Friday_Witch]

Hi everyone, just want to say that It seems same with my bunny. As soon as I giving her more pellets she eating less hay and getting stomach problem. I giving her 1-2 tb spoon pellets. Before we had a few times when she was stopping go to her bathroom, stop eat, because food was stuck in stomach. I really get tired of being scared to death that something might happen to her, giving her all this medicines etc. So I decided that even if she so demanding I will cut on pellets.

Since time I started give her less pellets we had stomach problem only once (in last 3 years). When she don't have much pellets she getting hungry and eat a lot hay. Thats the secret.