what type of pellets should I buy for my rabbit?

[BinkyLouie]

Hi, my rabbit is gonna be 5 months soon and I was just wondering when should I stop feeding him alfalfa pellets? What pellets should I buy? I know it’s Timothy pellets but which are the best for him? I live near a petco and I see that they have adult rabbit pellets but I don’t know which is good for them. Can someone help? I also wanna ask should I feed him less pellets now or should I feed him the 1/4 of alfalfa pellets like I have been. I also feed him 1/2 of a cup of veggies.. should I reduce the amount or give him more. He’ll be 5 months in June 6. Just wanna be ready for when he is!

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

Sherwood pellets are some of the best pellets I’ve seen - though I know that they are quite expensive. There are a few oxbow pellets that are good too (there are many different types though so be fire to check the ingredients)

 

[Blue eyes]

You can begin to transition him to an adult brand by mixing the new with the old. There are brand suggestions and how-to transition on the following page of my website:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/pellet-food.html
At the bottom of the page is a tab that provides info on "greens" as well (how much, what kind, etc.)

What kind of hay do you feed? If it is alfalfa, it is time to start mixing in some grass hays to get him off of alfalfa.

 

[BinkyLouie]

You can begin to transition him to an adult brand by mixing the new with the old. There are brand suggestions and how-to transition on the following page of my website:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/pellet-food.html
At the bottom of the page is a tab that provides info on "greens" as well (how much, what kind, etc.)

What kind of hay do you feed? If it is alfalfa, it is time to start mixing in some grass hays to get him off of alfalfa.

He’s been on Timothy hay since he was small. People on here said I didn’t need to feed him alfalfa hay because I actually did buy a batch of alfalfa hay for him and he didn’t want it. He loves his Timothy hay so we just let him eat it. He never was a fan of alfalfa.

 

[John Wick]

It's great that he is into timothy hay some owners run into trouble that their rabbits enjoy alfalfa hay a lot and turn their noses to timothy hay, which isn't good for adult eating habits!

Sidenote: The rabbit in your picture looks very much like my Wick!

 

[BinkyLouie]

It's great that he is into timothy hay some owners run into trouble that their rabbits enjoy alfalfa hay a lot and turn their noses to timothy hay, which isn't good for adult eating habits!

Sidenote: The rabbit in your picture looks very much like my Wick!

View attachment 55555

Haha! He really does omg he is so cute! The only thing they have in difference is the nose. How old is he? This is him in another picture lmao
Back to what you said yeah, he loves Timothy hay but at the same time sometimes doesn’t run to it because my parents love to spoil him with treats and guess what I’m the one who has to get him back into eating his hay Thankfully, he eats both all day and of not all night.

 

[John Wick]

Haha! He really does omg he is so cute! The only thing they have in difference is the nose. How old is he? This is him in another picture lmao
Back to what you said yeah, he loves Timothy hay but at the same time sometimes doesn’t run to it because my parents love to spoil him with treats and guess what I’m the one who has to get him back into eating his hay Thankfully, he eats both all day and of not all night.

Wick will be 5 years old this year, but he's a Netherland Dwarf, so he is all grown out, tiny ears and all:



Parents and other people in general can be not-so-good with instilling eating habits. If you feed him pellets daily, perhaps you can compromise and ask them to give your rabbit singular pellets as treats. They wouldn't be as filling and obviously don't have that sugar spike. That being said, you want to then make sure they aren't compensating by feeding a ton of pellets either!

 

[BinkyLouie]

Wick will be 5 years old this year, but he's a Netherland Dwarf, so he is all grown out, tiny ears and all:

View attachment 55558

Parents and other people in general can be not-so-good with instilling eating habits. If you feed him pellets daily, perhaps you can compromise and ask them to give your rabbit singular pellets as treats. They wouldn't be as filling and obviously don't have that sugar spike. That being said, you want to then make sure they aren't compensating by feeding a ton of pellets either!

Cute! Yeah, I agree but I’m only 16 gonna be 17 this month and they think I don’t know anything when literally I’m the rabbit expert here lol They know nothing about rabbits only I do. They’re the ones I would blame for my recent rabbits passing but that’s another story. With Louie they’re more understanding so I can sometimes educate them.. Hes in good health just sometimes I get concerned because of the obvious treats which aren’t those oxbow ones they’re like blackberries, cucumber, strawberries, orange or tangerine(whichever one is edible I’m pretty sure it wasn’t an orange but I’m not sure) blueberries.I swear sometimes he won’t even want to go to his litter box(for the hay). He does go to poop there and sniffs around and eats a couple strands then just leaves. That’s what sometimes causes the dark poops/small poops(not too often)because it’s as if he’s basically eats veggies and pellets and a little bit of hay which no one wants.. I hope they will listen one day.
Pictures I attached are from my very first rabbit. Unfortunately, he passed away from an abscess but I was glad I had him for those 2-3 years. You can see his wound there.

 

[peanutdabunny]

Sherrwood pellets are the best, At least thats what I think, you have to get them on amazon

 

[MiloTheBunny101]

Hi! Slowly you should be starting to transition to a nom-alfalfa based pellets but there is no rush but make sure your done by the time your bunny is 7 months! Timothy is the best pellets to eat!
Links for Timothy pellets:
https://www.amazon.com/Small-Pet-Se...3062812&sprefix=Timothy+prllet,aps,234&sr=8-4https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Timot...3062812&sprefix=Timothy+prllet,aps,234&sr=8-1https://www.amazon.com/Supreme-Petf...3062812&sprefix=Timothy+prllet,aps,234&sr=8-5

Now that your rabbit is older you should restrict its pellets to 1/8 cup per day!
Veggies should be at least 2 cups full containing leafy greens but not iceberg lettuce!

 

[peanutdabunny]

I wouldnt get Kaytee, Kaytee is a bad brand. I reccomend sherwood. Also there has been more studdies to show that rabbits shouldnt eat sugeary veggies, and thats what causes sludge, not calicum, (its really the combination of them togeather) Also they also have stuffies that it should only be 1/2 per 2 pound bunny. Sherwood has more information about this

 

[BinkyLouie]

Hi! Slowly you should be starting to transition to a nom-alfalfa based pellets but there is no rush but make sure your done by the time your bunny is 7 months! Timothy is the best pellets to eat!
Links for Timothy pellets:
https://www.amazon.com/Small-Pet-Se...3062812&sprefix=Timothy+prllet,aps,234&sr=8-4https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Timot...3062812&sprefix=Timothy+prllet,aps,234&sr=8-1https://www.amazon.com/Supreme-Petf...3062812&sprefix=Timothy+prllet,aps,234&sr=8-5

Now that your rabbit is older you should restrict its pellets to 1/8 cup per day!
Veggies should be at least 2 cups full containing leafy greens but not iceberg lettuce!

Hi, so I should stop feeding him alfalfa pellets or no? I feed him 1/4 cup of pellets once a day usually around 7:00-9:00. It depends. He has unlimited hay too. He also gets 1/2 of veggies once a day. Does that mean I should give 2 cups of veggies a day now? 1 cup at 12 and the other around 4? If I were to start buying Timothy pellets I would give him the pellets at what time? What’s a schedule you would give me that would work for him? He is 5 months now by the way. Here’s what I feed him as of now: 1/2 cup of veggies at 12, a treat every 4 hours(1 oxbow treat cut into usually 1-4 pieces for the day), he eats unlimited hay and then his 1/4 of alfalfa pellets. Let me know what changes would be. I need the deets

 

[BinkyLouie]

I wouldnt get Kaytee, Kaytee is a bad brand. I reccomend sherwood. Also there has been more studdies to show that rabbits shouldnt eat sugeary veggies, and thats what causes sludge, not calicum, (its really the combination of them togeather) Also they also have stuffies that it should only be 1/2 per 2 pound bunny. Sherwood has more information about this

For real. I don’t like kaytee at all. I haven’t bought anything from them except for their hay. It’s actually pretty good. The wafer cut Timothy hay is the best imo. It’s the best I can find here but I used to buy the premium variety pack but I noticed after a while it was a little bit for a lot of money. I also had to take out all those freaking trash *** treats. Most of it was dust too so it was such a bug. I barely got the wafer cut like 1-3 weeks ago and I still have some left. I bought 2 bags and I’m so happy cus now I have a lot of hay. He loves it too. Also so I should let him have some Spinach and other veggies that contain calcium? Just like a few bits?

 

[BinkyLouie]

I wouldnt get Kaytee, Kaytee is a bad brand. I reccomend sherwood. Also there has been more studdies to show that rabbits shouldnt eat sugeary veggies, and thats what causes sludge, not calicum, (its really the combination of them togeather) Also they also have stuffies that it should only be 1/2 per 2 pound bunny. Sherwood has more information about this

If I can’t get sherwood I’ll probably get oxbows Timothy pellets. I’ve been researching their adult pellets and I’m gonna see what they’re about.

 

[BinkyLouie]

Okay update: I feel like I’m gonna continue to feed louie alfalfa pellets until he reaches 7 months. Since he is growing I feel like he needs the nutrients and everything. I feel confident enough that he’ll definitely eat the Timothy pellets if he loves the Timothy hay. About the veggies how many should I feed him now?

 

[JBun]

Not all of Kaytee is bad, including some of their pellets. So that's just simply not accurate, that Kaytee is a bad brand. Though my opinion is that sherwood and oxbow are better brands.

If you still have alfalfa pellets left, I would just finish them out. Then leave about a week or twos worth, buy some timothy pellets, and make the gradual transition from alfalfa to the timothy pellets. How much to feed depends on how much hay your rabbit is eating. If he isn't eating a pile of hay the size of his body, per day, then I would decrease pellets and treats so that he is eating that much hay per day.

Look at the link to the website Blue eyes linked to. That really gives you most of the instruction needed for what to feed and when, including for pellets, veggies, and hay.

 

[BinkyLouie]

I

Not all of Kaytee is bad, including some of their pellets. So that's just simply not accurate, that Kaytee is a bad brand. Though my opinion is that sherwood and oxbow are better brands.

If you still have alfalfa pellets left, I would just finish them out. Then leave about a week or twos worth, buy some timothy pellets, and make the gradual transition from alfalfa to the timothy pellets. How much to feed depends on how much hay your rabbit is eating. If he isn't eating a pile of hay the size of his body, per day, then I would decrease pellets and treats so that he is eating that much hay per day.

Look at the link to the website Blue eyes linked to. That really gives you most of the instruction needed for what to feed and when, including for pellets, veggies, and hay.

I feel like the kaytee brand are amateurs but we all have different opinions I like the hay though! I just clicked on it and so I think I’ll be sticking to the 1/4 of a cup of alfalfa for now and then introduce Timothy hay pellets.

 

[MiloTheBunny101]

Hi, so I should stop feeding him alfalfa pellets or no? I feed him 1/4 cup of pellets once a day usually around 7:00-9:00. It depends. He has unlimited hay too. He also gets 1/2 of veggies once a day. Does that mean I should give 2 cups of veggies a day now? 1 cup at 12 and the other around 4? If I were to start buying Timothy pellets I would give him the pellets at what time? What’s a schedule you would give me that would work for him? He is 5 months now by the way. Here’s what I feed him as of now: 1/2 cup of veggies at 12, a treat every 4 hours(1 oxbow treat cut into usually 1-4 pieces for the day), he eats unlimited hay and then his 1/4 of alfalfa pellets. Let me know what changes would be. I need the deets

Alright so now that your rabbit is turning into an adult! I recommend to start giving him Timothy pellets, perhaps once your alfalfa has run out! Adults should have 1/8 cup of pellets every day and you can mix this with his food. How much does your rabbits weigh? You should feed at least 2 cups of veggies! I suggest giving a cup of veggies when you wake up and the other half before you sleep and a treat midday!

 

[BinkyLouie]

Alright so now that your rabbit is turning into an adult! I recommend to start giving him Timothy pellets, perhaps once your alfalfa has run out! Adults should have 1/8 cup of pellets every day and you can mix this with his food. How much does your rabbits weigh? You should feed at least 2 cups of veggies! I suggest giving a cup of veggies when you wake up and the other half before you sleep and a treat midday!

Okay so I should start the veggies now? I think my bunny weights around 5-7 pounds. Do I have to give him the veggies when I wake up or can I give it to him like I said. First at 12 and then the other at 4 or is that bad?

 

[Blue eyes]

Okay so I should start the veggies now? I think my bunny weights around 5-7 pounds. Do I have to give him the veggies when I wake up or can I give it to him like I said. First at 12 and then the other at 4 or is that bad?

This question on veggies (no longer about pellets) has been started in its own thread here:
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/how-many-cups-of-veggies-should-i-feed-to-my-rabbit.102013/