Hay for Rabbits | Proper Rabbit Diet - My House Rabbit You will also need to decrease the amount of pellets you give your rabbit during this period of time. You can graze alfalfa for up to three days after a frost. This process is called peristalsis. Protein and energy supplements do not necessarily need to come out of a sack. comes to hay, you want to be more conservative. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Pets. Rabbit breeders will provide an Alfalfa, Lucerne or Medicago sativa is a leguminous plant species that belongs to the bean, legume or pea family, i.e., the family Fabaceae. What age did your bunnies start being given timothy pellots, she gets timothy hay unlimited, no alfalfa hay, but alfalfa pellots and 1 leaf of romane a day. Good quality alfalfa hay can furnish all the Vitamin A needs of beef animals. One negative effect of this is that the rabbit in cause might develop urinary stones as their system is built to excrete calcium through urine. Use a good quality, high fiber alfalfa or timothy based pellet as a small part of your rabbit's diet. type of plant in the pea family. Unlike adult rabbits, who should receive mostly timothy hay, young rabbits should have a supply of alfalfa hay. 1985. If you Alfalfa, also known as lucerne or Medicago sativa, is a plant that has been grown as feed for livestock for hundreds of years. You are using an out of date browser. You can add alfalfa pellets or cubes to a grass hay diet for the same effect. Dont replace all of your rabbit alfalfa pellets with timothy pellets all at once, since this could be a shock to their digestion. Feeding Alfalfa Hay or Pellets to Rabbits | Dengie Horse Feeds Like clovers, Lucerne is quite nutritious. Consider Changing The Pelleted Feed. Blue Mountain Hay offers a high-quality, affordable organic alfalfa hay option! Can Pet Rabbits Survive in The Wild? Young rabbits are growing bunnies! This helps to ensure that the baby rabbits have developed a fully functioning immune system by digesting their mothers milk and cecal droppings. Alfalfa hay should be fed to bunnies less than a year old who are growing like crazy and have extra nutritional needs. You will find it in the vegetable section of your food stores. Feed alfalfa in conjunction with a higher fiber feed such as grass hay. Stay in the loop on NEW products and deals! Therefore, mix them with other food and dot not feed them to these pets exclusively, Your email address will not be published. What Do You Feed a Rabbit? | PetMD You want to make sure that you give your rabbits digestion time to adjust to their healthy adult diet. The Benifits of Feeding and Growing Hay for Rabbits Supplementation of cattle grazing dormant intermediate wheatgrass pasture. This will help to ensure that nothing is causing an imbalance in your rabbits digestion. The $0.28/ pound of actual protein is $0.08 cheaper than the average grass hay listed and significantly cheaper than the packaged supplements listed. How much alfalfa a rabbit Bloat Guard is such a product and is available in medicated blocks, in commercial pelleted feeds as a top dress, or a liquid that can be added to the water (Fact Sheet 89- 22). in adult rabbits is fine, but it is a good idea to monitor them for weight gain 7 Best Alfalfa Hay for Rabbits and Feeding Tips Do not allow leaves to build up in the feed bunk. the sun will decrease its nutritional content as well. Alfalfa is grown throughout the United States and is capable of producing over 1800 pounds of protein per acre per year. Most rabbits will prefer pellets to hay. Timothy Hay vs. Alfalfa Hay for Rabbits: Which is Best? Urinary Stones These are stones found in the bladder that have a definite shape and have the consistency of a chalky stone. But, this is generally only a problem if you feed them on a regular basis. A beef cow needs high energy hay to regain body weight after calving, produce milk for her calf, and rebreed in 40 to 90 days after calving. Cochran, T.G. Typically, rabbits should have unlimited grass hay, a cup of pellets per one pound of their weight, or about 5% of their daily dietary requirement, while a mixture of several veggies should account for 10-15% of their diet. They also need a small amount of a variety of vegetables and carbohydrates. Alfalfa hay is higher in calcium and protein than grass hay, which is ideal for growing rabbits but too rich for adults. You can start to diversify the leafy greens that your rabbit eats. So, on a weekly basis that is 4 oz times 7 days, equals 28 oz, or 1 pound 12 ounces, which is also 1.75 pounds of hay each day. You will need to syringe feed your babies 2 times per day. However, to adult rabbits, too much unnecessary and will lead to obesity, produce more urea that will strain their kidney while eliminating it, among other problems. Its best to avoid giving young rabbits any sweet treats for the time being. High-quality hay has lots of fiber to keep your buns digestive system going and is fantastically yummy (to say the least). Sadly, if a rabbit is orphaned there are high chances that they will not survive. To get the best service, choose the store closest to you: Would love your thoughts, please comment. It is Many people bring home a rabbit when they are still just a young bunny. Urinary sludge This is from a buildup of calcium salts in the bladder, but unlike stones never fully form or become firm. Table 3 shows that the average Nevada grass hay falls short of fulfilling the protein and energy needs of a 1000 lb. Amer. J. Anim. What Sounds Do They Make? Tagged with: nutrition. One thing we dont often think or talk about is that your pet will not only eat this hay, but they will also use it for bedding, burrowing, bathroom time, and more. As far as the guaranteed analysis the average alfalfa hay has: What Consider Offering Alfalfa Hay. But is this also good for our rabbit pets? The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. is also desirable for young bunnies but can cause issues in adult rabbits. They have special dietary needs that differ from their adult counterparts. Comparison of soybean meal/sorghum grain, alfalfa hay and dehydrated alfalfa pellets as supplemental protein sources for beef cattle consuming dormant tallgrass-prairie forage. As an example, we see that a 5 lbs rabbit may eat about 4 oz of hay each day. issue. If you have a rabbit with mean they should receive an unlimited supply of alfalfa. Alfalfa can be offered freely to pets with higher energy needs, including young/growing and pregnant/nursing pets, but should only be offered as a treat for healthy, adult animals. Half of them will choose cardboard over hay cubes. Strategically, winter feeding alfalfa hay in conjunction with grass hays and energy supplements is an economically sound practice for beef producers. Table 1 shows the protein, energy, fiber and mineral content of various feeds commonly available to beef producers. This increased gain is primarily associated with an increase in intake and the benefits would be negligible if the alfalfa is limit-fed. Sci. Some grass hays may be as high in digestible dry matter as alfalfa; however, those hays will be digested slower than alfalfa. issues associated with rabbits who consume too much alfalfa. Your rabbit is still growing during this time, but not as rapidly as they do during the first 6 months. Urinary sludge can also be in the kidneys and uterus. As a conclusion, it's ok to feed alfalfa hay to your bunny, especially if he's got a special need for it, but always make sure to keep a balanced diet and include other foods that have lower calcium levels, so your furry hopping friend doesn't suffer from excess calcium. Alfalfaalso has high amounts of minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, sulfur, iron, cobalt manganese and zinc. As we mentioned, small herbivores such as rabbits and guinea pigs are constantly accessing a wide diversity of different types of plant material in the wild. It is recommended that adult rabbits have at least a diet of at least 80% grass hay (rather than alfalfa, a legume hay). vegetables to their diets. Luckily, alfalfa hay tends to be yummier for rabbits, making it more likely they will munch on it. In fact, it can be dangerous to give too much alfalfa to adult rabbits. While growing up, rabbits can eat any type of hay but alfalfa . Alfalfa hay Alfalfa hay is recommended for feeding young lionhead babies. Urinary sludge is grainy and thick in appearance, and in severe cases, it can be as thick as grainy toothpaste. Right after you sign up, youll receive a FREE pdf rabbit care guidebook. that babies are still drinking their mothers milk at this time and not fully Often babies will start with the hay nearest Blue Mountain alfalfa hays are a good source of protein and calcium for rabbits. While both conventional and organic alfalfa hay can be a good source of nutrients for rabbits, organic alfalfa hay offers even more benefits. Baby rabbits have very delicate digestion, and its just too easy for something to go wrong. We believe in real, healthy, genuine products. Alfalfa can be a good supplement to a cow's diet, but you must be careful to feed your cows a small amount. Good quality timothy hay is free fed at all ages and alfalfa hay/pellets are ok for young guys but need to be monitored in adulthood. Amy Pratt is a lifelong rabbit owner who has been specializing with rabbits at the Humane Rescue Alliance. Hanks. 43:47. Watch your rabbit to see what their behavior is. Its rich, decadent flavor makes it nearly irresistible and itll be gobbled up in no time. How much leafy green vegetables should a rabbit have daily? How Old Are These Baby Rabbits And How Do I Take Care Of Them? Alfalfa hay is much higher in protein and calcium than Timothy hay, which is why its often given to baby buns to help them grow big and strong. Bloat control may also be aided by feeding an antifoaming agent (i.e. In terms of fiber, if harvested at the right time, Lucerne has a good amount of fiber comparable to grass hays. Baby rabbits start to eat solid foods, in addition to their mother's milk, around 2-3 weeks old. A combination of home grown hay, purchased alfalfa hay and a mineral supplement can be used to balance the nutritional needs of the cow herd during critical periods of the year. These tiny bunnies need the high concentration of fat and protein that is found in rabbit milk so that they can grow up big and strong. While Timothy hay is the classic choice, but alfalfa hay for rabbits is also a healthy choice. Physical form and frequency of alfalfa supplementation for beef cattle winter grazing Northern Great Basin rangeland. What is Alfalfa Hay and Why is it Good for Rabbits? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Pet Care Advisors | All Rights Researved. Pellets: Feed a bunny small quantities Timothy hay pellets can be given to bunnies in small quantities. So, what types should you offer? Please help be determine the best course of action for this hot mess. The release of soluble proteins will increase the risk of bloat. Most rabbit owners feed their bunnies Timothy hay because its considered the gold standard of nutrition. Anim. 1992. Secondly, determine the amount of protein your cows need each day. I gave them two small cubes this evening. During this growing phase, you will need to keep an eye on your rabbit to make sure they are healthy and no adjustments need to be made to their diet. I have two bunnies and I bought some Alfalfa hay cubes today for them. These bunnies are still growing a lot! Feeding Your Rabbit | VCA Animal Hospitals The three cuttings of Timothy hay are 1st cutting, 2nd cutting, and 3rd cutting: Good Timothy hay can make a world of difference for your bunnys health. In general, alfalfa can be fed to dairy cows at two to four pounds per day, depending on the type and quality. You should feed your cows small amounts of alfalfa pellets once or twice a week, preferably mixed with Johnsons clover or corn. This plant contains a lot of nutrients that farm animals need. Besides being more nutritive, they are quite enjoyable to eat. All About Feeding Horses Alfalfa - The Horse states in the U.S. that even ban the sale of rabbits under 2 months, try giving your rabbit a heavier, ceramic bowl. Subscribe to the Bunny Lady e-Newsletter and receive a FREE pdf guidebook going over all the basics of rabbit care. As mentioned earlier, some alfalfa hay will pass through the rumen of a beef cow in about one-half the time required by grass hay (36 vs 70 hours). Over the next couple of days, you can increase the amount that you give your rabbit as their digestion gets used to the new food. Consult with your veterinarian to determine the appropriate feeding schedule and amount for your rabbit. What Not to Feed Your Bunny - PetHelpful that are just beginning to eat then buy alfalfa hay, its easy for the bunnies It can also be fed to baby buns less than a year old and used to entice even the pickiest little bunny to eat their greens. When properly cured, For a 1,000-pound horse, that means feeding at least 10 pounds of . Soc. For adult rabbits, Blue Mountain offers other hays that are a better source of fiber, such as Timothy or Organic Oat Hay. Part 1: Unlimited Grass Hay It is incredibly important that your rabbit has is a constant supply of grass-based hay. This is why the majority of cows raised on alfalfa pastures have a high-quality udder and lower incidences of bloat. adroll_pix_id = "AV4ZUZOYOBG4PCHSFGFXY6"; But as they grow older, they may need a more balanced diet that includes other types of hay (grass hay), such as Blue Mountain Timothy Hay or Blue Mountain Organic Oat Hay. A good rule of thumb is to avoid freezing alfalfa because it punctures cell walls and allows contents to leak out. September 24, 2016 at 3:50 pm I recommend Oxbows pellets for young rabbits. What To Feed Baby Rabbits Rabbit Care Tips Often times a more economical supplement is wrapped in twine or wire and is known as the "Queen of forages" or alfalfa hay. Small amounts of alfalfa Sec. to one more appropriate to adult rabbits. Feeding your rabbit Organic Alfalfa hay can offer many benefits, including improved nutrition, better digestion, reduced risk of health problems, and a positive impact on the environment (see our in-depth hay guide for small pets). Sci. Can Cows Eat Alfalfa? Facts & FAQ | Pet Keen is another way to tell if they are overweight. Hay is essential to your rabbit or guinea pigs diet for many reasons, several of which weve just discussed.