hay or bites?
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
Joined
·
82 Posts
Could be that it's just different...I know my bunnies dig through their hay to find the strands that they want to eat....they often throw out the rest for me to sweep up!
Joined
·
5,417 Posts
timothy bites are not as good for their teeth. Hay is beneficial because it grinds down their teeth, keeping them trim. Once a bunny's teeth are let to grow without trimming they can grow and grow and grow. The root backs up into the eye duct and then you have serious problems. I would give them real hay. The timothy blocks are also processed so they probably just don't taste as good.
Joined
·
53 Posts
I just bought blocks today -- if that's what we're talking about. Actually, my mother bought them for Linus as a present. He isn't super interested in them either, but I figure they're a good addition to the list of things to chew on -- but I'm still giving him regular timothy hay as well.
I was only trying them on blocks as a treat. I feed them alfalfa hay for the grinding of the teeth and their digestion. I also give them timothy hay in the hay form. The blocks were for their chewing needs. I just wandered what the reason could be cause it was both timothy hay.
Joined
·
5,417 Posts
Alfalfa should not be fed to healthy adult rabbits because of it's high calcium content. Causes bladdar sludge= which can lead to stones. Bunnies over 12 months should only be fed timothy and meadow hays.
As said, there's nothing wrong with the blocks as a treat as long as they have unlimited supplies of regular hay, which it seems like you have anyway.
As said, there's nothing wrong with the blocks as a treat as long as they have unlimited supplies of regular hay, which it seems like you have anyway.
Thanks for the info.! I offer them alfalfa, timothy and plain grass hay on alternate days of the week. I also give them Manna Pro Family Ration for adult 3/4 c. daily. I offer each day 1 T. of Doc's Rabbit Enhancer for cut down on ammonia odor and to help wool block. Not a lot of extra treats. I try to stick to the kind of diet my breeder has hers on. So far, so good. Thanks for the help!
I offer them alfalfa, timothy and plain grass hay on alternate days of the week. I also give them Manna Pro Family Ration for adult 3/4 c. daily. I offer each day 1 T. of Doc's Rabbit Enhancer for cut down on ammonia odor and to help wool block. Not a lot of extra treats. I try to stick to the kind of diet my breeder has hers on. So far, so good. Thanks for the help!
Joined
·
5,417 Posts
what's in Doc's rabbit enhancer??? I have never experienced a smell in my bunny's urine
My rabbits don't have a strong odor, although there is a hint of ammonia smell. The enhancer is not only to help with odor in urine but generally good for overall health. To many ing. to list but you can check it out at rabbitstop.com. I was recommended to use this as a daily supplement. Otherwise, I would have never heard about it. Hope I'm doing the right thing by my bunny babies!
Joined
·
5,417 Posts
I feed a pellet formula with yucca extract and herbs which "eliminate odor"... Martin's timothy pellet. But even before feeding it the only smell I got from the litter boxes was when Akina came into my care.
http://www.rabbitstop.com/mm5/merch...re_Code=rs&Product_Code=561051&Category_Code= This is the link for the Doc's stuff. Ingredients which I don't like are oats and grains, alfalfa and whey. Whey is a milk derivative, I'm sure the amounts in the product are small enough to not cause harm but bunnies are best kept vegan. Other than that, in small doses that seems fine I wouldn't give them too much though bc grains and seeds are not proper for their diet in large quantities. Oh, and the fibre is way too low to be fed a lot of!
http://www.rabbitstop.com/mm5/merch...re_Code=rs&Product_Code=561051&Category_Code= This is the link for the Doc's stuff. Ingredients which I don't like are oats and grains, alfalfa and whey. Whey is a milk derivative, I'm sure the amounts in the product are small enough to not cause harm but bunnies are best kept vegan. Other than that, in small doses that seems fine
I wouldn't give them too much though bc grains and seeds are not proper for their diet in large quantities. Oh, and the fibre is way too low to be fed a lot of!Alyssyn, what kind of litter do you use and are your rabbits fixed? From my experience, Feline Pine and other pine-based wood pellets are GREAT for eliminating odor. I don't smell anything from Smudge's litterbox unless I stick my face in it LOL. Having rabbits spayed or neutered helps with the smell too.
Just giving you some alternative suggestions.
Just giving you some alternative suggestions.
I would recommend cutting out the alfalfa hay completely. Manna Pro Family Ration is an alfalfa based pellet, so your rabbits are already getting a fair amount of calcium from that every day. Adult rabbits are recommended to have timothy hay in unlimited amounts and a timothy based pellets because of the issues with excess calcium that were mentioned earlier. Sludge and stones are not fun to deal with in rabbits and can be very expensive. The Manna feeds were developed for show breeders who typically use and discard their rabbits within 2-4 years -- these rabbits are breeding (requiring the extra calcium) and are discarded at such a young age that they don't see/experience these long term health issues.
Gonna cut out the alfalfa hay from their diet. What are some examples of a good daily diet you all would recommend? Including treats. I'v been told my so many that they need the alfalfa hay for the teeth. If not, what else can they have for keeping their teeth from getting out of control?
Timothy or grass hay should be their main diet, with about a 1/4 cup of pellet food per 5lbs of bunny, and veggies as well.
Smudge has molar problems, so he only gets 1/8 cup of pellets. I admit there is a little alfalfa mixed in his hay since I buy it by the bale, but since he is older he has never had an issue with it, and it does help with his teeth. He usually gets romaine lettuce, parsley, and a little piece of carrot for veggies. I give him little pieces of dried fruit for treats.
Smudge has molar problems, so he only gets 1/8 cup of pellets. I admit there is a little alfalfa mixed in his hay since I buy it by the bale, but since he is older he has never had an issue with it, and it does help with his teeth. He usually gets romaine lettuce, parsley, and a little piece of carrot for veggies. I give him little pieces of dried fruit for treats.
Oops!! The alfalfa hay I thought I was feeding them wasn't alfalfa hay after all, it was unfertilized costal bermuda hay. I don't know for sure if that was any better though. I just bought a bale of timothy hay and they love it, no more "bites" for them. Which I was already giving them timothy hay, just thought they may like the bites for gnawing.
Which I was already giving them timothy hay, just thought they may like the bites for gnawing.It's not true, for most lettuces anyway. Romaine and any dark-leaf lettuce is fine for them. Iceberg lettuce, on the other had, is mainly water and has no nutrition. That kind can give give them diarrhea, so you don't want to feed them that.
I've been feeding romaine lettuce daily for a few years now, and Smudge hasn't died on me yet LOL.
Romaine and any dark-leaf lettuce is fine for them. Iceberg lettuce, on the other had, is mainly water and has no nutrition. That kind can give give them diarrhea, so you don't want to feed them that. I've been feeding romaine lettuce daily for a few years now, and Smudge hasn't died on me yet LOL.
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
