Rabbit Pellets

Feeding balanced rabbit pellets is important for all rabbits, especially to promote healthy growth for baby rabbits.  Many other websites will recommend limiting the use of pellets and supplementing with hay or grain.  I use to think the same way!  Although in some cases this is okay, in general THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED!

The reason?  Research proves that for optimal health and feed efficiency rabbits require a balanced diet according to their life stage (babies, adults, or reproductively active).  Supplementing rabbit pellets with hay, grain, or other feeds will alter the needed balance of protein and energy.  Unfavorably altering the protein to energy ratio is proven to increase mortality rates and decrease feed efficiency.  Additionally, supplementing rabbit pellets with other feeds will dilute the vitamin and mineral concentrations (and ratios) that are needed.

In nature, rabbits will alter their consumption of different foods according to the seasonal availability and according to their life stage.  Although rabbits will do okay consuming only food found in the wild, it is not efficient because, although a particular food item in nature may be rich in one nutrient it will be deficient in others.  Because of this, domesticated rabbits which have more specialized nutritional needs, will be healthier when consuming a fully balanced diet of pellets.

Think of building a rabbit from miniature blocks.  Some blocks are needed in a large quantity while other blocks are needed in trace amounts.  The food a rabbit eats supplies a mixture of these blocks.  Although some of these blocks can be stored for later use, many cannot and must be consumed daily.  Providing these other nutrients  in the diet in the proper ratios greatly improves feed efficiency and health.  However, if one of the blocks had a limited availability in the diet it would reduce the usefulness of all the other blocks (they'd get wasted).  Any overload of nutrients that are not used will have to be processed and eliminated.  The elimination of some nutrients can be stressful to the organs of the rabbit.

For example, the protein in most feeds made for rabbits usually isn't balanced.  Instead the manufacturers simply put in more than is needed so that the rabbits gets "enough" of the limiting amino acids.  Sadly the overload of the other amino acids leads to digestive troubles and ammonia production (bad smell in the rabbit barn).  The ammonia you smell is actually wasted protein.... which you paid extra for!

With this in mind it is important to understand that feeding rabbits pellets designed for "rabbits of all age" is likely to cause problems for rabbits of all ages.  Instead, we should feed pellets designed according to life stage.  For example, baby rabbits and their lactating moms should consume a high energy baby rabbit pellet that is low in starch but high in fat and fiber.  Pregnant rabbits require a feed that is balanced just for them. Adult rabbits need a low energy rabbit pellet that is rich in timothy hay (or other grass hay) complemented with natural oil seeds and chelated minerals for optimal health.

One other consideration you should keep in mind is the size of the pellet you feed your rabbit.  This is because large pellets often cause waste whereas pellets that are too small can lead to digestive problems.  The ideal size is a pellet with a diameter around 3mm or 1/8 inch.  If the pellet is larger (thicker) then baby rabbits tend to bite off only a portion of the pellet while dropping the rest on the ground.  Feeding rabbit pellets that are smaller in size or made from finely ground ingredients increases the likelihood of digestive troubles.