Best pellet?

[Abbie Lauren]

Hiya, I haven't been on here for a while because I've been really busy planning for my bun! Anyway, what is the best type of pellet for an adult rabbit? I'm not sure if i'm going to adopt an adult or baby, but the majority in the rescues are adults. Is Burgess Excel any good?

 

[I<3Rabbits]

It sometimes depend on the rabbits I know many people use science selective , and one you have mentioned.

 

[Fee]

My bunnies prefer science selective and its easier on their tums!!

 

[bunny-boo]

science selective here too, mine love it!

 

[Jan]

All mine have had Excel and never had a problem, they only ever have a small amount anyway.

 

[AnnieElms]

It sometimes depend on the rabbits I know many people use science selective , and one you have mentioned.

I agree with this. I generally use Science Selective as the default as it has a nice high fibre content, but sometimes bunnies don't get on with it so have to try another pellet (usually excel).

 

[bunkin]

Think mine has been having tummy troubles on science selective as it only started after I changed to this 2 years ago so I am slowly changing to fibrefirst which has an even high fibre content and is not based on alfafa.

Any pellet is better than mueli mix but some buns can only stomach muesli mix??? The advice on here to me has been as long as they have unlimited hay and some veg/herb they do not need very much of pellets.

 

[*lily*]

Louie eats a good mixed diet of hay and grass daily and herbs. I feed him Harrington's pellets, not the best but, as they make up such a tiny part of his diet, they are fine!

 

[Hesperus]

Ludo has Excel pellets and so far no problems. :wave:

 

[Fellie]

I think ours are spoilt - they get mainly SS (not alot though) with a couple of bits of Excel and muesli thrown in as well for a bit of variety. They have an exact order of eating them as well - first the muesli bits got gobbled down, then the Excel pellets and the SS pellets:thumb:

 

[Abbie Lauren]

Thank you for all of your answers! They've been really helpful. Been doing more research and I was wondering if rabbits can go pellet-less? My guinea pigs don't get pellets but extra hay, herbage and lots of veggies make up for them. Can this be done?

 

[denla]

Hay and pellets is all a bunny needs. Doesn't need any dried or fresh vegetables. They're just for treats.

 

[kt6382]

Mine are on Excel and have been since I got them. I've cut the pellets right down to a very small handful between the two of them once in the evening, only about 20 pellets. I haven't seen Science Selective in my local shop and when I got the buns I hadn't heard so much about all these things! They're happy on Excel so I stick to it. A pack lasts me AGES as they have so little.

I think buns can go without pellets though and just have hay and grass with veg / herbs for treats. I don't see why not as they wouldn't get pellets in the wild. I guess you just have to make sure you give them good quality hay / grass and then make sure they get enough vitamins and minerals etc from the range of veg / herbs you give them.

Wait until someone more experienced writes on here, but I'd think a pellet-less diet would be a good thing?!

 

[Hele]

You can indeed go pellet-less but I think you would need to make sure that the buns got a huge amount of forage with lots of different plants in there to make sure they get everything they need. In the wild they primarily live off of grass but will have access to a huge variety of other plants mixed in with the grass, in hedgerows, down the sides of footpaths ect ect. It's these other plants that provide the bun with a lot of the vitamins and minerals needed to keep healthy.

The beauty of the pellets is that they contain many of the nutrients that they would naturally find wild in a condensed form so that when fed alongside oodles of hay you know that they are getting a balanced diet. I feed pellets for that peace of mind (and because if I didn't they would pine because they LOVE their food :roll I also feed lots of forage but barely any veg as I think it's more natural for them and also raiding the local footpath or even the garden is much cheaper but just as popular than veg!

They really don't need much pellet food, about an eggcupful a day per adult bun, it the most important thing to do is make sure that whatever you change their diet to you need to do it slowly and gradually :thumb:

 

[Hesperus]

Hay and pellets is all a bunny needs. Doesn't need any dried or fresh vegetables. They're just for treats.

My vet said to think of the pellets as vitamin supplements especially as an indoor bun doesn't get the same sun as an outdoor one. But as he can't eat pellets properly, then his veg are quite important. But I like the vitamin supplement thought.

 

[Cari]

You can indeed go pellet-less but I think you would need to make sure that the buns got a huge amount of forage with lots of different plants in there to make sure they get everything they need. In the wild they primarily live off of grass but will have access to a huge variety of other plants mixed in with the grass, in hedgerows, down the sides of footpaths ect ect. It's these other plants that provide the bun with a lot of the vitamins and minerals needed to keep healthy.

The beauty of the pellets is that they contain many of the nutrients that they would naturally find wild in a condensed form so that when fed alongside oodles of hay you know that they are getting a balanced diet. I feed pellets for that peace of mind (and because if I didn't they would pine because they LOVE their food :roll I also feed lots of forage but barely any veg as I think it's more natural for them and also raiding the local footpath or even the garden is much cheaper but just as popular than veg!

They really don't need much pellet food, about an eggcupful a day per adult bun, it the most important thing to do is make sure that whatever you change their diet to you need to do it slowly and gradually :thumb:

Agree with all of this. My Ellie has poorly teeth and so she has 7 pellets a day, just as a supplement. Stephen has more than that, just a teaspoon now. The rest of their diet is hay, a little Readigrass, fresh herbs and lots of forage (dandelions, cow parsley, hawthorn, bramble leaves are the favourites here ).