Do they need pellets?

Sorry if this has been asked before, But as the title says.. Do they need them? And why?

They don't need pellets specifically, they can eat a muesli based feed. Either type needs to meet the rabbit's nutritional needs. Many prefer pellets as it stops selective eating by the rabbit so they get all of the goodness rather than just eating the bits they like and leaving things they don't which are important to them.

You can provide those needs yourself by giving them the right food to provide all of those requirements in which case they wouldn't need pellets or rabbit mix but you'd need to know what you we're doing.

I prefer pellets as it's biscuit style format gives them more to keep their teeth down.

Not according to my rabbit savvy vet He says hay, grass, forage and greens is enough.

My vet pointed out that they wouldn't have pellets in the wild, she didn't say not to give them though

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My rabbits don't get pellets and they have maintained a healthy weight and energy level since cutting the pellets out.

Unless there is a specific reason to cut out pellets, I wouldn't do so.
My rabbit-savvy vet was undecided. At an eggcupful a day, they form a very small part of the diet - good quality hay being the majority - and as long as they are high in fibre, I can't see a reason to stop. True, rabbits in the wild don't get pellets, but rabbits in the wild don't live very long lives anyway.

I do give pellets. However, these are really a breakfast treat (handful each) and I do not think they need them to survive.

My rabbits are on grass all day, have access to hay and a veggie meal at dusk.

Suspect that rabbits don't live very long in the wild due to predators rather than diet! Just my thoughts though.

Thanks everyone I only wondered out of curiosity, I don't plan on taking pellets out of my buns diet. I was just thinking though, what is it in pellets that makes people recommend them? Is it an ingredient in them that they just can't get from something else?

I don't think they need pellets, but would always feed them.

In the wild a rabbit would eat a variety of plants and a variety of grasses. Whilst we feed hay it is often only of one or 2 varieties of grass, plus even if we feed veggies and forage we would be hard pressed to ensure we fed a wide enough variety to ensure that all nutrients, vitamins ect were covered in their diet. A pelleted food gives me peace of mind I know they are getting all the nutrients and I see it as a supplement to their diet.

I think I read somewhere that indoor bunnies should have pellets because it contains a vitamin or something that they would normally get from sunlight. Not sure about outdoor buns though.

~Bell~ said:

Thanks everyone I only wondered out of curiosity, I don't plan on taking pellets out of my buns diet. I was just thinking though, what is it in pellets that makes people recommend them? Is it an ingredient in them that they just can't get from something else?

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Vitamins and minerals, mainly. In the wild they have a very varied diet which is almost impossible to re-create in a pet home, unless you had a garden of several acres. It also provides protein to help them grow or repair cells and to keep their coats healthy - many pet rabbits have longer or thicker fur than wild ones. Amongst other vitamins, they also provide vitamin D, which indoor rabbits and rabbits kept in hutches/shaded runs can't get naturally.

Pellets are not needed as such, but if you were to remove them you would have to ensure that the diet contained several different species of grass (or if not, hays) and plenty of forage. You'd also have to keep a close eye on weight and condition, particularly in winter.