Pellets - Which Ones & How Many
The subject of pellets comes up regularly. Opinions and preferences vary widely. When the topic is raised conversations can become heated and emotional, so let's explore the topic of pellets here.
The information presented here is based on research, discussions with rabbit savvy vets, personal experience and is my own personal opinion.
What quantity of pellets should I feed ?
There is no hard and fast rule here, but there are some important things to bear in mind
The following information is a guide only, remember there are no absolute rules
A high quality, nutrient dense pellet should be viewed as a dietary supplement, not the primary food source for your rabbit.
Pellets should account for around 5% of your rabbit’s diet.
It is Westley's World’s opinion that a rabbit does need a daily, controlled portion of pellets as part of a well balanced diet. Pet rabbits don’t have access to the huge range of plants that a wild rabbit will selectively feed from daily in order to stay healthy.
High quality pellets can be viewed as a Vitamin/Mineral supplement.
The recommended quantities on many packets of pellets are often far too large (especially the cheaper brands).
Overfeeding pellets results in poor hay eating, contributes to dental disease and causes obesity.
Your rabbit’s diet should be around 80% hay.
Your rabbit’s body condition, age, size, activity level and breed all need to be taken into account when working out what quantity of pellets to feed.
Your rabbit should ideally finish their pellet portion in 10-15 minutes. Remove uneaten pellets after that.
Make changes to their pellet portion gradually.
Remember, one size does not fit all! For example ‘an eggcup full’ is not an appropriate amount for all rabbits because not all rabbits are the same.
A good starting point for how much to feed is 1/8th of a cup per kilo of rabbit per day. This is a starting point guide ONLY. Not an absolute rule.
So how do we figure out how many pellets to feed?
So, as mentioned, a good starting point when figuring out how much to feed is 1/8th of a cup per kilo of rabbit weight per day. This is the recommended portion size of Exotic Specialist Vet Martin Earles. It is also discussed here - Birchwood Animal Hospital; Rabbit Care
But there are some important points to consider -
Breed - is your rabbit a large breed like a Flemish Giant or maybe a petite Netherland Dwarf?
Age - How old is your rabbit? A sleepy old ElderBun or a nonstop zooming teenager?
Body condition - Is your rabbit overweight, underweight or is it just right? Find out about how to do that here - Weight - Ideal? Underweight? Overweight?
Activity level - Is your rabbit a busy, restless sort or a couch potato?
Living quarters - Does your rabbit live indoors or outdoors?
How do these points affect how many pellets we feed? People will often say to feed ‘a scoop’ or an ‘eggcup’ of pellets a day. Let’s think about this - A Flemish Giant fed only an Eggcup of pellets a day could quickly lose body condition whereas a tiny Netherland Dwarf fed an Eggcup of pellets a day may well become obese. The way it works is like this - a young, active, Flemish Giant that lives outside; and whose body has to work harder to stay warm in the winter months, is going to need a larger portion of pellets to maintain its big bodyweight compared to an more inactive, elderly, small breed like a Netherland Dwarf who lives indoors and stays warm year round.
So - weigh your rabbit and assess them with the points above in mind. Work out how many 1/8th cup portions of pellets their weight initially indicates -
1kg = 1/8 cup
2kg = 1/4 cup
3kg = 1/3 cup
4kg = 1/2 cup
5kg = a bit over 1/2 cup etc
Once you have worked out a baseline amount, think about the other factors. If your rabbit is a bit of a porky couch potato, then reduce the amount of pellets. If they are a lean, mean racing machine the amount might be about right. If they are elderly or young and struggling to maintain their weight they may need a bit more.
Remember, one size does not fit all! This is a starting point.
My own rabbits are generally fed less than 1/8 cup per kilo. Their portions are based on their living set ups, ages, general health, activity level, propensity to being over or under weight etc. I continually assess and adjust their pellet portion to suit each individual rabbit. Their pellet portion; in addition to their hay and green foods, fulfils their dietary needs as their health, condition and target weights demonstrate. Without pellets, some would be far too thin no matter how much hay and green food they ate.
Now, let’s talk Scoops, Eggcups and Handsful
We’ve already established that feeding a ‘sccop’ or an ‘eggcup’ regardless of the points discussed above is an unwise and overly simplified approach. Let’s talk about the other issue with that approach.
Just how much is a ‘scoop’ or an ‘eggcup’?
The issue with this generalised approach is that it is too subjective. Not all scoops - or indeed eggcups, are created equal … a ‘scoop’ can be any amount - it depends on the size of the scoop. It could measure a 1/4c or even a 1/2c. The same goes for an Eggcup. There are large Eggcups and there are small Eggcups …
So, if you have a scoop, eggcup or a handful that you want to use, that’s great! But, measure the volume first so that you know how much you are actually feeding. The other approach is to measure how much 1/8 cup of your pellets weighs, compare to the weight of your scoop, eggcup or handful and go from there, using weight vs volume as your guide.
Which Pellets should I Feed?
Many brands of pellets are designed for feeding meat rabbits and as such are higher in protein and fat and lower in fibre. These rabbits have a short lifespan, are fed in a way that ensures they grow fast. Therefore their long term health is not seen as relevant. Feeding this type of pellet to a pet rabbit is not advisable because our aim for them is to live long, healthy lives - hence their diet needs more careful management to optimise long term health.
The link below contains a comprehensive chart which provides a comparison between many brands of pellets. Whilst many on the chart are not available in NZ, the chart will help you to understand what to look for in a good brand of pellets. The best available in NZ are Burgess, Supreme Science Selective - called Selective here in NZ, Oxbow and FibreSafe Complete. They are the only brands available in NZ that meet most of the criteria on this chart.
Comparison of Rabbit Dry Foods
The pellet brands recommended by Westley’s World
The following is from the above link and discusses what you want to be looking for in a pellet.
Fibre: The higher the fibre content, generally the better the food will be for your rabbit's digestion. Look for a minimum of 18%
Protein: A healthy adult rabbit needs a protein level of 12-14%. Young rabbits (under five months) need a higher protein level of around 16% to support their rapid growth.
Calcium & Phosphorus: Calcium should be 0.5 - 1.0% and phosphorus 0.4-0.8%. Equally important is the ratio between the two, which should be 1.5-2:1 calcium to phosphorus.
Fat: 2.4-5%
Vitamins: Vitamin D 1000 IU/kg, Vitamin E 50 IU/kg, Vitamin A 10,000 IU/kg
Ingredients: The ingredients list will be in the order of the proportion included; with the ingredient the food contains most of listed first. Look for brands that list grass (e.g. timothy, alfalfa, fescue, hay or 'forage') ahead of cereals (e.g. wheat, oats, corn, or maize). As grass is higher in fibre and lower in protein than cereals, foods that are grass-based generally also have a more suitable nutritional balance.
The criteria we have used to select the pellets that we recommend are as follows:
* Primary ingredient: grass/hay
* Fibre content: 18% or above
* Protein: 12-14%
* Fat: 2.4-5%
* Added sweeteners? Preferably there should be none.
Whilst not all of the brands selected meet all of the criteria, they do meet most of them. Full nutritional analysis is not available for many brands so we have not included Calcium levels or Vitamin supplements - although the better brands do include this information. Choosing the pellet you are going to feed is a balancing act. For example, one brand - Harringtons, does not have grass/hay as the primary ingredient (it is 3rd) but it does have an 'ok' fibre content (when compared to other bulk or supermarket brands) and no added molasses - however it is sweetened with fruit juices. Whist it is not ideal, it is the best supermarket/budget pellet available. Others like Vetafarm are on the lower end of the fibre content scale but are almost 100% grass/hay based and have no added molasses.
Some other brands claim high fibre percentages of around 22% but these are usually ‘muesli’ mixes and the fibre content comes from whole maize and whole un-hulled sunflower seeds. These muesli type mixes are not good for your rabbit for a number of reasons. One is that they encourage selective feeding - the rabbit simply eats the bits it likes best (often highly sweetened) and leaves everything else which is wasteful and can also lead to an unbalanced diet. The other is that whole maize is dangerous for your rabbit as they cannot digest the outer part of the kernel and this can cause blockages in their gut when it is ingested. Un-hulled Sunflower seeds also carry the risk of blockages.
Some joint research by the University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and Burgess Pet Care into the effects of diet on rabbit’s health was recently published. The following link is a summary of some of the findings.
Advising Against Muesli-Style Diets for Pet Rabbits
You can purchase the brands we recommend from the following retailers:
Bunny Business North Shore - A comprehensive range of small animal foods including premium hay, WW recommended pellets - Burgess, Oxbow and Selectives, treats, hay feeders, tunnels, and more! They ship NZ wide and have a proven history of top quality products as well as exemplary customer service.
Burgess - Various retail outlets.
Supreme Science Selective - Various retail outlets.
Oxbow - Various retail outlets but can be difficult to source. Is available on line from PetPost. Some rabbits are reluctant to eat Oxbow.
FibreSafe Complete - Various retail outlets and direct from the manufacturer - Whiterocks Feeds
If you want to change to a better pellet but are are unsure that your rabbit will like them, you can buy 50gm sample bags of the full range of Selective, Oxbow, Burgess and FibreSafe Complete from Westley's World shop.
Transitioning from old to new pellets...
Once again there is no 'right way' to do this but here are a few suggestions -
Take your time - don’t make sudden changes.
Over a week to 10 days mix the new pellets with the old, slowly reducing the amount of old pellets until none are left.
Mix old and new in a container and let them sit for a week until the smell of them blends, then start to feed them. Every day add more new pellets to the container until all of the old ones are gone.
Mix the crumbs from your old pellets - or grind some up, in with the new pellets and let them blend for a few days.
There are some cases that must be more carefully managed but in general, do not panic if your rabbit refuses to eat the new pellets. Just keep reducing the old ones over a few weeks until there are none being offered. Most rabbits will eventually eat the new pellets. As long as your rabbit is eating hay, it will be fine.
I have found that the pellets most readily accepted by those rabbits that have been eating inferior pellets are the Selective range - Hands down, especially the GrainFree ones. Once they are eating those happily I move them to a mix of my preferred pellets. Why a mix? Well I take this approch for a couple of reasons. One being supply chain problems. If you only feed one pellet and it goes out of stock your rabbit may not take to an alternative pellet easily. If you feed a mix then you are covered during times of shortage. The other is that it is easier to customise or optimise for specific situations such as an obese or an elderly rabbit etc.
In Summary ...
Don’t make sudden changes to either the type or amount of the pellets you feed. A gradual approach is safest.
Start off working out an 1/8 cup per kg or rabbit per day and see how your rabbit goes.
Figure out if it is too much or too little by assessing their body condition and adjust their feed accordingly, rather than blindly following a general feeding guide.
To do this:
- Monitor your rabbit’s condition and weight.
- Monitor their eating habits - are they eating their pellets within 10 minutes. This is desirable.
- Are they leaving pellets behind? If so, you are feeding too many.
- Are they still eating hay? If they reduce their hay intake you are feeding too many pellets
- Is their poop large and crumbly? If not, they are not eating enough hay/long grasses.
The following factors also influence feeding rates -Body condition - do they need to maintain, gain or lose weight?
Age - a young rabbit (under 8-12 months depending on breed) may need a larger portion. Caution needs to be taken though as feeding unlimited pellets can lead to a rabbit that doesn’t grow up eating hay. Instead, a better approach may be to feed at the high end of or just above the recommended portion size and/or feed a junior pellet.
Size - An adult large breed rabbit will usually need a bigger daily portion than a small breed BUT there will always be exceptions to the rule.
Breed - A Flemish Giant will need a bigger portion and as a youngster and will need to be fed at the top end of the pellet portion for longer than a smaller breed like a Netherland Dwarf. A long haired rabbit may need to be fed at the higher end of the scale as well as their body is always working hard to produce new fur - usually much more so than a short haired breed. Again, there are exceptions to every rule!
Pellet Free Diets
Some people/groups advocate a completely pellet free diet but this is unwise as it makes it very difficult to maintain the correct intake of all of the vitamins, minerals etc that your rabbit needs in order to stay healthy and avoid diseases/illnesses caused by dietary deficiency. If one were to forego feeding pellets completely, one would need to know the exact nutritional breakdown of each food we are feeding - be it a weed, vegetable, fruit, tree etc. and to know exactly how much of each nutrient was needed by the rabbit on a daily basis in order to fully meet the nutritional needs of your rabbit fully and safely
The following excerpt - from Rabbit Nutrition and Nutritional Healing by Lucile Moore, discusses this further: “While it is theoretically possible to feed a rabbit a nutritionally complete diet without giving any commercial pellets, it is extremely difficult to do so. It has been estimated by some experts that it would take a precise combination of about 14-17 different vegetables fed in specific amounts in addition to grass hay to provide a rabbit a nutritionally complete diet composed of vegetables and hay alone. Not all of us have time and money to find and purchase such vegetables , nor may they be available in all geographical areas. Not to mention that - rabbits being the selective eaters they are - it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to persuade any one rabbit to consume all 14-17 vegetables every day in the precise amounts required for the rabbit to receive all the necessary nutrients! For most of us, limited by time, money, living space, or a combination of the three, compounded pelleted rabbit feeds provide an easy, relatively inexpensive way to ensure our rabbits receive adequate nutrition.”
You can read more here - Pellet Free Diets
Further Reading -
In pet stores and supermarkets across the country, items are for sale that could be dangerous for any animal using them.
The dangerous pet products readily available in pet stores and supermarkets - a News Hub Article
Copyright © 2019 - Jen Herd and Westley’s World