Pure Alfalfa Pellets

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MaggieJ

MaggieJ

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Does anyone have experience with feeding pure alfalfa pellets to rabbits? I'm not talking about a "complete" rabbit feed but rather the alfalfa pellets that I understand are sometimes fed to goats.

For some reason, the hay available this year has very poor alfalfa content. It's a decent grass hay, but I'm concerned about the protein levels for the rabbits over the winter. So I am considering buying alfalfa pellets to make up the difference. They cost about $12 for a 50 pound bag and I think that would go a long way, seeing as it would be just one component in their diet. They would also be getting whole grains, grass hay and as much fresh food as I can manage in the winter months. They would also have a mineral block.
 
I tried it for a while (thought it would be easier and neater to include it with my grain mix), but my rabbits didn't seem to care for it, so I gave up.
 
I would buy a few bags, but think that is a good price, and don't see why it would be bad for them, I mean, it's just crumbled alfalfa, right?
 
Thanks, Trinity. That's exactly what I was wondering.

I know it is okay for them nutritionally, but I don't know if rabbits unaccustomed to pellets are likely to take to it. I may buy a bag and give it a try. Even if the adults don't like it, future fryers would likely eat it. Or maybe the chickens and geese would help use it up. Worst case scenario, it would go for garden fertilizer, but with rabbits you really never think of paying good money for fertilizer, do you?
 
Alfalfa pellets are made from ground alfalfa hay (called alfalfa meal). they have to add a binder to the mix before it's put through the pelletizer. From what I can find, it's either colloidal clay, molasses, or fat. That might explain why rabbits don't like some of the brands of pellets.
 
In order to make a pellet, you need some form of binder. In a woodpellet, they can just squeeze it until it forms it's own lingin which acts as a glue...but that creates huge heat, which I presume would destroy must of the nutrition. In the pellets for like rabbits or chickens, they use the other additivies...molasses of course is common, soy acts as one, I think. I'm thinking the minerals/vitamin mix they add to the pellet mix may well be a binder.

I wouldn't think the clay would be a problem, and there would be VERY little of it, or the molasses in the mix. Certainly worth a look to see if they like it. I'm just saying that if they don't like the taste, it's likely because of the binder. Seems that rabbits have VERY sensitive noses.
 
I feed alfalfa pellets to the goats, and any time I've tried to feed them to the rabbits, they weren't impressed. I give them alfalfa cubes now and then for entertainment value, but they don't eat them readily.

Too bad you're not closer - I can get lots of really nice hay.
 
I just use alfalfa hay cubes. A cube can be made without a binder by just crushing it together enough and letting it dry and the rabbits have more places to grab ahold and chew on than a smooth large pellet. Mostly though I only give the cubes for boredom, during transportation so I don't have hay bits and dust from it in the vehicle, and as a backup food source for certain rabbits who like to dig in their hay and pellet containers until it all falls through the wire.
 
I tried to use the cubes as treats and just to help with keeping them occupied. Unfortunately mine do not care for the cubes.
 
Picky picky rabbits. Well, I'm glad I found all this out before buying alfalfa cubes or pellets. I can't afford mistakes.

I'm going to look at other ideas for boosting protein. After all, it doesn't have to be alfalfa. Of course, I am only interested in ingredients that can be incorporated into a natural diet. I'm too far along that road now to want to change. :)
 
Finally found some good alfalfa hay. I've been watching the Kijiji ads for a while and was lucky enough to find some for sale not too far away. Iggysbabysitter drove me up there today and we each got some. Thanks so much for taking me, Anna. :) So, happy bunnies tonight. They dove right into it and even ignored their fresh foods and dried bread treat.
 
Hey, Queen Bitchy Bitch loved hers. I kinda expected her to start a new nest with it, too, since it's so much nicer than the last batch of hay.. I had fun, MaggieJ, we'll have to meet up again sometime :)
 
Returning to this, I've been feeding alfalfa pellets. The rabbits weren't impressed. I think a lot of it has to do with the large diameter the pellets came in, but if I held off on their next feeding until they finished it, they seemed to get used to it pretty quickly and I think they're getting better nutrition from them than the alfalfa hay. I'm not sure why that is, but the pellets vs. hay is the only thing that's changed and their condition has improved a lot. Go figure. I'm very surprised to say it, but I like the pellets.
 

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