Pellets’ Place in the Mature Rabbit’s Diet

We try to keep our animal companions alive and well as long as possible. Our dogs and cats are switched to “senior” or “maintenance” diets as they mature. In a search for the same options in rabbit pellets, we contacted some large and small pellet manufacturers around the country to ask about their best non-breeding “maintenance” diet. Nutritional requirements are more than adequately met in all of the pellets listed. Two things, however, are of great concern to people who have elderly rabbits–calories and calcium.

Most of us are calorie conscious and try to prevent obesity in our rabbits. We avoid feeds with fatty treats, yet few of us realize that prolonged excess calcium and vitamin-D is risking damage to our rabbits’ kidneys. To reduce calcium intake to the recommended .6% level, we’re forced to do some mathematical calculations and limit currently available pellets to a much smaller portion of the diet. We then need to add a larger portion of lower calcium foods so that the total daily intake averages .6%.

It would be easier if true “senior” rabbit pellets were available–with consistently low calcium as well as reduced protein and calories. This special pellet doesn’t exist yet because the feed manufacturers are unsure of this market. It’s up to us to let them know that there are many of us–who welcome rabbits into our homes and who plan to keep them there for a long, long time.  (Of course one way to cut down on calcium and calories is to use timothy pellets instead of alfalfa pellets, which is a very simple switch.)

MARINELL HARRIMAN IN CONSULTATION WITH CAROLYN HARVEY, DVM

Maintenance Pellet Products (alphabetical)

	Product: Producer (State)	Phone
BR	Big Red Rabbits Choice: Agway, Inc. (NY)	315-461-2724
B16	Bunny 16 Pels: Blue Seal Feeds, Inc. (NH)	800-367-2730
DD	Double Duty: Manna Pro Corp. (CA)	800-350-1986
EGM	EGM Rabbit Feed: Elk Grove Milling (CA)	916-684-2056
ER	Evergreen Rabbit: Land O’ Lakes (WA)	206-282-2451
FDK	Forti-Diet: Kaytee Products, Inc. (WI)	800-669-9580
ML	Mazuri Lagomorph: PMI Feeds, Inc. (MO)	314-768-4592
LD	PMI Lab Diet HF: PMI Feeds, Inc. (MO)	800-227-8941
PRC	Purina Rabbit Chow: Purina Mills Inc. (MO)	800-227-8941
RR	Royal Rabbit: Leach Grain & Milling (CA)	310-869-4451
SSP	Sun Seed Pellets: Sun Seed, Inc. (OH)	419-832-1641
SHR	Sweet Harvest Rabbit: Kaylor Made (CA)	800-535-5399

Comparisons

The table below compares National Research Council (NRC) guidelines with several pellet products. The manufac-turers listed have cooperated in supplying information– not to be viewed as advertising or HRS endorsement in any way.

Ingredients may vary by region.

INGREDIENTS

NRC Rec

BR

B16

DD

EGM

ER

FDK

ML

LD

PRC

RR

SSP

SHR

ROUGHAGES

DEHYDRATED ALFALFA

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

SUNCURED ALFALFA

*

*

*

OAT/RICE HULLS

*

*

SOYBEAN HULLS

*

*

*

BEET PULP

*

GRAIN SCREENINGS

*

ENERGY

BARLEY

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

OATS OR OAT GROATS

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

OAT MILL FEED

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

CORN, HOMINY OR MILO

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

WHEAT / WHEAT FLOUR

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

GRAIN PRODUCTS

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

RICE BRAN

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

WHEAT BRAN

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

WHEAT MIDDLINGS

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

SOYBEAN MILL RUN /FEED

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

WHEAT MILL RUN / FEED

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

CANE MOLASSES

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

PROTEIN

COTTONSEED MEAL

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

SAFFLOWER MEAL

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

SOYBEAN MEAL

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

WHEAT GERM MEAL

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

PLANT PROTEIN PRODUCTS

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

WHEAT PROTEIN

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

DRIED WHEY

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

ADDITIVES

FEEDING FAT (ANIMAL)

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

OILS (ANISE AND WHEAT)

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

OILS (SOY OR CORN)

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

PLANT STEROL (D2)

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

ANIMAL STEROL (D3)

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

VITAMIN/MIN. SUPPLMENTS

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

PROBIOTICS/BREWER YEAST

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

	Ideal	BR	B16	DD	EGM	ER	FDK	ML	LD	PRC	RR	SSP	SHR
% PROTEIN (min.)	13-14	15.0	16.0	16.0	16.0	16.0	17.0	16.0	14.0	16.0	15.0	18.0	16 .0
% FAT (min.)	3.0	2.0	2.5	2.5	2.0	2.0	3.0	2.0	1.5	1.5	2.5	2.0	2.0
% CRUDE FIBER (max.)	14-16	18.0	18.0	21.0	26.0	25.0	18.0	18.0	25.0	20.0	18.0	20.0	20.0
ENERGY (Calories/lb)	953	1400	1260	1500	993	949	1350	1099	974	1075	1140	–	–
% CALCIUM (max.–as fed)	0.6	1.0	.9	.9	1.0	.4­1.0	.6­1.1	0.96	1.2	.6­1.1	.9	–	–
% ASH (max.)	*	6.5	7.5	9	9	8.5	7.5	9	10	10	10	–	10

? = NO INFORMATION

House Rabbit Journal Volume III, Number 4, Winter 1995