My rabbits can't have it...can my chickens?

[Christiane]

Hello.

I have rabbit pellets and alfalfa in excess amounts. The brand of pellets I no longer use, and the alfalfa I purchased before I knew better. Can I feed either to my chickens pullets?

Thank you,

Christiane

 

[tinychicky]

if you don't replace thier food with it it's probably fine

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
You can supplement you chickens feed with yes.

I have have to ask, Why cant you rabbit have the pellets or alfalfa?

Chris

 

[Christiane]

Quote:
I found better pellets than the earlier ones. More nutrition, and all the calcium and protein they need in the pellets. The alfalfa contains higher calcium and protein then other hays or grasses. I use orchard grass now, instead.

Which was one of the reasons I was unsure about alfalfa, with the higher calcium content, fed to pullets.

Christiane

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
I found better pellets than the earlier ones. More nutrition, and all the calcium and protein they need in the pellets. The alfalfa contains higher calcium and protein then other hays or grasses. I use orchard grass now, instead.

Which was one of the reasons I was unsure about alfalfa, with the higher calcium content, fed to pullets.

Christiane

I was just carious why your rabbits "can't have" the alfalfa hay, rabbit pellets is mostly alfalfa so feeding the alfalfa hay isn't going to harm them.
Alfalfa is the only hay I feed my rabbits.


Chris

 

[gale65]

Alfalfa has too much protein and calcium for adult rabbits and also can lead to them becoming overweight. Most people feed it to rabbits up to 6 months and switch to timothy or some other hay. We use timothy hay for ours. Pellets should really be given in moderation. We give about 1/4 cup or less in the summer and a little more in winter. Our rabbits mostly get free choice timothy hay and fresh vegetables. Pellets are more of a treat, and we mainly give them because one of our rabbits tends to go on eating strikes and if they do that, it can be dangerous.

 

[BantamoftheOpera]

Quote:
x2

 

[Chris09]

A lot has to with the Alfalfa hay crop, stage of cut, and what cutting it is but most of what I have read/ seen says that Alfalfa is this from 25.7% protein and 1.6 Ca. to 14% protein and 1.3 Ca. the higher protein being Pre-bud and lesser protein being Mature full bloom.
A good rabbit pellet is right around 16 to 18.0% Crude Protein, min. and Calcium, max. 1.20%

I have always feed 4 oz per day for small to medium breeds and Large breeds: 5 to 8 oz per day.
I raise, bread and show Jersey Woolie, Lion Head, Dutch, Florida Whites, California, New Zealand, Flemish Giants and a meat Rabbit so call a Ohio Beauty (the cross was first bread at OSU) and all are fed Alfalfa hay and a 18.0% protein feed, never have I had a overweight or out of shape rabbit.


Chris

 

[homesteadapps]

Alfalfa can range from the 20's% range into the high 30's%

We feed a mix of alfalfa, clover, oat and orchard grass along with pellets. What's so great about the hays is that they can be fed to goats, chickens, rabbiits, cows, etc...

Most pellets are already made with either alfalfa or soybean meal to boost the protein.

A little high protein hay like alfalfa is great for meat, breeding, and lactating rabbits.


Many natural rabbit diets exclude pellets over natural grains and grasses.

The lady that started this site appears to have done a lot of research on the subject.

http://rabbittalk.com/types-of-hay-recommended-t4465.html