Alfalfa hay question

Stuart loves his alfalfa hay, he only gets a small handful a day, but is now 6 months old. Am I right in thinking it's about now he should stop having it?
Also, come spring, he'll be going onto a pellet free diet, if that ends up suiting him. As he won't be getting supplementary protein from pellets, would he still be able to have small amounts of Alfalfa hay as a treat 2-3 times a week, or no-no?

Thanks

I didn't think there was a limit to it I think it is fine. I recently started giving mine Alfalfa bales and they love it!

As far as I know, it's generally recommended that they come of Alfalfa when they are fully grown as it is high in protein. Rabbits are designed to live off low quality herbage, and sustained protein after they need it, can cause Kidney problems.

This is what I give mine http://www.petsathome.com/shop/woodlands-mini-alfalfa-bales-treats-500gm-15748

Yes, I think there is too much protein and calcium in alfalfa, but not sure about the specific answer to your question - hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along soon.

Hi Jay
as a treat I would think it is ok but as Helen says it has a high calcium content-something I've now got to watch like a hawk with fudge!

I did'nt realise that they should stop having alfalfa when they got older. None of mine liked it anyway, so I don't buy it anymore.
I do give them Burns Herbal Delight, which they absolutely love. That has alfalfa in, so I hope small amounts are ok, maybe that is one of the bits they leave though.

Thanks peeps, I didn't know about the Calcium as well. Does anyone know the age they should stop having Alfalfa?

Yes, the calcium would be my biggest concern too, as a general guide with calcium my vet recommended not to give anything with more than 1% calcium content, and only to give anything approaching 1% in moderation, for an adult rabbit.

I see a lot of 'rumours' around that readigrass is too high in calcium but it isn't (it's 0.8%), maybe (I'm guessing) that it would be a good compromise for a growing bunster - high in nutrients but not high in calcium.

Jay, I asked my vet this same question when I first got Bruce, apparently it depends on each bunny. All she could say was, when the bunny is full grown, alfalfa should become a treat and be replaced with different, lower-protein and calcium hays.

Having said that, each bun stops growing at different times, so it is hard to put a definite age on it.

Do you think Stewie has stopped growing yet?

Dont know if this helps, but this is the information we have from Oxbow to give as advice when selling Alfalfa Hay.

Growing Animals (under 6 months): Unlimited amounts, plus free choice grass hay.
Mature Animals: Occasional small amounts.
Nursing Females: Unlimited amounts in addition to free choice grass hay.

Alfalfa Hay should only be offered carefully to mature rabbits, guinea pigs,chinchillas, and prairie dogs due to the higher protein and calcium content.
Many vets believe that animals prone to kidney stones, bladder stones or calcium crystals in their urine should always avoid alfalfa.

Alfalfa Hay can be used to help animals gain weight and will give a nice shine to their fur.
Elderly animals should be fed foods they enjoy, such as alfalfa, when considering quality of life.
Alfalfa Hay can be used in small amounts as an appetite stimulant for thin or convalescing animals.
Rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas under six months of age can be given Alfalfa Hay daily.
After six months of age an animal should begin a gradual transition to 100% grass hay such as Oat Hay, Western Timothy, or Orchard Grass.

Thanks so much for the info guys, it's been really helpful. As Stewie's growth is now very much slowed down, I'll take him off the Alfalfa - might be good to keep some in for stasis moments though. I got a bag of Herabge and he really likes it, so will use that to replace the Alfalfa.

Big Ears wrote:Yes, the calcium would be my biggest concern too, as a general guide with calcium my vet recommended not to give anything with more than 1% calcium content, and only to give anything approaching 1% in moderation, for an adult rabbit.

I see a lot of 'rumours' around that readigrass is too high in calcium but it isn't (it's 0.8%), maybe (I'm guessing) that it would be a good compromise for a growing bunster - high in nutrients but not high in calcium.

Thanks for the info about Readigrass, i'd forgotten you'd gone into it all with Frances, that's really helpful. He does get a small amount of Readigrass every other day, so I'll increase this