Timothy Rabbit Fact Sheet
SUMMARY: Alfalfa is a common legume in the rabbit diet. It is rich in protein, calcium, and vitamins. Conversely, grass hays like Timothy, are often a welcome tool for rabbit owners seeking a diet with a slightly lower nutrient density.
Genesis Extruded Rabbit Food – Alfalfa is a balanced diet developed to provide balanced nutrition for all rabbits, however may be best suited for young rabbits, active rabbits, and also senior aged rabbits (7+ years).
Genesis Extruded Rabbit Food – Timothy has been developed to provide balanced nutrition for owners wishing to feed a slightly lower nutrient dense diet based on Timothy. Feeding a diet based on Timothy, while effective for all rabbits, may be ideally suited for the adult or sedentary rabbit or when it is the desire to control other nutritionally responsive aspects of the pet rabbits health.
INTRODUCTION: Choice is a wonderful thing. Assuming, that is, one makes the right choice. Genesis has introduced a new rabbit food product (Genesis Extruded Rabbit Food – Timothy) to complement the original Genesis Extruded Rabbit Food – Alfalfa. The new diet is based on the popular feeding of timothy hay as an alternative to alfalfa. While the two forages share some similarities as it relates to a base or stock forage, there are some subtle, yet important differences that must be accounted for in developing the complete dietary regime for the rabbit.
NUTRIENT COMPOSITION: Field dried (sun-cured) alfalfa hay for rabbits which has been harvested at the proper time is a rich source of digestible fiber and biologically available nutrients. It contains a higher concentration of protein and calcium than Timothy. However, Timothy is a lower nutrient dense forage with a greater proportion of fiber and lower content of calcium and vitamin A. The two are comparable in the level of moisture, fat (ether extract) and phosphorus. The dehydrated alfalfa pellets and timothy meal are a close reflection of the composition from the respective hay. The notable differences are in the level of protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamin A. This difference is where the opportunities for rabbit nutrition and feeding reside.
DOES THIS MATTER TO THE RABBIT: While most rabbits do well on a diet in which alfalfa is one of the key ingredients, there are concerns by some that it may be too rich - too rich in protein, calcium, and energy. For example, the rabbit does not closely regulate the absorption of calcium and diets high in calcium can predispose the rabbit to urolithiasis (stone precipitation in the bladder and urethra). These more nutrient dense diets aren’t necessarily a concern at weaning, during growth, reproduction, or for rabbits with high levels of activity. However, other forages, like timothy, are often used to manage the nutrient density of the diet. This is especially valid for the adult. Since the pet rabbit spends such an extensive part of its life as a mature and often sedentary adult, a less nutrient dense diet may fit well with its diminished level of activity.
Genesis Extruded Rabbit Food was originally developed to be fed alone or with a variety of forage sources and is based itself upon alfalfa in an extruded form which is unique to most pelleted products on the market. Less common though are feeding systems designed around feeding a grass like Timothy. While high quality Timothy hay is a common forage fed to rabbits, it is not adequate alone to maintain the weight of rabbits and must be supplemented (Uden and Van Soest, 1982). This is because dry matter digestibility of timothy hay by the rabbit is just over 50% and the crude fiber digestibility is about half that of alfalfa (7% vs 18%; Sakaguchi 2003). While it is important that the rabbit receive a diet high in both indigestible and fermentable fiber sources to maintain proper motility and fermentation in the gut. The rabbit simply doesn’t invest much time into extracting nutrients from Timothy with a rate of digesta (food) passage nearly 4 times shorter than that of other monogastric herbivores like the horse (5.3 versus 23 hours, respectively; Uden et al., 1982). This does however promote chewing as the rabbit has to process larger amounts of food rapidly. The greater amount of chewing is important for uniform tooth wear - a key dietary contribution to dental health. So for the longer term health issues that the adult faces such as dental disease, urinary tract diseases, and obesity each may benefit from a Timothy based diet which is slightly higher in fiber and lower in energy (fat calories) and calcium.
Genesis Extruded Rabbit Food – Timothy, is based on Timothy meal, contains complementary proteins, minerals and vitamins, to support the goals of a Timothy forage diet. Namely, by targeting adequate, but lower levels of protein, calcium, and Vitamins A and D3, and slightly higher levels of crude fiber . Genesis Extruded Timothy Rabbit diet will provide a complete or complementary nutritional package for the grass hay fed rabbit. This is especially appropriate, if the desire is for a lower nutrient dense feeding strategy for the mature or sedentary adult.
LITERATURE CITED:
• Sakaguchi, E. 2003. Digestive strategies of small hindgut fermenters. Anim Sci J. 74:327-337.
• Uden, P., and P.J. Van Soest. 1982. Comparative digestion of timothy (Phleum pretense) fibre by ruminants, equines and rabbits. Br. J. Nutr. 267-271.
• Uden, P., T.R. Rounsaville, G.R. Wiggans, and P.J. Van Soest. 1982. The measurement of liquid and solid digesta retention in ruminants, equines and rabbits given timothy (Phleum pretense) hay. Br. J. Nutr. 48:329-339.
• United States-Canadian Tables of Feed Composition, 1982. National Academy Press. Washington, DC
