Feeding Alfalfa to Rabbits

As a herbivore, fibre is crucial for the rabbit’s digestive health. Low levels of fibre, combined with high levels of cereal in the rabbit’s diet can result in digestive disturbances such as diarrhoea. Feeding fibre helps to maintain peristalsis as well as maintaining gut pH. This promotes a favourable gut environment that allows beneficial bacteria to thrive.

Dengie alfalfa is naturally low in sugar and starch and is harvested when the plant is young. This means that alfalfa provides a more digestible source of fibre compared to plants cut at a more mature stage, such as timothy hay. In practice this means that alfalfa can make more of a contribution to a rabbit’s energy requirements, which in turn can help reduce the reliance on cereals.

Feeding Dengie chopped alfalfa also promotes increased chewing time compared to feeding cereals. This not only helps with efficient teeth wear but also promotes natural feeding behaviour helping to keep your rabbit occupied for longer.

As a legume, alfalfa provides excellent levels of good quality protein including the essential amino acids lysine, threonine and tryptophan. Protein is important in the rabbit’s diet for growth, reproduction, cell renewal and tissue repair.

Hutch kept animals may be vitamin D deficient as naturally sunlight would promote vitamin D synthesis. Alfalfa provides a natural source of vitamin D, therefore adding alfalfa to the ration may be particularly beneficial in the winter months.

Rabbits require a ratio of 1.5-2:1 calcium to phosphorus in their diet for optimal bone and teeth strength. Cereals provide a ratio of 1:5 calcium to phosphorus whereas alfalfa provides a ratio of 5:1. In practice this means that alfalfa can be used to naturally balance cereals in the diet. Alfalfa is also an abundant source of β-carotene which is a precursor for vitamin A and is important for fertility and the survival of young rabbits. Alfalfa also supplies vitamin E which is an important antioxidant.

A rabbit’s natural diet would provide higher levels of omega-3 than omega-6 essential fatty acids. Using a fibre based ration that includes Dengie alfalfa helps to maintain this natural ratio. This is important as research suggests that elevated omega-6 puts the body in an inflammatory state increasing the risk of allergies and skin problems.

As alfalfa provides good quality protein, naturally occurring vitamins and minerals and promotes a naturally good ratio of omega-3 it is an excellent choice for showing success as all of these factors result in fantastic skin and coat condition.