Pellet Preferences

Hey everyone- I had been doing some scouting through old forms but cannot find quite the info I’m looking for so I’m starting a new thread.
We currently have a Rex-Lionhead mix who I’ve had on Oxbow Adult Rabbit food as that’s what the shelter she came from was feeding at the time. We just adopted another bun to begin the bonding process. This bun was on a bulk Kalmback 15% feed. I was sent home with plenty to transition her food over. I’ve seen some controversy on the molasses included in Oxbow and may not be as well balanced as presented.
Im hoping some may share their views on this/if you would recommend something new That may be better?

As aways thank you so much for your help, support and input!

Please enjoy this new cutie who’s getting into Mischief and mayhem already!

Hi! She's ADORABLE! I cannot give an opinion on the oxbow thing, but i've heard they're good.
When looking for better pellets to transition to, i was reccommended this link:
http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.aspI'Ve been informed that this page doesn't include some other reputable brands, but i reckon it's a start to something.

The molasses is a binder. It's not necessarily bad in itself, but it's when there are too many carbs from molasses and grains in a feed and not enough fiber, that it can be a problem. So bulk feeds like the kalmbach, are usually made with lower quality ingredients and have a higher carb/lower fiber ratio. And this can lead to digestive issues for some rabbits. Pet foods like oxbow, use higher quality ingredients, and have a lower carb/higher fiber ratio. So even though it has molasses, it's a better feed and not necessarily bad, for most rabbits.

But if you're concerned about added grains and sugars being an ingredient in the pellets and want a healthier option, or you have a rabbit sensitive to carbs/sugars, there are a few grain/sugar free rabbit foods. The ones I'm aware of are, supreme select grain free and sherwood rabbit food. Neither contain molasses or grains, and sherwood is also soy free.

I just use the pellets our version of Tracktor Supply carries, they are alfalfa based but not too rich. I use them mostly as treats, so ingredients don't really matter at a handfull per day for 2 rabbits. About 20€ for 25kg.

There would be one alternative locally available, but there something labeled as "anticoccodia" is added, which is an antibioticum - that doesn't do what it claims to do. Coccidia develops resistency in a short time, less than a year, and kit mortality rises. But that is outweighted by the overall meat growth caused by that antibiotic. It's the worst industrial meat production has to offer. There is a warning that it must not be fed within 5 days before butchering, but without explanation which I had to find myself.
Just mentioning that as something to look out for when looking for rather cheap options, I'm happy with the brand I use, and as I said, since it's just a treat and supplement ingredients like grain or whatever are not critical in any way.

There sure are great pet brands out there, don't know much about those, that's out of my league.

JBun said:

The molasses is a binder. It's not necessarily bad in itself, but it's when there are too many carbs from molasses and grains in a feed and not enough fiber, that it can be a problem. So bulk feeds like the kalmbach, are usually made with lower quality ingredients and have a higher carb/lower fiber ratio. And this can lead to digestive issues for some rabbits. Pet foods like oxbow, use higher quality ingredients, and have a lower carb/higher fiber ratio. So even though it has molasses, it's a better feed and not necessarily bad, for most rabbits.

But if you're concerned about added grains and sugars being an ingredient in the pellets and want a healthier option, or you have a rabbit sensitive to carbs/sugars, there are a few grain/sugar free rabbit foods. The ones I'm aware of are, supreme select grain free and sherwood rabbit food. Neither contain molasses or grains, and sherwood is also soy free.

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Thank you- I think this was exactly the info I needed. I was struggling to find a clear reasoning on the molasses point of view. It gives em a little more info as I look into other brands and options! Sometimes it just feels so overwhelming to make the “right” choice!

Catlyn said:

Hi! She's ADORABLE! I cannot give an opinion on the oxbow thing, but i've heard they're good.
When looking for better pellets to transition to, i was reccommended this link:
http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.aspI'Ve been informed that this page doesn't include some other reputable brands, but i reckon it's a start to something.

Click to expand...

thank you! This is a great resource. So assuming I’m reading it correctly we’d consider the most well rounded option to be those green across the all columns?

Keep in mind, that pellet analysis has a lot of brands only available in the UK/Europe, and it isn't necessarily up to date. Like with sherwood, they reformulated their adult pellets to be timothy based now, so have a different calcium amount and ratio.

Just because a pellet isn't all green across on their comparison chart, doesn't mean the pellet won't be fine being fed as a limited vitamin/treat addition to a rabbits diet, if it's a good quality pellet. Most important aspect in a rabbits diet is the balance of protein and fiber, primarily from the hay that is fed. Pellets are just a minor addition to that diet, to provide some extra vitamins. If for some specific reason pellets were the primary food source in a rabbits diet, then the choice of pellet would be much more important.