about pellets

[ceeteh07]

First off, I am sorry if I may be posting too much new topics here.. I just have way too many questions, hehe...

so yeah, I have questions bout pellets..

How do you know if the pellets are of good quality and nutritious for bunnies/rabbits?

I first tried the imported pellets in a box (MYPETO was the brand Ithink) but they were rather expensive and they were GREEN. So I triedthe local rabbit pellets... they were BROWN... but the petshop thatrecommended me the imported pellets told me that the locals don't havenutritions.. yet they still sell them.

help! I am planning to get them pellets tomorrow before I ran out...but I don't know which one to buy. The green ones or the brown ones...if they are of almost the same nutrition, then I am going to buy thebrown ones.. they're 5x cheaper.

another q, hehe.. can I feed my bunnies, oats (like mix in them intheir pellets)? another petshop told me that rabbits also eat them.. Iforgot what they were called... Jockley Oats or something like that...I googled and nothing really came up to my satisfaction... but ithinted me that these oats have something to do with horses... and Iread that rabbits are more like horses in their digestive systemsrather than cats, dogs, rodents... etc.

help me...

 

[JimD]

Where you are located will have an impact on what types and brands of feeds are available.
Availability, brands, qualityand cost differ in US, Canada, UK, Australia, Asia, etc.

Ingredients and analysis are the important things. Protein, fiber, fat,unecessary added ingredients (dried nuts, fruit, veggies, "coloredbits", etc.), etc.

Unfortuately there are A LOT of feeds that are not suitable or healthy for the buns.

So, with that said........
Where are you located?

~Jim

 

[ceeteh07]

I am from the Philippines... well, I know thatwe don't have alfalfa or timothy stuffs here (or so in my knowledgebecause it's just so **** hard to find) and the importedgreen pellets were of alfalfa..

so maybe I should just get them the imported, greens?

I fed them the brown locals just for trials for about two weeks, I don't find anything wrong with them though..

 

[JimD]

I'm not sure if we have any other members from the Philippines. I was hoping we do so they could help out with this.

The imported pellets are most likely better, but without knowing the ingredients and analysis I'm just guessing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As for oats:
I give my buns a small amount of rolled oats (Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal)on a daily basis.
I also heard of some members giving crimped oats.

Carbohydrates should be a consideration when adding oats to a buns diet.

~Jim

 

[JimD]

ceeteh07 wrote:

I am from the Philippines... well, I know that we don't havealfalfa or timothy stuffs here (or so in my knowledge because it's justso darn hard to find)

I could be wrong, but I think there's something called "para grass" that is given to rabbits in the Philippines.

Anyone?

~Jim

 

[ceeteh07]

thanks for the replies Jim!

well, I googled about para grass because even I have heard of it forthe first time hehe... I live in a city and farms are rather nowherenear from where I live. I found out that there is somethingcalled para grass... http://www.bar.gov.ph/news/paragrass.asp
http://www.tropicalgrasslands.asn.au/pastures/para.htm

but I have no idea if it will be good for my bunnies (it said they feed para grass to goats.. etc)

if I really don't have any hope on grasses... I think I'll just grow myown grass... and if it will even survive on pots... :shock:

to save my money... will it just be good if I buy both the localpellets, and imported ones then mix them...? and probably littleoats..? will it be good for them?

sorry, I just have way too many questions..

 

[bluebird]

Im not sure if this is the case but in the US any pellets that are brown are very old and stale.bluebird

 

[JimD]

I found an article saying that the para grass is fed to breeding does, too.

Mixing the two pellets is a good idea. (I mix two kinds, too)
One benefit is that if you run out of one kind and can't get it, the buns will be ok with just the other.

Mixing in oats is ok, just make sure it's in moderatio. There's not alot of nutritional value and can easily make for chubby bunnies if toomuch is given.
Our 4 to 5 pound buns get 1/2 teaspoon daily.

~Jim

 

[jil101ca]

here in Northern Ontario i am limited to where Ican buy my pellets in the 40k bags. I normally but them from a smallcountry feed store for $13 but thought I would try them from the Co-opStore. The price was the same and the Co-op is more convieant for me.The Co-op bag was brown compared to the usual green ones and I had tosift the pellets because there was alot of fines in the bag.To me thepellets seemed like old stock which surprised me as the Co-op is agrain eleavator. I now strictly buy from the small country feed storeas the quality seems better.

 

[karona]

I feed oats only if she has squishy poop or issheading alot. I have horses and i just feed her what i feed them.Whole oats not oatmeal.

 

[ceeteh07]

I mixed the two kinds of pellets already and I think they like it better.. although I really can't tell haha...

thanks for your replies! big help