Feed Stores

[Angel0607]

I have never stepped foot in one, what can I expect? Will things say rabbit food on them or do I have to know what Im looking for? What are good general brands that a feed store would sell? I know a lot of people talk about Purina brand but I've never seen that in a pet store before. My feed store has a website but its not very specific and I'd like to know what Im looking for just in case.

Also, I have been buying Kaytee Timothy Hay for my bunny but as he grows Im thinking this is going to get expensive. Is the feed store a good place to buy hay? What kind should I get? I dont have a lot of room for storage of it so thats one issue. Hes 6 months old so is an alfafa based pellet ok for now or should I switch him to timothy?

I've read a lot but still not sure on this stuff. Thanks!

 

[Little Bay Poo]

When I go to our local (1 hour away!) Tractor Supply I see cowboy boots, plaid Paul Bunyan shirts, plastic horse figurines, and hear the sounds of country music. The rabbit feed is in the same section as the horse, goat, and other farm animal feeds. The bags say "rabbit" somewhere on them and have pictures of rabbits so they are hard to miss.

The rabbit feed at our Tractor Supply is fairly limited, and consists of Manna Pro, DuMor, Blue Seal, and one or two other brands that I don't recall. Some of the bags don't have mill dates so it is a mystery as to what freshness you are getting. Most of the bags are 50 pounds and are very cheap ($10-15), and we are lucky if we can find a 25 pound bag to take home.

I haven't seen any really good brands sold at our feed store. I was pleased with Manna Pro Sho when we could get a fresh bag of it (rare) but then they stopped selling it. We purchased DuMor show pellets which the bunnies love, but they are 17% minimum protein, which is too high. As a result of the long drive, stale feed, and lack of selection, we've since switched over to ordering Oxbow pellets online. It is much easier for us this way.

I have not seen hay sold at our feed store. We have bought hay from Farmer Dave off ebay and recently bought Kleenmama's third cut timothy hay (also online). The bunnies have shown a preference for Kleenmama's. A five pound box is sufficient for us and easy to store. Five pounds lasts us a few months at least.

 

[Angel0607]

I know they should have a minimum of 18% of fiber, but what is the maximum for protein?

 

[Little Bay Poo]

I've read that 16% maximum protein is a good number to look for. The number can be less than 16 as well...I think I've seen 14% and 15%. I'm far from an expert in this so I'm just going by what I've read on the forum!

ETA: I think the protein numbers are given in minimums not maximums...so maybe it is 16% minimum that you are looking for. Bah, I'm a really bad person to ask I hope someone more knowledgeable comes along!

 

[Baby Juliet]

Little Bay Poo wrote:

When I go to our local (1 hour away!) Tractor Supply I see cowboy boots, plaid Paul Bunyan shirts, plastic horse figurines, and hear the sounds of country music.

Is that the one on or near Route 1? Didn't take a good look but it reminded me of a hardware/lumber store.

I go to the Feed Store at Glen Dale, MD and Southern States at Upper Marlboro, MD. Southern States has large bales of horse hay for about $9. Both places do not display the 50 pound feed. I pay first and they bring it out from storage.

If you google Purina Rabbit Chow you can find a site that list feed stores in your area. You can also ask local small pet shops to order feed for you. That way it's fresh.

 

[Little Bay Poo]

Baby Juliet wrote:

Little Bay Poo wrote:

When I go to our local (1 hour away!) Tractor Supply I see cowboy boots, plaid Paul Bunyan shirts, plastic horse figurines, and hear the sounds of country music.

Is that the one on or near Route 1? Didn't take a good look but it reminded me of a hardware/lumber store.

The Tractor Supply is right off of Route 7, across from the Leesburg outlet mall in Virginia. They sell rabbit cages, animal traps, supplies for pets/farm animals, feed, and other "farm stuff." I haven't been anywhere else to compare it to...but maybe it doesn't hold up to other feed stores.

 

[Angel0607]

I ended up getting a small bag of oxbow 15/23 and seeing if he likes that, otherwise we'll try purina

 

[Little Bay Poo]

Angel0607 wrote:

I ended up getting a small bag of oxbow 15/23 and seeing if he likes that, otherwise we'll try purina

Oxbow 15/23 is good. Both mine are on that and I find it more convenient than buying 25 - 50 pound bags because I don't have that many bunnies to feed. If you find he likes Oxbow and you eventually want to switch him to a timothy based pellet, you can buy Oxbow Bunny Basics Timothy

 

[Angel0607]

Ya I saw that they had that too