Food questions.

[Moro Ferret]

I feed Purina -- the green bag. This is a food local ARBA and RichmondRBA members seem to live buy. My bunnies seem to rip through the food, and with only four, I do still go through food fast, because they eat a fair amount and waste far more.

I feed a constant supply of these pellets (with a TINY bit of oats mixed in!), hay most of the time (good hay is hard to find at a decent price here, and readily available hay is usually more dust than hay. The only good way to buy it is in a huge bail, which I can't do right now due to renovation and space restrictions, as it's big and messy.) I only OCCASIONALLY get alfalfa hay when it's all I can get, but usually get timothy, orchard, or oat hay. I feed fruit and veggies roughly once a week and greenstuffs (cilantro and greens and dark leaf things) every day with little exception. I don't give treats AT ALL because most treats seem unhealthy, and I guarantee my bunnies like a big bunch of kale more than a tiny overpriced piece of processed mystery.

I am concerned because a lot of my breeder friends use this Purina, at $15 per 50 lbs...roughly. This is an alfalfa based pellet. But I notice many House Rabbit people feed Oxbow or Purina's timothy hay pellet, which a $16 bag of wouldn't last me a week. I am already torn because I agree with the House Rabbit movement of having bunny inside with a huge cage and toys, but I also breed Dutch on a small scale, show on a small scale, and have purebred rabbits, and my best bunny friends are all breeders. Who else feeds Purina in the green bag? Am I denying my rabbits health and a full nutrition by not spending 10x more on Oxbow? And WHY are these timothy foods so expensive?

Help...I'd do anything for my rabbits, but I really want to know if Purina is that much worse than the overpriced Oxbow products. I already play that game with my ferrets, whom eat the most expensive holistic diet on the shelves.

 

[Myia09]

I feed Purina Show Formula for my indoor rabbits, one who is just pet and one who will be showed. I think show used to be in a purple bag, but now its green.
I think its great food, but I am biased I think because I can also feed it to my Chinchillas (Its a great quality pellet for them too) so I save TONS of money..
I would not feed Oxbow even if I wanted to switch, I would go to Mana Pro.
But, esp now with the corn removed, its a great food my rabbits love.

 

[ra7751]

I feed my large population of rabbits green bag Purina and never have any problems whatsoever. I personally think Oxbow is over rated and certainly over priced. The primary diet should be hay anyway.

As far as good hay.....check with your state's agricultural department's web site. I know that both NC and VA have "hay exchanges" which lists hay for sale. Any hay that is safe for a horse is safe for a rabbit. I currently buy a lot of hay from a vet student that has high end horses. I get all sorts of mixes and even some alfalfa mixes in 70 lb. bales for $10 each.

Randy

 

[tamsin]

Individual rabbits have different nutritional requirement. A breeding doe, for example, will require a higher protein level, than a neutered adult house rabbit. You might find there isn't a one size fits all type of food that meets all your requirements.

Hay is the most important type of food, rabbits should have it available 24/7 or you court teeth and gut problems. The more hay you feed the less pellets they'll need too. Grass is the same as hay so you can grow it to cut and feed fresh as a substitute to hay if that's cheaper/more easily available.

If you have stables near you they might let you buy part bales. If you have outside space have you thought about getting a store to use. You can get mini sheds for storing garden tools/bikes that are just right for hay bales. I keep my bedding/hay in one a bit like this: http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.205-8607.aspx

When you say they 'waste' food, how do you mean? I don't have any waste pellets, if they aren't eating them all or they soil them before they get eating you might be feeding too much.

 

[Moro Ferret]

Mine knock over their food/dig the food out of the bowl, and it gets knocked everywhere. Occasionally one of my boys uses the bathroom in their food, if the bowl is less full. I don't understand this? They have done it less so in their new huge cage. It's not a big issue but they do waste it.

 

[tamsin]

I would guess it's probably because you mix oats in, they are extra tasty so they will dig through the food to get those first Oats are good at putting on weight so I wouldn't feed them daily to non breeding adults.

It sounds like you might be giving them more food than they need. A rabbits bowl should be empty of pellets about 90% of the time if your feeding the right amount.

For an adult dutch rabbit I would feed approximately 30-40g (1-1.5oz) of pellets per day. Plus daily vegetables and a 24/7 supply of hay.

Females that are currently breeding and youngsters that are still growing will need more or a higher protein pellet.

Adult non breeding rabbits needs a protein level of 12-14% and fibre 19%+, breeding females/youngsters a protein level of 16%. The levels should be on the back of the packet.

A 25lb bag of food should last about 7-8 weeks.

 

[Moro Ferret]

Well I originally got the oats because my tan was kind of thin when I got him. He still is, and he is perfectly healthy (I have taken him to the vet and stuff, and had a fecal done and a general check-up) and his breeder was a reputable one. He isn't really thin I guess, just very slim and trim. I guess he gets enough exercise! He also eats like a horse.

My other rabbits are not thin/slim/trim, but not fat. Just average.

I will stop mixing the oats in after this current batch of food then. Thanks for your help, I guess I will feed them less pellets.:biggrin2: I give leafy greens and hay liberally, so they definitely get a lot to eat. My rabbits DEVOUR green leafy foods, it's scary how much they can consume...

 

[tamsin]

If you're worried just give them a weigh in each week to check they keep to a similar size (if they are about right now) They should just eat even more hay and greens to compensate! It's amazing how much bunnies can eat, I don't know where they put it, lol!

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

Moro Ferret wrote:

I feed Purina -- the green bag. This is a food local ARBA and RichmondRBA members seem to live buy. My bunnies seem to rip through the food, and with only four, I do still go through food fast, because they eat a fair amount and waste far more.

I feed a constant supply of these pellets (with a TINY bit of oats mixed in!), hay most of the time (good hay is hard to find at a decent price here, and readily available hay is usually more dust than hay. The only good way to buy it is in a huge bail, which I can't do right now due to renovation and space restrictions, as it's big and messy.) I only OCCASIONALLY get alfalfa hay when it's all I can get, but usually get timothy, orchard, or oat hay. I feed fruit and veggies roughly once a week and greenstuffs (cilantro and greens and dark leaf things) every day with little exception. I don't give treats AT ALL because most treats seem unhealthy, and I guarantee my bunnies like a big bunch of kale more than a tiny overpriced piece of processed mystery.

I am concerned because a lot of my breeder friends use this Purina, at $15 per 50 lbs...roughly. This is an alfalfa based pellet. But I notice many House Rabbit people feed Oxbow or Purina's timothy hay pellet, which a $16 bag of wouldn't last me a week. I am already torn because I agree with the House Rabbit movement of having bunny inside with a huge cage and toys, but I also breed Dutch on a small scale, show on a small scale, and have purebred rabbits, and my best bunny friends are all breeders. Who else feeds Purina in the green bag? Am I denying my rabbits health and a full nutrition by not spending 10x more on Oxbow? And WHY are these timothy foods so expensive?

Help...I'd do anything for my rabbits, but I really want to know if Purina is that much worse than the overpriced Oxbow products. I already play that game with my ferrets, whom eat the most expensive holistic diet on the shelves.

purina rabbit chow ($18/50#)-/.this is a digestible fiber,,do not free hand--only a limited amount--less than half cup daily each.//.reason being is 70% of the diet must be nondigestible fiber.ie timothy/orchard grasses(hay)-anything else is a treat.//.note free hand of pellets will lead to serious complications,,dental,infections,gistasis...sincerely james waller:wave:ink iris:

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

Moro Ferret wrote:

Mine knock over their food/dig the food out of the bowl, and it gets knocked everywhere. Occasionally one of my boys uses the bathroom in their food, if the bowl is less full. I don't understand this? They have done it less so in their new huge cage. It's not a big issue but they do waste it.

there is a metalpellet server-which attatches to the cage,,they cannot sit in,,generally sold at farm supply stores/or invent your own/small cpontainer attatched to the cage,,but do-not keep it full,,each rabbit should only get a small portion daily for vitamins and nutrition--it is a digestible food/big difference,,,non digestible fiber.ie timothy/orchard grass must make up 70% of the daily diet,otherwise serious complications will ensue--you will be plagued with vet bills or lose your rabbit all together,..,rabbits are consumate groomers and chewers their teeth are constantly growing-requiring lots of chewing-when the soft pellet is consumed( belly full )-chewing stops,,overtime teeth grow into the internal tear ducts,,infections soon follow.,,,gistasis has already begun--the gi tract slows,or stops and death is eminit...all avoidable, it is a simple diet,,add fruit tree branches/twigsfor chewing,,some dandylions,clover,grass,etc..-you can avoid a huge debt to a vet.....and it is better for the rabbit...sincerely james waller:wave:ink iris:

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

Myia09 wrote:

I feed Purina Show Formula for my indoor rabbits, one who is just pet and one who will be showed. I think show used to be in a purple bag, but now its green.
I think its great food, but I am biased I think because I can also feed it to my Chinchillas (Its a great quality pellet for them too) so I save TONS of money..
I would not feed Oxbow even if I wanted to switch, I would go to Mana Pro.
But, esp now with the corn removed, its a great food my rabbits love.

take heed the information on this thread.....james wallerink iris:

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

tamsin wrote:

Individual rabbits have different nutritional requirement. A breeding doe, for example, will require a higher protein level, than a neutered adult house rabbit. You might find there isn't a one size fits all type of food that meets all your requirements.

Hay is the most important type of food, rabbits should have it available 24/7 or you court teeth and gut problems. The more hay you feed the less pellets they'll need too. Grass is the same as hay so you can grow it to cut and feed fresh as a substitute to hay if that's cheaper/more easily available.

If you have stables near you they might let you buy part bales. If you have outside space have you thought about getting a store to use. You can get mini sheds for storing garden tools/bikes that are just right for hay bales. I keep my bedding/hay in one a bit like this: http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.205-8607.aspx

When you say they 'waste' food, how do you mean? I don't have any waste pellets, if they aren't eating them all or they soil them before they get eating you might be feeding too much.

we,,ll--i thought i was ahead of the game with two 90 gallon garbage tots,,one for timothy,,and one for orchard grass,,both covered with tarp...until one day-after a rain storm--upon removing some timothy hay--couldnot help but smell mold,,,yuk!..so now it goes is stored entirely in the facility a special bin for it/-vented,no bugs,no sun,no mold,,stored like a sak of spuds/.. those containers in the link--we.ll all i can say is...good luck...sincerely james waller:wave:

 

[Moro Ferret]

Thanks for all of the info, guys. I will keep feeding my food -- but less of it. And I will bust my butt to make sure they have hay EVERY day instead of almost every day.