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HayHey0248

HayHey0248

BunMum
Joined
Jan 16, 2012
Messages
70
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5
Location
Goldfields, , Australia
Im just wandering what fellow rabbit owners in Australia, especially Western Australia, purchase what brand of pellets.
I have found some pellets in farmer stores but was not sure about them. The pet shop doesn't have any good brands, they only sell their own mixes, which are not good.

Even better could anyone provide me with a daily feed scheduled that i could study so i can get some ideas on a good routine. My rabbit will be a 3 month old, mini rex, buck. My local farmer supply store has oaten hay, which is great, and i grow a variety of vegetables anyway that i could use. Also is fresh alfalfa still fine at this age in small amounts? :):):innocent
THANKS!:big wink:
 
I was looking at Oxbow, which is very good but i have no shops around that stock this product so i may have to order it every month. Does this sound too much, as in ordering every month or am i better off asking if my local pet shop or feed store if they can stock it for me?
 
You don't have to get new pellets every month is you can keep them dry. But them into separate bags that are well sealed & put somewhere cool. If the feed store ordered any for you they probably would order several & keep them in conditions no better than you can. Can you order oxbow once & see how much you use & then determine how often to order more.

But start out using whatever kind the breeder uses, then mix in the oxbow, starting in a couple days. In fact as the breeder is sending you your rabbit, ask if she can include a couple days' worth of pellets, litter, & hay. The rabbit will have enough changes without those things changing right away too.
 
I've been researching this too and see that quite a few breeders use Barastoc pellets, which is probably the one you've seen at the produce stores. Although it's mainly used for farming rabbits but is also suggested for pet rabbits... they also have a rabbit and guinea pig mix which has a higher protein but lower fibre (as it's suppose to be used in conjunction with hay, veges etc where as the rabbit only pellets are a solo food)

Only issue is it's made from lucerne but I'm sure if you don't feed too much things should be OK and also most places sell it in 20kg bags which would last lil bunny months but as mentioned, keep it dry and cool (I buy bulk cat food and keep it indoors with no issues) things should be OK... but your local produce store might have smaller bags of it.
 
Thanks guys!:bunnysuit: The breeder said she would send me some of his feed too, but im not about bedding/litter...

Yesterday i went to the pet shop and asked if they knew anything about Oxbow and if they could stock it, but they had no clue what it was! So i may have to ask my feeder or order from the Oxbow ebay site and see how it goes.
I only saw large bulk bags of feed for rabbits but im not sure whats in them, so im a bit wary but ill ask them if i could have a look inside.

I just really want him to have the best feed so can be a super happy, healthy bun! :bunnyheart
 
HayHey0248 wrote:
ok. :) So what should it read on the packaging (fiber,fat etc.)
Also what should it contain?
Click to expand...
Yep need to know what's in it. Here's an article that I found from a Vet that gives you some guidelines of what you need to feed your rabbit.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

A good quality rabbit pellet DOES NOT contain dried fruit, seeds, nuts, colored crunchy things or other things that are attractive to our human eyes, but very unhealthy to a rabbit. Rabbits are strict herbivores, and in nature they rarely get fruit, nuts or other such fatty, starchy foods. The complex flora of the cecum can quickly become dangerously imbalanced if too much simple, digestible carbohydrate is consumed--especially if the diet is generally low in fiber. The result is often "poopy butt syndrome," in which mushy fecal matter cakes onto the rabbit's behind. This a sign of cecal dysbiosis, which can foment much more serious health problems.
A good quality rabbit pellet should have at least 22% crude fiber, no more than approximately 14% protein, about 1% fat and about 1.0% calcium. Check the label on the rabbit pellets before you buy. Most commercial pellets are alfalfa-based, which means they're higher in calories and lower in fiber than timothy-based pellets.
Baby rabbits may be fed unlimited pellets, as their bones and muscles need plenty of protein and calcium for proper growth. However, the calories and nutrients of commercial pellets fed ad libitum exceeds the needs of a healthy adult rabbit, and will not only promote obesity, but discourage the rabbit from consuming enough hay to ensure good intestinal health.
The wise "bunny parent" will begin to gradually taper the quantity of pellets once the rabbit is about eight to twelve months old. and feed no more than 1/8 cup per day for every four pounds of rabbit (you can give a little bit more if the pellets are timothy-based). Some rabbit caregivers complain that their rabbits won't eat their hay. If the problem is not medical in nature (e.g., molar spurs and other dental problems are a common problem responsible for "picky eating"), then it may be that the rabbit is eating too many pellets, isn't hungry, and so doesn't eat the hay so vital to his/her health. Take the tough love approach! Cut back the pellets until you are sure your rabbit is eating enough hay.




Hope this helps.

K :)
 
Thanks! :) that helped me heaps.
Now about water, can i use regular tap water, noting that our water has a little chlorine and is a 'heavy' water because it is sent though a pipe from a city?
 
HayHey0248 wrote:
Thanks! :) that helped me heaps.
Now about water, can i use regular tap water, noting that our water has a little chlorine and is a 'heavy' water because it is sent though a pipe from a city?
Click to expand...
Do you have filters. Or you can get a craft (water jug) with a filter on it and use it just for your rabbit. Chlorine is not good to digest for anyone, least rabbits. Filtering your water will take some of it out of it so your rabbit is not taking in the chlorine.

If you can't get a filter, just get an old jug, like a milk jug, and put cold water in it, place it in the refrigerator and in 48 hours you will have non-chlorine water.

We don't worry about chlorine or whatever else is in our water, we have a whole house RO system. Have to because of where we are living and what is in our water. And it's not just chlorine. Wish that was all it was.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck.

K :)
 
No we dont but i really want to get some. Though we do keep a large jug of water in the fridge anyhow and it's been in their for more than 50hours.
Ill soon upload a pic of his Xpen soon. :)
 
You probably should go under housing & give a little background for people who didn't see this or any other thread.

It doesn't fit here either, but I wondered whether you had a vet lined up. It's best not to wait until one is needed.
 
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