Rabbit Ration (Pellets) Please Advise

[Channahs]

I'm just full of questions today. Just a worry wart bunny mama wanting everything to be as it should be for my furbaby.

I bought Barry from a eLop breeder. He was weaned and eating free choice "Prime Quality" Rabbit Grower Ration. This Ration comes in 16 or 18 percent protein. I am using the 16% protein as the 18% was not available. I actually have to drive a half an hour to and from to get this at one of the few feed stores local enough to me that sells this food. I tried changing him to something equally yummy and nutritious, but he refused. I would mix in the pellets, he would eat around them, and I would find the mixed in pellets in the bottom of his bowl.

So. Barry will be 3 months on August 1st. He's an English Lop that weighs about 5 1/2 lbs currently. His parents were 10 and 11 lbs fully grown. He gets his pellet and hay free choice and his is definitely a little piggy. He eats plenty of both.

Here are the details of his food.

http://www.primequalityfeeds.com/feeds/rabbit_PQRabbitGrower.shtml

Is this good? Bad? The last thing in the world that I would want to do is to feed him something that would shorten his life, naturally he must live forever. Not only this, I had to buy a 25 lb bag of it. I keep it in the bag in a sealed metal garbage can. Should I freeze it?

I would really love to hear some feedback to make sure that I'm not doing any harm to Barry. Thank you!

 

[whiskylollipop]

It's not terrible, but judging from the ingredients it seems like a second-rate food. The fibre content is a bit low but should be fine given with unlimited fresh hay. It's mainly the high grain and corn content that raises flags in my mind. If he won't eat anything else though, it's naturally better that he eat something than nothing. In the long term I'd maybe try decreasing his pellet rations and transitioning him onto a balanced veggie and hay diet for his health.

I don't know about freezing pellets though! I'd think keeping unused portions sealed should be sufficient to keep it fresh till its expiry date.

 

[Channahs]

I've been studying more and I'm with you. I ordered a 10 lb bag of oxbow young rabbit from amazon earlier tonight. Haven't tried changing to this one so we shall see. It appears that the Prime Quality is used by breeders who breed for that word I cannot say. Its more of a grower ration.

 

[missyscove]

Oxbow is an excellent choice. It may take a while to convince him that the new pellets taste just as good as the old. If he's still eating plenty of hay it's okay for him to go a day without pellets if that's what it takes to get him to try them.

 

[Channahs]

I started mixing his oxbow in last night per the recommends from their website. 3x current pellets x1 oxbow for a week. Then 2x2 next week and 1x3 third week then all oxbow. Seems like it will take forever but so far so good!

 

[JBun]

If you notice any digestive upset or mushy poop, you may have to transition more slowly, by just increasing small amounts each day, like 1/2-2 tsp. a day, over 2-4 weeks. Most of my rabbits have a sensitive digestive system, and I have had to transition as slowly as just increasing 3 pellets a day. Takes forever, let me tell you. Luckily they are very small buns and don't eat many pellets.

 

[Channahs]

That Barry! So far I've noticed no upsets. That little man has a cast iron stomach. He's getting free choice of pellets and hay and he's gone through almost an entire 40oz bag of Oxbow Timothy hay in the less than 3 weeks that I've had him. He's eating about 3/4-1 cup of pellets a day. He's getting a small salad of parsley, cilantro with half a brussel sprout and a little orange bell pepper in the mornings and evening, and fresh grass from my overgrown (no pesticides) garden. He loves everything that Bun Jovi hates. Everything has been introduced in very small amounts and very slowly. Haven't seen a change in poop at all, and I'm always up in his litterbox LOL! He's a little bottomless pit. He's growing, but not getting chubs. I love this bunny forum. Almost everything I've learned about house bunnies, was learned here.

It seems his pee has been a little stronger smelling since I've started adding in the Oxbow pellets, but maybe that's because of the higher fiber and better quality of Alfalfa? I'm not giving him Alfalfa hay, he's getting Timothy because the Young Bunny Oxbow is so rich with it already and the webpage feeding says if you do feed alfalfa, to make it very limited. So Timothy...we'll nix that change to Timothy in the bud by just starting him there. Jovi did not take to Timothy from Alfalfa very well. She's still not a fan, and I have to encourage her with lots of alternatives and fresh grass.

 

[Zirallan]

I miss my english lop. Most personable rabbit I've ever met..

Rabbits are stubborn creatures and can take forever to decide a new food is worth eating. A rabbit who isn't introduced to a variety of things at a young age takes an average of 10 tries to get them to even taste it. They can be even pickier about their pellets at even a young age. He will eventually eat it if you just stick with giving it to him though..

At 3 months, he could be hitting puberty which makes their urine smell stronger. Gotta love hormones.