What brands to feed?

[Blabauve]

I just got my first rabbit! It is a 1 year old english angora buck. I sell dog food for a living and am somewhat of a pet food snob. I know NOTHING about rabbit food but would like to feed a good brand pellet and get the best hay (if there is such a thing) possible. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Angora rabbits do have different needs than other breeds. The pellets should have at least 16% protein, but some people do use a higher protein pellet. They need the protein to grow wool and if they don't get it they will take the protein from their bodies and get thin. They can also chew the wool if they don't get enough protein. You will probably have to go to a feed store brand to get a suitable pellet as the brands sold in most pet stores just don't seem to work very well for angoras. I have tried a higher end 16% protein pellet with my angoras and about 6 months of them being on it they had lost weight and were chewing the wool. I have had Lillian (my current Giant angora) on a feed store brand for a year now and she does very well on it.

The brand of hay doesn't really matter. Timothy or other grass hay is best. Angoras do need lot of fibre especially when they are in a fuller coat as they can be ingesting more wool. The hay should be green, but not an artificial green. It should smell fresh and not dusty. I have had bales and are dusty and make cough in the car and others that smell sweet and I am just fine with. I buy bales of hay as it is much cheaper than bagged hay and with 4 rabbits I need to cut costs where ever I can.

Brands of hay and pellets do vary from area to area. While there are some brands that you can get all over the US, I cannot get them here. The hay I get is from local farmers, so you can't get it where you are. The important thing is to find a brand that works for you, that you can get and you can afford.

If the person you got the rabbit is reputable, you can ask them what they feed and where to get it. Breeders do know a good feed and won't use something that doesn't work.

 

[Blabauve]

Thank you so much for the reply. Good to know I should feed more hay than pellets. Do most rabbit owners free feed or feed meals? You are right, I could no find anything above 14% protein at Petsmart. I will try ordering the food through one of our pet food distributors at work.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Some people free feed while others feed once or twice a day. It really depends on the person and the rabbits. I give pellets twice a day, hay as needed (usually at least once a day), veggies every other day. 3 of my 4 rabbits will just keep eating pellets, so can't have them all the time, they get a measured amount. My other ones eats throughout the day, but still gets a measured amount. I would give a measured amount for adults so you know what they are eating and can control the amount. Younger rabbits should get more than adults as they are growing, but adults really don't need a lot of pellets. My angoras each get 1/2 a cup per day and the others gt 1/4 cup per day (they are smaller too).

I think Petsmart does carry Nutriphase foods and there is 1 that I think is higher protein. I haven't looked in a while, so it might have changed or yours doesn't have it.
I would check feed or farm stores near you. Try calling them and ask what brands they carry then look those up online to see if it is a suitable product. The 2 brands that I do hear about for rabbits are Purina and Manna Pro. I can't get either brand here, so don't have personal experience, but I would probably got for Manna Pro if I had a choice.
When looking at the pellets, you should try to at least 16% protein, but not more than 18%. The fibre should be 18% or more, but a bit less isn't too much concern if you feed lots of hay. You don't want too much fat, I think 1.5% is good. The ingredients will probably have alfalfa first, I prefer to avoid corn if at all possible.

 

[Blabauve]

I can't find any pellets with 16% protein, but I did find one with 15% It's the Oxbow 15/23 Bunny Basics Pellet. I'm able to order all of the Oxbow products from my distributor. Would this work? Is it a good product? It's much easer for me to order things through work rather than make a trip to the feed store, plus I get it at cost.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

While Oxbow is great for most rabbits, I don't think it is really suitable for angoras. It doesn't have enough protein and some brands just don't seem to work for them.

Can you get this stuff http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753488&lmdn=Pet+Type I think that there are some other angora people who have used it but I don't know if it is good long term. It would be suitable for an angora.

 

[Blabauve]

I think I did see that one - but I avoided it because of the corn. ?? This boy has never had any raw veggies - should I start feeding them?

 

[Blabauve]

What about the manna pro sho formula?

 

[Momto3boys]

Wow, I am totally learning something new, I had no idea Angora's needed high protein.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Blabauve wrote:

What about the manna pro sho formula?

The Sho formula should work. I don't know if it is any better than the other formula, but I think it is the one I would try if I could get it easily.

 

[pinkluwink]

Just some advice, if you can avoid it, DON'T buy food from a pet store or grocery store. Products don't circulate often and can be loaded with mold! I do not recommend Oxbow AT ALL, I just did a lot of reading about it, and not only is it ridiculously expensive, it's also VERY low in protein. I also don't recommend a lot of fresh veggies, I tend to use those more as treats. Pellets are basically a complete nutrition intended to be supplemented with hay. A really good treat is spinach leaves, they are an excellent source of calcium. I really don't recommend Alfalfa hay, Orchard grass and Timothy are best. Again, if you can avoid buying it from a grocery or pet store that would be best. Sometimes you can buy partial bales from people who own large animals. I hope this helps!