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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum DIET & CARE Please help me choose best pellets for my bun

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    • leahe003
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        My Holland Lop bunny is 6 months old now. We have been “special” ordering his food from the breeder and they will not inform us of the brand they use so it’s time to go our own way and ween him onto a similar pellet. I was told he is fed a show formula feed with yucca and papaya. I’ve also heard Oxbow is good but that does not contain either yucca or papaya…and don’t want to buy anything from a pet store as they know little to nothing about proper rabbit care (Oxbow Essentials is sold there so I don’t know if I trust it..)

        I’m conflicted because I’ve heard show formulas are not good to feed in the long run in order to live a long, healthy life (this is my goal, of course!) My bun is technically “show bred” but I am not entering him in shows so his health is my only concern. These are the foods I was considering/recommended by others:

        http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/sto…food-50-lb

        http://www.rabbit.purinamills.com/p…19046.aspx

        Please inform the best pellet to feed for long term health! Torn between what Show Formula or other pellet to buy. Thanks!!


      • leahe003
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          Here’s another pellet I was considering:

          http://www.nutrenaworld.com/product…/index.jsp


        • JackRabbit
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            Many BBers use Oxbow. I believe my bag says something like Oxbow Bunny Basics T Adult Rabbit Food. We use two vets, and both highly recommend the Oxbow food. While many pet stores do carry it, it’s one thing the pet stores actually got right so don’t be afraid to buy it there! You can also order it online (BB store carries it as well). Bunny pellets don’t need to have yucca and papaya in them. If you want to give your bun papaya, Oxbow makes a papaya enzyme tablet — I give one to each of my buns every day more as a treat.


          • LongEaredLions
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              I think those are all show rabbit foods, which are generally not recommended for pet bunnies. Most of us here recommend Oxbow.


            • GiggilyPuffBunny
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                Oxbow is the best! I’ve heard from multiple sources… that’s what I use at least 🙂


              • leahe003
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                  Thank you everyone for your helpful input it is very appreciated! I am convinced Oxbow is a good choice for my bun. I see 2 options- Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Food and Essentials Young Rabbit…would I feed him the young rabbit until he is 1 year old or is he ready for the adult formula (he is nearly 7 months old now)?? I still worry the one at the local Pet Store is not the “real deal”! But if it is, that would be very convenient!

                   @JackRabbit, I am really excited to try the Papaya tablets as well…can they be used just occasionally and not as a daily supplement? 


                • HouseMiniLops
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                    I couldn’t find oxbow anywhere locally, so I ended up using Kaytee Premium Alfalfa free Timothy fiber diet. I know I can order Oxbow, but I had to do this with a dog once and it was a major problem at times. I just feel more comfortable with something I can get locally if a bag goes bad or spills or something. I hope it is okay! He certainly loves it, and I only give him a small amount (1/6 a cup) per day.

                    If you can find oxbow locally, that certainly seems like the way to go!


                  • Mocha
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                      I would feed the adult ones. That’s what I fed my bunnies when they were 6 months old. They are amazing pellets for my bunnies, they’ve had no diet related problems in the long while i’ve had them. Just because it’s at a petstore doesn’t always mean it’s bad, as these are great. Feed your bunny 1/4 cup of pellets each day.

                      My bunnies like the Papaya tablets as treats. I usually split them in half and give one half to each bunny 1 or 2 times a day.


                    • Beka27
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                        Definitely the adult formula at this point… Its recommended to transition to timothy based pellets at about this age (6-7 months).

                        Oxbow has been around a long time, it’s only just recently been introduced into some pet stores (in the past 5 years maybe?)

                        Pet stores tend to charge a premium though, so you might want to check out ordering online if possible. You can get more for less money.


                      • leahe003
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                          Oh no! Before I saw this I purchased the Young Rabbit formula since the back of the bag said it was not suggested to feed the Adult formula to rabbits under 1 year old….is this bad?! Should I throw it away and buy the adult formula? Bunny is not eating the new food since he is used to the breeder’s food…any tips to get him to eat?? Thanks!


                        • leahe003
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                            Oh no! Before I saw this I purchased the Young Rabbit formula since the back of the bag said it was not suggested to feed the Adult formula to rabbits under 1 year old….is this bad?! Should I throw it away and buy the adult formula? Bunny is not eating the new food since he is used to the breeder’s food…any tips to get him to eat?? Thanks!


                          • Mocha
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                              The young rabbit pellets are made of alfalfa, so they will either make your bunnies grow (if still growing) or just fatten them. You can feed them, but the next time you can I would get the adult rabbit ones. Mix the breeder’s food with the new food. You can lower the amount of vegetables your feeding, so the bunny gets hungrier and eats the pellets.


                            • leahe003
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                                Mocha, thanks for your helpful responses! I don’t want my bun to get fat! Are you sure it’s okay to feed him this whole bag then switch to the adult one? I don’t want this food to go to waste but also want what is best for him. I will do as you said and mix his old food with the new kind to slowly introduce it. 


                              • Mocha
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                                  I wouldn’t feed the whole bag, you can keep feeding it until you are able to get the adult food. (Just get it when you can, he’s not over 1 so he might still be growing a little and won’t get too fat)
                                  Make sure he get’s plenty of excersize to burn off the alfalfa


                                • leahe003
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                                    Okay, I’ll go out and get the timothy ones soon…it threw me off since it said it was not recommended to feed to bunnies under 1 year of age! He is definitely done growing though he’s been this size for a while (now 7 months old). That was a waste of $15 haha oh well! Thanks!


                                  • Bam
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                                      You can mix the two types in a 20-80 ratio or sth, and/or you can give the “young” pellets as treats. The “young” is probably tastier since alfalfa is extremely tasty to bunnies. That way you can still use the bag you bought, it will only last longer.

                                      Or you can feed a smaller portion of the more densenly nutritious ones (the “young”). Many people give way too much pellets and end up with fat bunnies who won’t eat as much hay as they should and as a consequence get stomach issues. It’s the same with horses. Unless they’re race horses, they do fine on hay and grass. Too much pellets is more of a heath-hazard than too little, as long as there’s good hay available at all times. 

                                      I googled the Kaytee you are intending to use, and the main ingredient is timothy hay, so I think you can give a smaller amount of pellets as long as he has free access to good quality hay. Hay is key to their health. 

                                       


                                    • Beka27
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                                        Some pet stores will take back opened bags of food if there is an issue. Can you call and tell them you bought the wrong kind and see if they will exchange for the adult formula? It’s worth a shot…


                                      • leahe003
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                                          @bam, Thank you for the advice! I never know how many pellets he should have because I feel like he needs food available at all times! An empty dish in his habitat looks bad to me haha! I try to mix in leafy greens with his diet but don’t know proper amounts for each day and what he should have from each veggie/fruit group…so many websites recommend different things.

                                          Beka27, you were right, the pet store took back the open bag of food! It’s a very nice family owned store and I feel good giving them my business since they were so nice about it!


                                        • Beka27
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                                            Here is the BB info page for diet recommendations. We follow the HRS guidelines. The short answer is 2 cups per day of green, leafy veggies for every rabbit up to 6 pounds in size. There is a veggie list linked here… https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/2/PID/940/Default.aspx

                                            I’m glad that pet store took the food back for you. It’s nice when you find a business that stands behind their products.

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                                        Forum DIET & CARE Please help me choose best pellets for my bun