Bunny not liking his new pellets – need advice on slow changeover

[Lemonsoup]

Teddy is 9 weeks old (an English Angora) and was fed Barastoc pellets by the breeder (not a specific baby one). I purchased Oxbow Young Rabbit pellets for him. I started off doing the mix as per recommendations but he’s literally not eating any of the Oxbow pellets at all. He manages to get all the Barastoc out of his bowl but leaves the Oxbow. The breeder gave me enough pellets for a weeks worth of food but I’m thinking I’ll need to go buy some of Barastoc to keep his pellet feed up.

He’s eating his lucerne hay brilliantly, drinking a lot of water and pooping up a storm (some times of the day they are softer than usual and more oval than round – but other times they are normal).

Any suggestions on moving him across to the Oxbow? From what I’ve read, it’s a superior product for a kit.

Cheers!

[BanditCamp]

The oxbow alfalfa pellets are good for growing buns I have my bunny foarage for his pellets by placing them in toys or hide houses. Sometimes I place them in his litter hay and he eats them regular. The oxbow pellets are to support the growth not be a main staple as 70% should be hay

[Azerane]

I think barastoc is largely lucerne based so it is suitable for young kits. It’s commonly used by breeders for breeding does and growing kits so I wouldn’t say it’s a bad pellet for a growing kit. That being said, I’ve never been able to find an ingredients list for it.

How long are you leaving the oxbow in the bowl on it’s own before topping up with barastoc? Some buns are just fussy and will take longer to adjust to new smells and tastes. You might need to leave the oxbow in the bowl for longer to get him to try it. Another thing you could try is crushing up the oxbow pellets into more of a powder, then sprinkling that on the barastoc pellets. That way he will get a bit of a taste of the oxbow and you can gradually reduce how much you crush them by.

If you do need to buy more barastoc, keep in mind that it only comes from the supplier in 20kg bags, so you’ll probably need to ring around to pet or feed stores to find one that bags barastoc up into smaller bags (many of them either bag up jackrabbit or barastoc brand I believe).

[jerseygirl]

Maybe try putting only the oxbow pellets in with him at night, along with hay?

The barastoc would be okay for him to be on longer, him being young and a wool breed. They need additional protein to produce the wool. Barastoc is 16% protein, 18% fibre.

I just saw on Petstock site that Peters now have a timothy based pellet. Anyone know if that’s been around a while? I’m outta the loop.

[Azerane]

Jersey I think that they came out maybe 6-12 months ago. I’m not sure how long but a little bit. I’ve not seen a supermarket stock it though with their other Peters products, I’ve only ever seen it in pet stores. Given the price and the fact it’s only a 1kg pack, better off still buying oxbow or similar because it still works out cheaper. Though I was very pleased to see a common brand improving their range in a manner that benefits the animal, the the owner

Here’s the analysis etc: http://www.peterspureanimalfoods.com/products/rabbit/food/fibre-right-adult.php

[jerseygirl]

Im glad to see some more suitable Australian made pellets. If they just made it with oaten hay, they’d reduce the cost a lot. I suppose they are competing with Oxbow and keeping with timothy hay. They’re still importing timothy hay from the US by the looks. This always make my mind boggle. Australia produces outstanding suitable hays. Why import it?!

[Jessica]

My angoras have never cared for oxbow. Mine are on Sherwood adult complete and they love it, I’m in the states and i dont think it’s available much outside of them.

Remember that angoras need a higher percentage of protein then other breeds due to their wool production. If they dont have adequate they will not build or maintain proper muscle mass

[Azerane]

I don’t know, I guess timothy hay is seen and the be all and end all hay since it’s all that’s generally recommended, since most information about rabbit care and nutrition comes from overseas. It’s a little frustrating, though it always boggles my mind to see people here buying timothy hay as the regular hay for their buns. I have some of the timothy hay herb packs from oxbow, but that’s for foraging/treats. I wouldn’t be able to afford rent if I had to buy timothy hay, lol.

[Lemonsoup]

Thanks for this. Yes, he’s definitely big on his lucerne hay which is great. Re the Barastoc – I found the following on an Aus website about the breakdown:

Analysis

Crude Protein (minimum) – 16.5%

Crude Fat (minimum) – 3.0%

Crude Fibre (maximum) – 21.0%

Salt (maximum added) – 0.3%

Copper (added) – 8mg/kg

Selenium (added) – 0.1mg/kg

Calcium (minimum) – 1.0%

Phosphorus (minimum) – 0.7%

Vitamin A (minimum) – 12,000IU/kg

Vitamin D (minimum) – 3,500IU/kg

Vitamin E (minimum) – 150mg/kg

From my understanding of Angora’s – they need high protein in order to help keep wool block issues at bay. I’ve tried putting 8 pellets of Barastoc into my hand and 2 of Oxbow and moving my hand around so he follows it. He seems to enjoy doing it and bounces about eating it out of my hand, but once down to the two Oxbow tablets – he gives up (although he licks my hand to get the crumbs from the Barastoc – clever little monkey).

Great idea re crushing up some of the Oxbow and putting it on top. I’ll try that. As for leaving it in the bowl – yes, I’ve left the Oxbow in now for five days. And I’ve also got Oxbow in the bottom of his hay feeder. Which again he ignores. How long can pellets be left in the bowl (uneaten) before they go stale and he won’t fancy them anyway?

[Lemonsoup]

I’ll try just the Oxbow tonight in the bowl and see if any is touched. His hay feeder has only Oxbow and he hasn’t eaten any of it. Just wondering if I need to replace it since it’s been in there for five days now??

I’ve not seen Timothy Pellets at any of the pet stores I’ve been to in our area.

[jerseygirl]

Oh yes, you’re right, Barastoc is 21% fibre.

I don’t think it really matters that the pellets are still in the hay feeder, tbh. I’d only remove if they got wet.
He’s probably a rabbit that can remain on a lucerne (aka alfalfa) pellet all his life. Just limited amounts when he’s older.

Is the Oxbow you have the junior pellet of adult one? 

ETA: My rabbits eat the barastoc pellets and have for years. They range from age 5-10. Ive just always limited the amount they get. 

I have friends that don’t feed any pellets, just oat hay and veg and occasional fruit treats. Their rabbits seem very healthy and are (collectively) over the age of 5. Some are about 8 or 9.  Though, none of those are wool breed and I believe they all did have pellets earlier on in life. 

[Lemonsoup]

Thanks so much for this. Yes, the Oxbow I have is the junior pellet version. I’ve found an online place that sells 10kg bags. But I’m sure I found somewhere a while back that had 5kg bags. I’ll have to do a check and see what I can find or what my local pet store might be able to order in for me. If the Oxbow doesn’t end up being eaten by our little guy then I’ll drop my bag into the local rabbit adoption place as I’m sure they’ll have bunnies who’ll love it .

[Jessica]

The protein level is not about wool block it’s about wool production, so how their hair grows and how their body uses the neutrients it’s provided. I got my first angora back in ’96. For angoras they have to have that higher protein to stay healthy, if you drop their protein, especially during the first year their muscles do not form properly. They are kinda odd in the fact that their bodies will use nutrients towards wool first.

I’m sorry if I sound like I’m harping, it’s just the breed that I keep and have worked with for many years now ? Also remember that they tend to need to eat more pellets then other rabbits of similar size. They have health and wellness needs that do differ from other breeds, growing wool takes lots of energy.

I saw in one of your other posts that you plan to keep him outside, be aware that angoras overheat very quickly, mine have never handled temps of 80F well, and not much over 75F if they are in coat. Consider keeping them short in the warmer months, full coat plus summer don’t mix well.

If you have any questions feel free to shoot me a message I can also point you towards angora specific information ?

[Lemonsoup]

This is wonderful information regarding the protein! Thanks so much. Yes, we’ll be keeping him inside during our hot summers to ensure he doesn’t overheat. And I’m going to clip him in summer.

They say unlimited pellets as a baby bunny (he’s 9 weeks). Is this what you recommend? And when should I start giving more measured doses of them?

I’m super stressed at the moment because I’m out of Barastoc pellets for him and the Barastoc is only available through online retailers (in 20 kg bags – I can’t find a local store that supplies at all and it’s Easter). Despite trying different things in regards to moving him to Oxbow, he’s not budging. And I can’t get Barastoc until Tuesday now at the earliest. Will he be OK with only his lucerne hay? He does eat a lot of it and seems his usual self. But he adores his pellets. Was literally climbing on to us today when we got down on the ground with him so he could investigate if we had any (he had the last lot this morning). Any thoughts on this?

[jerseygirl]

I personally think he would be okay on just the lucerne (alfalfa) for the weekend.Provide lots of water, as they tend to drink more when eating lots of hay. Giving oaten hay in with his lucerne wouldn’t hurt either.

I’m sorry if I sound like I’m harping, it’s just the breed that I keep and have worked with for many years now ? Also remember that they tend to need to eat more pellets then other rabbits of similar size. They have health and wellness needs that do differ from other breeds, growing wool takes lots of energy.

Good point Jessica! And shedding it takes energy too, I imagine. I mean, moulting for normal furred rabbits uses up extra energy so for wool breeds that blow their coats, it would take up same or more, right?

[Lemonsoup]

Thanks Jerseygirl! I didn’t know that I could mix his hays at this age. I’ll definitely get some oaten in that case. What’s the difference with Meadow Hay and Oaten Hay? He does love his hay and I provide him with water in a bowl plus a drink bottle too. The breeder had mentioned that he was one who preferred a bowl to the bottle – but he seems pretty happy with both methods now, so I give him both just in case. And he certainly does go through a lot!

[Jessica]

Jersey girl you are right! My satin is 5.5 lbs and she eats about 3/4 cup of pellets each day and is skinny. She also gets unlimited hay, usually Timothy but sometimes a medowgrass clover mix. She is almost 8 months and we have already gotten about 4 ounces of wool from her

[Author]

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