Is Oxbow a good brand for pellets + hay?

[Millie]

Hello All 

There seems to be quite a positive response on Oxbow pellets and hay, but some people stating that the hay wasn’t fresh, and the pellets were really crumbly in the bag? Is this true?

From what i’ve seen, it doesn’t seem to be true, but I want to see what you guys think.

Another concern is the price. I don’t think the price for pellets is that bad, but I feel as if when I get Millie, she’d go through a bag REAL fast, and I can’t seem to find Oxbow hay in bulk. Is the hay overpriced? Are the pellets worth it or is there a better alternative?

                                                                          Let me know what you think, -L 

[LittlePuffyTail]

Oxbow is the #1 vet recommended brand for pellets, and hay as well I believe. I use the Adult Timothy Pellets and the Orchard Grass. I don’t think the pellets are overpriced but the hay is very expensive. I buy it because it’s the absolute best but it costs me a fortune. I have 2 buns and one is about 11 lbs so he eats A LOT. But if you live somewhere with lots of shopping options, including online, shop around.

[Bam]

Oxbow is a quality brand, and all quality pellets are in the higher price-range. I don’t have Oxbow pellets, but I have Oxbow hay. It’s mostly because I can’t find any hay here that doesn’t have timothy in it, and I’m crazy allergic to timothy. There are many types of grass hay that are suitable for bunnies. You can even buy horse hay from tractor supply-type places, provided the hay has been stored dry and smells good.

A normal amount of pellets for a normal-sized bunny is about 2 tablespoons per day. A rabbit should ideally eat lots and lots of hay and only a little bit of pellets. It’s the best thing for keeping the teeth in order and the tummy working like it should. Hay also promotes a healthy weight, buns are prone to over-weight because they looove rich food. Hay is a lot cheaper than pellets.

[Wick & Fable]

Oxbow is the #1 recommended brand, as stated by LPT. They are a very caring company and it shows on multiple fronts: their packaging is clear, their customer service does not push their products, and they do great outreach, including “Ask a Vet” sessions, where the company veterinarian answers peoples questions live and in comments via social media platforms. They just hosted one yesterday.

Hay quality is something that will typically fluctuate for all hay brands, and I’d actually be suspicious if it didn’t. Hay is grown in large, open fields, and varying weather conditions can really affect a harvest. The company does a great job harvesting in a timely manner, but there are times for all companies where a batch is not as good as it usually is because conditions were poor at their harvesting site.

Pellets being smashed, I think is more a result of the shipping and handling by the stores. Thankfully, all of Oxbow’s products have little windows in the packaging, so you can access for hay freshness and pellet integrity.

I’ve also e-mailed them numerous times with product and health questions, and they’ve been very informative, consulting their vet sometimes too!

Wick’s entire diet is:
1) Fresh Veggies
2) Oxbow Timothy Harvest Stacks (compressed hay; not loose hay)
3) Oxbow Digestive Support Supplements
4) Oxbow Vitamin C Supplements
5) Oxbow Adult Rabbit Pellets (standard; not garden select variety)
6) Oxbow Simple Rewards Strawberry Treats

— He’s all Oxbow and he likes it.

Some rabbits have different preferences in taste, and some people talk about Oxbow v. Kaytee v. other brands’ hays making them sneeze more than others. Oxbow has lower dust than Kaytee and other brands, but remember hay is harvested in different areas for different companies, so the amount and types of pollen and dust in the hay will vary. It could be the area Oxbow harvests is laced with pollens and dust you and/or your rabbit are allergic and irritated by, while Kaytee hay is harvested in an area where you are much more tolerant of those airbourne particles.

There are larger bags of pellets, so you can find those. Rabbits will go through pellets more quickly from 8w to 6mo, because they’re eating a larger quantity so they grow up nice and strong. Once they’re an adult, rabbits typically get 1/8c to 1c max of pellets every day (“limited” pellets is the standard feeding term). Wick is 2lbs, so he receives between 1/8c to 1/4c of pellets a day. A bag lasts a very long time.

The main expense is hay. Hay is what you will and should go through often. If your rabbit likes Oxbow better than other brands, the increased price for the increased hay consumption is very much worth it since high hay consumption prevents a slew of rabbit maladies, which cause suffering, pain, and veterinary care.

I recommend buying a small bag of each, seeing how it goes, and going bulk after you get an idea of what your rabbit likes. Remember that young rabbit pellets are only applicable when they’re young, so don’t go crazy and buy a bunch or you may not use it all!

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Agree with Wick. Above and beyond with customer service. A few months ago, I bought a bag that just looked and smelled a bit different. Wasn’t bad just different so I e-mailed to see if maybe they changed something. The reply was super fast and they sent me a replacement bag in the mail 3 days later.

[Wick & Fable]

Not to be a spokesperson, but timely enough, oxbow’s vet, Dr kohles, just responded to one of my questions from an ask a vet session I could live stream. See his response here! A great example of commitment to service and well being.

http://www.instagram.com/wick_theboogeyman

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[binkieBun]

From experts I know, they say Oxbox is top for hay. For rabbit food pellets they say Sherwood is healthier than Oxbow food pellets.

http://sherwoodpethealth.com/ I
It is soy and grain free, which is good for rabbits’ health. Click the link to see how many large organizations support it.

[sarahthegemini]

I think Oxbow hay is brilliant, I get it in bulk though (22kg) which works out roughly £3.27 per kilo as it costs £72.

[joea64]

I feed Oxbow Adult Rabbit pellets exclusively to Panda and Fernando. This is the standard Essentials; I was considering trying Garden Select for a while, but it’s more expensive for a smaller amount (4-pound bag versus 5-pound bag), and the clincher is that Essentials actually has more all-important fiber in a serving than Garden Select. I’ve never tried the hay; it’s expensive, as others have noted, and I buy my hay from the local rabbit rescue for much cheaper most of the time anyhow (in fact I’m planning to get a resupply tomorrow).

[Millie]

*response to all*

Thank you everyone, so much. All of your replies mean so much to me and have definitely helped me make my decision for Millie’s arrival. I will be feeding her Oxbow pellets! Still deciding on which brand of hay, though. Special thanks to Wick and LittlePuffyTail…and everyone else!

Wishing all of you a fantastic day, -L

[Heather]

I just switched my bun from an inferior brand to Oxbow hay. He hasn’t quite taken to it. The stalks seem thicker and more coarse. Also, there is a lot more brown in this bag than the inferior brand. The inferior brand was more green and grass like.

Is that normal?

[joea64]

Posted By Heather on 1/19/2018 11:10 AM

I just switched my bun from an inferior brand to Oxbow hay. He hasn’t quite taken to it. The stalks seem thicker and more coarse. Also, there is a lot more brown in this bag than the inferior brand. The inferior brand was more green and grass like.

Is that normal?

Yes; as noted above, the quality of hay can be pretty variable depending on factors such as weather. Good companies like Oxbow do their best to ensure quality control, but they have to work with what they have to work with.

[BinkyBunny]

I think there are some really great brands of pellets and hay out there now. All brands may go through issues from time to time. Just like Joea64 mentioned. Some growing/harvest seasons can be rougher than others. So one season, one farm may do better than another, and the hay may have a more brown in it. That doesn’t represent a poor quality (as long as it’s not black/mold etc) as the fiber is still there, the nutrients will be a bit less, but rabbits eat hay for the fiber and their gut is already geared to handle low nutrition (hence is why they have cecals — a second round of nutrition, I know that is gross, but that’s the icky truth). So if you notice your favorite brand isn’t the same as the year before, don’t write em off. Another company will go through the same thing at some point.
I really like Oxbow’s customer service as well. We can call and I receive amazing customer service from their reps and their vet. And I have called a lot over the years for our store and on behalf of customer questions. They really pay close attention to what’s happening as well with the stores that are selling their products and I appreciate that as well.

Millie – I think it’s great you are doing all the research and preparing before you bring your bunny, Millie, home. That’s amazing.

[Millie]

Thank you so much, BB, for this whole message. It means so much to me, and you gave me some great advice that I will definitely keep in mind. Have a great day! 

Posted By BB on 1/19/2018 2:08 PM

I think there are some really great brands of pellets and hay out there now. All brands may go through issues from time to time. Just like Joea64 mentioned. Some growing/harvest seasons can be rougher than others. So one season, one farm may do better than another, and the hay may have a more brown in it. That doesn’t represent a poor quality (as long as it’s not black/mold etc) as the fiber is still there, the nutrients will be a bit less, but rabbits eat hay for the fiber and their gut is already geared to handle low nutrition (hence is why they have cecals — a second round of nutrition, I know that is gross, but that’s the icky truth). So if you notice your favorite brand isn’t the same as the year before, don’t write em off. Another company will go through the same thing at some point.
I really like Oxbow’s customer service as well. We can call and I receive amazing customer service from their reps and their vet. And I have called a lot over the years for our store and on behalf of customer questions. They really pay close attention to what’s happening as well with the stores that are selling their products and I appreciate that as well.

Millie – I think it’s great you are doing all the research and preparing before you bring your bunny, Millie, home. That’s amazing.

[Author]

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