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Pellets or mix question
- Thread starter sally1974
- Start date
Alibunmum
Wise Old Thumper
I think it means that it is ok but a lot of mixes don't have the fibre content of pellets. The higher the fibre the better. For example, Chudleys Rabbit Royale contains 14% fibre and it is generally considered one of the best mixes. Allen and Page natural pellets contain 23% fibre so you can see the difference.
Personally I use a combination of these two. They get their egg cup full of pellets with a sprinkling of Chudleys to add some interest because it smells so herby and tasty! They eat all of the mix so it is a little treat that isn't bad for them.
I am sure there will be a more experienced answer soon!
Personally I use a combination of these two. They get their egg cup full of pellets with a sprinkling of Chudleys to add some interest because it smells so herby and tasty! They eat all of the mix so it is a little treat that isn't bad for them.
I am sure there will be a more experienced answer soon!
sally1974
Wise Old Thumper
That is brilliant because That is exactly how I feel my rabbits, Allen and page mixed with a bit of rabbit royale:thumb:
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
I now feed all but 2 of mine a mix. They have so little of it and none selective feed. I mix some readigrass in with it to add to the fibre content
IME pellets are not suitable for ALL Rabbits. Many of mine had far more gut issues on SS/Excel than on a mix. Especially my Rexes.
IMO if the diet is 90% hay/grass + a variety of veg and the Bun EATS all of this then what concentrated feed is provided is not as vital as it is made out to be.
I am NOT advocating feeding a huge bowl of mix a day, just hay,hay,hay-some veg and a TINY portion of mix with readigrass added
*awaits slating*................
IME pellets are not suitable for ALL Rabbits. Many of mine had far more gut issues on SS/Excel than on a mix. Especially my Rexes.
IMO if the diet is 90% hay/grass + a variety of veg and the Bun EATS all of this then what concentrated feed is provided is not as vital as it is made out to be.
I am NOT advocating feeding a huge bowl of mix a day, just hay,hay,hay-some veg and a TINY portion of mix with readigrass added
*awaits slating*................
I agree. I personally wouldn't feed mix as I have found that a small amount of SS mature daily works for me and my buns. If everything else in their diet is good then I don't see how a tiny amount of mix is a bad thing if the buns can cope with it.
gwaterhouse
Wise Old Thumper
I feed my buns 2 bowls of fresh veg a day, hay and they have some mix aswell.
I am contemplating putting them on pellets, as Zoidberg tends to leave the seeds in the mix, but I'm not too worried as he has all the veg n hay he could possibly want.
I'm still trying to suss mary out, but she appears to be similar to zoidy, and the food from the rescue is being mixed in with zoidbergs food to wean her off it...
I am contemplating putting them on pellets, as Zoidberg tends to leave the seeds in the mix, but I'm not too worried as he has all the veg n hay he could possibly want.
I'm still trying to suss mary out, but she appears to be similar to zoidy, and the food from the rescue is being mixed in with zoidbergs food to wean her off it...
I feed mine only rabbit royals, always have. I don't understand this thing about high fibre, if most of the diet is hay/ grass they are getting plenty if fibre! I agree with Jane, the mix is really just a treat, I like giving it because I can tell if anybody if feeling a bit off- they are usually begging at the bars for breakfast!
Georgeypudding
Wise Old Thumper
Im feeding Mae on mix and pellets but only because I want her to gain weight and Im hoping it might help :?
I personally wouldnt feed a mix as the only thing as the fibre content isnt as high, and it smells minging :mrgreen:
I personally wouldnt feed a mix as the only thing as the fibre content isnt as high, and it smells minging :mrgreen:
sally1974
Wise Old Thumper
Alibunmum
Wise Old Thumper
I was waiting for one too!
i also agree it is a good way to see if they are off their food because you cannot watch them 24 hours to make sure they are eating enough hay.
I am also currently using small handfuls of mix to make friends with two foster buns who are not used to people. They woudn't let me look at them at first without running away. Now they follow me around the garden and look to see if I have some. I figure it's a healthier treat for them than some sugary nonsense!
littleboots
Mama Doe
No slating from me... I feed mix in the exact way you do..
Elena
Wise Old Thumper
Mini had a sticky bum on mix, whether that was cos I fed too much and so she wasn't eating enough hay or the poor quality of the mix I don't know but they all go crazy for pellets and she doesn't have that problem on pellets so with us it's a case of not broken so don't fix it. I feel pellets are better but I don't think mix is 'evil' providing it's fed correctly.
Georgeypudding
Wise Old Thumper
Rabbit Royale smells divine
Ive got a fruity one and its horrible :?
Alibunmum
Wise Old Thumper
Rabbit Royale smells divine
:thumb::thumb::thumb:
I think I love it because I used to use D and H horse feeds and it reminds me of that. i had noticed they also do a product called Hedgerow Herbs for horses. It comes in 1kg tubs up to 20kg sacks I think. It is marketed on the idea that pasture no longer has mix of plants which horses would naturally graze on. Much like us with the buns.
I emailed the manufacturer and asked if it was suitable for rabbits and they said it was asolutely fine. At around £12 for 1kg it works out quite reasonable compared to other dried herb mixes. I will be thinking about it for winter!
clutterydrawer
Wise Old Thumper
That's rather intriguing, have you any hypothesis about why that would happen? Could it be due to the more processed nature of the pellets?
I use excel pellets for my two and they seem to do fine on them, I would not rule out using alternative pellets and/or a mix in future though, it depends on the individual rabbits, their health and situation. I switched my chins from mix to pellets as they're the worst selective eaters *ever* and don't eat hay either.
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I actually agree with this 100%. Although personally I feed pellets I don't see any reason why a rabbit who doesn't selective feed cannot do very well on a mix as long as they have access to plenty of fibre from hay/grass etc.
I used A&P for a long time as it had such a high fibre content however due to having a poorly bunny I changed them all to SS as he was having weight issues on the A&P and I actually think they are all doing much better on the SS. I think its all very individual as to what works for each bunny.
SarahP
Wise Old Thumper
I'm not a huge fan of the hallowed pellets either, after the experiences I had with my bunnies. It got to the point where they couldn't even tolerate a single pellet - they must be incredibly concentrated to cause the reactions that they did.
As Jane said, it's about the proportions of dried food in the diet as opposed to the hay that's the key, I think.
As Jane said, it's about the proportions of dried food in the diet as opposed to the hay that's the key, I think.
weedug
Mama Doe
I feed the same way. Have been using Rabbit Royale for the past 6 years with no problems, but have had buns with problems on pellets.
They only get a tiny bit mix in the morning, the rest is hay with a little veg at night. And if somebun doesn't eat the pellets, they are ill! :lol:
Mine have unlimited hay, graze on grass most of the time they're out (between 5pm and dark) and have a small amount of pellets. I have tried giving them a combination of mix/pellets for variety, but they don't like the stuff that looks like guinea pig poo - they just will not eat it, so I'll prob go back to pellets only (as well as lots of hay I mean)
