Looking for new pellets

[a reader of books]

So, this year Casper and Sophie both have slowly started to dislike their Science Selective pellets, leaving more and more of them as time went by. Buying new bags didn't help, and their teeth have been checked several times since this started and were fine, so I think they just don't really like it as much as they used to anymore.

I started looking for different food with ingredients I liked, and got them Beaphar Nature, which is mostly grasses and herbs, but they didn't really like it. Then I tried Bunny Nature Rabbit Dream, which is also mostly grasses and herbs, but they didn't really like that, either... Then I tried JR Farm Grainless Health Complete (mostly grasses and herbs, too), and they liked this initially and I managed to switch them over. The interesting thing is that their poops look a lot better on this. Casper's poops have been misshapen for a long time, but they are bigger and rounder on this, and I'd often find really small poops among their bigger ones, I'm not sure whose, but I haven't seen those at all since they've had these pellets. They've all been a nice, good size on this, which made me think that maybe they don't react well to the grains or the soy in Science Selective? But... they don't really like it anymore now...

So, I got Versele-Laga Complete Cuni Sensitive, which is also grain free, and they really like this! But after only a few days of mixing this with their current food their poops have already started getting worse again. The ingredients of this are very vague ("derivatives of vegetable origin", and "vegetable protein extracts"), so who knows what's in it, really... I've emailed the company about it, but haven't gotten a reply. So, clearly this isn't the right pellet for them, either, despite them liking it very much...

So, I was wondering if anybody knows a brand of pellets that are mostly hay/grasses and herbs, without things like grains and soy that they might react badly to? I know there's grain free Science Selective, but there's soy in it, which I'd rather avoid. Preferably something that tastes really nice, as Sophie as Casper are picky?

Sorry, this is really long! Thank you for reading if you made it to this point. :lol:

 

[Zoobec]

Have you tried them on fibafirst? I’ve used them alongside a hay and forage diet before and the bunnies loved it.

 

[a reader of books]

Have you tried them on fibafirst? I’ve used them alongside a hay and forage diet before and the bunnies loved it.

Oh, yes, they don't like it at all, sadly...

 

[InspectorMorse]

https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/hypoallergenic-nutri-pressed-rabbit-pellets.html

 

[a reader of books]

https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/hypoallergenic-nutri-pressed-rabbit-pellets.html

Hm, these still have soya bean hulls in them, though, which doesn't seem like a very natural thing for a rabbit to eat, so I'd rather avoid that... Thank you, though!

 

[joey&boo]

haybox do a nugget made of forage but even their ingredients put me off at first glance (meadow foxtail for instance). I have to say my bunnies always considered them less tasty than commercial nuggets, kind of in fibafirst category (might nibble if zero else going). I'll retry Boo & Eddy on them when back from work

https://haybox.club/collections/pellets/products/premium-rabbit-pellets

 

[Omi]

Sorry, but this probably isn't very helpful :lol:

My observation with pellets is that my bunnies have never liked the ones that I thought were more natural and better for them. I have a selection in their cupboard of ones made from different grasses etc. None of my bunnies have ever gone off Science Selective. It might not be the most healthy, but they have so few that I'm not concerned. Mind you, both Tui and Froe love Fibafirst also, so they probably just aren't that fussy :lol:

It's also possible that the pellets that your bunnies like less are ones which show an improvement in their poops, as they eat more hay as a consequence

With pellets, my aim is to use one that they really like, mainly for my reassurance that they are well and eating. I give them really very few, but spread them out during the day and hand-feed them. The fact that I know that their pellets are something that they will never refuse when well is more important to me, than that the odd ingredient which isn't super healthy.

 

[TheBee]

Sorry, but this probably isn't very helpful :lol:

My observation with pellets is that my bunnies have never liked the ones that I thought were more natural and better for them. I have a selection in their cupboard of ones made from different grasses etc. None of my bunnies have ever gone off Science Selective. It might not be the most healthy, but they have so few that I'm not concerned. Mind you, both Tui and Froe love Fibafirst also, so they probably just aren't that fussy :lol:

It's also possible that the pellets that your bunnies like less are ones which show an improvement in their poops, as they eat more hay as a consequence

With pellets, my aim is to use one that they really like, mainly for my reassurance that they are well and eating. I give them really very few, but spread them out during the day and hand-feed them. The fact that I know that their pellets are something that they will never refuse when well is more important to me, than that the odd ingredient which isn't super healthy.

Exactly this. The more natural healthier pellets always, always get left here! By all (or at least most) bunnies.

For the amount we should give I don’t worry too much about it, and generally stick to SS or excel for heathy buns, dependent on their preference.

 

[a reader of books]

haybox do a nugget made of forage but even their ingredients put me off at first glance (meadow foxtail for instance). I have to say my bunnies always considered them less tasty than commercial nuggets, kind of in fibafirst category (might nibble if zero else going). I'll retry Boo & Eddy on them when back from work

https://haybox.club/collections/pellets/products/premium-rabbit-pellets

Ooh, thank you for mentioning these! Is meadow foxtail not good for bunnies? I would like to know what Boo and Eddy think if you retry them. The reviews seem to be about evenly divided beteween bunnies who do and don't like them...

 

[a reader of books]

Sorry, but this probably isn't very helpful :lol:

My observation with pellets is that my bunnies have never liked the ones that I thought were more natural and better for them. I have a selection in their cupboard of ones made from different grasses etc. None of my bunnies have ever gone off Science Selective. It might not be the most healthy, but they have so few that I'm not concerned. Mind you, both Tui and Froe love Fibafirst also, so they probably just aren't that fussy :lol:

It's also possible that the pellets that your bunnies like less are ones which show an improvement in their poops, as they eat more hay as a consequence

With pellets, my aim is to use one that they really like, mainly for my reassurance that they are well and eating. I give them really very few, but spread them out during the day and hand-feed them. The fact that I know that their pellets are something that they will never refuse when well is more important to me, than that the odd ingredient which isn't super healthy.

Oh, no, your reply is actually very helpful; you've given me a lot to think about! Thank you for sharing your view on this, really. Casper and Sophie do seem to disagree with me about what good pellets are. And you're right that it's important that they like their pellets, that there's something that they'll always want to eat when they're doing well. You're right, too, that maybe it's the fact that they ate more hay with the ones they didn't like that caused the improvement in their poops... I'll give this some more thought. They still do need new pellets since they don't like their SS very much anymore, but maybe finding the healthiest pellet isn't so important...

Exactly this. The more natural healthier pellets always, always get left here! By all (or at least most) bunnies.

For the amount we should give I don’t worry too much about it, and generally stick to SS or excel for heathy buns, dependent on their preference.

Thank you for sharing what you think, too! It seems like the natural, healthier ones aren't as tasty! With pellets only making up a small part of their diet, that would make sense that the ingredients aren't super important... I hadn't thought of it that way.

 

[tonibun]

Don't they like Burgess Excel?

 

[Omi]

haybox do a nugget made of forage but even their ingredients put me off at first glance (meadow foxtail for instance). I have to say my bunnies always considered them less tasty than commercial nuggets, kind of in fibafirst category (might nibble if zero else going). I'll retry Boo & Eddy on them when back from work

https://haybox.club/collections/pellets/products/premium-rabbit-pellets

Meadowe Foxtail is a fairly common grass species. so that's OK.

Looking through the list of ingredients, there are quite a lot that I don't feed. That's not to say there's a problem with them though. Ground Ivy seems a strange one. We have loads of it here and (for some reason) I've never fed it. Just looked it up and it seems it can be toxic for horses https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/weeds/ground-ivy but not for any other animal. Wild rabbits avoid it apparently. I just wonder why that would have been included. The quantities involved are going to be minute though and the main ingredient of the pellet is mixed grasses, which are fine. The description also says it contains over 40 different species of grass, but they haven't named over 40. Common Hornwort appears to be a pond plant, so would not be natural for rabbits to eat it. Again, I wonder why this has been included :?

 

[joey&boo]

So thats reassuring the foxtail is just a grass! Like Omi I don't know why ground ivy is in there but I did read in Twigsway's foraging book it was ok (I don't forage it myself). I always think people are really kind with reviews. Last week I got the bunnies one of their usual favourite hays & some from a new company - I didn't leave a review as it wouldn't be wholly positive although they have sent 2 emails pestering me for a review. Sadly I can't find the haybox nuggets ! Could have chucked em as they were quite old ...or maybe they are just lost in the chaos of my bunny store cupboard.

I really hope you find a nugget they like ...& for a decent period of time. Its hard with old bunnies I think. It feels like they need their nuggets more but at the same time older bunny poops & digestive systems just seems more sensitive than when they're young

 

[a reader of books]

Don't they like Burgess Excel?

I haven't tried that one yet, actually! I've read that Excel sometimes gives trouble with uneaten caecotrophs? And either Sophie or Casper (I don't know who) has trouble with that anyway, so I'm not sure if that would be the best food for them.

 

[a reader of books]

Meadowe Foxtail is a fairly common grass species. so that's OK.

Looking through the list of ingredients, there are quite a lot that I don't feed. That's not to say there's a problem with them though. Ground Ivy seems a strange one. We have loads of it here and (for some reason) I've never fed it. Just looked it up and it seems it can be toxic for horses https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/weeds/ground-ivy but not for any other animal. Wild rabbits avoid it apparently. I just wonder why that would have been included. The quantities involved are going to be minute though and the main ingredient of the pellet is mixed grasses, which are fine. The description also says it contains over 40 different species of grass, but they haven't named over 40. Common Hornwort appears to be a pond plant, so would not be natural for rabbits to eat it. Again, I wonder why this has been included :?

Sounds like they made some strange choices there! A pond plant for bunnies...? :? It's good to know the meadow foxtail is okay, at least.

So thats reassuring the foxtail is just a grass! Like Omi I don't know why ground ivy is in there but I did read in Twigsway's foraging book it was ok (I don't forage it myself). I always think people are really kind with reviews. Last week I got the bunnies one of their usual favourite hays & some from a new company - I didn't leave a review as it wouldn't be wholly positive although they have sent 2 emails pestering me for a review. Sadly I can't find the haybox nuggets ! Could have chucked em as they were quite old ...or maybe they are just lost in the chaos of my bunny store cupboard.

I really hope you find a nugget they like ...& for a decent period of time. Its hard with old bunnies I think. It feels like they need their nuggets more but at the same time older bunny poops & digestive systems just seems more sensitive than when they're young

I wonder if people who are happy with something are more likely to leave a review, which would maybe make the pellets seem better liked than they are... I don't often review things I'm not completely happy with, either. That's okay that you couldn't find them! If they were quite old they were probably not very nice anymore anyway.

Thank you. I agree, yeah. They need their pellets to keep their weight on now, but their digestive systems are definitely more sensitive these days... I've read, too, that older bunnies start losing some sense of taste and smell, so maybe something that tasted really good to them once just isn't very attractive anymore as they gets older if it doesn't smell or taste as strongly anymore.

 

[keletkezes]

Like Omi I don't know why ground ivy is in there but I did read in Twigsway's foraging book it was ok (I don't forage it myself).

I recall Twigs saying on the forage day it was a useful dead-of-winter plant but something you'd not worry about feeding rather than definitely actively feeding it.

I haven't tried that one yet, actually! I've read that Excel sometimes gives trouble with uneaten caecotrophs? And either Sophie or Casper (I don't know who) has trouble with that anyway, so I'm not sure if that would be the best food for them.

I do get uneaten caecos but it's usually forage related :lol: Might just be circumstantial. Mine are currently on 5 pellets each of Excel :thumb:

 

[a reader of books]

I do get uneaten caecos but it's usually forage related :lol: Might just be circumstantial. Mine are currently on 5 pellets each of Excel :thumb:

Ooh, I didn't know you could get uneaten ceacotrophs from forage... Is it the amount of forage or specific plants? 5 pellets each probably can't cause much trouble!

 

[joey&boo]

they sound like old people don't they, with their sensitive tummies & failing senses of smell & taste.

KK - Boobly says she doesn't wanna come your house anymore - not with 5 pellets a day :lol:

I never had forage causing uneaten cecos - as far as I can tell, apart from on too many dandelions

 

[tonibun]

I've noticed many have started buying Wagg Twitch and seem to like it. I decided to get some and I like the size of the pellet, not too big, not too small. It's also cheaper than Burgess. Composition - Oat fibre, wheat fibre, Sunflower meal, Lucerne meal, grassmeal, peas (2%), Carob bean meal. Apple pomace (2%), Linseed (1%), Vegetable oil, Minerals, MOS (0.5%). Then Vitamins A,D, and E and minerals. Crude fibre 19%. I notice they don't use Locust beans which is good.

 

[a reader of books]

they sound like old people don't they, with their sensitive tummies & failing senses of smell & taste.

KK - Boobly says she doesn't wanna come your house anymore - not with 5 pellets a day :lol:

I never had forage causing uneaten cecos - as far as I can tell, apart from on too many dandelions

I don't think I've ever had ones because of forage, either, but I don't feed that much forage

I've noticed many have started buying Wagg Twitch and seem to like it. I decided to get some and I like the size of the pellet, not too big, not too small. It's also cheaper than Burgess. Composition - Oat fibre, wheat fibre, Sunflower meal, Lucerne meal, grassmeal, peas (2%), Carob bean meal. Apple pomace (2%), Linseed (1%), Vegetable oil, Minerals, MOS (0.5%). Then Vitamins A,D, and E and minerals. Crude fibre 19%. I notice they don't use Locust beans which is good.

Oh, that does look like a nice size! I hadn't heard of that brand before; thank you for mentioning it. Some of the pellets I (well, Casper and Sophie) have tried were huge. :shock: Sophie used to eat Oxbow, and those were really small. I liked those. I think small pellets would be nicer for Casper as they'd be easier to chew, and so would put less pressure on his elongated tooth roots.