Getting So many different answers!

[FreezeNkody]

Ok So as a fur-baby mom of 3, I'm online constantly looking at how to care for my buns properly. And asking what food to feed, I get a million different answers. Some say sherwood others say Oxbow now the ingredients stay away from anything meal? I mean even in cat and dog food anything meal is gross. I found this percentage thing

Fiber 18% min 20-25% is best.
Fat 1-2% max
Protien 12-14% max
Calcium 1% max.

As I'm reading other sites say different. Oxbow Essentials Adult rabbit food Seems like it meets the criteria. Yea it's super expensive. and on Amazon I can get a 50lb bag for like $53 or something. Which is a lot, but I won't have to buy food for awhile and I keep it in a plastic container.

Sherwood is a bit cheaper Does anyone know the criteria on that?
I guess i'm just trying to figure out the BEST food. I right now have a bag
Of NatureWise Premium Pellets. (only thing the store had when i got there) it's made by Nutrena.

Protien Min. 16%
Fat Min 3%
Fiber Min 16% Max 19%
Calcium Min. 1.0% Max 1.5%
It also has dehydrated Alfalfa meal. Which i'm reading isn't good for adult rabbits. it's a 10 lb bag and I REALLY hate to just toss it because it's wasteful. Anyone have any ideas if this is a horrible food. I'm reading and it seems to be geared for "show rabbits" and and quality fur growth.
I just want my "kids" to be healthy and have a great life. and the food thing really confuses me. My dwarfs were on kaytee pellets and i feel bad for switching them. -sigh- Soooo confused! Please help!ullhair:

 

[qtipthebun]

Tippy uses Oxbow, and we go through so little of it that the fact that it's expensive doesn't really matter to us (I only have one bunny and she only gets about an eighth of a cup of pellets a day), but I know a lot of people on here also use Sherwood. Consensus on here seems to be that those are the two best....

 

[BinkyBunny]

We just ordered Sherwood and their website covers all the information about their food in great detail.
http://www.naturalrabbitfood.com/sherwood-forest-natural-rabbit-food/

 

[Blue eyes]

There is no solid consensus on "best." It does boil down to your assessment of the research you've done. Qtip is right that most of the pet rabbit owners here use either the Oxbow Essentials or the Sherwood Forest. (breeders may vary since buns aren't fixed and are, well, breeding and have different nutritional needs)

I bought the 50 lb bag of Oxbow. I divided into gallon ziplock bags and keep them in the refridge. I also feed just 1/8 cup per day per bun.

 

[FreezeNkody]

We just ordered Sherwood and their website covers all the information about their food in great detail.
http://www.naturalrabbitfood.com/sherwood-forest-natural-rabbit-food/

So you're not supposed to feed Timothy hay with this? I thought Rabbits were supposed to have lots of hay.

 

[whitelop]

They say not to feed hay because the pellet is a "complete" diet. But I don't believe that, and I DO feed Sherwood.
Its the long strand fiber in the hay that you're looking for. Its indigestible fiber, so when they chew it instead of chewing it up into small pieces like we do, they chew it back and forth and the hay becomes like an accordion shape. It pushes everything through the digestive track and keeps things flowing properly. Not to mention, its great to wear down teeth, but I'm sure you already know that. Anyway, you want to still feed hay to help with digestion.
The short strand fiber in the pellets, isn't the same as the long stand and doesn't do the same job. The pellet doesn't wear the teeth down the same way either. (pellets still wear teeth down, but I don't think its the same)

Even though I feed Sherwood, I still offer a variety of different hays, to help with keeping my bunny a good hay eater and to wear teeth down because they are all different textures.

 

[BinkyBunny]

I'm going to feed hay with it. Many pellets say they are complete if you read the labels. There are people who exclusively feed pellets and their rabbits are alive and well. It comes down to what you feel is best, what your rabbits tolerate and need, and what you can afford.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

What you feed really comes down to what works for you. Some people can't get Oxbow or it is quite expensive, so they use something else. Some rabbits don't do well on certain foods.
I use Oxbow and actually find it cheap compared to other brands. Of course the store I go to has it at a really good price and there are other stores in the city that charge about twice as much. Even with 7 rabbits, it's not that much per month, probably about $20 for timothy pellets and some more for alfalfa ones (not sure of that cost yet as I just started getting them). I have been using Oxbow for about 5.5 years and my rabbits all do quite well, my 7.5 year old is still quite active and I am sure people don't believe that he is the age he is.

 

[ilovepets]

i feed Snickers Purina rabbit chow. i feed the Complete, but there are many more types. i get a half bale of hay from my friend and she gets unlimited of that and some handfuls of the bagged timothy hay a few times a week

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Ask 100 different people what the BEST diet is, and you will get 100 different answers.

In my opinion, it's best to choose a food that's readily available to you and you can get fresh. For me, that's Blue Seal brand. The rabbits go crazy for their food and it has kept them in great health! Plus, I can get it right down the street.

 

[ladysown]

generally speaking you'll want to with an 16% protein diet. A pelleted feed without all the additives...just basic fresh pellets.

whether or not you feed extras is a choice to make. There are pros and cons regardless of which method you follow. and I don't have the time here to go through them all.

Whatever decision you make do some research, ask some questions.

The biggest pro/con of pelleted feed is... PRO...GOOD pelleted feeds are balanced and should be all that your rabbit needs.
CON.. not all pelleted feeds are created equal...and therein lies the reasoning for supplementation or NOT.