SablePoint
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised that yall's rabbits like Oxbow. I bought a 5 pound bag( like $7.00 - rip off!) one time and my bunnies didn't touch it(Mr. Bun Bun nibbled some but you could tell he didn't like it).
Kaytee vs Oxbow - there seems to be a difference
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Eli
Well-Known Member
What does your rabbit like to eat, SablePoint?
SablePoint
Well-Known Member
Kaytee, Nutriphase, Hartz, and pellet food that Eden Farms(a rabbitry in VA) makes are their favorite brands.
Eli
Well-Known Member
They may be liking the softer, less fibrous hay. I have been researching pellets as well. Does Eden Farms pellets contain molasses as a binder? I am trying to find a cheaper alternative that does not have molasses, or sodium lignosulphonate as a binder. Molasses makes them fat and rots their teeth, whereas sodium lignosulphonate may cause lesions in the colon with prolonged use. So far, I have only found 1 feed that doesn't contain either ingredient, and that is Oxbow's Organic Bene Terra Rabbit.
MikeScone
Mike - Camera Corner Mod
mrbunny wrote:
Orchard grass is a favorite, even more than timothy. Scone was very fond of Peter's Meadow Mix (a Marshall's product), but I haven't seen it around recently.
Botanical hay is timothy, with some sweet-smelling stuff like chamomile added. I stopped buying it because Scone wouldn't eat it (timothy? Yuck), and Natasha was happy with just plain timothy.
Orchard grass is a favorite, even more than timothy. Scone was very fond of Peter's Meadow Mix (a Marshall's product), but I haven't seen it around recently.
Eli
Well-Known Member
Not eating timothy hay? That is quite unhealthy. Orchard grass alone does not have enough fiber. Is Scone just against eating timothy?
mrbunny
Well-Known Member
Hahaha, yes, those are my rabbits names and yes, my male rabbit is named Mr Bighead. (He has a ginormous head. That's him in the picture. I would say it's between 1/4-1/3 of his body.)
Thank you, MikeScone. I know botanical hay was timothy hay with added herbs, but I figured there was some sort special process along with it. From the sounds of your reply (I'm assuming), it simply is timothy with added herbs. Since I already buy dried chamomile and rose petals and rose hips for the buns separately, so it may not necessary for me to purchase botanical hay.
Oh, and I'm not sure (very unsure) on this, but I think oat hay is more fattening than timothy hay and a possible cause of GI stasis. It may be a rumor I heard somewhere, because I can't find anything on Google on it currently and the HRS website does not have any recommendations against oat hay (that I can find). I remember American Pet Diner once sold a bag of oat, wheat, and barley hays called "grain hay" and I think it was discontinued for that reason.
Has anyone purchased oat groats for their buns? I'm thinking about buying them. http://www.chinchilla.ca/items.php?ProductID=FTCOATGR&Name=Minerals%20&%20Supplements&source=feed
And also, apple pomace chunks? I know farmers do feed them to horses. Or, am I better off with regular apple peels once in a while? http://www.chinchilla.ca/items.php?ProductID=OAP3505&Name=Treats&source=feed
Thank you, MikeScone. I know botanical hay was timothy hay with added herbs, but I figured there was some sort special process along with it. From the sounds of your reply (I'm assuming), it simply is timothy with added herbs. Since I already buy dried chamomile and rose petals and rose hips for the buns separately, so it may not necessary for me to purchase botanical hay.
Oh, and I'm not sure (very unsure) on this, but I think oat hay is more fattening than timothy hay and a possible cause of GI stasis. It may be a rumor I heard somewhere, because I can't find anything on Google on it currently and the HRS website does not have any recommendations against oat hay (that I can find). I remember American Pet Diner once sold a bag of oat, wheat, and barley hays called "grain hay" and I think it was discontinued for that reason.
Has anyone purchased oat groats for their buns? I'm thinking about buying them. http://www.chinchilla.ca/items.php?ProductID=FTCOATGR&Name=Minerals%20&%20Supplements&source=feed
And also, apple pomace chunks? I know farmers do feed them to horses. Or, am I better off with regular apple peels once in a while? http://www.chinchilla.ca/items.php?ProductID=OAP3505&Name=Treats&source=feed
SablePoint
Well-Known Member
Oops! I thought you guys were talking about brands of food pellets! lol As for hay, the rabbits really don't care. Mr. Bun Bun isn't allowed to have hay cause it causes him to sneeze. I guess it's the dust. He's already allergic to Orchard Hay. He's never been a big fan of Timothy Hay anyways, he did like the Orchard Hay though. Poor Bun Bun.
MikeScone
Mike - Camera Corner Mod
Eli wrote:
He liked any other sort of hay, though, and I always had two or three sorts around for him to choose from, so I don't think he lacked anything in diet.
I'm not sure why you'd label orchard grass "unhealthy". According to the various websites I've checked, the fiber content of orchard grass is only fractionally lower, if at all, than timothy - a percent or two at most. The biggest difference I saw was 32% for timothy, 30% for orchard grass. I buy mostly Oxbow hay, and their page has both at 32% fiber, as do quite a few other suppliers. Grass hays will vary more from cutting to cutting and year to year than between grass types.
Scone passed away last June, and for the seven-and-a-half years of his life he refused to eat any timothy hay. Period. Even mixed with other stuff, he'd pick out the other hay and leave the timothy. He was a picky bun.
He liked any other sort of hay, though, and I always had two or three sorts around for him to choose from, so I don't think he lacked anything in diet.
I'm not sure why you'd label orchard grass "unhealthy". According to the various websites I've checked, the fiber content of orchard grass is only fractionally lower, if at all, than timothy - a percent or two at most. The biggest difference I saw was 32% for timothy, 30% for orchard grass. I buy mostly Oxbow hay, and their page has both at 32% fiber, as do quite a few other suppliers. Grass hays will vary more from cutting to cutting and year to year than between grass types.
MikeScone
Mike - Camera Corner Mod
mrbunny wrote:
My biggest problem with oat hay was that the buns seem to like to use it more as a toy than a food - both Scone and Natasha liked to dig through the hay to find the seed heads, and then just threw the rest around the room. I've stopped buying it for Natasha, in favor of other hays she'll eat instead of play with.
I think you're confusing oat hay with oats. Oat hay is cut before the seed heads ripen into full oats. I haven't seen anywhere which says that it's any more fattening than timothy - Oxbow's page has the nutritive values at the same.
My biggest problem with oat hay was that the buns seem to like to use it more as a toy than a food - both Scone and Natasha liked to dig through the hay to find the seed heads, and then just threw the rest around the room. I've stopped buying it for Natasha, in favor of other hays she'll eat instead of play with.
