Money Saving Tips

[BrittsBunny]

So as most of ya'll know, I've got two buns now :heartsWhich also means that I am looking for ways to meet their needs, as well as saving money! When I just had Wrangler, I would buy the wonderful "Care Fresh" bedding, but since that is kind of pricey, I am going to be switching to Horse Bedding Pellets (for example: Equine Pine/Guardian). The rabbit rescue where I got Aura recommend this type of bedding; they said that it works great for rabbits and I assume it's safe (or they wouldn't be using it obviously). You can get a large bag of it for about $6-7 dollars I think. Also, I will be switching to a different food pellet brand - one that I can also buy in a large quantity. I have had purchased the Nutrena brand before, and that seems to be quite suitable...I just wonder how long it's good for?

Advice/Tips/Ideas/Suggestions/Comments would be just dandy! I will be needing to make a trip to the feed store soon! If ya'll know of any other types of *affordable* quality brands that I may want to try, please give me a heads up! Thanks!

- Brittany

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I can't help with choosing a brand as you have different ones avaliable than I do. You can freeze it so it will last longer. I would recommend freezing in small bags, not a few large ones. If you don't freeze it, keep it in an air tight container and have a separate container for daily use. It should stay good for about 6 months after you open the bag.

One major cost saver is buying hay in bales. A bag of pet store hay or if you order it online can cost at least $1 per pound and up. A bale will be about 50 pound and cost about $5-10. Hay can last years if kept properly, so you don't have to worry too much about it going bad unless it gets wet.

I would also use a blanket of something similar in the cage and only use the litter in the litter box. A 40 pound bag of horse stall bedding lasts me at least 6-8 weeks with 4 rabbits. I only use it in the litter box and scoop out the used litter instead of dumping the whole thing each time.

 

[Pipp]

Recession-Proofing Your Rabbits

 

[BrittsBunny]

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

I can't help with choosing a brand as you have different ones avaliable than I do. You can freeze it so it will last longer. I would recommend freezing in small bags, not a few large ones. If you don't freeze it, keep it in an air tight container and have a separate container for daily use. It should stay good for about 6 months after you open the bag.

One major cost saver is buying hay in bales. A bag of pet store hay or if you order it online can cost at least $1 per pound and up. A bale will be about 50 pound and cost about $5-10. Hay can last years if kept properly, so you don't have to worry too much about it going bad unless it gets wet.

I would also use a blanket of something similar in the cage and only use the litter in the litter box. A 40 pound bag of horse stall bedding lasts me at least 6-8 weeks with 4 rabbits. I only use it in the litter box and scoop out the used litter instead of dumping the whole thing each time.

Thanks so much for replying!

The only thing that worries me about buying hay other from the pet store is that it's not really as clean...or maybe I could be wrong? My boyfriend, whose family runs a hay/feed store, took a look at the petstore band hay and said that it's the same kind that I could get at his family's store. I told him that it's not the same, but then again, I may be the one that's in the wrong here!

As for the "litter" box, I just use a small cage for my rabbits to go in and out of, and change it about once a week; might have to change it a little more often now, now that I have two buns. I usually put the Care Fresh on the bottom and the hay on top; and I give them fresh hay every day. And if they need more pellets, they get that as well daily.

 

[BrittsBunny]

Pipp wrote:

Recession-Proofing Your Rabbits

That's great/usable information! Thanks for posting the link!

The only thing that concerned me is this:

Litter

- newspaper and the 'fines' from hay (the dust and small stem pieces) is a very functional and economical litter. And its virtually free.

- you can buy large bags of wood pellet or aspen shaving litter at feed or farm stores, including pellets for horse stalls. These usually cost around $5 for 40 lbs, instead of the more expensive versions at pet stores.


Isn't wood pellets and aspen shaving litter bad? I heard that it can cause respiratory problems...

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

BrittsBunny wrote:

- you can buy large bags of wood pellet or aspen shaving litter at feed or farm stores, including pellets for horse stalls. These usually cost around $5 for 40 lbs, instead of the more expensive versions at pet stores.


Isn't wood pellets and aspen shaving litter bad? I heard that it can cause respiratory problems...

Horse stall bedding is wood pellets. They are basically compressed saw dust that is kiln dried to remove the harmful oils. They are totally safe for rabbits.
Aspen shavings are safe. It is the pine and cedar that have the harmful oils.

 

[BrittsBunny]

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

BrittsBunny wrote:

- you can buy large bags of wood pellet or aspen shaving litter at feed or farm stores, including pellets for horse stalls. These usually cost around $5 for 40 lbs, instead of the more expensive versions at pet stores.


Isn't wood pellets and aspen shaving litter bad? I heard that it can cause respiratory problems...

Horse stall bedding is wood pellets. They are basically compressed saw dust that is kiln dried to remove the harmful oils. They are totally safe for rabbits.
Aspen shavings are safe. It is the pine and cedar that have the harmful oils.

Well then would horse pine pellets be bad to use then :?

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

BrittsBunny wrote:

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

BrittsBunny wrote:

- you can buy large bags of wood pellet or aspen shaving litter at feed or farm stores, including pellets for horse stalls. These usually cost around $5 for 40 lbs, instead of the more expensive versions at pet stores.


Isn't wood pellets and aspen shaving litter bad? I heard that it can cause respiratory problems...

Horse stall bedding is wood pellets. They are basically compressed saw dust that is kiln dried to remove the harmful oils. They are totally safe for rabbits.
Aspen shavings are safe. It is the pine and cedar that have the harmful oils.

Well then would horse pine pellets be bad to use then :?

Horse stall pellets and wood stove pellets are both safe. They get dried during the manufacturing process which removes the harmful oils making them safe.

It is the shavings that aren't really good. Aspen is the exception as it does not have the oils that makes pine and cedar bad.

Basically, pellets are safe, shavings should be avoided.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

I can't help with choosing a brand as you have different ones avaliable than I do. You can freeze it so it will last longer. I would recommend freezing in small bags, not a few large ones. If you don't freeze it, keep it in an air tight container and have a separate container for daily use. It should stay good for about 6 months after you open the bag.

This is just a side note, but I wouldn't suggest feeding pellets that are older than about 3 months old. A friend of mine, who is also a breeder, got a bag of pellets that were somewhere around 4-6 months old (I forget exactly). Anyway, she lost most of her herd within days on that bag of feed and never recooperated. She is just starting over recently.

An airtight container *may* help the pellets keep fresh longer, but I just thought I'd mention it as a precaution. After hearing that story, I try to make sure that the mill date on the bags I buy are no more than a month or two old just to be on the safe side!


ETA:
Also on pine shavings:

http://buckysbunnies.tripod.com/Pine.html

I've used pine shavings for years and it's not only economical, but my rabbits have shown no negative effects. I highly suggest pine, especially when on a budget. I've also used shredded newspaper which is another good idea since it's free if you get a daily paper. The downside is that newspaper bedding has to be changed daily (not super absorbent or odor-free).

 

[BrittsBunny]

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

BrittsBunny wrote:

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

BrittsBunny wrote:

- you can buy large bags of wood pellet or aspen shaving litter at feed or farm stores, including pellets for horse stalls. These usually cost around $5 for 40 lbs, instead of the more expensive versions at pet stores.


Isn't wood pellets and aspen shaving litter bad? I heard that it can cause respiratory problems...

Horse stall bedding is wood pellets. They are basically compressed saw dust that is kiln dried to remove the harmful oils. They are totally safe for rabbits.
Aspen shavings are safe. It is the pine and cedar that have the harmful oils.

Well then would horse pine pellets be bad to use then :?

Horse stall pellets and wood stove pellets are both safe. They get dried during the manufacturing process which removes the harmful oils making them safe.

It is the shavings that aren't really good. Aspen is the exception as it does not have the oils that makes pine and cedar bad.

Basically, pellets are safe, shavings should be avoided.

Thank you for clarifying!

 

[BrittsBunny]

OakRidgeRabbits wrote:

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

I can't help with choosing a brand as you have different ones avaliable than I do. You can freeze it so it will last longer. I would recommend freezing in small bags, not a few large ones. If you don't freeze it, keep it in an air tight container and have a separate container for daily use. It should stay good for about 6 months after you open the bag.

This is just a side note, but I wouldn't suggest feeding pellets that are older than about 3 months old. A friend of mine, who is also a breeder, got a bag of pellets that were somewhere around 4-6 months old (I forget exactly). Anyway, she lost most of her herd within days on that bag of feed and never recooperated. She is just starting over recently.

An airtight container *may* help the pellets keep fresh longer, but I just thought I'd mention it as a precaution. After hearing that story, I try to make sure that the mill date on the bags I buy are no more than a month or two old just to be on the safe side!


ETA:
Also on pine shavings:

http://buckysbunnies.tripod.com/Pine.html

I've used pine shavings for years and it's not only economical, but my rabbits have shown no negative effects. I highly suggest pine, especially when on a budget. I've also used shredded newspaper which is another good idea since it's free if you get a daily paper. The downside is that newspaper bedding has to be changed daily (not super absorbent or odor-free).

Oh wow I am sorry for your friend's loss...that is just awful. I will definitely make sure to always check the mill date! For awhile I had been storing the food pellets in a trash can (the metal ones they sell at the feedstore), and I'd like to think it kept the food fresh, but I am not so sure. Just recently a bunch of bugs got into it and now I will have to discard the food. And yes, I keep the trash canindoors...not sure where the bugs came from; not even sure what kind of bugs they were, but they were all over the apartment. Before I got my second rabbit, I started keeping Wrangler's food in a tupperware container, but now that I have two buns, I am going to need something bigger that will keep the pellets fresh for awhile.

 

[slavetoabunny]

I also use the horse bedding pellets. Not only are they inexpensive, but they provide great odor control. I also recommend putting a grate in your litter box. You can make one from fluorescent light grating that can be purchased inexpensively from any home improvement store. The grate keeps the bunny from stepping directly in the litter and also keeps your hay from getting mixed into it.

I know that Kathy buys hay by the bale. If you don't have room for a whole bale, you may ask her if she would sell you a partial bale.

 

[elrohwen]

I saw that you feed more pellets if necessary? Does that means you're free feeding? I think you would save money if you only fed a small amount of pellets every day and you'd have less waste.

 

[ZavalaBunnies]

Buying hay bales has saved me huuuuuuuuuundreds.
I buy a 120 pound bale for $23!! It also feels good to see so much hay awaiting your kids. :bunnydance:

 

[missyscove]

Definitely buy feed store hay, not pet store hay. I personally think the quality is better. I don't have room for a whole bale and my feedstore sells us big trashbags with 2 or 3 flakes of hay in them for $5. Much cheaper than the tiny $5 bags from the petstore.

 

[BrittsBunny]

slavetoabunny wrote:

I also use the horse bedding pellets. Not only are they inexpensive, but they provide great odor control. I also recommend putting a grate in your litter box. You can make one from fluorescent light grating that can be purchased inexpensively from any home improvement store. The grate keeps the bunny from stepping directly in the litter and also keeps your hay from getting mixed into it.

I know that Kathy buys hay by the bale. If you don't have room for a whole bale, you may ask her if she would sell you a partial bale.

Yeah I am definitely going to the feed store soon and getting a large bag of horse bedding pellets...sooo excited to try them out! Also, I will look into getting a grate...are they easy to cut so that I can fit it to the size of my cage?

As for hay, until I get a place of my own, I am going to stick to buying petstore hay...it's just easier and less messy...I don't think my roommates would appreciate me dropping hay everywhere all the time Goodness I am SO ready to move!

 

[BrittsBunny]

elrohwen wrote:

I saw that you feed more pellets if necessary? Does that means you're free feeding? I think you would save money if you only fed a small amount of pellets every day and you'd have less waste.

I don't know whether you would call it "free feeding". I give them about a cup of pellets every evening. I'd like to think that that is more than enough. I don't know exactly how much my rabbits weigh each, but Wrangler is a dwarf, and Aura is definitely larger than him.

 

[BrittsBunny]

ZavalaBunnies wrote:

Buying hay bales has saved me huuuuuuuuuundreds.
I buy a 120 pound bale for $23!! It also feels good to see so much hay awaiting your kids. :bunnydance:

Again, once I get a place of my own, I will be investing in feed store hay most likely

 

[BrittsBunny]

missyscove wrote:

Definitely buy feed store hay, not pet store hay. I personally think the quality is better. I don't have room for a whole bale and my feedstore sells us big trashbags with 2 or 3 flakes of hay in them for $5. Much cheaper than the tiny $5 bags from the petstore.

hmmm then again I may have to consider that option!

I once was offered a small portion of hay for my rabbits (at the feedstore), but at the time, I didn't know if would be safe for them to consume or not. I feel so silly now! :rollseyes

 

[slavetoabunny]

BrittsBunny wrote:

Also, I will look into getting a grate...are they easy to cut so that I can fit it to the size of my cage? !

The grating material is very easy to cut. You can do it with a pair of kitchen shears.