Pen Pals rabbit pellets question :)

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

I'm switching my rabbit's pellets to Pen Pals 16%. Right now I feed them limited pellets w/veggies. Do any show breeders out there limit the pellets & supplement the pellets with veggies? Is it necessary? I have 3 rabbits so I can afford to buy veggies I just want to know if it is necessary.

If you don't give veggies, what is you show rabbit's diet? Also, what amount of pellets do you give your show rabbit each day if they aren't supplemented with veggies?

 

[majorv]

We don't feed unlimited pellets to ours because they would get fat, especially my Polish. Our Tans are high energy and can eat more without gaining weight. My Polish get about 1/4 cup of pellets per day and hay 1-2x/week. The Tans probably get closer to 3/4 cup, except for one I can think of who is a Miss Piggy, so I limit hers. None of ours get veggies. It would get too expensive and take up too much frig space. If your rabbits are for show, you need to watch the condition of your rabbits and their fur...that's another reason why we don't do veggies...too many variables and unknowns in how it can affect their show condition. We do give ours some BOSS and rolled oats during the months we're showing.

You may have to experiment with the right balance of pellets and veggies since you'll be feeding them a higher protein pellet. We really like Pen Pals and wish we could get it here. No feed stores carry it and getting it by special order is too difficult. We feed Purina Show 16%.

 

[Blaze_Amita]

I'm feeding the PenPals Show blend right now and I have a couple that have suppliments mixed in, but the rest do not get them, they have some hay daily-which I'm going to start taking away from them over the summer months(winter time they get hay daily.) and so far they look decent, if I can't pick my coat conditions back up I'll be switching back to Purina Show. I've got such a weird bunch here, half are doing amazingly on PenPals, the other half did way better on Purina Show. :headsmack

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

Thanks for answering my questions. What % of pen pals should I feed my rabbits? They are all over 8 months so they aren't growing and I'm not breeding any time soon.

 

[majorv]

I see they make 15%, 16% and 18%. We've only tried the Show formula, which is 16%. We feed 16% year round because it seems to work best for us.

 

[pamnock]

If you are able, there's not reason why you can't add a few veggies to give the rabbits some variety in their diet.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

I give my rabbits (pets and show rabbits alike) a 17% show formula. It is limited individually for each rabbit. Some get a leveled half cup, some get less. With Hollands on a 16% pellet, I'd recommend 1/4-1/2 cup pellets daily depending on their size.

You can cut back pellets a bit and offer veggies if you want. A lot of greens have a high calcium content, so I give timothy hay instead of fresh fiber.

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

I'm still confused. Some breeders are telling me not to feed veggies because it could affect their show condition. Others say If I can, I should feed veggies. Will the veggies affect their show condition or not?

If you think I shouldn't feed veggies & I feed my Holland Lop bucks 1/3 cup and does 1/2 cup of pen pals 16% & hay/grass will they not be hungry for a supplement like veggies?

I really appreciate all the advice

 

[majorv]

It's whatever works for you. We don't feed veggies mainly because of expense and storage space to feed them to 25+ rabbits. It's just simpler for us to stick to hay and pellets with some treats or supplements added. We don't have to worry about how feeding veggies will affect them. You only have 3 rabbits so it's doable for you, should you choose. I know some breeders who feed a bit of apple or carrot to their rabbits, but generally their rabbits' staple diet is pellets/hay. You can listen to what everyone else does and then decide what you want to try and you'll figure out what works best for you. :thumbup

 

[woahlookitsme]

Veggies shouldn't affect show condition. The only thing is that you need to introduce each veggie slowly. Diarrhea is more of a concern and is the reason you introduce new things slowly so that if they do start to have mushy stools you can stop that veggie.