Rolled Oats

[bluebird]

I also feed rolled oats 1 teaspoon on top of the pellets.bluebird

 

[Sarah]

pamnock wrote:

http://www.mahouserabbit.org/dietguide.shtml

Reallyinteresting article pamnock. I feed my guys 2 meals of fresh veggies aday. The choicesin rabbit diets can be confusing, but itexplained the veggie diet in the simplest terms I've ever read. (i getscared when math gets involved ) Thanks for posting it.

 

[Stephanie]

I've been giving my bunnies oats too and they love it.

 

[Carolyn]

Thanks for the site, Pamnock! Itdefinitely is helpful and I will be following the advice.I've heard from many people lately that the rabbits having some greensis the way to go.

-Carolyn

 

[dmmcnair]

Okay, I don't buy oatmeal...I hate thestuff...but I do have some from making homemade soap...it is called oldfashioned oatmeal (cooks in 5 minutes). Can this be fed tothe rabbits??? Some of them keep coming up with soft stools,not diahrea, just softer stools than normal. I don't feed anyof the new rabbits veggies because they have never had any.My pet rabbits, get a few veggies as treats, and a piece of banana whenI have any in the house...sad to say, but we are not big fresh veggieeaters...they always tend to go bad before I cook them up!

Where can I get the papaya tablets??? I'm still trying tofind hay in my area that the buns will eat instead of paying $7+ fortimothy hay at the store for only 48oz. For as many rabbitsas I have now that is just too expensive on top of buying litter forthe house buns and all the feed and the aspen chips for the guinea pigs.

Dawn

 

[Lissa]

They sell papaya tablets at Petco.

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Dawn, if Iunderstood Pam correctly, even the five-minute kind are okay. You mightwant to scroll back and read her comment yourself and see what youthink. But otherwise, yes, that is the kind of oatmeal we are talkingabout. Also, if you go read the article that Pam linked to, it has someinteresting facts about the veggie thing. Apparently a lot of peopledon't feed their bunnies veggies because they have never had them, butif done correctly they can still have them without any problem and it'sreally good for them. My family doesn't eat fresh veggies very welleither, but Sebastiandoes! They are fairly cheap at my grocery store. I don'tspend more than a dollar or two a week.

Raspberry

 

[dmmcnair]

Have you seen those prepackaged bags of collardgreens and mustard greens??? I bought those and they went bad before Icould feed it all to the rabbits...this was of course when I only had 4rabbits...I might be able to feed them to the rabbits before it goesbad now with 11 rabbits. I thinks someone should market aprepackaged veggie mix just for rabbits and guinea pigs...wouldn't thatbe great...then we wouldn't have to buy everything seperate..

I am going to the grocery store today and looking for pineapple andmaybe I'll pick up some greens too...I wish I could figure out a way toplant a garden without the 101 gophers in our yard eating it!! Thatwould solve a lot!!!

Tomorrow, I'm off to Tractor Supply and Petco an hour and a halfaway...I finally found woody pet and it is so much cheaper than theaspen pellets!!! I think I will even use it inthe guinea pig cage...gotta be better than that aspen shavings.

 

[pamnock]

RaspberrySwirl wrote:

Dawn, if I understood Pamcorrectly, even the five-minute kind are okay.

Yes, Raspberry. I buy the same kind, but foranimals packaged in 50# bags (steam rolled oats).On occasion, I have used Quaker instant oats for the inside critters.

Remember, the more processed a grain is, the less healthy itis. For instance, whole oats would be better than the steamrolled oats I buy.



Pam

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Aha! You gottaremember Pam, I have brain damage! (from the west nile, big joke aroundhere!) I'm a little slow sometimes! Soooooo, the five minutekind are processed more, right? Therefore, not as good a choice, butwouldn't hurt in a pinch or if you needed to use some up maybe? Now,where on earth do you get a 50# bag of Oats? Is that the same thing aswhat I probably used to help feed to horses when I was a kid? Maybejust Atwoods, Tractor supply or such? Of course I would never buy thatmuch because I have one bunny.....but is that the kind of oats you aretalking about that is unprocessed and the best choice? Sorry,just thinking aloud...I have friends with horses.....maybe I could justbuy a bit from them if they are better for Sebastian....

 

[pamnock]

RaspberrySwirl wrote:

Aha! You gotta remember Pam, Ihave brain damage! (from the west nile, big joke around here!) I'm alittle slow sometimes! Soooooo, the five minute kind areprocessed more, right? Therefore, not as good a choice, but wouldn'thurt in a pinch or if you needed to use some up maybe? Now, where onearth do you get a 50# bag of Oats? Is that the same thing as what Iprobably used to help feed to horses when I was a kid? Maybe justAtwoods, Tractor supply or such? Of course I would never buy that muchbecause I have one bunny.....but is that the kind of oats you aretalking about that is unprocessed and the best choice? Sorry,just thinking aloud...I have friends with horses.....maybe I could justbuy a bit from them if they are better forSebastian....

At least you have a valid excuse LOL What's mine?

I get the rolled oats from the near-by feed mill/post office.It's a cool place. The local feed mill is also the postoffice. Very old-fashioned place, where they sortmail in cubby holes right behind the cash register and all over thecounter. The feed mill doesn't normally carry the steamrolled oats and orders them for me. The unprocessed wholeoats are the better choice, but my bunnies love the processed oats andit make less of a mess (no wasted hulls to dump out of thedishes). Crimped oats are "in between" whole and steamrolled.



Pam

 

[Buck Jones]

RaspberrySwirl wrote:

...Now, where onearth do you get a 50# bag of Oats? Is that the same thing as what Iprobably used to help feed to horses when I was a kid? Maybe justAtwoods, Tractor supply or such? Of course I would never buy that muchbecause I have one bunny.....but is that the kind of oats you aretalking about that is unprocessed and the best choice? Sorry,just thinking aloud...I have friends with horses.....maybe I could justbuy a bit from them if they are better forSebastian....

I buy 50 lb bags of oats at a local feed store. You can mostlikely find them at establishments that cater to equestrian/livestockfolk. I use oats very sparingly, just sprinkling a bit on topof the buns' feed each morning, consequently, the 50 lbs lasts me thebetter part of a year.

I preserve the oats' freshness by breaking down the 50 lb bag into 10lb packets using old plastic KayTee hay bags and freezingthem. The oats are poured into the KayTee bag, then the bag'stop is folded, or rolled over several times to provide an adequateseal, and then stapled shut across the top. Any plastic bagswould suffice, such as garbage and Ziploc bags, for instance, but Iprefer the Kaytee bags because they are see-through and large enough to"flatten out" into a nice, storable packet in the freezer, taking upminimal space, yet easily recognizable. The Kaytee bags, asformer hay containers, do have minuscule venting holes, but they permitno leakage, nor hinder the freezing process in any apparent way.

I pour oats as needed froma 10 lb packet into the plastic,screw top lidded, jar I use as a dispenser. If any oatsremain in the bag, I simply take a few more "rolls" and re-staple thebag into a smaller confirmation. One does need a staplepuller to open the bag top "folds" without causing undue damage to thebag.

So, I get oats, and there are many types to choose from, economy ofscale prices($10.50 for 50lb of whole, rolled oats), without anyspoilage due to excess quantity on hand.

I similarly freeze 50 lb bags ofPurina Advanced Show Formulafeed (only size it comes in) in its factory sealed bag, then roll overthe top as Idispense partial quantities into a dispensingcan. I don't staple it shut, though; I simplyattach three clothes pins across the "fold."

Fortunately, the Missus generously provides space in the freezer chest we have in thebasement.

Buck

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

I was wonderingabout freezing pellets. I bought a large bag, I can't remember whetherit was 25 or 50#s at Atwoods this summer. I was trying to do the rightthing by not buying feed at Walmart...Well, if I'd have thought itthrough I would have realized that with one rabbit @ 1/8 cup a day,this bag would last into the next century! I think I'm going to dump itsoon (it was only 8.00) and it's been stored in a tub in the garage butI'm not sure of it's freshness and nutrient content, etc. I think I'llfurther investigate brands and buy smaller, perhaps freeze the extranext time. I think I'm getting so anal about my rabbit. Truthfully, Ibelieve I'm at the point where I can't control anything in my life butmy bun and my haircut, so I'm doing my best to do that!

Raspberry

 

[kloud1972]

Don't dump it.

The only problem with freezing is that any moisture in the air or mixwill form crystals and make some of the food soggy when you bring itback out. I have not tried it with rabbit food, but have seenit happen with other things.

If you truely want to keep it dry and fresh. You could vaccum store it.Walmart sells the bags and unit and it's great for storing any type offood. It keeps it dry and removes the air from the packing.

If you truely feel you have bought too much and don't want to keep itaround. Offer it to your local Animal shelter or Rabbit shelter. I'msure they would love the donation.

 

[Buck Jones]

Been freezing pellets in their orginal 50 lb sackfor years with no evidence of moisture residue on defrostedfeed. I withdraw pellets as needed and just fold down thesack a couple of more turns to take up the excess space andplace three clothespins across the fold.

Blue Seal CSR once told me that the pellets should keep their viability for up to a year stored in that manner.

Buck

 

[*nepo*]

http://www.mahouserabbit.org/dietguide.shtml

They say to Avoid the use of water medications orother additives, does this mean I should stop adding a drop of vanillato Nepo's water?

 

[edwinf8936]

Funny, Mr. Z loves a little bit of saltin crackers but the other three won't touch them.

ed

 

[Buck Jones]

*nepo* wrote:

http://www.mahouserabbit.org/dietguide.shtml
...does this mean I should stop adding a drop of vanilla to Nepo's water?

Not necessarily. They recommend no additives that alters thetaste of the water enough to discourage the bun fromdrinking. If Nepo is drinking water with the vanilla there isno problem

Some people find their rabbits drink more with the vanilla, which is agood thing, because the water is so tasty to them, apparently.

Buck

 

[babybunnywrigley]

Wrigley won't eat rolled oats...I'll put a few inwith his pellets and he eats around them. So, then I tried tofeed them to him right out of my hand and he will take a piece awayfrom me and drop it on the floor :? lol

 

[lyndsy]

That is an awesome site thanks so much, I will be refering to it when I bring the babies home!

Thanks,

Lyndsy