salt

[iloveallrabbits]

i went to petsmart yesterday to get my rabbitssome new toys and i got them a salt treat shaped and flavored likeapple of course i gave it to the last night and it was almost gone thismorning!!!



I think that the babies chewed on them the most though why is that?

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I didn't know we should give them salt. Is that important? anyone?

 

[Fergi]

Good question, I have read confilictinginformation on whether or not they require salt. When I first got FergiI gave her a salt wheel but she never touched it so I just never boughtanother one.

Can't wait to hear from the others!

Fergi's mom

 

[Cinnabun]

yeah Cinn will every now and then Chew on it, but mostly she likes to play with it! lol so i just leave it in there

 

[iloveallrabbits]

does cinn like to break it in to small pieces?

 

[Cinnabun]

it doesnt look like she did.. she likes to pushit around.. i dont think she knows what to do with it.. she never hadone before

 

[Carolyn]

As stated in Rabbit Production 8th Edition

"Salt spools are unnecessary since a properly balanced commercial dietwill contain sufficient salt. Salt spools or blocks corrode cages andfeeders. The only situation in which a salt spool should be consideredis in backyard rabbit production, if the rabbits are fed primarilygreens with very little pelleted feed. If salt spools are used, theyshould be hung so they do not contact metal parts of the cage orfeeder."


(It rusts the metal.)

-Carolyn

 

[iloveallrabbits]

my rabbits will tear it into little pieces and THEN eat it!!

 

[*nepo*]

Fergi wrote:

Goodquestion, I have read confilicting information on whether or not theyrequire salt. When I first got Fergi I gave her a salt wheel but shenever touched it so I just never bought another one.

Can't wait to hear from the others!

Fergi's mom

The exact same thing happened to me.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Carolyn wrote:

As stated in Rabbit Production 8th Edition

"Salt spools are unnecessary since a properly balanced commercial dietwill contain sufficient salt. Salt spools or blocks corrode cages andfeeders. The only situation in which a salt spool should be consideredis in backyard rabbit production, if the rabbits are fed primarilygreens with very little pelleted feed. If salt spools are used, theyshould be hung so they do not contact metal parts of the cage orfeeder."


(It rusts the metal.)

-Carolyn

WOW I'm glad I asked! If it rusts the metal, the rust would get on the salt wheel and they would injest it also.

Thanks!!!

 

[Lassie]

Buster likes the carrot one. Delia

 

[Carolyn]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Carolyn wrote:

As stated in Rabbit Production 8th Edition

"Salt spools are unnecessary since a properly balanced commercial dietwill contain sufficient salt. Salt spools or blocks corrode cages andfeeders. The only situation in which a salt spool should be consideredis in backyard rabbit production, if the rabbits are fed primarilygreens with very little pelleted feed. If salt spools are used, theyshould be hung so they do not contact metal parts of the cage orfeeder."


(It rusts the metal.)

-Carolyn

WOW I'm glad I asked!? If it rusts the metal, the rust would get on the salt wheel and they would injest it also.

Thanks!!!

 

[Buck Jones]

Some of our rabbits established a mildappreciation for salt so when I built new partitions for thehutches, I hung salt licks on them. Interestingly enough,what they did was wick moisture into the wood surrounding the saltlick! So much so that I was initially searching for water"leaks" into the hutch before I figured out what was truly happening.

Haven't installed another salt lick since then and I don'tsee any apparent ill effects as a result. I had also readthey were totally unnecessary, but had given them to the buns as anaccomodation...just in case.

Buck

 

[ariel]

I bought a salt licky thingy once , Bindy smelt it shoved it and nevertouched it after a couple of days I took it out and thought well shemusn't need it 'cause she didn't use it, so obviously she is gettingenough from her food.

Mind you I was also thinking I could of bought more pellets with the $9.00 I spent on the salt licky. LOL

 

[Buck Jones]

Ahh, yes, but you never know whether they'regoing to like it or not, so you give it a shot. Like mebuying a $20.00 bale of "super" hay, whereas normal hay only cost $8.00- $10.00 per bale.

They are all so different in many of their individual preferences in so many areas.

buck

 

[Bo B Bunny]

You know, Buck, we gave up assuming any of ouranimals would like anything specific or not. We go the trialand error method. Yes, we end up losing some money but we'vefound a cat who likes cilantro along with the bunny and a dog whoreally goes for craisens but don't give her anything with tomatoes; shespit them out everywhere!

 

[JimD]

S'more loves her salt wheel. Well...she likes ita lot any way. She's had it for a year now and it's almost licked tothe point where it will soon fall off.

I used a plastic-coated wire (a hanger from an old water bottle) andthen hung it between the cage wires so it doesn't touch the cage at all.

We never tried it for the other buns after we found out that it wasn't necessary.

:~) Jim

 

[blueyes65]

I bought a salt brick for Shadow and she willlick and chew once in a while. I know when she's used it as she drinksmore water than normal. She seems to like the bittertaste.:shock:

 

[bunnysgalore]

My bunnies seem to get through more 'salt licks'in summer than in winter so it makes me wonder if they do actually needmore during hot weather.

 

[babybunnywrigley]

I got Wrigley a salt wheel, but he never he really used it so I took it out. :?