BOSS or striped?

[Zab]

Ok.. reading about BOSS.

Now I've learnt that black oil sunflower seeds are the most common across the pond and the ones birds will most likely eat.

On this side it's the opposite - the striped ones are both more common and preferred by the birds.

I've learnt the BOSS has 5-10% more oil than the striped. And the striped has a bit thicker shell.

Now.. concidering the price and how available it is over here.. is there really any important differense?
Is there any important factor or differense between the sunflowerseed-types other than the fat?

Can I feed them striped ones instead, since that's what we've got? Peeled ones, which I figure is striped ones from start?

 

[Miss M]

I remember reading not to feed the striped, but after a recent conversation in a thread somewhere on here, I think that it is a holdover from horse feeding. Since there are a lot of similarities between horses' and rabbits' digestive systems, much of what applies to one applies to the other.

You don't feed striped sunflower seeds to horses, because they can't process the shell.

Rabbits, on the other hand, will readily eat wood, plastic, and all sorts of things. So striped sunflower seeds should be no issue.

The peeled ones wouldn't even present that issue. Do not feed much, though... even with a lower oil content, the striped seeds would still be very rich!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I think, not sure, that the whole reason to feed BOSS rather than striped (which are also very common here, btw) is that they DO have all that extra oil. BOSS is used as a conditioning supplement, so extra oil makes sense.

 

[Bad Habit]

This all started because Zab and I were talking about getting a doe in the mood, and I suggested giving her a sudden boost in nutrients (via boss and oats, a bit of each every day) would tell her body that now is a good time to breed, since food is abundant.

Does it make a difference if that's why the seed is being fed?

 

[akane]

The shell can cause choking hazard and digestive problems because it's bigger, splinters, and doesn't digest as easily. The shell off boss also adds a lot to the nutrition while the striped does not. You can get shelled sunflower seeds and it will also up your protein levels by not feeding the shells. I think sunflower meat is something like 20% protein but the shell brings it down to 10-12%.

 

[Zab]

I'll just try the shelled ones then

As BH said - it's to get Kummin and Kyndel in the mood But I've been thinking about it before.

''rodents mix'' and rabbit mixes usually have striped seeds. Now they're not good as it is, I know, but still.