Feed prices went up

[ZRabbits]

Good for your Grump. Now THAT'S a business decision. Sounds like you have a lot of employees. Good for you.

And regarding your client with his snake, I would be nervous too, if this snake didn't get what she wanted. Good for him for getting her that big. Excellent feeding does that. And that's a feather in your cap. Been a long time since heard that isn't it Grumpy.

Karen

 

[SatinsRule]

Hey Satin:

I went to the Tractor Supply website. They've got 50#'s of Manna Pro on sale for $13.99. I called them about it and was "told" that the sale price will be good until the 28th day of October....."barring some major catastrophe". All they needed was a two-week lag time from placing an order of 15 bags until it would be there ready for pick-up.

I'm still waiting on my regular feed guy to get back with me on him "coming-close" to that price. He's a Manna Pro dealer also. If he can come within a dollar of the price, I'll stay with him. I'll just change feeds from Kent to Manna Pro. It's tough switching 250+ head over to a different feed.

I'll tell you before you make that switch--Manna Pro is a hard feed to switch off from if you ever decide to do so. I lost a fantastic blue satin buck this spring after I did so. It was a stud buck I couldn't afford to lose, and it's set me back on the variety like you cannot believe. The transition time I went thru the last time I switched off it took me over a month. I gave up on trying to buy it because the stores were always running out of it before I could get there to pick it up. Also, many of my younger rabbits were scratching it out of their feeders and into the waste trays. More feed was going to waste than being eaten by some rabbits, and it stopped when the feed transition was over.

Had my reptile fella show up last night and pick up 20 head of feeders. I explained my situation to him and "why" I would have to increase my prices over his next two visits. He was very agreable to my dilemna and didn't argue in the least. When the Guiness Book of World Records for 2013 comes out, He'll have the largest snake in the world in captivity.
It's a 25 foot female reticulated python that weighs well over 400 pounds. He raised her from a little thing. She's about 8 years old now. When she gets hungry.....he gets a little nervous!! LOL.

Ain't ever gonna get involved with that nonsense. I hate snakes to beging with, and the only good snake is a dead snake.

BTW: I've been getting 3rd cutting bales of alfalfa for $6.00 a piece. I've gotten the farmer to hold about 50 bales for me. That should come close to lasting me until next growing season. He refuses to sell to anyone else due to the shortages this year.
Grumpy.

$6/bale for alfalfa is a good deal. I paid just short of $10 for the last bale of bermuda that I bought.

 

[grumpy]

Hey Satin:

I went to the Tractor Supply website. They've got 50#'s of Manna Pro on sale for $13.99. I called them about it and was "told" that the sale price will be good until the 28th day of October....."barring some major catastrophe". All they needed was a two-week lag time from placing an order of 15 bags until it would be there ready for pick-up.

I'm still waiting on my regular feed guy to get back with me on him "coming-close" to that price. He's a Manna Pro dealer also. If he can come within a dollar of the price, I'll stay with him. I'll just change feeds from Kent to Manna Pro. It's tough switching 250+ head over to a different feed.

I'll tell you before you make that switch--Manna Pro is a hard feed to switch off from if you ever decide to do so. I lost a fantastic blue satin buck this spring after I did so. It was a stud buck I couldn't afford to lose, and it's set me back on the variety like you cannot believe. The transition time I went thru the last time I switched off it took me over a month. I gave up on trying to buy it because the stores were always running out of it before I could get there to pick it up. Also, many of my younger rabbits were scratching it out of their feeders and into the waste trays. More feed was going to waste than being eaten by some rabbits, and it stopped when the feed transition was over.

Had my reptile fella show up last night and pick up 20 head of feeders. I explained my situation to him and "why" I would have to increase my prices over his next two visits. He was very agreable to my dilemna and didn't argue in the least. When the Guiness Book of World Records for 2013 comes out, He'll have the largest snake in the world in captivity.
It's a 25 foot female reticulated python that weighs well over 400 pounds. He raised her from a little thing. She's about 8 years old now. When she gets hungry.....he gets a little nervous!! LOL.

Ain't ever gonna get involved with that nonsense. I hate snakes to beging with, and the only good snake is a dead snake.

BTW: I've been getting 3rd cutting bales of alfalfa for $6.00 a piece. I've gotten the farmer to hold about 50 bales for me. That should come close to lasting me until next growing season. He refuses to sell to anyone else due to the shortages this year.
Grumpy.

$6/bale for alfalfa is a good deal. I paid just short of $10 for the last bale of bermuda that I bought.

Satin:
Thanks for the heads-up about Manna Pro.....cause that's the feed I've been considering. I may end up staying with Kent. Although, it pains me to pay the price he's asking. However, I've never had to worry about "NOT" having feed there whenever I needed it. The costs of a good doe or two may not make it worth the risk. DARN IT!! I hate change! He's got Country Acres available....but that is a second-string purina feed. And I've not been that impressed with their rabbit feed for quite some time.

Snakes are okay........as long as they are away from here. LOL. He's got 7 or 8 over 15 feet long. The one large female is valued at $50,000.00. That's far too much money to have invested in an animal. He's very particular "where" he gets the feed for this snake. He straight up told me last night that he's never had an ounce of trouble whenever he's fed only my product/rabbits. He lost an 18 foot male that was a mate to the big female. He fed a 40 pound feeder pig to the fella and a week later, the snake was dead. Toxicology reports confirmed trace elements of arsenic in the snake's blood. I was a little squeamish at first selling to reptile breeders. Yet they are a very reliable source of income. They rarely question prices, nor do they try to haggle over a dollar or two.

grumpy.

 

[SatinsRule]

Grumpy, here's a suggestion for you.

If you're intent on finding a good feed that won't put you as far into the poor house, look into getting Prime Quality or Nutrena feeds. I use the PQ 18% on my babies and nursing does, and Nutrena's Nature Wise Premium 16% on the rest and they work great. I've gotten very good development out of them this year. If you're close to KC, you might be able to cut into the costs a bit by just picking PQ up @ their mill. They also make a 16% feed, if that is what you're after.

 

[rittert3]

I found a mill about an hr and 45 minutes west of the KC metro that manufactures their own pellets identical in formula to the Purina Show. Even after the price spike they are only charging 14.05/ 50lbs and I was paying that for 40lb county lane at Orschelns. It's been really hard to find a good pellet around here but I think I'm going to settle on this I found. The mill is about 50 miles from me but I have a freind close that buys there too so if we pool on gas and get try to stock up a little each trip it should be worth it.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

BTW: I've been getting 3rd cutting bales of alfalfa for $6.00 a piece. I've gotten the farmer to hold about 50 bales for me. That should come close to lasting me until next growing season. He refuses to sell to anyone else due to the shortages this year.

You are feeding pellets. Isnt a 3rd cut of alfalfa hay to rich for them?

 

[grumpy]

Mary Ann,

I've been feeding it for two weeks, now. They've shown no digestive problems. Our weather down here hasn't been the best with the drought and hot weather. That may have diminished the "richness" of the hay quite a bit.

grumpy.

 

[skysthelimit]

I'll tell you before you make that switch--Manna Pro is a hard feed to switch off from if you ever decide to do so. I lost a fantastic blue satin buck this spring after I did so. It was a stud buck I couldn't afford to lose, and it's set me back on the variety like you cannot believe. The transition time I went thru the last time I switched off it took me over a month. I gave up on trying to buy it because the stores were always running out of it before I could get there to pick it up. Also, many of my younger rabbits were scratching it out of their feeders and into the waste trays. More feed was going to waste than being eaten by some rabbits, and it stopped when the feed transition was over.

Well maybe that explains why I lost some kits after I switched from MannaPro to Buckeye. I thought maybe something was wrong with the Buckeye. If that's the case, perhaps I will go back to the Buckeye, as it is easier to get, the store is closer to me.

 

[SatinsRule]

I'll tell you before you make that switch--Manna Pro is a hard feed to switch off from if you ever decide to do so. I lost a fantastic blue satin buck this spring after I did so. It was a stud buck I couldn't afford to lose, and it's set me back on the variety like you cannot believe. The transition time I went thru the last time I switched off it took me over a month. I gave up on trying to buy it because the stores were always running out of it before I could get there to pick it up. Also, many of my younger rabbits were scratching it out of their feeders and into the waste trays. More feed was going to waste than being eaten by some rabbits, and it stopped when the feed transition was over.

Well maybe that explains why I lost some kits after I switched from MannaPro to Buckeye. I thought maybe something was wrong with the Buckeye. If that's the case, perhaps I will go back to the Buckeye, as it is easier to get, the store is closer to me.

That may very well be the case. I've switched off Manna Pro 3 times already, and each time I had rabbits experience digestive issues afterward. The last time was the final straw for me. I'd had enough of the higher prices, struggling constantly with availability, wasted feed by bunnies and nursing does alike, and needing more than a month to do a full switchover from one brand to another. The rabbits which did eat it liked it alot, but the other issues I just named weren't worth the pain and effort for me any longer. The feed I wound up feeding them is more consistent over time, there are plenty of dealers in the area who carry it, and I likely won't make another switch unless QC becomes an issue as it has so many other times and with so many other brands of feed.

I owe my business to nobody. It's the feed company's job to earn my continued patronage.

 

[skysthelimit]

I would feel better feeding Buckeye because it's an Ohio based company, and I'd be buying from a local store, supporting local economy.

 

[SatinsRule]

Sky, I wish to God that Wayne Feeds was still in business, or that at least their feed was sold here. I never fed a better feed as a youth breeder than that stuff was for my rabbits. I was one of very few people who used it, but my rabbits were at their best when I did so.

 

[Ninabl]

i got a 20 kb. bag of rabbit feed at tsc in winder ga yesterday for 8.99

 

[skysthelimit]

i got a 20 kb. bag of rabbit feed at tsc in winder ga yesterday for 8.99

That's kind of expensive here. Double that to equal what I would need, 50lbs, and that's a little more than $18 for a 50lb bag.

 

[Ninabl]

the last bag i bought was a 50 lb from southern states in franklin ky and think i paid 13.99

 

[rittert3]

I would feel better feeding Buckeye because it's an Ohio based company, and I'd be buying from a local store, supporting local economy.

I try to do this whenever I can, sometimes it can be hard to do with rabbit supplies, feed, ect. but I see it as my duty to my local economy to atleast try to find what I need locally.


When I started with just a pair this spring I was buying the 25lb bags from wally world for about $8 Then got off that pretty quick because rabbitosis kicked in and more rabbits started coming home.

 

[skysthelimit]

You know, I just remembered why I switched. Buckeye contains corn