My rabbits quit eating pellets is Coastal Hay enough?

[concreteblonde]

Hi there,

I've got a problem that I've never had before in all of my years of raising rabbits!

Most of them quit eating their pellets. When I put hay in they lunge at it as if they are starving.

To make it worse, the feed store was out of their regular feed. So, I thought perhaps the new pellets would entice them to eat.

Not!

So Coastal Hay it is! At least it doesn't have GMO's in it.

But I have no idea how much to feed them. They are FL Whites. They are a medium sized rabbit and weigh anywhere from 4 to 6 lbs. The bucks tend to run smaller than the does.

Oh, and how do you make itty bitty hay bales, LOL!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I would add some alfalfa hay if that is all they are eating...

 

[concreteblonde]

I would add some alfalfa hay if that is all they are eating...

I didn't want to risk the GMO's. Isn't that the hay that Monsanto produced?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Any pellets you feed likely have GMOs in them too. Alfalfa hay is made from alfalfa plants. And yes, Monsanto does likely produce a GMO alfalfa seed that is grown into hay. Unless you are purchasing strictly organic feed items, most of what you are already feeding is probably grown from GMO sources.

 

[MaggieJ]

Coastal hay is not enough to provide good nutrition. You can try enticing them to eat their pellets by making a very dilute solution of blackstrap molasses and squirting at bit on their pellets or you can go to a natural diet and feed a mix of grains, seeds, fresh and dried greens etc. This whole Natural Feeding for Rabbits forum gives good guidance to a pellet-free diet. The "sticky" threads in particular will give you plenty of ideas.

To me, when rabbits that previously enjoyed pellets suddenly turn their noses up at them, a huge red flag goes up. There may be something wrong with that batch of pellets. I would check it for signs that it got wet (clumping, "off" odours, mould etc.) and return it for a refund if it seems questionable.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I agree to offer alfalfa as well. You might also give them some grain such as oats, barley, and BOSS (Black Oil Sunflower Seeds).

Is it possible that your pellets were moldy? The new pellets may not be appealing because of their novelty rather than be more tempting to the rabbits. Or they may be old- did you check the production code to see how fresh they are?

Isn't that the hay that Monsanto produced?

They have a modified seed called "Round Up Ready" which is resistant to the herbicide Round Up, but they did not develop the plant itself.


Alfalfa is native to a warmer temperate climate such as that of Iran (where it is thought to have originated). It has been cultivated as livestock fodder since at least the era of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfalfa

About Round Up:

Roundup deactivates upon contact with soil and is degraded by micro organisms.
http://www.roundup.com.au/how-roundup-works

Glyphosate-based herbicides all work on the same biochemical principle -- they inhibit a specific enzyme that plants need in order to grow. The specific enzyme is called EPSP synthase. Without that enzyme, plants are unable to produce other proteins essential to growth, so they yellow and die over the course of several days or weeks.
http://home.howstuffworks.com/question357.htm

 

[concreteblonde]

I agree to offer alfalfa as well. You might also give them some grain such as oats, barley, and BOSS (Black Oil Sunflower Seeds).

Is it possible that your pellets were moldy? The new pellets may not be appealing because of their novelty rather than be more tempting to the rabbits. Or they may be old- did you check the production code to see how fresh they are?

Isn't that the hay that Monsanto produced?

They have a modified seed called "Round Up Ready" which is resistant to the herbicide Round Up, but they did not develop the plant itself.


Alfalfa is native to a warmer temperate climate such as that of Iran (where it is thought to have originated). It has been cultivated as livestock fodder since at least the era of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfalfa

About Round Up:

Roundup deactivates upon contact with soil and is degraded by micro organisms.
http://www.roundup.com.au/how-roundup-works

Glyphosate-based herbicides all work on the same biochemical principle -- they inhibit a specific enzyme that plants need in order to grow. The specific enzyme is called EPSP synthase. Without that enzyme, plants are unable to produce other proteins essential to growth, so they yellow and die over the course of several days or weeks.
http://home.howstuffworks.com/question357.htm

Well RR alfalfa, just like their corn has become rampant and there is no way, except for organic/pricey feeds, to guarantee non GMO in either corn or alfalfa.

All I know is that people's vet bills are going up because of the animals sensitivity to the stuff. My brother-in-law's dog has been to the vet three times trying to figure out what was wrong with it. He lost all of his hair on his back and it itched the poor dog crazy and finally the vet told him, "take him off corn for a couple of months and see what happens." Yeppers, it cleared right up. That was after spending a ton on salves and meds.

Some of the chicken feed is like that too. Sometimes the chickens will avoid it and sometimes they will eat it right up. I have chickens that have lost some of their back feathers and when moulting time came, the pin feathers started to grow back in and then dropped off. Just on the back. That was when we didn't have a rooster.

So, I'm starting to get leery of store bought feed but I don't have enough acreage to grow my own.

 

[MaggieJ]

If you have been feeding pellets all along, it seems strange that you would cavil at feeding good alfalfa hay because it might be GMO. You can be sure that many of the ingredients in those pellets are GMO.

There are a number of ways to ensure rabbits get the nutrients they need, but coastal hay alone is not going to do it. Alfalfa or clover hay is the easiest way to ensure sufficient protein, but you could also look at growing fodder. It is a reasonably priced alternative and there is plenty of information available.
fodder-sprouting-systems-anyone-t10317.html

Please note that if you are not feeding pellets you will need to provide a trace mineral salt block or the equivalent for your rabbits.

 

[ladysown]

I would query WHY they stopped eating pellets.

For them to eat them, and then suddenly stop eating them denotes a problem with the feed.

 

[jessie15273]

Any pellets you feed likely have GMOs in them too. Alfalfa hay is made from alfalfa plants. And yes, Monsanto does likely produce a GMO alfalfa seed that is grown into hay. Unless you are purchasing strictly organic feed items, most of what you are already feeding is probably grown from GMO sources.

But keep in mind, organic and GMOs dont really have a whole lot to do with eachother. IPM is the way to go IMO

 

[MaggieJ]

IPM?

Please do not use unfamiliar acronyms without also giving the full form. IPM for me suggests Integrated Pest Management and does not seem to be relevant. Googling it also turned up International Plowing Match. :x

Here in Canada, Certified Organic products cannot be genetically modified. I don't know about in the United States.
http://www.cog.ca/index.php?page=consum ... -standards

 

[MamaSheepdog]

IPM?

Integrated Pest Management?

Googling it also turned up International Plowing Match. :x

Oh dear... must NOT run with that... :shutup:

 

[Frecs]

In the United States, Organic and non-GMO are NOT equal! GMO plants can be grown "certified organic" in the USA.

As stated, if you are feeding any pellets that do not specifically say "non-GMO" --you have been feeding GMO, undoubtedly. At this point, you either get some grains and gather some forage OR you buy some alfalfa hay....

BUT! Wait! There are alternatives to alfalfa! Willow, Mulberry leaves, clover, moringa...and others I can not think of at the moment will easily provide the protein needed in place of alfalfa.

You can also get "Deer Plot Mix" that contains clovers and chicory and others and plant and grow forage for your rabbits. That takes time, of course, so you still need something NOW -- either a pellet they will eat or a bale of alfalfa.<br /><br />__________ Tue Oct 22, 2013 11:54 am __________<br /><br />

Some of the chicken feed is like that too. Sometimes the chickens will avoid it and sometimes they will eat it right up. I have chickens that have lost some of their back feathers and when moulting time came, the pin feathers started to grow back in and then dropped off. Just on the back. That was when we didn't have a rooster.

So, I'm starting to get leery of store bought feed but I don't have enough acreage to grow my own.

My chickens won't touch the layer feed. They eat the same sprouted grains that I grow for my rabbits and they eat whatever the rabbits drop plus what they can free range. Ditto for the muscovies.

If you don't have acreage, set up a fodder system. It doesn't take much space but does have a bit of a learning curve on it. Plus, you might be surprised at what you can forage from around your neighborhood or within a short distance from you. Read through the many threads on this forum about natural feeding. It is a wealth of information to get you going. You can certainly work toward no needing commercial feed for your rabbits. But, our concern now is that your rabbits need more than just coastal bermuda hay now while you and they adjust to a new diet. --They will need to adjust as well! You can't just start giving them foods they aren't used to. They need to start off slowly so they can develop the digestive ability to handle the foods.

(There is a growing database of examples of people who's rabbits have stopped breeding or who have started just dieing without reason that appears to be linked to commercial pellets and specifically to the soy products used in them. Not a GMO issue so much as a soy product issue.)

 

[concreteblonde]

Sorry to take so long to get back here.

Thank you for all of your input.

I finally found a rabbit feed that my rabbits love and are consistently happier with.

It's Blue Seal Show Hutch Deluxe.

http://blueseal.com/product/?id=118

It's a little pricey, but man it's got the papaya in it already and a ton of vitamins! And they love it!

 

[SatinsRule]

I finally found a rabbit feed that my rabbits love and are consistently happier with.

It's Blue Seal Show Hutch Deluxe.

http://blueseal.com/product/?id=118

It's a little pricey, but man it's got the papaya in it already and a ton of vitamins! And they love it!

Glad to hear you found a feed that's working well for you, but the first 4-5 lines of the ingredient label doesn't exactly scream out "a ton of vitamins".

Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Wheat Middlings, Dehulled
Soybean Meal, Soybean Hulls, Wheat Flour, Oat Mill
By-Product, Cane Molasses, Corn Gluten Meal,
Papaya, Vegetable Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Yeast
Culture, Salt,

 

[LilacGal]

Or non-GMO if that's what was really concerning you about feeding Alfalfa hay.....
I'm pretty sure both wheat and soy are likely GMO in this product even if the Alfalfa isn't.

 

[MaggieJ]

The ingredients are always listed in order by quantity, so I would expect any vitamins added to appear near the end of the list. It's good that alfalfa is first. Some people do not like feeding soybean products; others don't mind. Some people worry about GMO ingredients; others do not. You have to think it through and decide for yourself.

I'd give it a try for awhile and then evaluate based on the rabbits' health and performance.

 

[bobqdevon]

IPM?

Integrated Pest Management?

Googling it also turned up International Plowing Match. :x

Oh dear... must NOT run with that... :shutup:

Same here... :shutup: :stirpot:

 

[concreteblonde]

Unless I can find some ORGANIC feed around here without having to pay a ton for shipping or ordering half a semi truck load this is the best I'm going to be able to do.

I had to travel several hours just to get some Angora rabbits and the lady told me she fed her rabbits organic feed but the supplier was over on the Gulf Coast. Yeah, and I've seen Organic Chicken Feed over on the Gulf Coast too, but I can't afford to go over there and get it, plus pay the price hike in the feed.

 

[Frecs]

Same here, I can't reasonably obtain organic feed so I do the best I can. Shoot -- I can't REASONABLY afford organic food for ME, much less the critters!!!

The only organic food my rabbits, chickens, and ducks get is what is foraged off my property.