pellet s and sweet feed

[HANSON301]

Anyone mix sweet feed and commercial pellets to cut down feed costs?
Pellets are $16.50/50# and sweet feed is $10/50#.
The protein level in sf is 12 and the pellets are 16 ave of 14
Also would let them have alfalfa /hay free feeding with mineral lick
Should this work?

 

[akane]

I know some people do but the high molasses can cause digestive upset and most sweet feed contains corn that many people want to avoid. The amount you give large livestock is a very small portion of the diet. Those that feed many pounds of sweet feed to horses end up with vet bills frequently.

 

[ottersatin]

I have in the past mixed Sweet feed with the Pelleted Rabbit feed.
I found that to be a MISTAKE! As the rabbits will tend to scrabble
most of the Pelleted rabbit feed in an effort to get to the Sweet-feed.
I learned to top-dress the pelleted feed with a handful or less of Sweet-feed
in an effort to thwart their attempts. Sweet-feed is useful to improve the
type in your Show Rabbits. It will bring out Sheen and full them out, but
one must do so carefully.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[HANSON301]

Thanks.
Is there a common practice used to 'cut' the feed with something nutrition al but cheaper than pellets?

 

[akane]

You can use straight wheat or barley. Oats can be used but are a bit high in fat so you have to watch the condition of the rabbits. Sometimes they eat it fine and sometimes they are annoying about it. We were alternating what we fed so they couldn't dig through it. Fill the feeders with 1-2 days of pellets and then fill them with 1-2 days of grain when they were empty or mostly empty. It works better than mixing.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I do.. but I don't mix the two together.. I use 14 % horse sweet feed.. »they get a little bit in a separate dish about every second day or so.There isn't to much corn in this

 

[skysthelimit]

I've done it once and lost rabbits. Will never do it again.


Frosted Rabbit uses a Seminole Wellness horse mix, with no corn, and it smells great, like Anise, the rabbits seem to do well. I'd use it if they sold it here, but I can't imagine it cost less than pellets.

In all thy feed cutting I've tried, I've found it's just better to buy a better feed, depending on your purpose for raising rabbits.