Pelleted Feed

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karenm99

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Those of you who feed pellets, what kind do you feed? I've been using Tractor Supply's Producers Pride. It seems like my rabbits poop out more than they take in. Also not too pleased with the growth of my kits. So are my expectations too high, or is something else better?
 
Producers Pride is a "feed" in the classical sense, but I honestly have never seen anything listed on the ingredient tag that would make me want to use it.

I was never really crazy about the feed TSC sells or the prices they charge for them. When I first got back into the showrooms, I used their Manna Pro Sho feed and twice switched off it. Too much inconsistency and excess dust in the bags over time, and at $21 per 50 lb. bag, that is too much money to waste. Today, I am driving to Illinois every 3-4 months and picking up a ton of a locally milled feed which is working very well for me.
 
I also use the Producers pride from TSC and also don't care for it, however, it is cheap and convenient to pick up.
My other options come from feed stores which limit me to picking up on Sat before noon only, as they are open the same hours I work, and only until noon Sat.
I am considering using Bluebonnet, but the only place I can get it is 5.00 per bag higher than Producers Pride. I go thru about 3 bags every 10 days, so that is a phenomenal difference.
The best feed I have ever seen or smelled was Pfaus feeds, which came with some rabbits I purchased from Oregon. Unfortunately, in spite of my best efforts, I cannot get it here in Okla unless I want to buy a truck load. I wouldn't even hesitate to spend 5.00 more per bag if I could get it.
 
I have manna pro gro just because it is the only 18% feed I can get for my angoras without special ordering. I am not overly fond of it, pellet size is large and length is inconsistent, don't notice much dust though, and my grow out rate for what I raise (French angoras and meat mutts) is good. It has no corn in it, which is why i choose it over the other 18% brand the feed store carries and it's only a dollar more, but it still has soy unfortunately. (When you start reading up on soy its pretty nasty unless it gets fermented.)

The stuff I have to special order I do like better, but it is nearly $25 a bag. Its ADM pen pals. Still no corn, can't remember if there is soy or not. The pellets are a consistent size and small, so the kits can hold onto them better when starting to wean and don't drop and waste so many pellets. Good grow out weights. I just don't like to have to pay that much more and special order it. Seems like too much of a hassle, and if I run out unexpectedly (I send transition food with any kit, so if I sell a bunch I run out quickly!) I can't just run and pick up another bag. It has to be ordered and I have to wait a week and substitute with another feed. I don't want to switch feed constantly, so it jus doesn't work out.
 
Luv, Bluebonnet isn't an entirely bad feed. I tested it on about half my breeders recently and they all pretty much ate it readily.
 
I use Prime Quality Rabbit Grower, from the local feed store. My rabbits seem to do fine on it. Anything else would be a long drive, and I want to try to switch to fodder, anyway.

Edited to add: 16%
 
I am using Nutrena 16% and it is working well for me and my herd.
Feed reliability may have a lot to do with where it is/was processed.
If a feed is working for you, no matter what the brand or percentage
DO NOT change it! The only reason to change feeds would be:
If you have a particular and recurring problem within the herd
that YOU can verify is brought about by that particular feed.
As always, JMPO.
Ottersatin. :eek:ldtimer:
 
Kent, 17% commercial feed.
I had problems with fines in the first ton.
However the second ton seems to be okay, thus far.

I'm going through a little more than a ton per month at the present.
The stock looks better overall and weight gain is pretty good.

grumpy.
 
I failed to mention it earlier, but I use Oren Reynolds 16% ration. No corn, little to no dust or fines, and the rabbits do very well on it.
 
We've been using TSC stuff, Producer's Pride I think, and I have to say I'm not impressed with it. The only plus to it is that as far as we can tell, it doesn't contain soy. We're switching to a "locally" milled feed (if you consider 30 miles each way to be local) to see how they do with that. Especially since we can get it just by the bag at a $3 per bag savings over the TSC stuff. I'm sure it would be more if we bought it by the ton.
 
I use manna pro from TSC. I think it is $16.99 or $17.49. No problems, no complaints at all. I only use about 100 lbs a month so cost isn't a big issue for me. Plus I have to drive by TSC almost every time that I leave the house (3 miles away), so it is super convenient. We have a Southern States that is even closer but I've never tried their feeds. I do like their horse stall pellets better than TSC. Same price at both places, only downside with Southern States is I have to drive around back and wait for someone to get it out of the warehouse.
 
I'm pretty much between a rock and a hard place. TSC has had nothing but their brand and Purina for weeks. I won't feed Purina, so it's TSC. When I first fed it, everyone blew their coats. Since then, weights have been ok, actually better than they were on Manna Pro, but I know this is not a long term solution. I've always had feed problems though, and haven't figured it out yet.
 
We loved manna pro but it wouldn't stay in stock so we switched to Kent from the little Kent feedstore in the middle of nowhere. We don't go past there anymore so we using nutrena.
 
For those of you who are feeding TSC brand and don't like it, have you tried finding local feed mills instead? I switched to a 16% pellet from a local(ish) mill (almost 30 miles away), it is $2 less expensive per bag AND they deliver it for free (I also get other livestock feed delivered, minimum order of 10 bags for delivery). I had no idea the place existed for the 4 years I've lived here until recently. I wish I had looked for it years ago... the chicken feed is $6/bag less! I haven't been using it long enough to comment on quality, but they have a good reputation and it seems to be working well so far.
 
We went and got from the local mill I was talking about, yesterday, and for 7 bags was $90. I spend over $100 at TSC, so as long as this feed works for us, we will stick with the mill. Now all I have to do is get them to open me up a charge account there lol...
 
TheOtherHorse":1f1zlgr5 said:
For those of you who are feeding TSC brand and don't like it, have you tried finding local feed mills instead? I switched to a 16% pellet from a local(ish) mill (almost 30 miles away), it is $2 less expensive per bag AND they deliver it for free (I also get other livestock feed delivered, minimum order of 10 bags for delivery). I had no idea the place existed for the 4 years I've lived here until recently. I wish I had looked for it years ago... the chicken feed is $6/bag less! I haven't been using it long enough to comment on quality, but they have a good reputation and it seems to be working well so far.
Click to expand...


There is no such thing as a local feed mill in the middle of a large urban city.

I have seen a feed mill twice in my life, both more than 80 miles away from where I live. After traveling that distance, it wouldn't be worth it for me. I can't store the amount needed to make it even slightly worthwhile, so I'd go broke feeding rabbits. I'm feeding TSC because there is no other simple solution. My buns are still alive and breeding, for now.
 

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