I have a 9 m/o HL buck. I'm trying to sell him as a pet and get a new stud buck but he is a finicky eater. He is on Bluebonnet pellets which I have to special order from our feed store. A few months back he stopped eating it, but kept eating his hay- everyone else kept eating pellets. He finally went back on pellets but now I'm trying to switch him to a good pet brand so it'll be easier to his new owners. He refuses to eat the Oxbow though he has eaten it before (and loved it) and eats everything else in his bowl. I know some people mostly feed their rabbits hay & herbs/plants... Could I do that for him? I would love to keep him but we have 2 pet rabbits, 2 pregnant brood does, 2 kits that are ready to go, and him & wanting a new buck, it'll be crowded. He'd make the perfect pet since he's litter trained and loves attention, but his picky eating makes me hesitate selling him to a novice rabbit owner. He is healthy & demands his hay 2x day, eats herbs & oats as a treat, and very active but is very picky w/ pellets.
Picky eater
- Thread starter rbtexas
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DogCatMom
Well-known member
Oxbow has maybe three different adult rabbit formulations. Which one is he turning his nose up at?
Admittedly, the one I'm feeding is pricey (4 lb = $10.99), but my almost-12-lb AmChin male LOVES it (and I have just the one rabbit). The bulk of his diet is greens and hay; the "kibble" is to fill in any corners of vitamin/mineral/calorie deficit. He practically pounces on the pellets as I put them into his feed dish.
link to Oxbow product
Admittedly, the one I'm feeding is pricey (4 lb = $10.99), but my almost-12-lb AmChin male LOVES it (and I have just the one rabbit). The bulk of his diet is greens and hay; the "kibble" is to fill in any corners of vitamin/mineral/calorie deficit. He practically pounces on the pellets as I put them into his feed dish.
link to Oxbow productThe adult basics 14%. I bought this new bag less than 2 weeks ago and mixed some w/ bluebonnet in a special container for Him. He originally had it when I got him because I didn't plan on starting a Rabbitry but I later transitioned back to Bluebonnet. He loved it the first time and nibbled a bit of it this time. He's known for going off pellets- not completely but not eating the full amount. He is crazy for his hay, herbs, and oat mix.
DogCatMom
Well-known member
I don't know whether I'm grasping at straws or making a legitimate point, so pls bear that in mind.
The Oxbow Adult Essentials has "Cane Molasses" listed as the 5th-most prevalent ingredient. Oxbow Natural Science lists "Cane Molasses" in 9th position, so it's less sweet (but your guy hasn't tried this stuff yet).
I was unable to get the Bluebonnet labels to download for me: my computer was being a brat and said "URI contains forbidden characters." Whatever those might be. *exasperation*
My theory has to do with sweetness of the pellets and/or the presence of corn, which is a sweet starch. Could he be expressing a preference for a sweeter kibble/pellet?
Somewhere around here, I listed the ingredients of the Oxbow Natural Science pellets a couple of days ago. [cue Jeopardy music] Ah! Found it. Some of the ingredients might register as "sweet" to a rabbit, so maybe (?) Mr. Picky would like it.
That's my idea about sugar/sweetness levels being one place to look for Mr. Picky's...ah...pickiness.
Maybe others will have different ideas tomorrow; it's pretty late in the Eastern and Central zones.
The Oxbow Adult Essentials has "Cane Molasses" listed as the 5th-most prevalent ingredient. Oxbow Natural Science lists "Cane Molasses" in 9th position, so it's less sweet (but your guy hasn't tried this stuff yet).
I was unable to get the Bluebonnet labels to download for me: my computer was being a brat and said "URI contains forbidden characters." Whatever those might be. *exasperation*
My theory has to do with sweetness of the pellets and/or the presence of corn, which is a sweet starch. Could he be expressing a preference for a sweeter kibble/pellet?
Somewhere around here, I listed the ingredients of the Oxbow Natural Science pellets a couple of days ago. [cue Jeopardy music] Ah! Found it. Some of the ingredients might register as "sweet" to a rabbit, so maybe (?) Mr. Picky would like it.
That's my idea about sugar/sweetness levels being one place to look for Mr. Picky's...ah...pickiness.
Maybe others will have different ideas tomorrow; it's pretty late in the Eastern and Central zones.
Frecs
Well-known member
pellets aside,
If the "hay" is alfalfa or (I think) Timothy (both are good protein) then, yes, you can let him eat just hay, oats, and herbs. If the "hay" is a lesser protein "grass" hay, it gets a little trickier, or so I understand it. Basically, for a pet rabbit, the protein percentage needs to be between 12-14%...oats is around 16-17%, the herbs will vary depending, but if the bulk is hay...you will want alfalfa or similar hay.
If the "hay" is alfalfa or (I think) Timothy (both are good protein) then, yes, you can let him eat just hay, oats, and herbs. If the "hay" is a lesser protein "grass" hay, it gets a little trickier, or so I understand it. Basically, for a pet rabbit, the protein percentage needs to be between 12-14%...oats is around 16-17%, the herbs will vary depending, but if the bulk is hay...you will want alfalfa or similar hay.
