Quality of Feed... GI issues

[Skyz84]

So for the last few years I have been feeding Manna Pro rabbit feed. LOVE that feed. My rabbits do great on it. However the price is killing me! $17 per 50lb bag. We use 2 - 4 bags a week!

A year ago I tried a cheaper feed store brand... SLOWLY switched the rabbits over.... I lost almost every baby! Mom's started eating newborns (experienced mom's who never had issues before). Does were not making enough milk for the surviving babies. Does lost a lot of weight. ect....

SO I switched back to Manna Pro for a year....

I have found a new brand called Wendland's 18% Rabbit Relish. SO... I decided to give it a try... SLOWLY switching it over.... No sooner do I completely eliminate Manna Pro I start having issues...
4 different rabbits are having GI issues. Stopped eating, lost weight. Seems I am bringing them around and they are starting to nibble again.

I spent over a month phasing out Manna Pro. I don't get it... Unless the new feed is just a bad feed...

My bunnies also get a very small handful of Chaffhaye & a handful of coastal hay every night.

It seems with the new food my rabbits are eating significantly less. I guess they don't like it... Maybe that is why the belly issues started? But what am I to do? Should I continue with the new wendlands feed or switch back to the Manna Pro? I'm nervous more rabbits are going to be coming up with GI issues.


Maybe the new food is just a really crappy feed... Any opinions?

It is 18% Protein & 12-17% Fiber.
Top ingredients are "Forage Products, Grain Products, Plant Protein Products, Processed Grain By-Products"
I don't really like how vague they are with the ingredients.

The Manna Pro feed was 16% Protein & 17-21% Fiber. I'm guessing this fiber change may have been part of the issue?
The Top ingredients are "Dehydrated alfalfa meal, wheat middlings, soybean hulls, soybean meal, feeding oatmeal,"

I'd love to hear what brands of feed you guys would recommend. The only other brand of feed I can easily acquire is Purina Rabbit Chow. However it is more expensive then the Manna Pro.

Sorry for the rambling... just worried about the bunnies and I'm not sure what to do about the food issue.. :?

 

[Zass]

What breeds of rabbits are you feeding?

I think the protein level that's best has a lot to do with a rabbits breed and age. For example, I've found that 18% protein feeds cause a lot of uneaten cecals in my adults. An angora might require it for hair growth though.

It's possible that they are eating less because the high protein feed is making them feel more full. You might do really well with your new feed by simply giving more hay for fiber and feeding each rabbit a bit less pellets.

I've also noticed that my fryers (on 14%-16%) take longer to make weight than another breeder I know who feeds 18%. We frequently trade kits at 6 weeks, so I've been able to compare closely. Hers grow faster, but mine have less fat. So it's a trade off.


I'm interested in the Chaffhaye, how long have you been feeding that?

 

[ottersatin]

My Feed is 16% and my entire herd does well on it.
I have used 18% feed before and the rabbits did well,
the up part of the 18% is: Rabbits can do very well
on less feed. This is a plus in the winter because
they require more protein/feed to maintain body temperature
and their bellies can only hold just so much.
I am of the belief that you should not change your feed
unless the Rabbits are having a particular problem with it.
I also believe that any rabbit feed regardless of the brand name
that is working fore you and your Herd, is the feed that you
and your Herd should stick with. As always, JMPO.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[Rexisbest]

We use Manna Pro, no complaints. I am surprised yours is $2 a bag more expensive than mine...I pay $15 and change.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Where in Texas are you? We feed LoneStar. It's a 16% protein feed, but they starting adding more soy to it, so I plan to switch to Petrus 5050. I would call the maker of that feed and ask what the ingredients actually are.

 

[Peach]

I'm paying about $18.50 per bag with Pen Pals 15%. I noticed that my rabbits have changed dramatically since we switched from Manna Pro Pro ($17.50). I couldn't get weight on them with Manna and had to feed so much... the swap to Penpals and I consistently feed each rabbit 3/4 cup with no issues. ( those with litters get free fed). The Manna Pro pellets were also several inches long, so the rabbits wasted SO much. Maybe take a look at the pellet length? Maybe go with a lower protein %? 18% can be to "hot" and better suited for wool breeds.

 

[Miss M]

It's odd, but some people's rabbits thrive on feed that cause problems for others.

I'm paying $16.50/50lb bag. It isn't fun, but food that's $15.50 is far enough away that I'd spend the savings in gas.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

It's odd, but some people's rabbits thrive on feed that cause problems for others.

I'm paying $16.50/50lb bag. It isn't fun, but food that's $15.50 is far enough away that I'd spend the savings in gas.

I think it depends on where it is milled. Manna Pro or Purina can be milled at different mills across the country and the quality is not consistent.

 

[Miss M]

It's odd, but some people's rabbits thrive on feed that cause problems for others.

I'm paying $16.50/50lb bag. It isn't fun, but food that's $15.50 is far enough away that I'd spend the savings in gas.

I think it depends on where it is milled. Manna Pro or Purina can be milled at different mills across the country and the quality is not consistent.

Oh, I didn't know that. I used to use Purina, and never had any problem with it. Guess it just came from a better mill, then.

 

[skysthelimit]

I've been told that MannaPro is a lot like crack. I know quite a few people who have had problems when they made the switch and have lost buns. I haven't had that problem yet though, I go on an off MannaPro several times a year, because I can't get it consistently, TSC does not always stock rabbit food, they say no one buys it.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Maybe the new food is just a really crappy feed... Any opinions?

It is 18% Protein & 12-17% Fiber.
Top ingredients are "Forage Products, Grain Products, Plant Protein Products, Processed Grain By-Products"

I vote that it is probably poor quality. Your general rule of thumb when reading labels is that specific, preferably whole ingredients are listed. When they are non-specific it means that they buy whatever fulfills the category at the cheapest available price at the time- this is called "least cost formulation". So the formula will constantly change and the ingredients may contain the nutrients in a form that is not digestible by the animal.

However, some national companies use generic terminology because the ingredients differ in geographic areas of the country. If Wendland's is a small local manufacturer, I would think it is following the "least cost formulation" method.

Many years ago one of the premium dog food manufacturers had an ad campaign showing that dog food could meet the nutritional data using products such as an old leather boot and motor oil (I think), among other non-food ingredients.

Here is an in depth article (about horse feed) that may provide you more insight into the topic:

http://www.barrelhorsenews.com/articles ... -feed-tags

 

[Zass]

In the past, I have a hard time switching from one variety of manna pro to another even mixing feeds. Pro to Gro for example.
I found working more non-pellet feeds into their diets did make the switches easier, so now I up the amounts of things like oats and hay before trying a new pellet or even a new variety of manna pro.

It was the manna pro Gro 18% formula that caused cecal overproduction in my does and was putting fat on my fryers. Since I don't eat rabbit fat, it just felt like a waste. I don't care if they make weight a little later so long as all that weight is meat.

 

[BlueMoods]

Here, I feed Nutreena 16% (Country Feeds) and mine all do well on it for 15.00/50 lbs. I also give oat and alfalfa cubes frree choice rather than loose hay. Takes new rabbits here 1-3 days to learn to eat the cubes if they have never had them, but they all catch on and do fine.