Rabbit Pellets w/o Corn or Soy

[DogCatMom]

Let's try again with a discussion on rabbit feeds.

I have only one rabbit, Parsley Graybuns, an American Chinchilla weighing 11.5 lb. I'm not feeding a group of breeding animals, nor am I feeding wool rabbits (yet...). I was able to find a rabbit pellet by Oxbow without sugar or corn--my first two requirements--and then saw that it also had no soy. This, to me, was a bonus and not a baseline requirement.

Right now, since it's a new product, it seems to come only in these itty bitty 4-lb (1.8-kg) bags, ridiculously small even for the owner of one lonely rabbit ($10.99, which is why I'd LOVE bigger bags). :angry: But I hope that, if others with more rabbits express interest in larger amounts of this kind of rabbit pellet/chow, the maker would See the Light :greedy: or $omething clo$ely related to it :wink: and offer larger bags at better prices.

This is it: Oxbow's "Natural Science" Adult Rabbit Food/Nourriture pour Lapin Adulte/Alimento para Conejos Adultos."

Ingredients are shown on the linked page, but here's a list of the first ten or so, in the order provided on the package:
1) Timothy grass
2) Orchard Grass
3) Oat Grass
4) Oat Hulls
5) Canola Meal
6) Whole Yellow Pea
7) Whole Barley
8 ) Tomato Pomace (dehydrated)
9 ) Cane Molasses
10) Flax Seed

The guaranteed analysis looks low in protein for some rabbits, but this pelleted feed isn't Parsley's sole food. He receives the bulk of his diet as fresh greens and hay; the pellets are for mineral and vitamin "insurance." But there's no doubt he LOVES the pellets! He dives into them as soon as I put them into his dish.

1) Crude Protein (min) = 12.00%
2) Crude Fat (min) = 3.00%
3) Crude Fiber (min) = 22.00%
4) Crude Fiber (max) = 26.00%
5) Moisture (max) = 10.00%
6) Calcium (min) = 0.40%
7) Calcium (max) = 0.80%
8 ) Phosphorus (min) = 0.35%
9 ) Copper (min) = 35 mg/kg
10) Vitamin A (min) = 19,000 IU/kg
11) Vitamin D (min) = 900 IU/kg
12) Vitamin E (min) = 190 IU/kg
13) Omega 3 Fatty Acid (min) = 0.45%
14) Omega 6 Fatty Acid (min) = 0.90%

If anybody close to them wants to drive over for a larger bag, if possible, or anything else, Oxbow's address on this bag is:
29012 Mill Road, Murdock, Nebraska 68407; (800) 249-0366 or (402) 867-2400.

 

[dragonladyleanne]

While it is wonderful there's no chance of GMO's, I have to raise an eyebrow at #5 "Canola Meal", since Canola is a "brand name" of sorts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canola. Also that protein level seems much too low, unless you are also feeding alfalfa hay or cubes.

 

[Dood]

Canola meal is high in protein, but less than soymeal, is more expensive and harder to digest, so I am not surprised that it is in a feed that lacks soybean meal.

Asking the company to increase this component to increase the protein levels shouldn't be too unreasonable but the cost of course will also increase and palatability may be effected.

PS about 90% of canola is GMO

 

[PSFAngoras]

I'd love to see pellets around here with no corn or soy, but the best I can do is just no corn.

The method most people take around my area to feed without those two is just to feed high quality alfalfa hay and also give some kind of grain such as oats or barley, with BOSS in the cold months too. I like the idea, but my property is too small to store any amount of alfalfa for the year, and access year round would be hard to find.

If a feed like what your talking about were to become available in So CO here, for a more affordable price and a high enough protein percentage for the angoras, I'd be more than happy to get it, but I'm lucky I can find 18% at all, so I'm not holding my breath

 

[LilacGal]

Yeah Canola is another high GMO, it just doesn't get the press like Soy and Corn. We also use Oxbow, because we only have two rabbits currently but since we just moved to TX and there are three feed stores within 10 miles of us I'll have to start seeing what's out there. We have popples on the way and a breeding trio to pick up later this month. Going to need more chow.

 

[Frecs]

The protein level is low -- you can do better just getting whole oats and wheat or barley and sprouting them. IF you are feeding a pet rabbit or two (especially a small rabbit), this is probably an adequate protein level. For breeding, I'd want at LEAST 16%.

As mentioned...canola is as much a GMO risk as soy plus has other issues for human health (not sure if that translates to rabbits) as does soy so may not be such a great replacement for soymeal. I have read (but am not sure how well it would work) about Austrian peas or field peas as a potential replacement for soy and as far as I know, those haven't gotten the attentions of Monsanto or the other gene-splicers.

I do like that they list very clearly what is in the recipe. That is a rarity and to be praised for sure.