# Comparing pellets, whats best?



## HayHey0248 (Sep 8, 2013)

Hi everyone. Since I've had my bunny Rocky (hes a mini rex, male, about 2) i have been feeding him Oxbox rabbit pellets that i have been ordering from a store in a nearby city, but at expensive costs. Where i live we only stock poor quality feed not suitable for rabbits, so there is no way i will buy from here. Until recently though my local pet store has stocked Vetafarm:Rabbit Origins pellets, an Australian brand rabbit food 'designed by vets. (that are also much cheaper). From what i have researched and heared this brand is quite good, but i don't think its as good as oxbow. So right now im really not sure if i should stick with oxbow, which is a really good pellet but expensive and takes a while to get here or change to the new, cheap and easily accessible brand?

Heres the info compared:

Oxbow Essentials: Adult Rabbit Food 
Crude Protein (min): 14.00% 
Crude Fat (min): 2.00% 
Crude Fiber (min): 25.00% 
Crude Fiber (max): 29.00% 
Salt max: 1.00%

VETAFARM:Rabbit Origins
Crude Protein (min): 13%
Crude Fat (min): 3.00%
Crude Fiber (min): 16%
Crude Fiber (max):NA
Salt max:0.5%


Vetafarm says it includes fescue, lucern, oat fiber, wheat, soybeans and oats. It also states the vitamins and minerals but theres alot to type. 
Oxbow includes much more ingredients though.

I also have some lucern chaff, could that be added to vetafarm to increase the fiber?

Thank you so much if you could help me out! ^____^


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## Watermelons (Sep 8, 2013)

Would be helpful to get a full ingredient list on the vetafarm food as well as the guaranteed analysis of other things like calcium and what not. But wow its really low in fiber.
Do you have a link to it? or can you get a photo of the bag to share this info?


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## HayHey0248 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah, i don't know why it only showed the min fiber as well. ?

I just uploading some photos now...


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## HayHey0248 (Sep 8, 2013)

Sorry about the bad quality. I took them with my iphone.






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## Watermelons (Sep 8, 2013)

Yikes, I hate it when companies do that! I wish they would list the ingredients by weight. And I want to know the calcium!
There are a few things I don't like about it as it stands with out that info, I like to stay away from Alfalfa (Lucerne) for adults unless they need it, and I want a higher fiber... They advertise that as a high fiber diet? I don't personally feed oxbow but I would lean towards the oxbow in this case.


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## HayHey0248 (Sep 8, 2013)

The low fiber really did suprise me considering it states it was 'designed by vets'. Taking this into consideration i would rather the best for my bun, so i might just have to stay with oxbow. ( the local pet store should really stock this stuff... :/


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## missyscove (Sep 8, 2013)

I agree that there isn't really enough information to make a solid comparison between the two. You could look into ordering larger quantities of oxbow at a time if that lowers the cost at all. 
If the hay you're feeding is lucerne (aka alfalfa) then I'd be especially concerned about the protein and calcium content on the pellet. Most of us here in the US feed a grass hay of some kind which is lower in protein and calcium.


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## OakRidgeRabbits (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't worry about the fiber content in pellets as long as the rabbit is offered long-stem grass hay along with their pellets (most people do). Pellets are about getting the rabbit the essential vitamins/nutrients/protein, etc. Vetafarm seems like a decent quality pellet for pet rabbits. If it is cheaper, fresher, and most importantly more accessible, I'd definitely give it a try.


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## majorv (Sep 8, 2013)

Julie has a point. If you're free feeding hay to your rabbit then the fiber in the pellet isn't quite as important. I'm not familiar with fescue hay but what I read says its low in calcium and appears to be a grass hay.


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## BunnyWabbit (Sep 8, 2013)

Have you talked to the local store about stocking it? Some stores will special order things for customers. 

Personally, I would be wary of switching to a food when there's not enough information about it to evaluate/compare it.


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## Nancy McClelland (Sep 8, 2013)

We've been using pellets from Wal Mart for a decade--this may not be much help because of what's available to you, but our rabbits get unlimited orchard grass and fresh veggies twice a day, and only a very tiny amount of pellets. We felt that hay and veggies are the way to go and the pellets are more of a treat than a genuine food source for them. Coal made it to 14 1/2 and Molly is just over fifteen and still going.


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## JBun (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't know about where you're at, but here in the US fescue can contain toxins that affect the animals eating it.


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## HayHey0248 (Sep 22, 2013)

Sorry for the late reply!

He has a constant supply of oaten hay and he also has fresh grass to eat every other day.


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## HayHey0248 (Sep 22, 2013)

Since it was awhile from my last post i had to order more oxbow pellets (at $28 shipping >.<). I might just stay with it as it just getting a little confusing on what to do... The pet shop also wont stock in anything requested as its too expensive for them.


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## Azerane (Sep 22, 2013)

My best bet for oxbow has been at vet clinics. While not all stock it, most that I have asked have told me that if I wanted it ordered in, they would happily do so. Check out their website for stockists: http://oxbowaustralia.com/retail-locations/ even if your vet isn't on there it may be worth ringing.

Where online do you buy the oxbow? I've never bought from them, but http://www.mypetwarehouse.com.au/ currently has a free shipping offer going on, today is the final day though. I'm not sure how much they charge for shipping regularly though, it's what I went there to check but found that they had free shipping


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## FreezeNkody (Sep 22, 2013)

Sadly I can not afford "expensive" rabbit foods I've recently switched to Kay tee brand all Timothy pellets. I was feeding Kay tee fortified and read the ingredients and was surprised to see it had alfalfa meal in it. And I was told adult bunnys it wasn't good to feed alfalfa. I was reading the bag and this is the ratings I got

Crude protein min 13%
Crude fat min 1.5%
Crude fiber min 20.0%
Crude fiber max 25.0%
Calcium min .25%
Calcium max . 75%

I'm thinking this is decent from what I've read. They seem to like it. I also don't feed greens a lot because my fur babies seem to get poopy butt when I do, so sometimes I just grab some grass and dandelions from outside as a treat. 


Sent from my iPhone using Rabbit Forum


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## missyscove (Sep 22, 2013)

The Kaytee Timothy Complete pellet is a good pellet. One of the reasons I prefer Oxbow is that everything Oxbow makes is a product I feel comfortable feeding my animals whereas Kaytee definitely makes some not-so-good products and I feel better giving my money to a company where I like everything they make.


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