# Oxbow pellets



## Thumperina (Oct 26, 2012)

I unfortunately have to give up on Sherwood forest food , my rabbits don't eat it anyway. I am going to try Oxbow pellets. I have two 10 months old rabbits, and two 3 months old. 
Do you think there is a chance they would like Oxbow pellets? I am not worried about my younger rabbits (they would eat almost anything) but the older are very picky (well, I guess because younger buns allowed all the good sweet stuff like alfalfa, and older buns must be stuck with Timothy).
Does anyone know if any samples of Oxbow pellets available? Their alfalfa based "Young rabbit food" - until what age should it be fed? I am not finding answers yet.
Did anyone have a good experience switching buns who used to junk rabbit food to Oxbow? 
Those who feed Oxbow pellets - are you finding good deals? For the beginning I am buying a 5lb bag for 9.99 (which is 2 dollars a pound) at the local pet store (this price can be compared to Sherwood bulk price - not bad at all). I guess, I need different types of Oxbow pellets for the parents and for children, right?


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## Thumperina (Oct 26, 2012)

Nobody used Oxbow?


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## LakeCondo (Oct 26, 2012)

Yes, Oxbow & Kaytee are the only 2 brands I've found that I like. Oxbow is a little better in that it has more fiber, but if your rabbit eats enough hay, that shouldn't be a problem. 

I recommend wag.com. The last I checked, 10-lb bags were $17 for adult Oxbow $12.50 for Kaytee. Shipping is free with a $50 purchase & if you have a joint order with one of their other sites, I think it's $40. It gets delivered in a couple days. I like some of their dried fruit & cleaning supplies.


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## OakRidgeRabbits (Oct 26, 2012)

I have not used Oxbow, but I know a lot of people here do, so you'll probably hear from someone. 

If your adult rabbits don't do well with timothy pellets, you can feed them an alfalfa pellet instead. Alfalfa itself isn't bad for adult rabbits, it's just higher in protein and calcium so it needs to limited. Free-feeding alfalfa to adults can make them a little "fluffy!"

If you do use an alfalfa pellet, usually around 1/2 cup per 5 lbs. body weight is a good general starting point. Then you can alter it from there if the rabbit is seeming too thin or too fat. Of course, an adult will need less of a higher protein/fat feed than a lower protein/fat feed, so it will depend on what you end up with. Just be sure to supplement with timothy or grass hay if you use an alfalfa pellet, not alfalfa hay. Alfalfa hay + alfalfa pellets would be a bit too much.

Anyway, someone will likely have a suggestion for a timothy pellet your rabbits will like. Failing that, I just didn't want you to worry. All ages can do well on an alfalfa pellet too. Go with what your bunnies enjoy and tailor it from there.  All animals are different!


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## Nancy McClelland (Oct 26, 2012)

I have one that has bladder issues with alfalfa pellets, so I use Oxbow for her and give the others kaytee.


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## Thumperina (Oct 26, 2012)

*OakRidgeRabbits wrote: *


> I have not used Oxbow, but I know a lot of people here do, so you'll probably hear from someone.
> 
> If your adult rabbits don't do well with timothy pellets, you can feed them an alfalfa pellet instead. Alfalfa itself isn't bad for adult rabbits, it's just higher in protein and calcium so it needs to limited. Free-feeding alfalfa to adults can make them a little "fluffy!"
> 
> ...


The problem is that my older rabbits DO NOT eat timothy hay. I have a bale of good alfalfa in the yard for my youngsters, but my older rabbits just come and feed there. I bought them orchard grass hay - no luck with this one either(((


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## MiniLopHop (Oct 26, 2012)

I use Oxbow and get it for $45 for a 50 pound bag, so it is a really good deal. I get it from a rescue that gets that price since they get so much per shipment.

Several of my buns were on "junk" food when I got them. I just gradually weaned them over by mixing the food. Even my youngsters were on regular oxbow because that is what I could get at a good price, I just added alfalfa hay. If you block the adults access to the alfalfa they should switch over to grass hays if it is all they can get. I do keep a little alfalfa on hand for my one rabbit who has cronic health issues and needs it to maintain her weight on occasion. The others will steal it if they have the chance, but normally eat timothy and orchard grass well. Sophie in particular tends towards bladder sludge so I have to watch her calcium.


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## qtipthebun (Oct 26, 2012)

Q-tip says "I wuv Oxbow! It's my favorite bunny food type! Mommy said she gets it at something called the House Rabbit Society. She said she gets really good deals because she joined and is a member. I don't know what that means, only that I'm a house rabbit. And I like food."

Q-tip's mommy wants to add that Q-tip is not picky and will eat everything you put in front of her, but she seems to devour Oxbow faster than any other pellet type.


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## ldoerr (Oct 26, 2012)

I have never feed Oxbow. I have always used an Alfalfa based pellet for all my rabbits from birth to death. Never had a problem with an alfalfa pellet. I fed Purena gray bag for 4 years with good results and now feed Mana Pro brand Pro feed. I have a bag of zupreem for when I run out of Mana Pro though so will be switching to that soon.


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## Blue eyes (Oct 27, 2012)

*Thumperina wrote: *


> Did anyone have a good experience switching buns who used to junk rabbit food to Oxbow?
> Those who feed Oxbow pellets - are you finding good deals? For the beginning I am buying a 5lb bag for 9.99 (which is 2 dollars a pound) at the local pet store (this price can be compared to Sherwood bulk price - not bad at all). I guess, I need different types of Oxbow pellets for the parents and for children, right?


I was using the cheap walmart "rabbit world" pellets. I switched to Oxbow Essentials (adult) by mixing the two brands for a week or more. I don't think they really have a choice to reject the oxbow. I did mix around in the bowl the 2 types of food. Gradually I increased the proportion of oxbow. Since the adult buns only get limited pellets anyway, they were more than happy to eat up what was offered. I didn't have any problems.

After I bought my first 5 lb bag, I opted to buy a 50 lb bag through petfooddirect.com
I didn't get quite the deal that minilophop gets, but between their sale and free shipping, it ended up being about $1.23/lb. (I store it in gallon ziploks in the fridge)


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## Thumperina (Oct 28, 2012)

When I looked at the packages in the store and the feeding instructions, it seemed that "young rabbits food" intended for those who younger than 1 year old (while I was thinking you needed to switch for adult formula at age of 6 months). Is this correct? Everybody younger than 1 yo need "young rabbit" alfalfa based pellets (speaking of Oxbow)?


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## Blue eyes (Oct 28, 2012)

6 months is usual. I don't go by what's on the bag. The consensus I've seen on RO and from the House Rabbit Society is 6 months.


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## Korr_and_Sophie (Oct 28, 2012)

It really depends on the rabbit. It is generally recommended to switch to timothy pellets when the rabbit is done growing or around 6 months, which ever is later. So if you have a smaller breed that is done growing before 6 months, then you would want to switch to timothy around 6 months old. If you have a bigger breed who takes longer to reach the full size, they might need alfalfa pellets for longer. Some rabbits many need alfalfa as adults too, this can be the activity level, if they are breeding or if there is some medical issue where they may need more protein or something to keep weight on. 

Any recommendation or guidelines for a food are just that, guidelines. They are meant as a starting point and might not work for all rabbits. Some rabbits may need more or less of a food or even something different. If something doesn't work for your rabbit, then try something else.


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## Mariah (Oct 28, 2012)

My buns would not eat the oxbow adult pellets. I tried so hard to switch them but they wouldn't have it. I feed Martins adult Timothy pellets. They LOVE them. The good thing about Martins is that there is no molasses added to the pellets. Oxbows pellets have molasses in them. Molasses isn't bad but I have a bunny with a sensitive stomach so no added sugars for her. I'm not sure where your from but I'm in Canada.
I don't know if the States have Martins.


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## Blue eyes (Oct 28, 2012)

*Mariah wrote: *


> My buns would not eat the oxbow adult pellets. I tried so hard to switch them but they wouldn't have it. I feed Martins adult Timothy pellets. They LOVE them. The good thing about Martins is that there is no molasses added to the pellets. Oxbows pellets have molasses in them. Molasses isn't bad but I have a bunny with a sensitive stomach so no added sugars for her. I'm not sure where your from but I'm in Canada.
> I don't know if the States have Martins.


I never heard of Martins. I googled and most came up as Canada. Even petfooddirect.com and wag.com did not carry Martins. That's too bad because Oxbow does have that molasses. Sherwood Forest has no molasses, but it is alfalfa based.


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## LakeCondo (Oct 28, 2012)

Ir depends on the grade of molasses that's used. According to the wikipedia article on molasses, when the sugar is removed with 3 boilings you get black-strap molasses. This contains virtually no sugar, just the vitamins & minerals the sugar cane started with. It certainly doesn't taste sweet. I never buy brown sugar; I combine a little black-strap molasses with much more sugar to make brown sugar. So it would be very useful to know what grade molasses they use.


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## Blue eyes (Oct 30, 2012)

*LakeCondo wrote: *


> Ir depends on the grade of molasses that's used. According to the wikipedia article on molasses, when the sugar is removed with 3 boilings you get black-strap molasses. This contains virtually no sugar, just the vitamins & minerals the sugar cane started with. It certainly doesn't taste sweet. I never buy brown sugar; I combine a little black-strap molasses with much more sugar to make brown sugar. So it would be very useful to know what grade molasses they use.


That's interesting. Maybe one of us  can write Oxbow and find out....


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## KittyKatMe (Oct 31, 2012)

I get a 10 lb bag of Oxbow at my local pet store for $9 for Young $10 for adult. It's a pretty good deal, and I have 3 on Young, 2 on a mix, and 2 on adult, so I need a couple bags per week.


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## Thumperina (Oct 31, 2012)

I e-mailed Oxbow with general questions but never got a reply...


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## miverson (Oct 31, 2012)

I pay around $15 for a bag of Oxbow young rabbit food. I have to order it online as nobody in my area carries it.

I did a bit of research and looking at the nutrition values and I found oxbox to be one of the better ones. It is all I have fed my buns from a pellet perspective.
They get a pretty mixed diet. Lots of hay, pellets and veggies every day. 

Pretty much spoiled haha. 

If you can stick with the Oxbow food I would recommend it.


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## Blue eyes (Oct 31, 2012)

*KittyKatMe wrote: *


> I get a 10 lb bag of Oxbow at my local pet store for $9 for Young $10 for adult. It's a pretty good deal, and I have 3 on Young, 2 on a mix, and 2 on adult, so I need a couple bags per week.


Wow, that's unusually cheap. Our petsmart carries 5 lb bag of oxbow for $13!!!

Is that their Oxbow Essentials? Are you sure it's a 10 lb - not a 5lb?


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## HolyHandGrenade (Oct 31, 2012)

I just bought a 10-lb bag of Young Rabbit Oxbow on Monday for $14.99 + $5 shipping on wag.com, with 15% off because it was my first order. (Oh and then it showed up yesterday...yep, less than 24 hours after I ordered it!) The store I used to get the 10-lb bags at sells them for at least $20, so this was a pretty good deal. I'm gonna buy much larger bags online once Monty's on adult formula.


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## ldoerr (Oct 31, 2012)

I just ordered a 10lb bag of Oxbow adult from BinkyBunny today. It cost $13.99 for the 10lb bag + shipping which was not bad considering what all I ordered (10lb bag oxbow, bale of young oat hay, litter box screen, papaya tablets). It said that it would take 4 buisness days to get here. On BinkyBunnies website, if you have your order shipped to a buisness you save like $3-$5 (cant remember which) on shipping.


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## Thumperina (Feb 23, 2013)

Update. My bunnies ate pretty well Oxbow young rabbit food (alfalfa based). 
Finally, I decided to switch for Adult rabbit food (timothy based). It smells differently. I saw Polly come by, smelled it and left. During the night the amount in the bowl reduced a little, but not anything close to how much young food they were eating. 
I am thinking to switch back to Young rabbit food. It says on the package that it is for "all active rabbits". Mine are pretty active (two are 1 year 1 month old, two others are 7 months old).
Do you think it should be OK if I keep feeding them Young rabbit food? Sherwood forest is alfalfa based, isn't it? Or, should I wait and see if they get used to Adult food?


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## lyndym (Feb 23, 2013)

Thumperina said:


> Update. My bunnies ate pretty well Oxbow young rabbit food (alfalfa based).
> Finally, I decided to switch for Adult rabbit food (timothy based). It smells differently. I saw Polly come by, smelled it and left. During the night the amount in the bowl reduced a little, but not anything close to how much young food they were eating.
> I am thinking to switch back to Young rabbit food. It says on the package that it is for "all active rabbits". Mine are pretty active (two are 1 year 1 month old, two others are 7 months old).
> Do you think it should be OK if I keep feeding them Young rabbit food? Sherwood forest is alfalfa based, isn't it? Or, should I wait and see if they get used to Adult food?



I switched my buns to Oxbow adult food once they turned about a year old. I didn't have to, but some people suggest mixing some of the previous pellets with new pellets whenever switching, whether you're switching brands or types. This way the buns are kind of tricked into getting used to the new pellets! You could probably ask your vet about whether or not an adult rabbit should be eating young rabbit food. The use of alfalfa in it promotes growth/a healthy weight in babies and pregnant/nursing moms, so it's possible an adult rabbit could gain too much weight eating that type of pellet.


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## missyscove (Feb 23, 2013)

I'd recommend switching them over more slowly. I'm sure the alfalfa based pellet smells tastier, but in time I think they'd learn to love the adult food too, mine sure do.


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## Blue eyes (Feb 23, 2013)

Yes, absolutely the food should be switched gradually. Mix the old with the new over the period of 1-2 weeks. They just get used to it that way. You can start by mixing 3 parts juvenile food with 1 part adult. After several days switch to equal parts of each. Then switch to 1 part juvenile to 3 parts adult food. 

Any time food type or brand is switched, it's a good idea to do it gradually. 

I would not recommend keeping them on the alfalfa-based. I believe you also stated in an earlier post that they are also eating alfalfa hay? If this is still the case, try doing the same thing. Mix the alfalfa hay with timothy or orchard and gradually decrease the portion of alfalfa hay. Any adult will usually go for the alfalfa just as they'd go for a bowl of candy. It's up to us to get them to eat the healthier diet.


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## Thumperina (Feb 23, 2013)

yeah, I suddenly completely ran out of young rabbit food because we got 14 inches of snow, and unavailability of grass in the yard caused them finish package of pellets unusually quickly. I didn't expect to run out of pellets on that day. So I rushed to the store and got them adult food instead of young rabbit food. It was cold turkey switch. 
I guess I will order both types and switch them gradually. 
I just remember some people saying even in this topic that there is nothing wrong with alfalfa based pellets. Also, the way Oxbow food is advertized on packages makes me think that Adult food is not for active rabbits (is it for fat lazy rabbits then?)


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## OakRidgeRabbits (Feb 23, 2013)

Alfalfa is not just a treat. Alfalfa-based pellets are a healthy diet for rabbits of any age, when fed appropriately. Adult rabbits do best on a measured amount of lower protein alfalfa pellets (14-16%). The general rule is about 1/2 cup daily per 5 lbs. body weight. The amount can be adjusted for your particular rabbits. I have Dwarf Hotots and Holland Lops, which range from 2-4 lbs. Most of them eat a leveled 1/2 cup daily and have beautiful fur and good body weight. If I notice one getting a little chunky, I just cut back to about 1/4 cup. If I notice one that seems thin, I give them a heaping 1/2 cup or so.

There are also alfalfa pellets that are 17-18% protein which are the kind that are best for nursing or pregnant does, litters and young kits. These pellets are usually higher in fat too.

If you choose to feed an alfalfa pellet, I would recommend feeding a grass hay with it (timothy, orchard grass, bermuda, etc.) Alfalfa is higher in calcium, so it needs to be balanced with grass to ensure that your rabbit isn't getting "too much of a good thing." Sometimes it takes a little while to switch off of alfalfa hay, but they come around.


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## holtzchick (Feb 24, 2013)

you guys are so lucky shipping from binkybunny.com is so cheap!! It's very expensive like $20 to ship to Canada  the shipping is more than some of the items.

Hmm I wonder why they say you shouldn't stock more than a few weeks pellets. Does it matter if the expiry date is not for a while and they are kept sealed in a air tight container/resealable bag?? Sorry if I'm hijacking this thread let me know i can start a new one.


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## missyscove (Feb 24, 2013)

It's not so much the alfalfa itself that matters, but the higher protein content overall which typically results from the alfalfa being in the pellets. An active adult rabbit would be more like a rabbit that was breeding. Your typical house bunny doesn't need that much protein.


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## Thumperina (Feb 24, 2013)

OakRidgeRabbits said:


> Alfalfa is not just a treat. Alfalfa-based pellets are a healthy diet for rabbits of any age, when fed appropriately. Adult rabbits do best on a measured amount of lower protein alfalfa pellets (14-16%). The general rule is about 1/2 cup daily per 5 lbs. body weight. The amount can be adjusted for your particular rabbits. I have Dwarf Hotots and Holland Lops, which range from 2-4 lbs. Most of them eat a leveled 1/2 cup daily and have beautiful fur and good body weight. If I notice one getting a little chunky, I just cut back to about 1/4 cup. If I notice one that seems thin, I give them a heaping 1/2 cup or so.
> 
> There are also alfalfa pellets that are 17-18% protein which are the kind that are best for nursing or pregnant does, litters and young kits. These pellets are usually higher in fat too.
> 
> If you choose to feed an alfalfa pellet, I would recommend feeding a grass hay with it (timothy, orchard grass, bermuda, etc.) Alfalfa is higher in calcium, so it needs to be balanced with grass to ensure that your rabbit isn't getting "too much of a good thing." Sometimes it takes a little while to switch off of alfalfa hay, but they come around.


do you keep your buns separately and feed them separately? Mine are all together and I don't have a way to track who ate what. It can be that one (out of 4) rabbits eats the whole amount with others not touching the food, but I doubt it (I see all of them eating from time to time). They get about 1 cup in the morning that last them during the day and 1 cut in the evening to last overnight. So, it should be 1/4 + 1/4 cup per rabbit a day if they eat it equally. Except it, they eat grass in the yard (when it not covered with snow like now), veggies and hay.


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## Thumperina (Feb 24, 2013)

Should I consider my mostly outdoor rabbits as "active" rabbits? They are not very active during the day but love to run around at dusk and down. They go up and down stairs and they jump up the bale of hay I have (pretty high).


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## OakRidgeRabbits (Feb 24, 2013)

Thumperina said:


> do you keep your buns separately and feed them separately? Mine are all together and I don't have a way to track who ate what. It can be that one (out of 4) rabbits eats the whole amount with others not touching the food, but I doubt it (I see all of them eating from time to time). They get about 1 cup in the morning that last them during the day and 1 cut in the evening to last overnight. So, it should be 1/4 + 1/4 cup per rabbit a day if they eat it equally. Except it, they eat grass in the yard (when it not covered with snow like now), veggies and hay.



Yes, my rabbits are housed separately. I raise rabbits on a small scale, so they aren't spayed/neutered and can't live together.

Your rabbits are certainly more active than most breeding rabbits. An alfalfa pellet should be fine as long as it's measured appropriately for the number of rabbits living together. Just check them regularly to make sure everyone is maintaining a healthy weight and body condition.


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