Different Chins on Different Foods

[mishellyshel]

So how does everyone with multiple chins handle chins that have different tastes. Most of my guys were on Mazuri when i first got them. They didnt seem overly enthusiastic so I switched them to Purina Rabbit Show Chow, well it was the other one before they changed it but whatever. 4 of them came with the mazuri so i can not comment on if it was very fresh or not.
I have at least one PITA chin that just doesnt like the PRSC, he also doesnt like th Oxbow. so for the last year i have been basically forcing him to eat pellets he doesnt love and i added some beaphar plus (like 5 or 7 pieces) just to get him to eat. Which looking back really isnt fair to him.

I had to pick up dust from barb (mt zion chins) and I decided to get some Mazuri from her just to try it again for Stitch. Of course he ate it.

So now I am in a quandry as to what to do! I have 9 chins (plus 1 rescue who does not eat many pellets at all). 8 of them are on PRSC, Richie is on Oxbow/Beaphar plus and now i have Stitch on Mazuri.

Should I try to switch them all over to Mazuri again? or should i mix?
I am so torn what to do. I know I have had decent results with the PRSC, although my vet often questions why I am feeding them "rabbit" food!

I dont want to do crazy switches all the time. Was thinking of 1 night just giving everyone mazuri and seeing how they do. And keeping a record as to who ate what. Is that a bad idea??

Instead of buying 4 foods (PRSC, Oxbow, Mazuri, Bephar) I would love to cut it down to 3 or even better 2. Suggestions?

Its not so much the money becasue I could grab a 50lb bag of prsc & a 35 bag of mazuri and would use it in the time it would expire or just get smaller amounts from barb. its just keeping track of who gets what, especially if i try to go away for a day or so!

 

[Brittany]

I can't answer a lot of your questions Michelle, but here's my two-cents. I know a lot of people on the forum say that when a chin is hungry they will eat. In my experience that isn't always the case. Lady stopped eating Oxbow a few months ago and couldn't maintain her weight on her self imposed 'hay only diet.'

If you have picky eaters I'd say feed them whatever they'll eat, healthy/acceptable pellets of course ;-) For the others that are less picky I supose you could do some experimenting to see if you could eliminate a feed or two?

 

[Siany]

I mix two different foods in my chinnies bowl, alot of people say dont mix but my chinnies like the taste of both and they both get eaten. I have also heard of people giving their chinnies a regular feed and they add a bit of a different feed a couple times a week to keep them interested.

 

[GorillaJTA]

I mix two different foods in my chinnies bowl, alot of people say dont mix but my chinnies like the taste of both and they both get eaten. I have also heard of people giving their chinnies a regular feed and they add a bit of a different feed a couple times a week to keep them interested.

What is the point of throwing a strange feed in a few times a week for no reason? If they are eating their standard feed, then that should be sufficient. I know a few people who add a supplement a few times a week, but not a completely different brand of feed.

 

[ticklechin]

I know of people who mix feeds, but it is full time, not given sporatically.

 

[Olallie]

I have three Chins on Alderpark chin feed Pellets and one Chin on Oxbow chin feed. Sometimes I wish my one chin would eat the Alderpark, but he doesn't, but that doesn't mean im going to starve him because he hates the other feed. I think if your chins are doing well on their feed don't change it.

 

[Dragonflye]

I have three Chins on Alderpark chin feed Pellets and one Chin on Oxbow chin feed. Sometimes I wish my one chin would eat the Alderpark, but he doesn't, but that doesn't mean im going to starve him because he hates the other feed. I think if your chins are doing well on their feed don't change it.

I agree. When you go away and have someone else looking after them, you can always label the cage with the chins name and what they eat and make it clear to your chinsitter...

I have had chins on a couple different feeds before...kind of a pain, but it keeps them eating.

 

[Essentia]

I have 95% of my chins on PRCS, but 3 of them just don't like it so they get Mazuri. I don't mind. I carry both kinds of feed on hand anyway.

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

Out of my 4 chins, 3 of them are on a straight PRSC feed, while my malo chin Herby eats a mixture of Mazuri and PRCS. She refuses to eat one or the other by itself but loves them mixed.
have you tried the Mazuri with the chin who doesn't like the Oxbow? I originally had Herby on the Oxbow and she didn't like it much either, so I switched her to the Mazuri and the PRCS mixture she eats now.
Maybe you could try this if you haven't already. Then if he likes it, you could quit forcing him to eat the pellets he doesn't like. Which would eliminate one food..