Nutrena Naturewise
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Sandi
non-stop poop sweeper
Nutrena is a rabbit pellet that many breeders and pet owners use. It is considered a good quality feed and it's very inexpensive. Where I live, you can get a 25 lb. bag for $8.00.
Chintastic!
Well-known member
I know this is not an alfalfa based pellet, so if you're feeding this should you be giving alfalfa in the form of loose or cubed hay? I've seen this at my feed store and it is quite almost equal with PRCS which I currently feed. My friend feeds this but only offers Orchard grass and timothy hay. Is alfalfa necessary I guess is my question.
I second Chintastic's question. I've talked to another breeder who uses my pellets and he has the same issues with females birthing. So I really do want to get them on a new pellet, and Nutrena is at my local feed store, which would be wonderful 
Randy-Chin
Well-known member
Nutrena NatureWise (16%) is what I used for years and never had a problem. Actually was the cheapest for a 50lb compared to other rabbit pellets I could buy. Since I moved to the UP it is not available in stores around the area. Since I am starting up a rabbit breeding program with many different breeds I have switched to Purina Chow Show and Fibre3, since these two types have no corn in them.
I am now looking at making my own feed for chins and rabbits. I have been looking at buying organic alfalfa pellets and supplementing both animals with other grains and more to get the percent back up to around 15 to 17 percent.
My reason for this is most rabbit food has soybeans in it and almost all soybean products are GMO. Now the alfalfa producers are going to GMO. This is so unhealthy for animals and humans. We probably will be starting new diseases with GMO products. Many European countries have banned GMO products and this type of farming method.
There are mills on the west coast that are milling organic rabbit pellets, but costly to ship to the Midwest. I believe that more will be doing it soon as the demand for the product is being requested by more and more people. I have been talking to a mill in central Wisconsin that offers organic chicken feed and have been looking at adding organic rabbit feed. I know in the rabbit breeding there are a few that only use organic feed for their animals. I know for my meat rabbits I surely am going to use only organic.
Note: Did you know that wild rabbits will not touch GMO plants for feeding. Now that surely tells you there is something wrong with it. Yet our USDA and agricultural organizations are allowing it.
I am now looking at making my own feed for chins and rabbits. I have been looking at buying organic alfalfa pellets and supplementing both animals with other grains and more to get the percent back up to around 15 to 17 percent.
My reason for this is most rabbit food has soybeans in it and almost all soybean products are GMO. Now the alfalfa producers are going to GMO. This is so unhealthy for animals and humans. We probably will be starting new diseases with GMO products. Many European countries have banned GMO products and this type of farming method.
There are mills on the west coast that are milling organic rabbit pellets, but costly to ship to the Midwest. I believe that more will be doing it soon as the demand for the product is being requested by more and more people. I have been talking to a mill in central Wisconsin that offers organic chicken feed and have been looking at adding organic rabbit feed. I know in the rabbit breeding there are a few that only use organic feed for their animals. I know for my meat rabbits I surely am going to use only organic.
Note: Did you know that wild rabbits will not touch GMO plants for feeding. Now that surely tells you there is something wrong with it. Yet our USDA and agricultural organizations are allowing it.
GorillaJTA
That guy.
While this might do better in the debate section... Humans and nature itself has been genetically modifying plants for millenia. Most of the grains we eat are the product of specialized breeding. They just didn't do it quite so specifically. I have GMO feed plots for deer in my yard, and I see rabbits, deer, etc eating from it. In fact, the rabbits wrecked my first one and I had to replant last year. While Monsanto owns the rights to most of the seedplants grown in the US (and in many other countries), a bred-in resistance to herbicides is just one of the many gene insertions besides those that make bigger, fuller plants that produce more food and allow us an abundance of food for ourselves and to be shipped to other countries.
Spoof
Kung Fu Chinny!
I alternate to the Nutrena pellet in the summer - in the winter the quality goes down so bad the chins won't touch it.
I tried the Fiber3 for the chins and they got very skinny after about three months. That's with feeding alfalfa cubes and a handful of timothy once a week. My breeders quit producing. I switched to Nutrena, they bulked back up, had a litter, then the quality went bad (they won't eat it starting around Oct.) Switched to Purina pro show and same thing three months later - skinny and no babies. Now I'm using a mix of Manna Pro and Purina complete. Seems to be doing o.k. for the time being, but it is a pain in the butt to mix feeds.
Moral to the story is - all feeds go up and down in quality, if you're lucky your state (CA for example) will have exceptionally strict rules. Otherwise you'll likely have to change feeds seasonally based on their quality, or heavily supplement the diet.
I tried the Fiber3 for the chins and they got very skinny after about three months. That's with feeding alfalfa cubes and a handful of timothy once a week. My breeders quit producing. I switched to Nutrena, they bulked back up, had a litter, then the quality went bad (they won't eat it starting around Oct.) Switched to Purina pro show and same thing three months later - skinny and no babies. Now I'm using a mix of Manna Pro and Purina complete. Seems to be doing o.k. for the time being, but it is a pain in the butt to mix feeds.
Moral to the story is - all feeds go up and down in quality, if you're lucky your state (CA for example) will have exceptionally strict rules. Otherwise you'll likely have to change feeds seasonally based on their quality, or heavily supplement the diet.
minrex
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2009
- Messages
- 256
That's absolutely not true. I've worked with GMO plants of various types and trust me, wild rabbits like those just as much as non-GMO plants. I'm sure most growers WISH they didn't!
ticklechin
Well-known member
I could not find one study besides the reference to one rat study that proves it out that animals won't touch it, all I would find is websites with names like IEATZMEAZ or ONFORKFORALL that blather on about GMO food being not eaten by animals and will kill the world.
Greaaaaaat.... What did you feed on the off months?
I use Nutrena and notice absolutely no difference between winter and any other time of the year. Spoof is the first person I've heard tell that. My chins hold their weights no matter what time of year and I've been using Nutrena for several years now.
Spoof
Kung Fu Chinny!
Oh, I'll get shot for that. I'll PM you.
The fluctuation has to do with what fillers are readily available in your area. The south is just a special place.
Laurie
I heart Leonard
Use it and LOVE it! I switched my chins from Mazuri 4 years ago because they were having runny poo on the Mazuri. Ever since switching to Nutrena Abigail has gained weight--something I never thought would happen, and no one has runny poos! Herman is my latest switch to the Nutrena and he LOVES it! He doesn't even need it chunky crushed for him to eat!
Chintastic!
Well-known member
Laurie do you feed Alfalfa in addition, or another loose hay? Is alfalfa a "must" when using this product because it isnt alfalfa based as other feeds are.
Laurie
I heart Leonard
I do not feed alfalfa hay I feed timothy hay and have been the years I've been feeding it to the chins. Occassionally I give alfalfa hay cubes when I can get them at the feed store. A few years ago I attended a seminar given by Gene Adcock and he recommended the Nutrena Rabbit feed--that's when I learned Mazuri was actually not as great a chinchilla feed as I had thought. Gene felt Mazuri was the lowest on the good chinchilla feed--with them being just above the bad pet store pellets. At that time it was not discussed that alfalfa would be a necessary hay. So for all these years, nope no alfalfa hay, just timothy along with the Nutrena feed.
I feed timothy hay and either timothy cubes or timothy/alfalfa cubes.
Chintastic!
Well-known member
Thank you Laurie and Tunes, that is exactly what I wanted to know.
Randy-Chin
Well-known member
Discovery of Bt insecticide in human blood proves GMO toxin a threat to human health
Discovery of Bt insecticide in human blood proves GMO toxin a threat to human health, study finds
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Learn more:
http://www.naturalnews.com/032407_Bt_insecticide_GMOs.html
I will be switching to Natures Grown Organics Rabbit Pellets very soon. They will be production in 3 to 4 weeks.
Discovery of Bt insecticide in human blood proves GMO toxin a threat to human health, study finds
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Learn more:
http://www.naturalnews.com/032407_Bt_insecticide_GMOs.html
I will be switching to Natures Grown Organics Rabbit Pellets very soon. They will be production in 3 to 4 weeks.
