# nuggets or rabbit mix/muesli for rabbits?



## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

just wondering what most people fed their rabbits & what they think is best.

my pet buns are fed nuggets along with hay and fruit/veg. i've always thought nuggets were better for them but nearly every rescue that's come to me is fed on rabbit mix/muesli. i always keep a supply of this is in to feed them while i change them over to nuggets. 
but i'm wondering if i should change over or just keep feeding what they were fed before. then let the new owner decide what they want to feed.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Providing each food is a good one, it doesn't really matter, but most muesli/mix contains artificial colours which aren't good for Rabbits. Our lot are currently on a mix similar to chudleys royale and they're doing fine on it, but we also don't rely on 'complete' food for nutrition, the mix/pellets we feed are purely to keep weight and help muscle tone on the Rabbits.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

The problem with mixed rabbit food is they can selectively feed and leave the bits they dont like which means they arent getting a balanced diet.
If they will eat complete pellets then it is better for them but not all rabbits will eat them


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

you can use whichever you prefer as long as its done sensibly.

the vast majority of rabbit foods arnt complete, ( it`ll say `complementary food` on the big label, ) and they all need large quantities of hay in the diet to make the fibre up.

as long as you feed small amounts so that all the different pieces are eaten, and not top the bowl up till all the bits they dont like ( the whole oats and pellets with all the vitamins in ) are eaten so they are getting a balanced diet.

personally mine get lots of hay and a small amount of dodson and horrell rabbit pellets each, and i have no overweight buns or any with dewlaps or sticky bottoms.
i dont like nuggets, as they are puffed up like rice crispies, not hard to help wear down the teeth and i dont want to pay for fresh air!


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## Darklas (Mar 25, 2009)

Hay is the most important thing. I can't understand people who don't think they need it. :bash:

I prefer nugget style foods, to stop selective eating. That way they get all their vitamins. When I kept rabbits and guinea-pigs they would always have a good supply of hay, a bowl of nugget food and some fresh veg.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Our vet says the best rabbit dried food is none. Rabbits are meant to eat grass etc so hay is the most important part of the diet.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

its really hard to get decent quality hay, i cant find any locally at the mo, so mine are all on dried `just grass`

most rabbits are overfed, everyones horrified when they see how little mine have!


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

Shell195 said:


> Our vet says the best rabbit dried food is none. Rabbits are meant to eat grass etc so hay is the most important part of the diet.


my vet says the same, she says hay is the most important thing & they actually don't need "pet shop food" at all. 
they all have a continuous supply of hay then in the morning they'll ave some veg & in the evening they'll have their nuggets or mix or whatever it is they're on. 
after reading the replies, i'm tempted to my pets on the muesli & just have a small supply of nuggets in for any rescues that are fed on them.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

We're lucky in that we can get good quality hay locally, the guy who we get hay from supplies top dressage and IIRC racing horse stables, we figure they wont feed their horses crap and the hay is always fresh and sweet so we're happy with it. Our Vet has always complimented Stixx' coat, teeth, muscle tone and over all health when we've been there (the other two don't go often, but we've had litter more then problems with Stixx!), so we must be doing something right. A hay only diet is great for those who can thrive on it, but a lot of Rabbits (especially outdoor Rabbits) thrive better on some form of mix/pellet.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

spill the beans, where the good hay :whistling2:


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

pigglywiggly said:


> spill the beans, where the good hay :whistling2:


LFL has it all:lol2: In Lancashire we cant get decent hay at the minute either so ours get ready grass as well


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

all my stuffs been pants at the mo,

wet shavings, mouldy food, cat poo in the chickens whole wheat, the full works :devil:


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## glennskow (Jul 12, 2009)

our belgian hares are on hay and pellets , pellets im told are good because the all look and taste the same so nothing is left . as for the hay it differs round here greatly , you have just got to make sure its still green lol, a lot of pet shops buy too much and it dries out too before its sold .


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

old and dry i dont mind if its stored correctly,

its the mould spores and soil i have problems with.


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## glennskow (Jul 12, 2009)

yours is indeed poor lol , ours wont touch it if its totally dry .


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

mine are show bred rabbits so they eat what they`re given! i have bought them up to eat what they need, not what they want, lol.

no obese dewlaped sticky bottomed buns with flystrike here :lol2:


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## glennskow (Jul 12, 2009)

i ment they tend to use it as bedding lol, not fussy more stupid id say . and all bums are clean here pmsl .mine are from show parents so only carrying on what they started on so


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Our hay is dry and dusty, its seems to be a longtime ago now since we got fresh sweet smelling hay. We buy ours off the grower as we use huge amounts with all the horses,sheep,goats, rabbits and guineapigs we have


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## glennskow (Jul 12, 2009)

i hope the weather dries up for summer or we will all be using dry and dusty hay


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

My hays not the best i've had, but its not bad either, not dusty at all and still a bit green, but i'll never forget the old PS i used to use when i had guinea-pigs, you'd open the bag and just stand there smelling it for a few minutes, smelt to sweet and nice and made the pigs smell lush :flrt:

The Hares aren't bothered and really enjoy their hay 

They have wag food, its mostly pellets with a little bit of meusli mixed in, but they eat every single little bit anyway so its no problem  I've never personally had a fussy rabbit when it comes to food and they've all eaten everything, i have however boarded a few 'spoilt' bunnies! and i've also boarded one who was only fed cabbage leaves all his life and very underweight, she said the vet told her too so i gave her some advice of my own and told her to bulk his diet with plenty of hay as thats the most important thing and also to give him pellets too, at least until hes put some weight on, she was a little upset that she'd not been providing him with what he needs but was very happy to go and get everything he needed, i also recommended getting a new vet which she promptly agreed with!


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

Ours won't touch nuggets so get muesli, but they tend to eat it all seeing as they don't get given much lol They have hay ad lib and have the run of the garden all day every day so get most of their nutrients from the gress, weeds ect. They also get fresh veg and stuff daily and they're in brill condition. They also eat the straight wheat we put out for the birds :whip:, we got it given free for the chickens, but I don't want them getting fat so the local birds get it.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

pigglywiggly said:


> spill the beans, where the good hay :whistling2:


:lol2: We buy it straight from the harvesters, we find it's always the smaller-scale farmers that have the best hay, the guy we get ours from keeps horses on the hay field during the winter and lets it grow out during the summer, so on so forth, so it's always nutritionally valuable and slowly grown. Where as with the feed stores, it's a matter of grow as much hay as you can in X amount of time and harvest it quick, baled up, dried then stacked in metal sheds thus mites and bacteria spores live in it, it's a never ending circle. It's lovely going to the guy who we have the hay off, we stand in the hay barn for ages, it smells lovely and sweet. :flrt:



pigglywiggly said:


> mine are show bred rabbits so they eat what they`re given! i have bought them up to eat what they need, not what they want, lol.
> 
> no obese dewlaped sticky bottomed buns with flystrike here :lol2:


Ours aren't show Rabbits but they pretty much eat what they're given anyway! They've always been in good general health, most people (especially the 'fluffy pet owner' kind) are horrified at how 'little' we feed the Giants as well. I remember that Giant Rabbit in the news a year or so ago and the owner going on about how much she fed her! Something like half a cabbage, apples, carrots and a Dog bowl full of Rabbit mix everyday. :gasp: No obese Rabbits for me either thank you, I like them fit as fleas able to hop and jump at their own free will!


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## Pinkchi (Nov 23, 2009)

Hay needs to be most of a rabbits diet, with a few differnt types of leafy greens and a handful of pellets or mix just to make sure they are getting the nutrients they need.

My 3 get unlimited supply of hay which I get for £2 for a massive bag from a local farm, normally some fresh greens/parsley in the evening, occasionally they will get a bit of apple or a carrot, and just over 1/4 of cup of pellets (science selective) twice a day between the 3 of them. 

Pellets or mix is a personal choice but as long as you only feed a little they should eat all of a mix x


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