Random?? Questions!

[Mocha]

Hi everyone! I have a few random and rabbit related questions.

-First, can some give me a few names of a few foods that are high in protein and low in calcium. I have chicks (2 and 1 month olds), and I have to switch their feed to an All Purpose Mash, but it’s a little higher in calcium and lower in protein, they need more protein to grow, so ya. I was thinking giving all 5 of them a couple mashed boiled eggs each day, but anyone have any other suggestions?

-Do you use fly protectant? I personally don’t. My rabbits live indoors (there are still a few flys every once in awhile), and I usually clean their litterbox every other day, but top it off with hay so it smells better (the litterbox is pretty big and doesn’t need cleaning every day). I take them into their outdoor pen during the day sometimes, and take them on “walks”. I haven’t ever had a problem with mites or ticks, but do you still use protectant? (They only sell flea and tick rabbit protectant at my petstore, but i’m sure they sell fly stuff on line if it isn’t the same).

-How do you store your hay? I really like buying in bales, it’s cheaper and i’m never worried about using too much in litterboxes. But I am still living at my parents house, and they are getting really annoyed that so much of our lounge is taken up by hay. I am currently keeping the hay without lids in those big rubbermaid containers. Anyone have a link to a better storage box?

Thanks everyone who reads this and answers!

[JackRabbit]

No idea on the first two questions, but had to laugh on the third . . . Our living room is only used for “company”. Since my husband hasn’t gotten around to air conditioning our storage room, the living room now looks like a barn! The place where I’ve been ordering hay runs out @ May so I had to order (and store — I just use cardboard boxes) enough hay to last until Sept or Oct! My family just looks in there and shakes their heads!

[BrunosMama]

1. I don’t know much about chicks, but could they eat nut butter that isn’t sweetened? Health food stores usually carry them.

2. We use fly ribbon/strips if flies get too bad.

3. We order our hay online and keep it in its cardboard box.

[manic_muncher]

hmm I responded to this many hours ago.. dunno why it didn’t go through.

– sorry, dunno
– no
– I keep the hay in the boxes they come in, but have them stored. I refill a rubbermaid tote I have (with the lid on it). I drilled a few small holes on all four sides to allow for airflow, but looking back on it now, I didn’t really need to do that, since I open it everyday. Better safe than sorry though I guess. I stack a second identical tote with their litter inside and refill that as needed also. Keeps everything neat and tidy!

[Bam]

Don’t know a thing about chicks.
I don’t use fly protection sprays or other products since my rabbits are indoors and we don’t get many flies, not more than like 3 per summer. If my bunnies were living outdoors I would get them protection spray, because fly-strike is not uncommon and really and absolutely GROSS. My bunny Bam sometimes get poopy-butt and that is the main risk-factor you need to worry about.

As for hay – not unlike JR, I have a barn for a home since I got the bunbuns. I keep the hay in the big plastic bags I buy it in – I keep the bags open so the hay doesn’t get spoiled. But there is also hay everywhere on the floor and in my socks and gym-pants and sometimes in my bed. I’m trying to just learn to live with it. It drives me almost crazy at times, but then I just look at one of the buns and know it’s worth it =) I can vividly imagine that parents may feel otherwise though.

[Willow_Bunny]

Early this year my family and I raised six chicks. I know we gave them hard boiled eggs occasionally as a treat and they really seemed to love that. However, I would suggest going to backyardchicken.com. They have a forum full of helpful people who love answering any and all questions. I know they were a huge help for us when we first got our chickies.

As for the fly protectant I don’t put anything like that on Willow. She’s mainly indoors and we don’t get much flies here…

Hope this helps!

[Mocha]

Thanks everyone! I joined the backyard chicken forum, and got a few helpful answers there. They said that it should be fine to feed the all purpose feed, but I should add more protein (eggs) to it daily.

I won’t be using fly protectant then. I just wanted to get an idea if people actually used it. I”m not much for chemically things. I like to keep it natural. (I also use fly tape).

[Author]

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