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Forum DIET & CARE Salad help please!

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    • JackRabbit
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        I am having a really hard time finding decent lettuces this time of year — after heading out three different times to different grocery stores today, I ended up buying a total of 24 heads of green leaf lettuce alone to end up with enough “base” for salads (not including red leaf, herbs, etc) for my 3 buns for the week. Most of the leaves had rot or freezer burn. Aside from taking an entire day to shop for, rinse, and package their greens for the week, its costing me a fortune. I just can’t do this anymore.

        My options are to go veggie-free or pre-packaged (even pre-packaged costs significantly less than I’m spending now).

        For those of you who use pre-packaged mixes, do you wash the stuff before giving it to your bunnies or just feed it directly out of the container? Do you buy spring mix, baby lettuce mix, herb mix, or something else? Do you pick through it or just grab a hand full? Is whatever they use to “pre-wash” the pre-packaged stuff safe for bunnies every day? Any pre-packaged suggestions for a bun with a sensitive tummy?

        Does anyone just feed their bunnies pellets, hay, and water?

        Thanks!


      • Sarita
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          When I was feeding those prepackaged mixes I just fed it straight from the box. I never pick through and just get what appeals to me really. The only problem with all these packaged lettuces is the red lettuce – those spoil quick.

          I wouldn’t hesitate one minute to use these. I don’t because Bobby likes the dinosaur kale and dandelion green and mostly I can get those pretty easy.


        • tobyluv
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            I use pre-packaged spring mix for my bunny as one of her greens for the day. I have also bought the herb mix or baby lettuces, but usually get the spring mix. I give her various greens throughout the day, not just one or two big mixed salads as some might do. The fresh romaine usually looks pretty good most of the time, although some of the outer leaves usually need to be trimmed or discarded. The biggest problem I find with pre-packaged lettuce is the freshness. I only buy a bag or container if the sell by date is several days away (like 6 or 7 days) but there are always some bad pieces right away, so I never reach in and grab a handful. I take out each piece individually and look at it before setting it into the bowl. Some brands seem to be better than others. The store where I do my main shopping carries 2 brands of bagged/container greens. They have Dole in a plastic bag and Earthbound Farms (organic) in a plastic container. I have stopped buying the Dole. It was usually too wet and the greens got slimy and smelled bad very quickly. I find that the containers of Earthbound Farms are much better, but even those do have to be sorted.


          • LBJ10
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              I buy the pre-packaged spring mix for mine. It’s WAY easier. Especially since they aren’t huge veggie eaters anyway. I can buy a package and easily put out what I know they will eat. If they want more, I can easily give them more. No need to cut, sort, prepare, package, etc etc. It’s definitely worth it to me. Plus mine aren’t big on herbs so no need to buy those.


            • JackRabbit
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                Sarita — What is dinosaur kale? Mine love dandelion but it doesn’t stay fresh long. I just found a store that carries organic potted dandelion! I can easily deal with snipping some, rinsing, and adding it to salad as needed! I’ve found the same thing with the red pieces — I don’t understand why because, when I buy and prepare it for storage myself, the red is still fresh a week later.

                tobyluv — freshness is one of my concerns. I won’t buy stuff unless the date is a ways away, but when I have bought pre-packaged to try, those “rotten” pieces gross me out. One of the stores here had a brand called Olivia’s for a while and I really liked it but they stopped getting it. Do you rinse it first?

                LBJ — Easy is definitely what I need. I can easily pop in the store on my way home from work a few times a week if needed but the hours of searching store after store for decent lettuces and spending a fortune buying so much because of quality problems due mainly to long distances, and then spending hours prepping it . . . its just killing me. I spend so much time on bunny supplies and prep that I don’t have the time to enjoy my bunnies unless I sacrifice sleep (which is what I end up doing).
                How much salad do your bunnies eat? Do you feed right from the container or rinse it first?


              • Sarita
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                  Dinosaur kale is also called Lacinato Kale, Tuscan Kale, Black Kale – many names. Here’s a link with a photo:

                  http://www.foxy.com/organic-products/lacinato-kale/


                • LBJ10
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                    I don’t usually rinse it, but I buy the organic stuff. It actually keeps pretty well, I haven’t had much trouble with the red lettuce. I will buy a big plastic tub of it. I usually give my boys a big handful and I wait to see if they eat it all. If I give them too much at a time, they will just let it sit there and wilt. =\


                  • JackRabbit
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                      LBJ – do you buy a specific brand?


                    • LBJ10
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                        It’s called Earth Bound.


                      • tobyluv
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                          JackRabbit – I don’t normally rinse it, especially since I usually only buy the Earthbound Farms organic mixes now.


                        • LittlePuffyTail
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                            I don’t really feed the mixes much because they are more expensive but when I do I usually buy the pre-washed Organic so I don’t rinse it. My buns like the Spring mix.


                          • MoxieMeadows
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                              Let’s see, in a month Moxie will probably consume 1 bag of spinach, 1 bag of kale and spring mix. We share, I usually eat spinach and spring mix in my lunch so whenever we run out we buy more, so I’m not sure the exact amount she consumes. I always wash it first, you never know what could be on it. I also suggest maybe stocking up on some seed packets (you can get them here for about $1) so you can grow lettuce and stuff on your windows.


                            • JackRabbit
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                                Moxie — I would love to grow my own on the windowsills, but ours are only about 3 or 4 inches deep. I’m hoping that if hubby ever gets our storage room cleaned up and A/C installed that I’ll have room for hay storage and an area where I can have a grow light. Finding good quality fresh stuff in the summer isn’t bad, but this time of year is so hit or miss.


                              • Toni
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                                  My girl has almost made it to ten years on a primary diet of pellets, unlimited timothy and water. We do feed a lot of natural greens (yard-picked natural grasses, dandelion, and some garden greens fresh picked from my garden) during the growing season. And then winters – we keep her supplied with tons of fresh trimmed apple branches (we have a small orchard) which she completely strips the bark off faster than I can keep her supplied with. Working with my vet, we decided to stopped fresh veg because she was having a lot of weight and stasis issues – I was skeptical, but once we stopped the store bought stuff – the problems mostly went away.


                                • MoxieMeadows
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                                    When I grow veggies on my windows for Moxie, I’ll usually just set a pot on the windowsill so they get plenty of light ect. and are easy to get to.


                                  • JackRabbit
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                                      Toni — I’m thinking each bunny is different. My girls definitely need their salads, especially Kieko since she doesn’t drink much water and gets extra hydration from wet veggies. I’m experimenting with Moshi’s diet because he seems to have such a sensitive tummy, although he is a huge hay eater. We’ve had such an up and down time with him and mushy afternoon poops, but we’ve gone a week now without any mushy poop since we *upped* his pellets. He was getting about 1/8 cup in the AM and 1/8 cup in the PM just like the girls, and we increased his pellets to barely under 1/4 cup AM and PM. Goes against everything you read about keeping pellets low, but it seems to work for him (now watch the vet tell me he’s getting chubby!). He still gets a small salad (the girls get a bigger salad and can handle more variety) made up of mostly green leaf with a couple bites of red leaf and a couple bites of another type of greens (something different every couple of days). I’m hoping to at least get my girls moved to an easier made salad, at least for the winter months.


                                    • Toni
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                                        JackRabbit, I think you are EXACTLY right! Just like people have different body types, sensitivities, and nutritional requirements to be healthy, rabbits are very much the same way. I can honestly say that ALL of my rabbits over time – after different trial and error, had their diets modified in a way that was best for each bun. Each of my rabbits ended up with a different variation of pellet amount, hay, veggies and greens and other supplements to their diets (and this changes as the years passed from young buns, to adults, to seniors). They truly do have different “tastes” as well and it’s possible to modify diet to each nutritional “personality” to give each bun what they will do best with. That being said… I don’t think any one diet recommendation is best for all rabbits….. maybe as a base diet to begin with, but we know our buns best and can make some tweaks and modifications within reason so our buns will thrive. Trust your instinct!


                                      • Megabunny
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                                          I’m not big on limiting pellets or dry dog food. I’ve always been a free choice feeder and it’s worked I guess. My last rabbit lived to be 11 and I had no idea how to properly feed a rabbit. Hay? Forget it. Now I do much better. I don’t think it’s the end of the world to cut back this time of year if you have to until veggies are in better shape. I’m frustrated because there hasn’t been dandelion greens at the store in quite awhile. I’m going to order red clover seeds and try growing that.I tried collecting dandelion seeds one summer and growing them. Only I could fail at growing dandelions! Before we moved, I staked out fields of clover and good weeds I could pilfer from, along with apple trees growing close enough to the road I felt I could snitch branches from, and all sorts of stuff I’d collect while walking my dog. But now I’m in a city and I’m terrified to feed anything from the ground, since I feel there are more bugs here in the south. As you can imagine, Gus goes through a good amount of veggies. I get some from WalMart,as they have cilantro at a really good price, along with the usual lettuce and spring mix. He doesn’t like peppers or parsley. I think you’re a very devoted bunny owner JR, but cut yourself some slack. If they don’t have to have the fully recommended amount for any physical reasons, I think you’ll be OK until better veggies arrive. I’m surprised. I haven’t seen much difference. I buy Spring mix and Romaine Hearts in bags and don’t wash them if it says they’re already washed. You’re going to put yourself in the looney bin if you don’t start worrying a bit less.


                                        • Deleted User
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                                            Gosh JR, I’m NO help! Living here I have no problem getting anything for Henry as long as I’m prepared to pay extra for when it is out of season.
                                            And I have such a ‘lazy’ routine for Henry – Pellets for breakfast while I am making a cup of tea. The hubby gives him hay sometime in the morning before he leaves for work after lunch, and I give Henry his veggie dinner when I give Blair his dinner.
                                            If I don’t have something I just give him extra of what I do have – my motto is just like the kid’s and dog’s…. if he’s hungry, he will eat it. Otherwise eat more hay (like that’s gonna happen??? Lol!).

                                            But I’m NOT rich or stupid – if something is ridiculously priced, just like for us – I won’t buy it! Just last week I looked at the Kale as it was yuck (if it looks like something I won’t eat, I don’t buy it) so Henry missed out for 3 nights. I just bought another but a different type of lettuce. He wasn’t happy with 2 lots of lettuce and left some the next morning – I threw it out knowing he wasn’t starving. He always has plenty of hay.

                                            PS – I am with MB! If the worse was to happen, we always have hay and pellets stored and I wouldn’t hesitate to increase the pellets if I ever got stuck or caught out. As long as he eats that would always be my priority. I know you love your babies to the moon and back, but yes, you gottta stop stressing, they aren’t going to love you more or like you any less because of what veg is available for you to buy.

                                            They just love you cause your an awesome bunny mummy! I never tell Henry what you and the hubby have done and do for your guys – he would expect me to pick up the standard…. NOT happening! Lol!


                                          • MoxieMeadows
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                                              This probably won’t help, but this is Moxie’s average days worth of food, the veggies were from a package. It’s spring mix, spinach and 2 baby carrots.  (unlimited hay not included or the amount of water.) (In the bowl there’s 1/3 f pellets. She normally eats 2/3 a cup per day)

                                                

                                              ^ In the white bowl is water, the plate is veggies, and the black measuring cup is about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons apple juice for a treat.

                                              ^Water, veggies and 1/3 of pellets. (Normally will eat 2/3, so 2 bowls.)

                                              Moxie also eats unlimited hay.


                                            • JackRabbit
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                                                That’s a pretty salad Moxie. I bought some packaged things this week to “mix in”. I know this sounds crazy, but do you feed your bunny salad pieces that may be “bruised” (not perfect)?


                                              • Deleted User
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                                                  Henry normally gets about one of those carrots, sliced. About half your greens in lettuce, then sliced cabbage, parsley, broccoli or cauliflower, topped off with a full Kale leaf for his dinner. If I don’t have one of those veg, I’ll just increase one or more of the other’s.
                                                  For breakky, he gets 1/8 cup of pellets Moxie, and I reduced those from 1/4 cup over a year ago in an attempt to get him to eat more hay. Did it work? NOPE! Naughty bunny!


                                                • Megabunny
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                                                    I don’t feed bruised stuff, except when I had access to apple trees. Brown, drying up apple leaves are as delicious or MORESO than fresh
                                                    Very thorough Moxie. Now I feel better about Gus’ cup of pellets a day. He’s more than Moxie, but not by much. I like the apple jc. idea. Do you water it down?


                                                  • Deleted User
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                                                      I don’t feed ‘anyone’ bruised stuff. My motto for everyone is – if ‘I’ wouldn’t eat it, I don’t expect anyone else to eat it……


                                                    • Megabunny
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                                                        Ha ha How nuts are we? Like, our rabbits can’t decide?? Guess we’d be cleaning it up anyway, right?


                                                      • JackRabbit
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                                                          The packaged stuff seems to be almost half “not perfect”, and I bought Earthbound and a store brand (store brand is grown and packaged by Earthbound and Organic Girl). Am I just being too picky? I know I’m super picky about the way food looks and smells.


                                                        • Sarita
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                                                            I think that you just won’t get perfect in packaged – it’s not that it’s not good, it’s just not perfect. And those baby mixes are pretty delicate too – young soft leaves. They are packaged by a machine – they may be hand sorted – I don’t know but even that doesn’t guarantee it will be perfect with soft delicate leaves.


                                                          • MoxieMeadows
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                                                              JR— You are not being too picky! I was just talking about that today actually! I bought a box of a brand I never have before, and when I opened it, like half of it was bruised and rotten!(? when it starts to break apart and get slimy!) I was so annoyed I almost filed a complaint ha ha! There are 1 or two good brands that I buy from walmart, (are there walmarts in Virgina? I’d think so…) The one I bought was a “hannaford” product, and that was the second time I’ve had bad luck with their lettuce brands. Maybe it’s the store I’m buying from (a small store that isn’t hannaford) but I’ve never had good luck with them.

                                                              I’ll look at the lettuce mix I buy when I head to the store, hopefully tomorrow.


                                                            • LBJ10
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                                                                I haven’t had much trouble with the Earthbound stuff. I have gotten the store brand stuff too, doesn’t seem as good. The leaves don’t have to be perfect. A little bruising/wilting won’t hurt anyone. Just as long as it isn’t slimy. I think some of that may have to do with the conditions during transport. Like it they get too cold or freeze, the plant cells start to break down.


                                                              • Megabunny
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                                                                  I don’t think there’s a state that doesn’t have wal mart. Do they have it in Australia and Sweden folks?


                                                                • Deleted User
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                                                                    No MB…. we don’t have Walmart here. We only just got our very first Costco in Queensland about 5 minutes away. And I refuse the pay the membership to shop there, ha ha ha! So I have never been inside. But I am happy it is here – all the supermarkets and shops are competing with them so I get the same good prices at all the other stores, lol!

                                                                    PS – We are supposed to be getting an IKEA here soon – I can’t wait!!! Ha ha ha!


                                                                  • MoxieMeadows
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                                                                      LBJ— I think that’s what the problem was, who knows if the shipment of salad accidentally got left out in -20 F? We’ve had some major low temps recently, so who knows. I’ve never had problems in the summer, so maybe it is temperature related.

                                                                      As long as it’s not slimy, a little “not perfect” greens should be fine.


                                                                    • scubahood
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                                                                        i buy TONS of produce because i like to drink fresh fruit and veggie juice so i’m a bit biased about these things lol but i stay away from prepackaged stuff because you can’t trust that it’s been washed properly so you have to soak it and dry it just like you would whole lettuce

                                                                        it’s also soaked in acid for hours (to keep it “fresh”) and chopped industrially which heats it up which both contribute to loss of nutrients and “sliminess”

                                                                        a lot cheaper and easier and safer to get a salad spinner and a big knife

                                                                        .. and the “undesirable” bits .. sure feed them as long as it’s not mouldy or otherwise rotten .. it’s totally fine.. my motto is the same as henry’s, almost, except i eat bruised stuff lol .. and you’re talking about an animal whose palette prefers aged cardboard, their own poop, and dry grass

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                                                                    Forum DIET & CARE Salad help please!