Oxbow rabbit food comparison

[Number1Sticky]

Just curious which you guys think is best for a female spayed 9 1/2 year old mini rex. Not worried about the cost. Just want the best. Or I could always mix formulas.

Also I give her joint and senior supplements from oxbow.

Essentials
Garden Select
Natural Science
Organic

Essentials
Ingredients
Timothy Grass Meal, Soybean Hulls, Soybean Meal, Cane Molasses, Wheat Middlings, Sodium Bentonite, Soybean Oil, Salt, Lignin Sulfonate, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Yeast Culture, Zinc Proteinate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganous Oxide, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein min 14.00%
Crude Fat min 2.00%
Crude Fiber min 25.00%
Crude Fiber max 29.00%
Moisture max 10.00%
Calcium min 0.35%
Calcium max 0.75%
Phosphorus min 0.25%
Vitamin A (min) 10,000 IU/kg
Vitamin D (min) 900 IU/kg
Vitamin E (min) 190 IU/kg

Garden Select
Ingredients
Timothy Grass, Oat Grass, Orchard Grass, Oat Hulls, Canola Meal, Whole Barley, Whole Yellow Pea, Tomato Pomace (dehydrated), Calcium Sulfate, Flaxseed, Lignin Sulfonate, Salt, Canola Oil, Sodium Bentonite, Rosemary, Thyme, L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate (Vitamin C), Hydrolyzed Yeast, Inulin, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Yeast Culture (dehydrated), Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochlorine, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min) 12.00%
Crude Fat (min) 2.50%
Crude Fiber (min) 22.00%
Crude Fiber (max) 26.00%
Moisture (max) 10.00%
Calcium (min) 0.35%
Calcium (max) 0.75%
Phosphorus (min) 0.25%
Vitamin A (min) 10,000 IU/kg
Vitamin D (min) 900 IU/kg
Vitamin E (min) 190 IU/kg

Natural Science
Ingredients
Timothy Grass, Orchard Grass, Oat Grass, Oat Hulls, Canola Meal, Whole Yellow Pea, Whole Barley, Tomato Pomace (dehydrated), Cane Molasses, Flax Seed, Yeast Culture (dehydrated), Sodium Bentonite, Salt, Lignin Sulfonate, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Rosemary, Dried Thyme, L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate (Vitamin C), Inulin, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min) 12.00%
Crude Fat (min) 3.00%
Crude Fiber (min) 22.00%
Crude Fiber (max) 26.00%
Moisture (max) 10.00%
Calcium (min) 0.40%
Calcium (max) 0.80%
Phosphorus (min) 0.35%
Copper (min) 35 mg/kg
Vitamin A (min) 19,000 IU/kg (min)
Vitamin D (min) 900 IU/kg (min)
Vitamin E (min) 190 IU/kg (min)
Omega 3 Fatty Acid (min) 0.45%
Omega 6 Fatty Acid (min) 0.90%

Organic
Ingredients
Organic Grass Hay, Organic Canola Meal, Organic Wheat Straw, Organic Sunflower Meal, Organic Barley, Organic Flax Seed, Sodium Bentonite, Limestone, Sea Salt, L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Organic Dandelion Leaf, Organic Ground Rosemary, Inulin, Organic Cranberry, Organic Blueberry, Dried Yucca Schidigera, Yeast Culture Dehydrated, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min) 12.00%
Crude Fat (min) 2.00%
Crude Fiber (min) 23.00%
Crude Fiber (max) 25.00%
Moisture (max) 12.00%
Ash (max) 9.00%
Calcium (min) 0.60%
Calcium (max) 0.90%
Phosphorus (min) 0.30%
Copper (min) 25 ppm
Vitamin A 19,000 IU/kg (min)
Vitamin D 900 IU/kg (min)
Vitamin E 190 IU/kg (min)
Omega 3 Fatty Acid (min) 0.30%
Omega 6 Fatty Acid (min) 0.41%

[jerseygirl]

I think your idea of mixing formulas is a good one! You’ll get benefits of both obviously, but it also means your rabbit won’t be addicted to just one variety. So in the event that one type is unavailable or you can’t find it, it won’t be a big deal as she’s used to more then one.

I just want to add some things about older rabbits. They tend to not maintain weight as well and may need to go onto a higher protein pellet. Her being a rex though, they have a tendency to get overweight… How is her weight now at her age? If she’s in good condition or looking thinner, you could look at mixing a junior pellet in with adult pellets. Or looking into ones specifically formulated for senior rabbits.

If she doesn’t have a sludgy bladder or known kidney condition, she should cope with the increase in protein and calcium.

My vet mentioned last week that older buns (animals in general I think) also don’t absorb the nutrition in feed as efficiently, which is why their body condition can become less then ideal.

Oops!!! Ive just re-read your post and see you give her some senior supplements so you probably have all bases covered. ::thumbs up::

[tobyluv]

I mix Oxbow pellets, and my bunnies seem to like that. The majority of their pellets are the Essentials, but I put in a pinch of Garden Select and Organic to give them a little variety and some additional nutrition. The Natural Science isn’t made any more, although you might still find a bag or two in some places. Garden Select replaced that and is basically the same thing, but they did remove the molasses.

[Number1Sticky]

Posted By jerseygirl on 6/18/2017 9:50 PM
I think your idea of mixing formulas is a good one! You’ll get benefits of both obviously, but it also means your rabbit won’t be addicted to just one variety. So in the event that one type is unavailable or you can’t find it, it won’t be a big deal as she’s used to more then one.

I just want to add some things about older rabbits. They tend to not maintain weight as well and may need to go onto a higher protein pellet. Her being a rex though, they have a tendency to get overweight… How is her weight now at her age? If she’s in good condition or looking thinner, you could look at mixing a junior pellet in with adult pellets. Or looking into ones specifically formulated for senior rabbits.

If she doesn’t have a sludgy bladder or known kidney condition, she should cope with the increase in protein and calcium.

My vet mentioned last week that older buns (animals in general I think) also don’t absorb the nutrition in feed as efficiently, which is why their body condition can become less then ideal.

Oops!!! Ive just re-read your post and see you give her some senior supplements so you probably have all bases covered. ::thumbs up::

Currently I’m mixing the organic and natural science. But I was wondering if they had stopped making it because I didn’t see it on their website. I had actually just emailed them before seeing your reply. I’ll probably just get a small bag of each and mix them together.

I do have problems with her weight. She always seems to be overweight or underweight. Right now she’s a little underweight. But I feel like overweight would be better. So I’m trying to put a little weight on her. But every time I increase her pellets she gains weight.

[Number1Sticky]

Posted By tobyluv on 6/18/2017 10:09 PM
I mix Oxbow pellets, and my bunnies seem to like that. The majority of their pellets are the Essentials, but I put in a pinch of Garden Select and Organic to give them a little variety and some additional nutrition. The Natural Science isn’t made any more, although you might still find a bag or two in some places. Garden Select replaced that and is basically the same thing, but they did remove the molasses.

I do still have 2 bags left of the natural science. So I can mix the 3 of them.

[Author]

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