Six weeks ago I started feeding clean crimped oats mixed with my pellets to my meat rabbits in hopes of cutting the cost of pellets. So far it is working well with the same wieght gain & no problems. My question. What is the difference between flat old fashioned oats & the ones I purchase from the feed mill?

-- Judi Amon (peacelane@certainty.net), October 22, 2001

Answers

Response to Feeding oats

The ones from the feed store will generally (always in my experience) have hulls. Animals don't seem to mind. I havn't fed them to my rabbits..but they do love oat hay, so I bet they would enjoy it. Would there be enough protein though? I have angoras...and worry about the wool production...so I feed them special food..but maybe other types of rabbits can get by with less. I would love to hear what other people think.

-- Jenny (auntjenny6@aol.com), October 22, 2001.

Response to Feeding oats

I feed mine oats. They absolutely love it. It is a treat that I give them, same as carrots. The fiber it gives them is great for them, too. As with any treat, though, they may prefer the oats to the feed, and you could develope a problem. I know mine would rather eat oats over feed, and where I am from, the oats cost more than feed.

-- Wendy Antes (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), October 22, 2001.

Response to Feeding oats

I feed mine oats also with the pellets. I have used crimped oats in the past but found that they like whole oats just as well. Check to see which is less expensive, that may save you even more.

-- Tom S. (trdsshepard@yahoo.com), October 22, 2001.