Discussions

Where is the best & cheapest place to purchase adult rabbit food pellets, Timothy hay and carefresh bedding. Thanks !

The only timothy hay food I found is from Oxbow and the cheapest I found is at the Best Pet Food at the bottom of the bridge. Sorry, not sure about the other one, I use blankets on the bottom.

We used to raise rabbits. Total Farm Supply is where we purchased the food. Rabbit food was not taxable as rabbits are considered animals raised for eating. BUT, if you purchase rabbit food at a pet store expect to pay taxes on the food, plus you will not be able to purchase large quantities of rabbit food like you could at Total Farm Supply. We would occasionally purchase corn for the rabbits, but corn is considered a food for horses, which are then taxable as horses are considered pets, not animals raised for eating.

your rabbit hay and bedding at a livestock store. Much cheaper.

Peavy mart for both by far is cheapest and best quality for both

I tend to buy Oxbow Orchard Grass (Oxbow Timothy Hay is also available) online. You can buy them in 25 lb ($100) and 50 lb ($130-$140) boxes through Amazon that have the ability to keep for three years, provided you keep them in a dry place. A 40 oz bag is $15. A 50 lb box is $130-$140, and 50 lbs’ worth of those 40 oz bags would amount to $300. Rabbits are meant to have unlimited access to hay at all times. So, big savings, in the long run.  
 
I wouldn’t cheap out on pellets: Oxbow is a trusted, nutrition-dense brand. If your bunnies are adults (over a year old), they should only have around 1/4 to 1/2 cup pellets per 6 lbs body weight, so Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Pellets should be affordable. Pet Valu has 10 lb ($27.49) and 25 lb ($54.99) bags. I recommend buying big to save more!  
 
Also, I don’t usually use CareFresh: I line my rabbits’ cages with very fluffy, soft fleece. I’m not sure of the name of the fleece, but it’s so fluffy and smooth that there’s nothing for their nails to get hooked on. It doesn’t shed, either, after washing and has done well by them for years. My rabbits have litter boxes that they use, so they don’t dirty their fleeces very much. I line their litter boxes with the kitty litter ‘Yesterday’s News’. It’s paper-based, and it’s important to always get ‘unscented’, as they are sensitive to fragrances. The kitty litter comes in massive bags and lasts a long time.  
 
This is how I cut costs, anyway. I hope you will find some of this helpful!

Buy your rabbit pellets from Total Farm. Probably a 20 kilo (44 lb) bag for half what the pet food store is charging for 10 pounds. The feed will be Masterfeeds and will have been formuated by a fully qualified Canadian nutritionist. Cool and dry it is good for a year.  
If you like spending money buy Oxbow. You are paying for freight from Omaha Nebraska, Paying exchange on US dollars and paying for fancy printed plastic bags  
Masterfeeds is Canadian made ( possibly right here in Brandon).  
Rabbit food is typically 50% or more dehydrated alfalfa, sun-cured alfalfa or some sort of grass hay. There are no magic ingredients.  
 
I have no suggestions as to the hay but considering a person can buy a 1500 pound bale of grass hay for the price of a 50-pound box someone is making a heck of a profit margin. Consider looking around for some country type to sell you a small square bale of horse quality grass or alfalfa hay. It won't be chopped up like in the small bags but all you need is scissors.  
 
The trick to rabbit food is high fiber and low carbohydrate. Rabbits are fiber fermentators. They don't do well on grain-based diets.  
 
There is no need to break the bank feeding pet rabbits!

You should give them spring mix salad with hay and pellets on the side. Most female rabbits will get cancer if you don’t get them fixed or have a litter. Keep them away from other rabbits for a long period of time to confirm they won’t get an ear infection (most antibiotics are toxic to rabbits). You might have to manually feed them with critical care for a couple of days if their digestive system stops. Sometimes too many “sticks” of hay in their food can cause problems.