# how long do rabbit pellets keep



## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

how long do rabbit pellets keep? I am looking into buying multiple bags, hopefully at a discount. Right now I am going through 100 pounds a month, give or take a few days. I only have 1 litter and a few breeding animals eating so i want to try to get them cheaper. But only if they will keep 6 monthes or longer.


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## Reauxman (Sep 14, 2002)

I wouldn't bother.

Storage will be more worry than the money saved.


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## Bernadette (Jan 17, 2004)

In my experience there is no animal more opinionated and obstinant than a rabbit when it comes to their feed. When I purchase my feed, and it's fresh, the pellets are a nice green colour. If I happen to feed too much, or the sun hits the pellets for any length of time, they turn brown. Once they're brown, the little 'darlings' (not the word I'd really like to use) 'turn up their noses' and won't eat them. I'm sure the food is just fine - rabbits just prefer their world to be perfect.

Now, to answer the question, I think it would depend on your storage facility. If you have a place where rodents aren't going to get at it, it's kept cool and dry - it _should_ keep. However, if you lose even one bag, that's going to eliminate any savings you may have achieved by purchasing in bulk. 

Check at your feed store. If you have a good feed manager there, they should be able to tell you how long their particular brand of feed will keep. 

One of our local feed stores offered a loyalty program (mind you it was for chicken feed) and after you purchased so many bags you got one free. It balanced out to the same discount they offered for ton purchases - and my feed was always fresh and they dealt with the storage. Check for that kind of program as well.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

If you have a good way to store the feed it might be worth it for you to buy bulk. I picked up 1000 lbs. of feed a couple months ago and the store gave me 2 bags of goat minerals ($40 value!) as a free bonus. This tells me 2 things. They want to keep me as a customer, and their prices are high if they can afford to give away that much. I appreciated their good will gesture, but I will be looking around for a place with lower prices.


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## SILEIGH (Jul 11, 2007)

every thing i've read is 3 months tops.. i have 4 does 3 with litters andn 3 bucks.. i buy 2 50# bags once a month .. i found a local rabbit judge who sells feed... i figure i can't find better feed at a store where it is ware housed for who nows how long before its sold.. he gets a delivery about once a month..so its always fresh
and at $8.40 a bag its the cheapest that i've found for me and my small herd..


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## rabbitgal (Feb 12, 2005)

SILEIGH's right. After about three months, I've heard that the vitamin content really goes through the floor - and like someone else mentioned, some of my bunns are just plain picky!


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

So if I bought 2 monthes worth I would be OK.
No more than 8 bags. Cause I am expecting 3 more litters in the next 3 weeks. I'll call tomarrow to see what the price break is.
This is feed I have fed already, so far I am happy with it.


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## Lowdown (May 24, 2007)

We have a couple of 60 gallon barrels that we keep our rabbit feed in outside. It stays dry and bug free. One barrel is pretty much always being used, but one is hardly ever used. I know some of the feed has been a year or more old when we've rotated it and they eat it just fine. They have also helped us rotate about 400 lbs. of Lentils from the late 90's. The storage container for the lentils were starting to fail and I didn't trust them for human consumption any more. The rabbits ate them and never a health problem- probably 25-30 head at any one time. 

I have some "y2K rabbit food" in deep storage that was mylar packed, if I think about it I'll pull some out and see how it goes with them.


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## turtlehead (Jul 22, 2005)

Lowdown said:


> We have a couple of 60 gallon barrels that we keep our rabbit feed in outside.


Metal or plastic?
How do they close?


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

SILEIGH said:


> every thing i've read is 3 months tops.. i have 4 does 3 with litters andn 3 bucks.. i buy 2 50# bags once a month .. i found a local rabbit judge who sells feed... i figure i can't find better feed at a store where it is ware housed for who nows how long before its sold.. he gets a delivery about once a month..so its always fresh
> and at $8.40 a bag its the cheapest that i've found for me and my small herd..



With my increasing herd size-- I could use a source like that-- can you send me the guys name and contact info?


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