# bad moldy rabbit feed



## goat^farmer (Dec 28, 2005)

What are the signs of bad moldy rabbit feed in rabbits..Whatcha I mean is what does the rabbit do if gettn hold of bad rabbit feed from company..What are their systoms?


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Any spoiled food should be returned to the place of purchase. Moldy food can kill rabbits. I'm not familiar with the symptoms, but I would never feed rabbits anything I suspected was "off".

Here's a link to some information about it.
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/myco.html


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I've had 3 rabbits that were fed moldy food by their previous owners. None acted sick so I don't think they had much of the moldy stuff. One lived 5 years after being fed the bad food, another lived 6 years. But yes, it can kill them. What the symptoms of bad feed are I don't know. I do know the ones I got ate like crazy for a few days after I got them. I had them on timothy hay only for a week or so after they came to live with me.


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## Beaniemom (May 25, 2007)

I do believe symptoms are lethargy, poopy butt, decreased appetite and death. I think alot of the feed Co. test the feed (or they should!) but there is no guarentee they did it right, or that it didn't go bad at the feed store! Plus I am pretty sure that there are "accepted" levels of toxins, but for some rabbits, esp Jrs those levels are too high.

If you start loosing lots of rabbits for no reason, starting with young litters and Jrs, I would assume feed toxicty to be safe. Toss the feed/hay, or get it tested. It could also be your water, so you may want to test that too. I did do some research last year on certain herbs that were supposed to help get those toxins out of their systems, I thought Milk Thistle was one, but I'd have to go look again.


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## goat^farmer (Dec 28, 2005)

Contacted the company over a major seriously problems with friends rabbits brought two new bags of feed and in no times the rabbits started acting sickly, loosing weight and dieing. Friend lost some weaning kits, great breeding buck along with others. Friend is highly ticked off so we all contacted company an they are going to test food to see what happening and replaceing the food but my friend isn't wonting to fool with their food again afraid it maybe bad too. Was no problems with feeding until bought the two new bags.


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## Wildfire_Jewel (Nov 5, 2006)

Was it a Purina feed by any chance?


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## Beaniemom (May 25, 2007)

I know Purina had some problems with horse feed, wouldn't surprise me a bit if they had problems with the rabbit feed too! I know alot of breeders lost rabbits last summer, I *think* it was Purina, although they supposedly do tons of testing, plus they test feed every batch. But like I said, any toxins could be fatal to young rabbits, plus wouldn't you think the Purina herd would just automatically be more resistant to toxins?

The way I understand it, the toxins start to build up in their liver, so sometimes they don't die right away, but they are being slowly poisened. Other times the levels are lethal right away.

So, what can you do?

Offer daily hay, this will help keep stuff "moving" thru their system.

Check the bags when you open them, if there are alot of discolored pellets, or it looks or smells "off" don't feed it. Don't feed wet or mouldy hay. Consider having your water tested yearly.

Also, (and this is important) what you DO when the rabbits start getting sick may be the difference between loosing a few and all of them. If rabbits start getting sick, dieing, or just look off or not themselves, start looking at what you're feeding. Did you just get new bags of pellets, a new batch of hay, construction on the water lines in town?

Assume that everything is contaminated with toxic poison until you know otherwise. Have your feed tested by an independent source, not just for toxins, but for the proper balance of minerals and such as well. (Side note, if anyone knows a good lab, pls post it!) Have rabbits necropsed, or save one in the fridge/freezer in case the feed co needs it. Contact your feed co, but don't assume that if they say all is fine that it is! That feed could have gone bad after it left the mill.

Have plantain or shepherds purse on hand to deal with any poopy butt. Pedialyte to restore lost fluids. Go buy a different bag of feed/hay. Clean everything in case it is not the feed but a bug of some kind. Seperate affected rabbits to be sure.

I have to say that animal husbandry can really make the difference in losses in the herd, don't be afraid to trust your gut and pull that rabbit out if they don't look right. I personally do not believe in "wait and see" if they do better, if I can do something to increase their odds of survival by acting now, then I do. You know how quickly they can go from fine to dead!


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Great advice, Beaniemom! :goodjob:


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## goat^farmer (Dec 28, 2005)

Wildfire_Jewel said:


> Was it a Purina feed by any chance?



NO it no purina company it another company located in KY... My friend is very ticked off due to this happening...My friend usuallys feeds Big Red but this time got low on the brand an asked me to go buy some rabbit feed for them an I went to another place to get the feed now I si==wished I didn't do it,,, I know it not my fault but she doesnt' feel save from that one brand anymore... hate that lots of her breeding stock had to suffer but that company is going to owe big time. oh yea we did contact the feed store and they said it couldn't be the food plus on the feed tag it had 004 on the tag.. in other words had 05/26/04 on tag but lotss of other number too but wuldn't that be the date of the food or what?/ it don't matter now because of losing rabbits but it awful...


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## goat^farmer (Dec 28, 2005)

The feed didn't have no discolored pellets or wried smell so thought it was safe to feed the rabbits.. YEEEAA right shortly everything goes to heck.. :flame:


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## dlwelch (Aug 26, 2002)

Beaniemom said:


> I know Purina had some problems with horse feed, wouldn't surprise me a bit if they had problems with the rabbit feed too! I know alot of breeders lost rabbits last summer, I *think* it was Purina, although they supposedly do tons of testing, *plus they test feed every batch. *


I'm not sure it would be possible to test feed every batch.

There are two Purina mills in Texas and neither keep rabbits
(or other animal species) in order to follow this procedure. They
have mills located all across the U.S. Unless things have changed
recently, the only place maintaining rabbits is in Missouri 
at their research farm.

Linda Welch
(no longer a user of Purina feeds)


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