Switching feed question

[swallace]

I'm in the process of slowly switching feed, but my chin just avoids the new feed. They are mixed together in the same bowl. My question is, when do I give up and perhaps try a different brand?

Background: I was feeding timothy-based hay and pellets. I offered alfalfa-based hay, but my chin seemed to play with it more than eat it. I thought I would have better luck balancing his diet with the pellets.

Thanks.

 

[Megan]

What pellets are you currently feeding, and what pellets are you trying to switch to?

I know it is normally suggested to slowly switch feeds. However, myself and many others have cold turkey switched many of times with no problems(chins didn't come with feed, switching rescues from a bad feed straight to a good feed etc). You can just throw in the new pellets, and see if he likes them that way. If you are feeding a petstore food that may have "treats it in" that can be the reason why he won't touch the new food.

 

[swallace]

From APD timmy to Oxbow. He doesn't touch the oxbow. I was thinking maybe trying tradition or PANR. Maybe even APD alfalfa.

I'm just wondering how long I should try introducing the new feed before I give up on it.

 

[Tanya]

Are you sure your chin does not touch Oxbow? Do Oxbow pellets look different than APD? Try giving only Oxbow pellets just to see if he will eat them. Maybe your chin just eats less pellets now since Oxbow is alfalfa based. Alfalfa is higher in calories, timothy hay is less-fattening. Just a thought.

 

[swallace]

I'm 99% sure he doesn't even touch the oxbow. The do look different and all that's left when I check is the oxbow. He usually hand picks his feed and throws what he doesn't like on the floor, but the oxbow remains in the bowl, seemingly untouched.

I'd think a complete switch would be fine if I were switching from one high quality timmy-based pellet to another, but I'm switching from timmy to alfalfa and I don't want to upset his digestion.

 

[Tillygizmo]

I am having the same problem with my new boy. He was on pet store junk when we got him and we are trying to switch him to PANR. We dont let him have the little treats in it and he is grumpy and dumps it all over and isn't eating much of it either. We are just giving him lots of hay so he is eating something until he gets used to the fact that when he is hungry those are his options and it seems like he is coming around very slowly. Hmph

 

[Jenn]

I think if a chinny is allowed to have something that is more of a treat, they will tend to go for it instead of the good stuff. You may need to do a more severe switch, with very little of the old and mostly good stuff and then finally weed out all of the old. Oxbow is a good food but may not be as much to his liking as the old.

 

[eycamry]

I'd say try a different brand. I was feeding my chins Mazuri for years. Now I am adding a little PANR to the diet. One of the chins stopped eating Mazuri completely, and would rather starve to death than eating another pellet of Mazuri. She would pick out all the PANR and eat them. Another chin does not touch PANR and eat Mazuri only. They all have their own preferences. So if your chin doesn't like Oxbow, don't force it.

 

[IslandDreamer322]

If he gets hungry enough - he will eat it. We had a hard time switching our boys to Oxbow... they would eat all of the old food and leave the oxbow. Eventually... they would eat the pellets ( I left them in until they did!- it only usually took a few hours because I have 4 little piglets here! ).. and now they love it. But again- maybe he just does not like it.

 

[Chinniechantel]

If he gets hungry enough - he will eat it.

I disagree with this! I have had 2 chins that would have died had I not force fed them, one hated, I mean would rather die than eat Tradition when I switched, I thought she was sick, had vet after vet look at her, x rays and blood tests, and nothing was wrong, and the other was so in love with critical care he would not touch pellets for months and months. He would also have died if I had not hand fed him. What brats!

 

[wombat]

I personally cold turkey'd mine off of the crap they were eating, and moved them right over to oxbow. No problems what so ever.