Frustrating feed problems!

Very frustrated with the feed right now. Especially since everyone else I've talked to didn't get the same batch we did, except one other breeder thought they had fed it a few weeks ago with no problems-- but didn't know for sure.

Not one other person is on the same batch # right now.

120 rabbits would not eat at all! (besides hay, parsley etc) just not the feed! At first because they didn't eat they weren't drinking very well either so we thought it could be the water. We called the municipality(I did) and they said nothing had changed, no chlorination had happened etc. So we bought 5 jugs(5 gal ) of bottled water. The rabbits did not eat that night either(after the water change).

So the 3rd night we fed only old fashioned rolled oats and lots of hay, and changed water again this time to Chemainus water. They ate the oats and the hay, and drank some water but when we tried the best eaters with a little food(keep in mind we have a lot of litters right now too and didn't/don't want to wait long) and those great eaters didn't eat the feed either. So.. We bought a bag of 16% shar Kare which they all started eating right away(normally feeding 18% Otter).

We bought another bag of Shar Kare yesterday and they were eating that, and drinking has started up again too(without the feed(not eating) they weren't of course getting the salt which makes them thirsty so the drinking subsided. Which makes sense!

Finally something makes sense!

So now if they keep eating the 16% Shar Kare we will go that route. We have no other options on the Island besides Proform which we tried last spring(they didn't like it) when the same thing happened- at first no one else on the Island noticed there rabbits having problems and then babies started dying for other rabbitries, rabbits off feed and what not. Although some rabbitries had no problems whatsoever with the feed. I'm thinking they had to have missed that batch us up here got though because everyone else on that batch had problems. Other option would be Buckerfields but it is supposed to be quite a bit like the Proform.. We might go that route and mix the two which would be a royal pain but....

Luckily because we know which rabbits clean all their pellets and lick the dust we knew something wasn't right. We didn't lose any babies or adults or anything because we caught it on the 2nd day(just like this time).

Anyway, they've been eating 18% Otter since early July and loving it. The last batch they ate just fine. 7333? This batch 7411 they will NOT eat.(120 of them).

So of course with this happening the jerseys who seem to be finicky to begin with lost a bit of condition so won't be bred yet(grr!) really wanting to get some breeding done before it gets cold! And the fuzzy and a couple of the mini lops won't be bred either.. Not until we figure it out! Although we have it pegged onto that batch of feed. Will send that feed away for testing. So far this batch of Shar Kare 7333 they are eating just fine. We gave all the ones not drinking very well yet crocks as well. Will head into the farm early to check on everyone.

As long as we have this pegged everything should be just fine.