how much to order?

[rachelappel]

not really 100% sure under which category this fits under but....

i was going to place an order with KMS for some timothy pellets once i run out of my oxbow stuff (my newest pig started to have white pee) and i wasn't sure how much to order. my original thought was to just get the 50 pound bag as its gunna cost me just as much in shipping and it'd last longer. however, i'm not sure how long the pellets are good before they "expire." i have 3 pigs and a 5 pound bag of feed last about a month (if i have my dates right anyways). so a 50 pound bag would last a while, to say the least.

any advice?

[bpatters]

Fifty pounds of pellets is probably too much to order at one time. Adult pigs should only have about 1/8 cup of pellets per day, so it sound like you're feeding them too many anyway.

A friend and I, each with 2 guinea pigs, split a 25-pound sack of pellets roughly every six months.

[rachelappel]

do they go "bad" though, is i guess my main question. i buy in bulk for my horse feed and it doesn't go bad as we store it in an airtight container. but i know with the hay for my horses, we only buy enough to last a season as it loses its nutrients, especially if exposed to the elements. so does it matter if it sits in their warehouse storage or in a bin in my office?

[ThePigAlchemist]

I'm in the same boat. My pigs have white spots in their pee on Oxbow, so I'm switching the next time it comes time to buy food. According to the KM web site, the vitamin C in the pellets is guaranteed for 225 days.

I was planning on getting a 25 pound bag for myself, but maybe I should just go with the 10!

[Skippie]

I have heard several things as far as how long the pellets actually last. You could call Oxbow and ask them. I have called before and they're very good with customers. I buy the 10lb bag for my two boys. It lasts a really long time and I would think a bigger bag would go bad. In time, nutrients may be lost which takes away the point of giving them pellets. My boys get a 1/4 cup each of pellets.

[MissJean]

I think she says the vitamin content of her pellets stay good for around 355 days. I'd write her and ask.

Some people recommend freezing pellets, but KMS advises against this.

[MrWhistles]

I think that if the 5lb bag lasts you lasts you a month then I think the 10 or 25lbs bags would be best.

[rachelappel]

yeah, i guess 5 pounds would probably last more than a month for us, I forgot during that time we were feeding an extra 3 pigs we had rescued and rehabbed. I'm just a person that buys in bulk for pretty much everything when it comes to my pets cuz I always feel its a better deal