Alternative Rabbit Food

[Andrei]

Michael Bush made some comments that opened my eyes.
One can work hard for the animals.
And one can have animals that work hard for their owner.
I pick the second and I have to learn how to put it in practice.

 

[Bossroo]

Since most alfalfa pellets consist of dehydrated and ground alfalfa ... wouldn't it be all natural ? Some pellets may consist of dehydrated and ground alfalfa, with added soy and / or corn, oats, barley, etc. ... wouldn't that be all natural ? Now, feeding fir branches , which is a subsistence source food to avoid starvation during winter time in the wild and / or garden trash, which is mostly water will it ever meet the protein requirements for proper growth ? Just how old does a rabbit have to be to reach 7- 8 lbs. at slaughter ? While these items may be free, however the calender time, extra housing, longer time between kindlings and / or smaller litters, ones' own increased labor, etc will more than offset any feed cost savings. Garbage in garbage out !

 

[Andrei]

In Nature rabbits pick and chose what to eat and studies show that 60% is brush/trees and 40% grasses.
Pellets are very convenient but I would not like to be feed all my life the same food and studies show that meat animals feed the same diet all their life have inferior quality meat compared to the ones feed a diverse diet.
Alfalfa has +20% protein.
Tree bark has +20% protein.
Greens that some might put in the compost bin I feed to the rabbits and then their droppings go directly in the garden.
Branches that one might put in the shredder I give to the rabbits and then the wood left in the wood stove.
My rabbits reach 7-8 lbs by 5-6 month.
But it is true that with hi protein pellets they grow faster but I am in no hurry.
And I do not have any garbage that needs to be disposed of.
Natural closed loop cycle.
What works for me might not work for others.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. For some reason it makes folks very nervous when one starts thinking out of the box. I've done a plenty of marching to the beat of a different drummer in my life with livestock management and I'm constantly amazed at how much negative feedback that gets. It's like you are asking folks to drink the Kool-Aid when all you really want to do is talk about alternatives to the USDA accepted mandate for producing livestock real quick and in a hurry.

If it caused me more work or became fussy and time consuming, I'd never do it....but simple ideas like letting rabbits forage in tractors, providing quality hay, providing some fermented whole grains, cutting browse that you'd cut down on your property anyway in the course of your lawn care, gleaning apples from your own trees, vegetables from your own garden, etc. are all ways to glean some free~and healthy~ nutrition.

Junk? That's what God intended and provided for the rabbit in nature and I'd never, ever call that "junk". No more than humans eating from the garden and orchard, from their home grown and healthy meats is junk compared to processed and formulated foods offered out there on the market.

Might as well tell everyone out there to start drinking Ensure or just hook up to a feeding pump and get total nutrition from a bottle that was formulated to keep people alive and healthy by scientists. Sure, it will keep someone alive and even make them fat in the doing so....but I would never call that healthy, no more than I call processed, formulated foods for animals "healthy". They get the job done but by no means do I consider them a health tonic.

 

[VickieB]

I'll probably stick with pellet too, because of the convenience. But, I have to agree with Andrei that I'm not comfortable with a high ratio of soy... Maybe someday I'll have the time to study their nutritional needs a little more.

 

[VickieB]

Andrei, I live in town and my space is limited. I really do need to keep a short cycle. My goal is to dispatch at 8 weeks. To dispatch at 10 weeks means I need like 5 or 6 more cages. I really just don't have the space to do that, unless I give up my quail.


(Though, I do love the idea of feeding them natural foods...)

 

[Beekissed]

Links on rabbits on pasture and natural diets....

http://www.mofga.org/Publications/M...inter20092010/Rabbits/tabid/1392/Default.aspx

http://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/09/09/naturally-feeding-rabbits/


http://www.mofga.org/Publications/M...inter20092010/Rabbits/tabid/1392/Default.aspx

http://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/09/09/naturally-feeding-rabbits/

 

[P.O. in MO]

Thanks for posting this. Excellent links, I eventually want to start moving in this direction and appreciate the info.

 

[Andrei]

Beekissed, you are steeping in a land mine field.

Vickie, I live in town too and all I aim for is one rabbit per week on the table and I am in no hurry.
Just keep females in a pen and brothers together as much as possible and send them first to the Arctic Camp.

 

[Bossroo]

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