Multi-feed pellets for rabbits?

[hryan]

Hello,

I am planning on getting meat rabbits, but I am trying to work out the budget first. Here in New Zealand, the cheapest rabbit pellets I can find are $1.65 per kg. However, I can get a multi-feed pellet for $1.15 per kg. Another option could be whole oats, which are cheap here too.

I have found this ingredient label for a multi-feed pellet. Please tell me if this would be OK?

Barley, wheat, maize, bran and pollard, peas, copra meal, soya bean meal, lucerne meal, palm kernal, limestone, molasses, dicalcium phosphate, salt and vitamins and minerals.

I saw a meat rabbit breeder who said they need 2.2 kg of pellets per 1kg of live weight (before slaughter, whole rabbit), which makes the rabbit seem like it would not be financially viable (5kg rabbit = $18.15 in rabbit pellets/$12.65 in multi-feed pellets). However, I am hoping if I feed mostly hay ($11-15 per square bale) with some pellets, it will be worth it financially. If it's too expensive I may as well just buy local lamb for $10.50 per kg.

What do you think about those figures?

 

[Grizzlyhackle]

Hello,

I am planning on getting meat rabbits, but I am trying to work out the budget first. Here in New Zealand, the cheapest rabbit pellets I can find are $1.65 per kg. However, I can get a multi-feed pellet for $1.15 per kg. Another option could be whole oats, which are cheap here too.

I have found this ingredient label for a multi-feed pellet. Please tell me if this would be OK?

Barley, wheat, maize, bran and pollard, peas, copra meal, soya bean meal, lucerne meal, palm kernal, limestone, molasses, dicalcium phosphate, salt and vitamins and minerals.

I saw a meat rabbit breeder who said they need 2.2 kg of pellets per 1kg of live weight (before slaughter, whole rabbit), which makes the rabbit seem like it would not be financially viable (5kg rabbit = $18.15 in rabbit pellets/$12.65 in multi-feed pellets). However, I am hoping if I feed mostly hay ($11-15 per square bale) with some pellets, it will be worth it financially. If it's too expensive I may as well just buy local lamb for $10.50 per kg.

What do you think about those figures?

I tried to do the conversions kg to lbs. 50Lbs of feed is 22.6796kg at 1.65 is 37 dollars. I'm paying $18 u.s. for 50lbs roughly every 6 weeks for not the best feed. After that I got really lost with the math but not having to store feed and hay, and fool around with feed/ water time, and all the other headaches I'd buy the lamb.
But a 5 kg rabbit is 11lbs, that's full grown and aren't most butchered at about 5 lbs/ 2.2kgs.? That sounds like the figures are cut in half so maybe rabbit is cheaper?