Rabbit feeding naturally

[Missourikid]

I am looking at feeding my Flemish Giant mix rabbits naturally without using the commercially made pellets. I was wondering if there is a alternative food source than the pellets?

 

[Bossroo]

Nothing will be more nutritous , healthier and give the most gain per found therefore produce more meat per pound faster than a commercial alfalfa pellet. All of the other feeds that some use are adequate at best and to make the owner think that they are saving money and have a warm and fuzzy feeling of being more natural. Last time I checked , alfalfa is a natural plant, then first cut, sun dried, then pelleted under steam presure.

 

[chiques chicks]

A friend feeds primarily grass hay of various kinds, rye, orchard, Timothy, mixed, whatever is available cheap.. I think they do supplement with some pellets, not sure how much.

 

[Missourikid]

Ok I was trying to raise them like they did in the 1930s during the great depression.

 

[chiques chicks]

They can be raised that way, but will likely not grow as fast, grow as big, be as healthy.

I understand why you want to raisse them that way. Vegetable matter is what you would need to feed and I'm sure with research you could investigate the protein and fiber needs of the rabbits as well as available for sources and develop a somewhat balanced diet. I've had a few escape and survive for a few months on what grows wild until I trapped them.

 

[Missourikid]

I know they probably wouldn't grow near as fast. All my research says the commercial available food is the best way but I want to reduce my dependency on the feed store.

 

[Pastor Dave]

I tried to use some Sweet Feed for general foraging livestock. It has 12% crude protein, and it is recommended that rabbits have 16%. The sweet feed worked fine, and the rabbits did get spoiled on the molasses. I used approximately a tablespoon of Calf Manna with 25% crude protein to supplement my adults each day. Now, I will also say, I feed pellets in the morning, and all the alfalfa-clover blend hay they want to eat in the evening. My fryers still made it to 5Lbs in 10 weeks. My Jr Does made it to 10-12 Lbs easy enough by 8 months, and my Jr Buck reached 10 Lbs by 6 months. Now I realize this is not "natural" feeding to avoid the feed stores, but I was paying between $6-$8 on the Sweet Feed. The problem I faced was that the two particular Farm stores I frequent kept changing types, brands, prices, making it hard to stay reliable with a set bag to buy as needed. I now use a rabbit feed formulated for rabbits that runs $12.
There is several plants and weeds you can research that the rabbits love to eat and is healthy and natural. I have read of some going completely natural with things they plant and forage. They use a mineral/salt block too, but you may end up guessing on the required vitamins and nutrients needed. I am interested to see what you find out and what you choose to do.

 

[Missourikid]

Right now all I'm feeding is cracked corn and hay. They've been on that for a week now. But the corn is causing constipation in my buck rabbit.

 

[Pastor Dave]

The "experts" say to feed cracked corn is not good for rabbits. I don't know. I do know it is not too good to feed a doe with kits learning to eat cracked corn because the kits do not chew well and can choke. The hay is fine to feed. I do not know abt constipation. If I have a rabbit that gets too loose, I feed oats or hay. I think I would feed other grains besides corn.

 

[Missourikid]

It's only supposed to be given as a treat. The only other grain would be bird seed, its the only other grain I have.