Withholding feed?

[Suzy74]

Do you all withhold feed before processing? Or does that just stress the rabbits?
Also I'd love any tips to reducing stress during transport. We are taking our rabbits to a professional processor so that we can sell them to the public and it's a two-hour drive. Thanks!

 

[mystang89]

I personally don't withhold food a day before I dispatch my rabbits. I have before just to test out any differences and never found any so I figured I'd continue to feed them till the end.

 

[Pastor Dave]

When I have withheld food a day before processing, they got diarrhea, so nope. Not doing that again. They were stressed out and it made it much harder to process. If they eat right up to D-day, the pellets are formed and normal, and much easier to process.

Idk how to avoid stress when travelling. Mine get nervous any time they get into carrying cages.

 

[secuono]

When I had rabbits, 12hrs or so no food, no issue. I usually gave them some hay, no water 6hrs before. The bladder I had the most issue with when full, but washed out and was fine. Only a little hay meant far less stuffed stomach, which made it generally easier to gut them. Poop pellets in the intestines was no issue.