Feeds to enhance milk production : Natural Feeding for Rabbits - Page 3

MaggieJ wrote:MamaSheepdog, this is the red clover that one feeds to rabbits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifolium_pratense

You may know it as purple clover.

Raspberry, blackberry and strawberry leaves can all be fed to rabbits. I don't see why boysenberry, which is a hybrid of raspberry, blackberry and loganberry should not be good for them too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boysenberry

Just to make sure i am reading this properly, this particular red clover IS safe to feed or IS NOT safe to feed?
I think i am confusing myself.....

I am bumping this thread for Schmitty.

I wanted to give an update on my first use of nettle with a doe.
I have a young first time momma who had 7 kits on the 9th. She pulled AMAZING amounts of fur and every time that I have checked her there has been MORE fur all over the cage and filtering through to the ground. It seemed like she had good instincts to be a good momma but I began noticing day before yesterday that the kits didn't seem really fat like I like to see them. There were even 1 or 2 who seemed skinny and a little less vigorous than the rest too.

I decided to see if I could help them all get a little extra. Momma was very calm and cooperative and lay in my lap white I gave them each a chance to nurse. Her chest didn't seem very full, as some of my other does chests have seemed so I began to worry that momma didn't have enough for them. Fortunately, the nettle has begun to grow along the creek bank so this morning I gloved up and harvested about 10 stalks. I rubber-banded it and hung it from the ceiling in front of one bank of rabbit cages. Since I need it now, I decided that I'd take the chance and offer it to her without waiting for it to dry so I put in a stalk with about 4-5 leaves on it and left it for her to eat.

This morning I decided that when it warmed up a bit I would give the kits another chance to all nurse. In the middle of the day when I took out the nest box and checked them they all looked quite a bit better than yesterday so I decided to leave them for momma to feed on her own. And put another stalk of nettle in the cage. When I left she was chomping down the whole thing, stalk, leaves and all. I'm very encouraged. We'll see how they all look tomorrow. I have also been offering her more than her usual handful of whole oats. I'd say I've given her 3 or more handfuls today. She also drank more water than usual, which I see as a good sign.

I have been MIA for 3 years
and trying to return for a month or so but couldn't remember user name
so couldn't get in
Glad I finally figured it out

I would like to share my current recipe for lactation support for large litters
it's basically the same herbs that are in the nursing teas sold for human mamas
I don't measure I just mix up a big Tupperware=type container that I keep in the barn
equal parts blessed thistle, fenugreek, coriander seed, anise seed, fennel seed, marshmallow root

I order the herbs from Starwest botanical
It seems to really make a difference.
I top dress the doe's feed with a generous TBSP of the mixture each day til the kits are out of the nest box.
I only add it for does that have a skinny kit of so.
I still feed stalks of dried nettle when I have it