"Grass will kill them!"

don't know if this will help, but check out http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translat...ge/Histori-01.htm&lp=fr_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

Looks interesting, Ann! I'll enjoy reading it, I'm sure. Thanks!

Well, I do know that corn can kill a rabbit, but as for the grass hay, weeeell, we've been feeding them grass hay and they've been fine, but I'll leave final judgment to the bunny experts.

Corn alone will not kill rabbits. We feed our meat rabbits field corn mixed with baby beef pellet concentrate (KENT BB 34)with no problems at all. We kept a close eye on them in the summer to keep them cool but not problems at all and when butchering all internal organs are healthy looking. The good thing about the BB34 pellets is that they contain minerals too.

WE free choice the hay along with this feed mix and provide salt blocks.

When we transitioned from a pellet only diet we did it over a 2 week period. It has been over a year now with no health problems.

We develop an area around the new colony in the outdoor area is a hay field. My plan is to harvest some false timothy armsful every day and throw in rabbits. They have a grill, and a feeding area in which I am taking pellets. If it works as my setup is not poultry, cereals bought low. When my birds can Freerange cereal mixtures is reduced by 2/3rds.

MaggieJ":1gtnxjz5 said:

Oops! Yes, definitely provide a mineral/salt block. I use the reddish-brown trace mineral block from the feed store for mine. I just hit it with the hammer to knock irregular pieces off it and serve them in a small ceramic bowl (to prevent rusting of the cage).

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Someone else frugal like us. Our kids thought we we too cheap when we did this but the rabbits don't know the diff.

Between alfalfa and clover I think ours prefer clover

I've heard it before: "Grass will kill them, corn will kill them, soybean are bad, la, la, la, la, la. " It's funny how everyone is an expert :ugeek: -- and act as though the feeding regime is sacred :twisted: .

The commercial producers provide a balanced ration but it's not that hard to provide as good as or better a ration naturally.

The truth is an unbalanced diet isn't good for any animal but it's not that had to balance out their meals with grains, forage and succulents. Our rabbits are thriving and grow quickly with a very simple diet that includes cracked corn as one of the main ingredients.

The problem with feeding Corn is:
The high sugar content, feeding only Corn
would be like placing your child on a diet of:
Cookies Ice-cream and cake! Just not the very best of choices
but one would survive, though not in the best of health.
The pelleted feed is a balanced diet in and of itself
making it easier to maintain the balance.
There is nothing wrong with feeding Grasshay, in fact
it is a necessary part of the rabbits diet which helps to
keep the hindgut working properly. I have never had a problem
with feeding rolled oats or any other type of oats to my rabbits
in fact rolled oats make an excellent first food for weanlings.
Ottersatin ldtimer:

grass hay can have any number of problems with it
it can have fertilizer, pesticide and any other lawn care chemicals on it, maybe from you neighbor and not you

Also rabbits tend to be finicky with diet changes, change their diets incorrectly, and they die
also rat, mice, dogs and cat like to pee and poo on the grass passing on yucky's like E.cunicluei and worms...

Jack, you are correct that grass hay CAN have those problems, but for many of us in rural areas, this is just not an issue. Thank goodness. For most of us, grass hay means hay from the local farmer, not dried grass clippings, and if he's feeding it to his critters, there are not going to be harmful chemicals in it.

All dietary changes for rabbits should be made gradually... That cannot be said too often.

A few things. Whole corn can cause gut impaction, cracked corn can get a toxic fungus. This is much more likely to be a problem with house rabbits or overly inbred rabbits. I have been feeding some COB in my grow-out pens (heh, actually it is COW.. corn, oats, and wheat) which is what we get down here in the lower part of North America. The rabbits have had no apparent problems with it.

Soybeans have some toxic aspect, but their chief problem is they have a chemical that can inhibit the uptake and processing of certain amino acids in animals. This can be overcome by baking them at 250F for about half an hour. Soybean meal is no problem because it is heated to a fairly high temperature when being pressed for oil. Rabbits are unlikely to ea the meal (unless it is in pellet form) and mine never cared much for whole soybeans when I tried them for a period of several weeks. The absolute best (individual) feedstuff for rabbits is alfalfa hay. While it doesn't have a complete span of nutrients, rabbits could probably get by on it for several months.

Non inbred rabbits can take a much more diverse diet than many think, and can live a mixture of hay and grains if they have to, and, if it is mixed properly, do quite well. This doesn't mean they would make show standards, or grow out like they do on pellets, but it does mean that if push comes to shove in bad times, they can be kept alive, and if the variety is their quite healthy.

They also can grow on as good on a non-pelleted organic regime, as on pellets, if one can provide quality feedstuffs with a reasonable diversity and attention to nutritional requirements. I think Maggie has possibly the best experience and success on that of anybody around. I feed pellets and will probably continue to do so. My interest is more of "what happens if things get really bad and I can't afford or can't obtain pellets" I know I harp on it a lot, but radically crossbred rabbits are proving to me more and more each day that they have greater vitality, healthiness, and acceptance of a varied diet than average rabbits. Of course, this is only of value if one is raising rabbits for meat.

Actually the soybean plant is pretty good, it's a legume just like alfalfa, but many places sell it as a feed stock to dairys, many of the 'leftover' plants from a garden or growing, make wonderful bunny food, and look at it this way, the do the composting for you.

We crack our own corn with an old grinder or have a local mill if need be so we prepare weekly and have not run into any trouble.

If raising meat pen rabbits for show pellets are one of the best ways to go but I can get very similar results adding goat milk to the diet of the fryers.

I have 3 recipes for the main rations of feed I mainly use:

With all of these I give free choice hay -- mainly clover which they like better than the alfalfa.

I might feed a pet a little differently, doubtful, but these animals are livestock.

Recipe 1:
Kent BB34 & corn = 15% protein no mineral block needed minerals are in the bb34.

Recipe 2: (FAVORITE)
Ground Alfalfa & Clover mixed with corn for an 18% protein. Mineral block provided.

Recipe 3:
Regular Rabbit Pellets cut with corn and oats for a 14 to 16% rations

Some of these 3 are blended together on occasion to provide some different in the feed dish for their tastes.

In addition dried weeds like thistle, dandelion, plantain are also given as treats. Fresh veggies every once in a while for treats. And a round of carrots for everyone whenever a new litter is born.<br /><br />__________ Thu Dec 23, 2010 5:52 pm __________<br /><br />

Jack":3g520txc said:

Actually the soybean plant is pretty good, it's a legume just like alfalfa, but many places sell it as a feed stock to dairys, many of the 'leftover' plants from a garden or growing, make wonderful bunny food, and look at it this way, the do the composting for you.

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Bunnies are natures grass compactors.

Um is that a play of trash compactors, becuse I have found the addition of rabbit pellets really help the aeration of the lawn with out having to wear those spikey things out of a S&M movie.