Amount of feed?

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DaytonHillRabbits

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Hi everyone,

Just wondering about a feed guideline... I have mostly Holland (smaller 2-4 lbs) and Netherland Dwarfs and crosses of the two. I have had issues with breeding does not taking and I've come to the conclusion I am likely overfeeding them pretty badly.

I feed a commercial pellet and I tend to just always make sure they have feed... some does are going through 2 cups a day... probably way way too much feed. So... can someone tell me how much feed an adult doe or buck should be provided daily? I feed once a day, and I need them to be productive.

I have no way to weigh the feed so if you could give a cup measurement that would be helpful.. right now I have a "1 cup scoop" and that's what I use to fill dishes... most get 1 scoop daily, some up to 3.. (she's a chow hound and begs for food... don't judge me!).. :?
 
My Netherland Dwarf buck is a chunker on 1/2 c. of food a day, he should probably be scaled back to about 1/3 c. each day. When I used to have meat rabbits, a buck or doe i was raising up got 1 c. per day, for about 7 or 8 lbs. of maintained body weight.
 
A good way to judge the amount of feed to give is to start with, in your case, 1/4 cup and see how long that lasts when hay is also available.

At this time, it sounds like your buns might be overweight (they carry the fat internally, so hard to tell), so feeding more hay than pellets is probably best for the next month. Be sure they have water at all times, too.
 
Sounds like a good plan, now most of the does are in the process of being bred or hopefully... does that affect the amount of feed? And what about weaned babies? Do you limit or free feed?
 
I feed my 3-4 pound rabbits 1/4 cup food, with a large handful of hay, and veggies a few times a week. They stay a pretty good weight. For my brood does, they get the same ration until the third week of pregnancy, when I pretty much free feed. They also get sunflower seeds if they seem skinny(depends on litter size). They get the same until the babies are weaned, when I slowly reduce the feed to the normal ration(over a week or so). The kits I free feed until they stop eating a lot, and start limiting themselves. Then I give the adult ration.

Oops, just realized I'm on the wrong account. This is LittleFluffyBunnies :lol:
 
I fed my dwarfs 1/4 cups and my Hollands 1/3 cup... This was also with 1 TBSP boss/oat supplement. They will beg for food. You may have to adjust the food depending on the rabbit. Some just need more food. If they are overweight, you should be able to feel loose fat over their shoulders (otherwise the shoulders should feel pretty similar to the rest of the body, flesh-condition wise), if they are underweight, usually you can feel the spine pretty well. While raising a litter, I free feed, and after weaning keep them on large rations of food until their get their condition back from the litter.
 
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