Can rabbits eat silage?

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G

GBov

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I faintly remember reading something about silage and rabbits but I cant seem to find it now.

A few years ago, well, many anyway, I tried to make small batch silage and only managed to make one halfway good batch. By gum I made some impressive stinks though, OMG who would guess grass could go so evil? :x

As I was mowing last week though I suddenly thought about using a 5 gallon bucket with a proper lid. That would keep the silage airtight, that would!

I REALLY hate throwing away, even into the compost pile, anything that can be eaten or used. Compost is important for the garden but would rather use it several times before it goes that rout. :lol:
 
Silage is made from corn. It ferments the sugar in the corn and it basicly make a sour mash that preserves it. I have heard of chickens that drank the run off and got drunk. I would think if a rabbit could eat it, it would. THey tend to know what is good or bad for them. Me, I would think it would be a really rich feed for creating gas (cow are very flatulent). I wouldn't try it on my favorite rabbits anyhow.
 
Thats not the silage I know of, the one I am talking about is made from fresh mown grass. The dairy farmers in Ireland down the road from us when we lived there made a silage mountain every year bigger than their house. Watching them drive the tractors up over it to dump another load was always interesting. :shock:
 
silage made from grass is called haylage. :)

Can they eat it? Depends on the wetness and dryness levels. you'd have to be mindful of mould. Why not feed it fresh?
 
Silage is a fermented plant (grass, corn, cabbage..). Haylage is silage with less than 10% of moisture. Mowed gras with a landmower is not a good thing to make silage from (or feed it to the rabbits) - it better that you let it grow for a month or two and than cut them daily for fresh forage (with a scythe or something) or cut it and make silage. Grass cut with landmower is going bad with the second you mow it since there is (comparing to cutting with a scythe) a lot of freshly damaged surface which is an excellent place for bacterias, molds.. I read that rabbits can eat silage, but I`ve never tried it and i think never will - it`s just to much work comparin to hay/forage and much more room for mistakes.
 

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