What do you do about fines in feed?

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Truckinguy

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I'm just curious what everyone does with the feed dust in feeds. I have a couple of rabbit feeders I've found that have a mesh bottom but the fines fall down onto the patio stone floors of the colony and makes a bit of a mess. I usually scoop the pellets up with a sifter and give them a few shakes out on the grass which seems to work but there is still an accumulation in the bottom of the other feeders that has to be emptied out every so often.

It's not just the rabbits, the chicken and turkey feeds have the same problem to some extent although the birds are more likely to eat some of the fines in the bottom of the feeder, even if it's just included in the action to eating the pellets. the rabbits tend to eat a pellet at a time and don't seem intereste in the dust.

I suppose if the fines can be collected that raises another question: What to do with the fines? Is there any use for them? I thought there was a discussion here or on HT a while ago and someone said to make little cakes out of them and refeed them back to the critters.
 
Some people find ways to screen bags ahead of time and then if you want you can use the fines separately. They can be made into mashes quickly but don't leave wet feed out long because it can produce toxins quickly depending on ingredients. I used to mix the pellet powder with unsweetened fruit juice and small bits of fruit and vegetable for guinea pigs in winter. Some people will dry/bake the result in the oven for treats that won't spoil. The small fines replace flour in some treat recipes or at least works as a basic binder for other treat ingredients while providing most of the nutrition of a regular food item.
 
I usually collect it in jars and use it as a flour-like base when baking treats for the rabbits. It doesn't take very much of it to make a whole batch of rabbit cookies; much cheaper and healthier than store-bought rabbit treats, too.
 
Is it OK to mix with water and use to force feed rabbits refusing to eat?
 
I use the FineX feeder (not FineX2) and never have to empty the fines because they don't accumulate. As someone else said, got any birds? I had goats and they liked the fines that fell to the floor. They also would attack the feeders but that is another story.
 

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