Rice bran?

[Lazy M]

If I am correct a rabbits dietary needs most resemble those of a horse. (please correct me if I am wrong)
I feed rice bran pellets to my horses as a fat source. I gives them a shinny coat and puts weight on quickly.

Has any one tried this for their meaty buns?
Might be good for rich milk production?

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

Protein not fat builds muscle. Rice bran is low protein and high fat. You do not want to make your rabbits fat. They are unproductive and do not taste as yummy when fat either.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min.) 13.00%, Crude Fat (min.) 18.00%, Free Fatty Acids (min.) 0.72%, Crude Fiber (max.) 8.50%, Calcium (min.) 1.30%, Calcium (max.) 1.70%, Phosphorus (min.) 1.50%, Sodium (max.) 0.25%, Vitamin E (min.) 50 IU/lb., Ash (max.) 15.00%

 

[Lazy M]

Yes, tm, you are right on all counts I was thinking of feeding it to the does only for the first two weeks after Kindleing to maybe give the babies a little jump start?

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

Have you considered giving them BOSS and flax seed? Both are really good and the bunnies love it!!!!

 

[Miss M]

I have wondered about rice bran myself, as there is plenty to be had around here. Since many of us supplement with small amounts of BOSS some, which is much higher in fat than rice bran, I'm sure it would be okay in small amounts. BOSS is also higher in protein, though, while rice bran is not. Knowing that now, I would not feed rice bran very much if at all, since with enough of it you'd be lowering the protein level the rabbits were taking in... especially considering you get both with BOSS.

 

[Lazy M]

Have you considered giving them BOSS and flax seed? Both are really good and the bunnies love it!!!!

I have wondered about rice bran myself, as there is plenty to be had around here. Since many of us supplement with small amounts of BOSS some, which is much higher in fat than rice bran, I'm sure it would be okay in small amounts. BOSS is also higher in protein, though, while rice bran is not. Knowing that now, I would not feed rice bran very much if at all, since with enough of it you'd be lowering the protein level the rabbits were taking in... especially considering you get both with BOSS.

You both make sense... I was hoping to have one less feed bag to store lol maybe I'll switch my horses to BOSS...They might like a little crunch

 

[Miss M]

You both make sense... I was hoping to have one less feed bag to store lol maybe I'll switch my horses to BOSS...They might like a little crunch

I did a search, just to see... horses and rabbits do have very similar digestive systems, but I wanted to see:

Instructions

How to Feed Horses Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

1 Get your horse tested for Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP). This muscular disorder can be triggered by high amounts of potassium in a horse's diet. BOSS are high in potassium, so you need to be sure your horse does not have HYPP before you start the BOSS regimen. A veterinarian will need to do this test.

2 Start out slowly. Most horses love BOSS once they get used to them, but they may hesitate to eat them at first simply because it is a new ingredient in their feed. Mix in small amounts of BOSS until you reach 2 pounds in their food a day. If you are going to add more than 2 pounds a day to their diet, consult a veterinarian first since it could lead to your horse being overweight.

3 Measure out the BOSS each time you feed your horse. Due to seasonal variations in the growing cycles of BOSS, sometimes you may have as many as 5 or 6 cups of BOSS in a pound, whereas other times you may have only 2 or 3 cups. Use the kitchen scale and the measuring cup to get the weights measured.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5038358_feed-bl ... seeds.html

So apparently can give the wrong horse potassium issues?

Rice bran is a lot cheaper than BOSS around here, and feeding 2 lbs of BOSS per horse per day would put me in the poor house! But you may live in the BOSS capital of the world, and can get it for next to nothing!

With my prices here, I'd be keeping the horses (if I had any) on rice bran, and I'd just keep a bag of BOSS around for the rabbits. I've got a 10 pound bag that I bought 5 weeks ago, and I've barely made a dent in it, so it's affordable this way!

But with local prices and all, it may be opposite for you.

 

[SDGrabbitry]

Rice bran is going to be far more cost effective for your horses than BOSS.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

If your horses carry "Impressive" in their bloodlines, they could be at risk for HYPP. He was a Quarter Horse, and I know he was used extensively in Quarter horses, Paints, and Appaloosas- my horse Beach goes back to Impressive, but his ancestors tested clear for HYPP.

BOSS would be far too expensive to feed to horses, in my opinion. Save your money and buy another galvanized trash can to store your feed in instead! :lol:

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Im did a small search on rice bran when I was trying to figure out what it supplied-- rice bran MUST be stabilized..If not stabilized, it will make all the fats in it go rancid VERY quickly-- so that explained the extra levels of lysine in the ingredient list I was reading...