Trinity Oaks' grain-feed mix : Natural Feeding for Rabbits - Page 2

trinityoaks wrote:The only drawback is that not too long afterward, my youngest came to me in tears one day, saying the rabbits didn't like him anymore, because they weren't licking his fingers like they used to! It took a while to convince him that the rabbits had been licking us because they were sick, and that now they were well, not that they didn't like us anymore.

Awww! Bless his little heart!

Mary Ann's Rabbitry wrote:So how big are these salt blocks. What do i look for at the feed store and what color are they ect.

As I said in my first post, I get the 4-lb. Trace Mineralized Salt Bricks by Ranch House at the feed store (usually in the goat section). They're tan in color, and the same price as the itty-bitty salt disks they sell for rabbits. I had originally planned to break them into chunks, but leaving them whole seems to keep the rabbits from moving them around so much.

I've never had a problem with the salt damaging the cage wire, but until recently, I lived in a very dry climate. I'll be watching this summer to see how things go, and if necessary, I'll find something to put them on to keep them off the wire.

I just called the feed store and i found the small round mineral and salt spool. I bought a case of it. I will not use it yet as they are still on pellets. Picking up my grains this afternoon. Is there anything else i should mix in with the wheat oats and barley and how much should i give at first.?

Mary Ann's Rabbitry wrote:I just called the feed store and i found the small round mineral and salt spool.

You can use those, but they're a WHOLE lot more expensive than the 4-lb blocks.

Is there anything else i should mix in with the wheat oats and barley and how much should i give at first.?

If your goal is to completely transition them from pellets to grain, I would start by giving each bun a teaspoon or two of the grain mix along with their pellets each day, and gradually increase the grains while decreasing the pellets over the course of 3-4 weeks, until they are on only the grain mix. At that point, or shortly before, I would give them the salt/mineral blocks. In addition to the grain mix, you'll want to free-feed them alfalfa hay (or cubes if you can't get hay).

Thanks , I started tonight. They sure went for grains right off the bat...Is it ok for the small babies with mom to have it too?

Mary Ann's Rabbitry wrote:Is it ok for the small babies with mom to have it too?

I start giving it to mine while they are still in the nest, and have had no problems.

Can any type of vinegar help with digestion? I've never heard of using vinegar before- then again I'm very new to all this.

trying to figure out requirements of all my animals. I have worms and black solder flys for chickens - so that is why they are in this too. Are any of the rabbit - or - grain percentages off?

18% Rabbit nursing mama's and growing kits
18% Chicken
17% Guinea Pig
16% Rabbit (RT recomend)
13% Rabbit
-feed % can decrease when feeding hay, factor in hay protein

Protein
76 % Dried earthworms
58 % Mealworm
42 % Dried black soldier fly
28 % Earthworms (fresh)
26.3% boss
14 % Oats
12.5% wheat
12.3% barley
7 % Beet Pulp - can be as high as 10%

[Rabbit - base of two diff formulas - there are extras: salt, ect.]
Trinity Oaks' grain-feed mix
6 parts oats
1 part barley
1 part wheat
1 part BOSS (cold weather only)
Goat Drench - lactating

MamaSheepdog
4 lbs barley
4 lbs oats
2 lbs BOSS
2 lbs Beet Pulp (shreds)

Piper, if you're grain-feeding, the bulk of their protein will come from alfalfa (hay, cubes, pellets). If you want to use alfalfa pellets, you can add four parts of that to the mix I described. My buns don't care for the pellets. I used to give them free-choice alfalfa hay, but I haven't been able to get the hay since I moved, so I've switched to cubes.

It's been a while since I looked at protein percentages. I'll have to see whether I can dig up the info I found.

Just to clarify, hopefully you already know not to give the worms/flies to the rabbits, just the chickens.

I use 6 parts oats
one part...wheat
one part...barley
one part ....shredded beet pulp with mollass. I am going to increase that to 2 parts
2 parts of alfafla pellets
3 cups of Boss . I will be increasing that to one part in the fall
One part.... peas.
every other day i give old fashion oat meal and sunshine supp.

Along with veg and grass clippings weeds, apples, bananas, leaves off trees ,, is one tree i am not to sure what it is . But they love the leaves off of it. Also lots of hay. alfalfa hay mostly if i run out of that. I give them grass hay. MOm on the same day of delivery gets one tum in her water. I also give tea in there water for a day when i think of it. It does better than the vinegar. They like it better too.

Tums or molasses - I was on the fence, on that - until I saw this in another thread.

curlysue wrote:If it contains molasses more than a teaspoon will cause diahrea.

- hay - I knew that hay had 's o m e' protein, but I saw this

akane wrote:clover hay which can be over 20% protein.

and I will need to get the protein content of hay, to have a better idea of the formula

trinityoaks wrote:Just to clarify, hopefully you already know not to give the worms/flies to the rabbits, just the chickens.

I am trying to have a print off that I can keep with the feed - That list is not bad, I still have the ducks and geese to add, for when the grass is too dry.
Black Solder fly seems to have too much fat - 35% fat, it is being seen as an alternative to adding fish meal, so it may start turning up in some pellets - in the future.
http://www.extension.org/pages/15054/re ... d-fish-oil
- "Researchers in China, the USSR, the USA, Mexico, and Eastern Europe have fed these to poultry, swine, shrimp, several species of fish, turtles and frogs; with no reported health problems."
When it is too dry, I cut up the hay - 12 inches or less - and put it in the ducks and geese water. The water fowl have a lower protein requirement and I an trying to get an hold on how much feed / hay I will be buying.
edit: excuse - no, I'm not thinking of using them for the rabbits. Re-read this and realized I was a bit short, I apologize - feeds and planning where to space them, for different animals - frustrated!

Mary Ann's Rabbitry wrote:give tea in there water for a day when i think of it. It does better than the vinegar.

They may like it better, but unless they refuse to drink the vinegar ("Braggs" with the mother or homemade kombucha vinegar),
I will stay with the vinegar - has more benefits than just tea. Thank You, though - but why would you add tea? I use the vinegar for the probiotics and to deter bad bacteria.

My rabbits are on greens(wild weeds and sometimes veggies), grains (6 parts oats, 1 part barley, 1 part wheat,1 part BOSS {cold weather only}) and they have alfalfa hay (it's shredded- the only hay i could find) and they don't eat much of the hay... are they still getting all the protein they need?

WildWolf wrote:My rabbits are on greens(wild weeds and sometimes veggies), grains (6 parts oats, 1 part barley, 1 part wheat,1 part BOSS {cold weather only}) and they have alfalfa hay (it's shredded- the only hay i could find) and they don't eat much of the hay... are they still getting all the protein they need?

from what I know - they should be. Those are the ratios that have been recommended.
It is also recommended that you have a salt/mineral block or spool for (free access) for them to use. Pellets have the salt already added.

Protein
76 % Dried earthworms
58 % Mealworm
42 % Dried black soldier fly
28 % Earthworms (fresh)
26.3% boss
14 % Oats
12.5% wheat
12.3% barley
7 % Beet Pulp - can be as high as 10%

I was looking up BOSS nutrition and I was surprised to see it listed at between only 15 and 16% because it has less protein and more fat than striped sunflower seeds.

Kaytee labels their BOSS as 15.5%
http://www.kaytee.com/products/black-oil-sunflower.php