what should i feed

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Mary Ann's Rabbitry

Mary Ann's Rabbitry

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what should I feed angora rabbits to keep there fur looking good.. I know they need higher protein.. What about hair blockage.. I have been giving flax and pumpkin seeds .. but I have one that will not touch it.. She eats half like the other do.. I give lots of hay to. Any special needs than any other rabbit would get from me.
 
Papaya.

I also do the Betty Chu bird seeds on Sunday for JW and Angoras.

16% will work, but they will eat more, like hogs they are. 18% is better.
 
Not sure what that is either, I free feed 18% pellets with the greenest hay I can find on the side. They get black oil sunflower seeds on the side in winter to help keep them warm, too. 2x a week they get 4 papaya enzyme tablets each. I have read that you can give them dried papaya instead of the tablets, but last time I did that I nearly lost my best doe to wool block. They still get them as treats, but i do not rely on them for any sort of usefulness.

If my rabbits do get wool block, I give them 3cc of Petromalt cat hairball formula 2x daily until I see that they start eating again. I use an oral syringe and make sure it goes directly in their mouth and they eat it. I have tried to put it on their forepaws before, and I watched a doe get it matted in her chest fur, and then continue to chew her chest fur off and eat it trying to get it out. Not very productive when your trying to get them to move a wool blockage.
 
ok.. so are you saying that because you gave dried papaya instead of the tablets ,, that you almost lost your best doe to wool block.

I am familier with blockages, I give flax seed every morning. To me that is worth it weigh in gold. I love that stuff..My rabbits love it.. They look for it everymorning for there little concoshin that I make in the morning and in the evening they get hay.. It is all gone by morning. I only give sunflower seeds when it is cold out as I don't want fat bunnies,, but I do give pumpkin seeds every second day with there flax seed and some oatmeal.
 
For wool block, I freeze pineapple juice in ice cube trays and feed them some cubes if i suspect wool block. Every time they finish one off, I feed them another until their droppings have returned to regular size. I don't have to do it very often, but it works for me.... and I am allergic to papaya so I had to find a viable alternative. You could also feed them a pineapple ice cube once or twice a week as a preventative.
 
I feed my angoras a 17% protein pellet feed and unlimited water. I also typically give them 1 tsp of Calf Manna every other day (added protein/fat source). I have given sunflower seeds in the past as well but currently am not as they cost a lot over here.

To prevent wool block I give my French Angoras a chunk of banana, pineapple, papaya, or mango every week. Hay is offered in moderation as it can actually cause blockages sometimes. I also feed fresh greens several times a week.
 
Have a "hay day" once a week or maybe less, depending on whether yours molt or not.

On Sundays, all Wool animals get wild bird seed and hay for their rations.
 
Mary Ann's Rabbitry":2clx9fd9 said:
so you only give hay once a week.? Am I reading that right ? I thought hay is the best thing for wool block.. I am confuse.
Click to expand...


No, nothing but hay and birdseed, no pellets.
 
Mary Ann's Rabbitry":2t4e5rdd said:
ok.. thanks. I was wondering ....Do you give bird seed to your other rabbits to for a treat?
Click to expand...


No. It tends to fall out of the feeders, and I only have enough crocks for the Angoras and Woolies.
 
Dried pineapple still contains Bromelain, but often the dehydrated pineapple available in stores has been coated in sugar, and treated with anti-browning agents. If you have a food dehydrator, I would prepare it yourself.

Because dried pineapple contains bromelain


http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/healthy ... -2818.html

This is interesting:

Papaya enzymes should not be taken during pregnancy due to an increased risk of miscarriage.

Pineapple enzymes, or bromelain, are isolated from the stem of the pineapple plant and the juice of the pineapple fruit.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/12573 ... z2ctsVNgaF

I don't know if the leaves (stem?) are safe for rabbits, but maybe someone can test it on an "experimental bunny"... I'll do it next time we get a fresh pineapple if nobody beats me to it.

Even more interesting:

Bromelain is a natural anticoagulant that works by breaking down the blood-clotting protein fibrin. This may help to explain why results of at least two clinical trials suggest that the enzyme can help to improve the symptoms of angina and thrombophlebitis. As well as thinning the blood, bromelain also thins mucus, and thus maybe of benefit to asthmatics and people suffering from chronic bronchitis. There is also evidence that bromelain can trigger beneficial changes in white blood cells, and thus may improve immune function. However, whether or not the enzyme would be beneficial to immunocompromised people has not been established clinically. Bromelain has potent anti-inflammatory properties and therefore may be useful in promoting the healing of minor muscle injuries such as sprains and strains. Results of one study also found evidence to suggest that it can help to improve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. When applied topically it may help to speed wound healing. There has also been some suggestion that bromelain has anti-cancer properties, although this has not been proven. Several recent studies have linked chronic inflammation to cancer, thus any anti-cancer action of bromelain could be due to it anti-inflammatory properties. The enzyme may also enhance the effect of the antibiotics amoxicillin, erythromycin, penicillamine, and penicillin. In a study of people with urinary tract infections,100% of participants given antibiotics in combination with bromelain and another enzyme called trypsin were cured of their infection, compared with just 46% who received antibiotics alone.

Bromelain aids digestion by enhancing the effects of the digestive enzymes trypsin and pepin. It can also help to prevent heartburn by ease diarrhea, if either are caused by a deficiency of digestive enzymes. Bromelain supplements often contain a plant pigment called quercetin. The two substances are found in combination simply because they enhance each other’s antiinflammatory actions, and that bromelain appears to improve quercetin absorption.

http://www.worldhealth.net/news/bromela ... le_enzyme/

Since Bromelain is an anti-coagulant, it would be best to treat for wool block when a rabbit is not near kindling.
 

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