Recent content by Punch

One more thing to add if that doe was malnourished for a while her growth might be stunted and even if her genes are good she might have trouble when it comes to kindling.

If you want to help the kits nurse place the doe in a cage with large enough spaces on the bottom for her nipples to be exposed and have someone hold her down. As they hold her down you hold the baby rabbits upside down below her and below the cage put their mouth on a nipple to nurse. If that...

I have researched and I don't think I've ever seen a ratio like that before and the forum is here to discuss stuff like this. I don't know a lot and many people reading don't either and by discussing we learn. And it seems like everyone is going against me telling me its not a precise science...

Anyone else heard that rabbits can tolerate a ratio of 12:1 cal:phos as Dood pointed out?

No I definitely don't analyze what I eat. Feeding naturally doesn't have to be an exact science but I do believe that we can somehow do it better if we knew what was in rabbit feed.

Yea I have read about the feed you would feed that contained animal tallow, and also about the square bale for 3.50, how much does your square bale weigh? And I'm asking about nutrients in pellets because if we could feed similarly then we'd get better grow out rates at the cheaper prices that...

That ratio I got from a reliable source, and it says min alfalfa 40% and max grains 30%. The source I got it from wasn't an American source but they raise meat rabbits and that's what they use but they don't specify why and what vitamins and minerals their pellets have.

Thanks ottersatin, and thanks Dood ill try reading the Lebas study. Hopefully someone can chime in about why a mixture of grains is added to alfalfa.

Many are against using Soy as a protein source, and remember that rabbits are herbivores and I believe I read somewhere that rabbits can store vitamins in there bodies. Wouldn't meat rabbits have trouble eating their cecotropes since most are raised in hung cages? I also read somewhere against...

I was familiar with the Lebas paper, if I remember correctly Lebas doesn't show any data on using alfalfa I wonder why that is. I think alfalfa is good for production of rabbits so I wonder why he doesn't show any information about it. Maggie don't you believe if we had a better understanding...

Maggie mentioned that "there should be a nice fur "blanket" over the kits" I don't know what the weather is like where you are at but sometimes if it is warm, an experienced doe will uncover her kits and that is okay as well. One of my does insists on having her kits uncovered even if I cover...

A little late but here is the most recent weight for my 3 week olds they averaged out at 17.6oz. I did weigh at 2 weeks old but don't seem to remember how much they weighed then.

Dood thanks for trying to answer my question, anyone know how much of each vitamin is in rabbit feed. I expected people in this section to know. How can yall feed naturally without a guideline of what vitamins rabbits need and in what amounts?

I have been lurking for a while now and finally decided to join the forum. I was thinking if rabbit feed has more vitamins besides vitamin A and if so why aren't other vitamins and amounts listed in the guaranteed analysis?