balancing natural feed through changing seasons

[Rainey]

Next month we'll have had rabbits for a year. Getting them off pellets and onto mostly what we can grow ourselves has gone well. Last fall I was worried about what would happen when we could no longer cut them green stuff--which is mostly what they had, along with hay, through the green seasons. But the winter was easy (thanks to the fodder threads on RT and advice about roots from Michael4gardens) The grow outs grew and went to freezer camp in January. Then we just had the buck and the 3 junior does we planned to breed this season to feed. And the first one of those kindled this week, 8 healthy kits and she's feeding them.
Now the winter is winding down, temps finally rising a bit. We're almost out of the parsnips and carrots we kept in the root cellar and fed daily along with fodder and hay and willow dried last summer. Soon there will be dandelions and all sorts of spring greens to feed and the willow will be budded out before we've finished what we dried.
So often the feed discussions focus on protein. It seems to me that the summer forage diet offers more protein, especially early in the season when growth is rapid, before much goes to seed. And I don't worry about fiber since we always free feed hay and they get something woody every day. (I'm assuming that the woody feed has high fiber) But what about energy? I assume that the roots and grains have more of that, but those things aren't available on the farm until later in the season. Do they need as much energy when it's warmer? Does a forage and hay diet have enough energy? We do have "wild" roots"--cattail and J. artichokes--but haven't harvested them, only used the leaves of both. Should they be harvested in the fall like garden roots? I think some people eat burdock roots, harvested in the spring and wonder if there are other roots that should be harvested early in the growing season and could be fed to rabbits.
And questions about fodder--how long into the spring to keep growing it. Once there is green forage for the rabbits they won't need it for the green/live part. At that point would they be better just being given some whole grain? I still don't understand at what point in the sprouting process the grain (concentrated energy) becomes more "greens", less energy and more protein.

 

[michaels4gardens]

at the risk of adding to your questions-- I have found it is better to watch the rabbits , their coats, eyes and body language, then add or subtract feeds. If rabbits are bouncy, shiny, and bright eyed ,--all is good. --when you feed, watch and see what they consume first, then watch and see what they leave uneaten. -adjust feeds accordingly-
JMHO-- J artichoke root is a great feed to supplement your other roots, it has just a little less energy then potato,[more then carrot] but-- J. artichoke does not need to be cooked. it is a wonderful spring feed, as it stores great in the ground , sprouts fairly late in the spring, and can be dug anytime you can get a spade into the ground. Even after they have started to grow in the spring rabbits readily eat them.
I feel greens naturally available in the spring are great feed for that season, [IE: dandelion, plantain etc.] and -I feel that kale trumps all other greens [including fodder]for feed value [just be cautious when you first introduce it,[and all new greens, esp. cabbage family plants ] as a lot at once when they have had none for a while can cause bloat, and death] again JMHO
I know nothing about feeding burdock root, but- my rabbits are not fond of the tops.

 

[MaggieJ]

Once there is green forage for the rabbits they won't need it for the green/live part. At that point would they be better just being given some whole grain?

Rainey, you can certainly feed the rabbits whole grain for energy at any time of the year. In my experience, they do not need a lot (about 1/4 cup each) but they do better on the forage when they have some. The first year I was feeding all natural, the rabbits seemed hungry all the time, no matter how much green feed they were given. The small amount of grain really helped.

Too much grain will cause them to accumulate fat in the body cavity, which will cause breeding issues. better too little than too much. I agree with Micheals4gardens about judging their needs from their behaviour and condition.

 

[Rainey]

at the risk of adding to your questions-- I have found it is better to watch the rabbits , their coats, eyes and body language, then add or subtract feeds. If rabbits are bouncy, shiny, and bright eyed ,--all is good. --when you feed, watch and see what they consume first, then watch and see what they leave uneaten. -adjust feeds accordingly-

Thanks, that is one of the most helpful things RT has taught me--how to watch my rabbits. They seem healthy and happy to me. Mostly my questions now are geared toward improving the growout time, wondering if more roots or grain is helpful or if it is more about the protein.

JMHO-- J artichoke root is a great feed to supplement your other roots, it has just a little less energy then potato,[more then carrot] but-- J. artichoke does not need to be cooked. it is a wonderful spring feed, as it stores great in the ground , sprouts fairly late in the spring, and can be dug anytime you can get a spade into the ground. Even after they have started to grow in the spring rabbits readily eat them.

Last year we fed a lot of the J artichoke tops, just kept cutting and they'd regrow. The rabbits really liked them and there was a clump of them against a building near the rabbit shed. We dug up some roots and planted them in another area (where they couldn't get into gardens). This year I'll try digging and feeding some roots--as soon as the snow melts and the ground thaws.

I feel greens naturally available in the spring are great feed for that season, [IE: dandelion, plantain etc.] and -I feel that kale trumps all other greens [including fodder]for feed value [just be cautious when you first introduce it,[and all new greens, esp. cabbage family plants ] as a lot at once when they have had none for a while can cause bloat, and death] again JMHO
I know nothing about feeding burdock root, but- my rabbits are not fond of the tops.

That's what we did last year--have plenty of plantain and dandelions and other weeds and grasses easy to gather when growing fast in spring and early summer. Fed some kale but not much since there were so many warnings about it. Never saw a problem and will feel more confident to up the kale amount some this year.

 

[michaels4gardens]

as Maggie J already said- [and I agree] -increasing energy in the feed ration, = decreasing grow out time by adding grain ,works well, --also-- feeding sugar beet instead of grain works well also.
- a good mineral supplement can make all the difference in feed conversion, general health, and grow out time- , especially when we are not feeding any vitamin / mineral fortified pellets .

 

[Rainey]

as Maggie J already said- [and I agree] -increasing energy in the feed ration, = decreasing grow out time by adding grain ,works well, --also-- feeding sugar beet instead of grain works well also.
- a good mineral supplement can make all the difference in feed conversion, general health, and grow out time- , especially when we are not feeding any vitamin / mineral fortified pellets .

We've been using the mineral/salt block we have for our dairy goats, broke small chunks off and have them in each cage. Is there some other supplement you'd recommend? Guess I was also thinking that the variety and freshness of feed would help with vitamins & minerals.

 

[michaels4gardens]

It really depends on what minerals your area is deficient in, out here we need to add selenium to our mineral mix or we have reproductive troubles, -- if you are raising your greens and vegetables organically and using heirloom varieties, you should not have to worry about vitamins.