The book is what got me started feeding more natural. I don't ever feed hay just pellets and our natural herbs and grasses. We have 4 acres that are organic. Have lots of goodies for rabbits growing like dandelions, herb plantain, oat grass, clover, wild carrot ect. I feed my meat growout one bucket a day to help reduce cost on there non gmo feed. It has been working great and for 3 seasons helps alot. The key here is I am not replacing pellets but am replacing the hay. Hay here is used for nestboxes only. Feeding this way cuts pellet consumption but without any nutritional loss. It has not caused me any weaning issues nor weight reduction in my Silver Foxes. I have great growth and health rabbits who truely enjoy there once a day greens feeding. But Remember we Don't spray here or are near anyone who sprays there place. So this makes a difference I am sure.
Beyond the Pellet
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I love this im trying to find resources. Im making a natural habitat.....operation burrow...mission let bunnies be bunnies...bunny save space.
So far it goes remove 2ft of dirt deep in a 8ft 13ft space. Stone layer (bricks, stepping stones, pavers). Bring the brick wall up a foot above ground level. In theory creating 3ft deep of burrow able space with still confinement. (We live in florida its hot here). Now i need a root system. Of preferably there diet. But the interwebs says timothy hay ONLY. and im like there no way.......
(Theres also fence and a roof layer)
I have a mature lemongrass plant. I bought goundcover seeds. Clover alfalfa. What else would you recommend for my rabbitat?
Im starting cold weather greens in my aquaponics this weekend. Spinach kale etc
So far it goes remove 2ft of dirt deep in a 8ft 13ft space. Stone layer (bricks, stepping stones, pavers). Bring the brick wall up a foot above ground level. In theory creating 3ft deep of burrow able space with still confinement. (We live in florida its hot here). Now i need a root system. Of preferably there diet. But the interwebs says timothy hay ONLY. and im like there no way.......
(Theres also fence and a roof layer)
I have a mature lemongrass plant. I bought goundcover seeds. Clover alfalfa. What else would you recommend for my rabbitat?
Im starting cold weather greens in my aquaponics this weekend. Spinach kale etc
We can't afford hay (I think it's up to $42 for a small bale now) and it mildews too quickly anyway so we've pretty much always used forages to replace the hay. There's quite a few leaves that can be added into a bunny diet. Mulberry is especially nutritious and they like to eat it. We have plants around the bunny hutch that they can eat such as ti (cordyline terminalis) as well as tree ferns (dunno the latin name) although they much prefer the ti to the ferns. Plus the mulberry and lots of grasses as well.
We use cut grasses for the nestboxes, they manage pretty well with fresh grass.
Would your bunny space be a bunnariam like an aquarium for fish? Digging in the dirt wouldn't work well for an angora, I don't think. Well, the bunny may not mind but their fiber would become a mess.
We use cut grasses for the nestboxes, they manage pretty well with fresh grass.
Would your bunny space be a bunnariam like an aquarium for fish? Digging in the dirt wouldn't work well for an angora, I don't think. Well, the bunny may not mind but their fiber would become a mess.
Deer Heart
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Alfalfa won't grow in Florida. It's why peanut hay is our local fare (similar nutritionally but can survive our climate, I find rabbits like them more than alfalfa too). Clover will grow here too, but struggles in summer heat (most likely too late in the season for it now depending WHERE in FL you are). Bahia does well here but would need to be started long before you expect anything to graze off it so it establishes a healthy root system. There's a lot of edible wild plants in FL that buns like such as spanish needle and plantain. Things typically mislabeled as "weeds". I regularly give my buns the jumbo sized FL pinecones too, they love shredding them for the seeds.
I’ve read this book, too. I’m new with rabbits….just since August this year, and have gradually acclimated all to a wee bit of forage each day but would love to expand. I like the notion of using hay just for nest boxes. Boy would that cut down on waste! Are you feeding forage to your breeders in large quantities, too, or just the grow outs? When you say 3 seasons, do you mean you’ve been foraging for them for 3 years? I have silver foxes, too.
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I just read through this thread and I strongly suspect she means 3 seasons of the year.I’ve read this book, too. I’m new with rabbits….just since August this year, and have gradually acclimated all to a wee bit of forage each day but would love to expand. I like the notion of using hay just for nest boxes. Boy would that cut down on waste! Are you feeding forage to your breeders in large quantities, too, or just the grow outs? When you say 3 seasons, do you mean you’ve been foraging for them for 3 years? I have silver foxes, too.
I love to forage for my buns though I do still feed pellets and hay. They love my willow and rose and like pigweed and mulberry. I keep looking at what I have. I just discovered I can feed them mesquite but the leaves are starting to drop so I will probably start that in spring.
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Thanks! You are doing what I hope to work towards. I'm setting up for my first rabbits. Bought the book beyond the pellet a few years ago. And Dana's book on colony raising. Our "lawn" is mix of several grasses ,clovers, violets, viola, lots of thyme, wild strawberry..have been planting many different berry bushes.grape vines, hardy kiwi.. Several mulberry trees, basswood, planting lots of herbs and edible flowers. The comfrey started from seed last year is now a beautiful patch in the shade of a maple. Still was a little distressed when local feed store said no hay till next harvest. He suggested feeding my lawn as the best, freshest hay they could have. Getting my Silver foxes in June. So excited! Your experience reassures me I m on the right path. Thanks so much for sharing
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Willow trees grow fast and the rabbits love it. You can grow it anywhere with microirrigation (it's dry as dust here but my willows thrive). If you know anyone with willows, they are supposed to be the easiest to root from cuttings. I am working on that now and I definitely do NOT have a green thumb.
