Thanks. I've been breeding buns a long time and have done lots of reading.
I read an article about four years ago that someone did some research on meat rabbits.
Feed them what their mom's regular portion should be from week 5-12. So if mom, at 17% protein eats 3/4 cup pellet, that's what the kits should get (or maybe up to a cup if they are demanding it). They get that until they hit four to five months (depending on growth rate) then you feed 2/3 cup until they are at breeding weight.
He was able to prove over successive generations that rabbits feed less BEFORE breeding learned to utilize the food they were given more efficiently. This seems to have born out in my own herd. I slightly underfeed my meat rabbits until ready to breed. This keeps them from getting fat and means I breed them (new zealand mixes) at six months. I bred fairly heavily (in the eyes of some).
So my meat does when not on kits nursing get 3/4 cup 17% protein feed.
When one week from kindle they often reduce their feed intake to about 1/2 cup VOLUNTARILY.
Once they kindle they get 1 cup daily for three days.
Then they demand more so I double that until the kits are out of the box.
For me that is just past two weeks when I tip the box.
I put 3/4 cup into what I call a creep feeder (a small bowl on the cage floor to encourage kits to eat).
That lasts for about a week.
Once I see the kits regularly eating I put three cups in the does feeder and each day successively less in the creep feeder until kits are all using the does feeder. Takes about a week.
I add 1/2 cup per baby bunny week three to week four or five depending on the litter at this point to what mom's normal ration would be. I'll add the bowl in if I see them crowding the feeder as it just takes the edge of need off this usually at week four
I generally wean half the litter at week six. Usually removing the boys and the biggest girls (if needed).
Those weaned kits eat 1/2 cup each for the first three days as they adjust to being moved with added hay/fresh greens. after three days I give them normal dry doe ration UNLESS they demand more. Most of the time they do not and if offered more generally don't eat it.
As I'm trying to reduce the size of my meat rabbits it's been a bit of a learning curve to see how much they truly need. Right now it is sitting at 2/3 cup and some still get fat..... GAH, i'll get there though...
