Common Feed?

[BunnyBounce]

What do people on this site feed their bunnies?
There's so many options. I thought a good polling out there would be informative to see people's responses... I mainly feed the alfalfa pellets, with orchard grass hay, and some fresh greens/vegetables, but the most recent rabbitry we bought from fed her buns a blended alfalfa pellets and oats. I found mine made a horrible mess with this. I think they were trying to dig out just the oats?

 

[TwoAcreDream]

I tried mixing several grains with the pellets. Not good.
More than a few of the rabbits were digging in the feeders
and wasting. Sigh.

I am keeping hay in their hay racks at all times. Plenty of water.
I feed pellets in the morning. I am rotating with hay pellets and shelled
corn in the afternoon feeding. I will be using wheat or oats when I get some
again. I treat them with slices of carrots, apples, small pieces of bread. The
treats keep them friendly and coming to the door. I give dry plain oatmeal in
a bowl to young litters. In the summer, I pick fresh grass for them. Anything
to keep the costs of feed more economical.

Plan is in the spring to put in lots of sunflowers. That will be treats for the
bunnies. The chickens appreciate them big time. And the DH feeds the wild birds
and I have not been happy about the cost for that. I stopped buying bird seed about
5 months ago. The wild birds get oats or wheat, and some corn. I have a bag of
sunflower seeds here but DH is not aware of it. If he knew, the wild birds would
have ate it all up by now. I use it for the chickens and bunnies as treats.
I keep a notebook of grain bought, etc. I want to know if I am breaking even,
or making a small profit. Feeding the wild birds is a negative.

 

[LilacGal]

We feed a alfalfa pellet (16% protein) based upon body weight. Coastal hay (or timothy) is available at all times. I also try to work in fresh forage a few times a week. This includes: grass, sunflower foliage, dandelions, and assorted weeds. They also get a slice of apple or a baby carrot when they're out for lap time. They get weighed every few days to make sure their weight stays in the appropriate range for their breed. And to calm my OCD.

 

[The_Dutchess]

When we had Dutch rabbits I fed them Manna Pro pellets, hay every other/2 days,fed them 1 cup of veggies a day and they got a handful of oats twice a week.

 

[Truckinguy]

Mine get a feed pellet, the same feed I've been using since I first got the buns in Feb 2008. During the summer they get handfuls of fresh grasses and weeds and once in a while they get carrots but mostly just the pellets. They also have constant fresh straw bedding which they chew on. No problems so far.

 

[Schipperkesue]

I free feed pellets from dustless screen hoppers. The pregnant and nursing does, as well as kits to one year old get 18% protein and 3% fat alfalfa pellets. The rest get 16% and 1.5%.

This summer I plan to build a large covered pasture that can be rotated. I plan to turn the meaties loose in the pasture and see how that works for me.

 

[Peach]

Pen Pals 15%. LOVE IT!

Might try a higher protein % but I haven't had any issues after a year of using this feed. Manna pro in our area too inconstant in quality,and cost a few breeders rabbits after a especially bad batches, mines wouldn't touch it.

I only give multigrain Cheerios and oats as treats/supplement

I did do away with hay for the most part unless they really need it or they are nesting.

So far,so good!

I will pick and give them herbs from my garden in the summer and give weeds to my meat mutt litters. In moderation

 

[BunnyBounce]

...I did do away with hay for the most part unless they really need it or they are nesting.

So far,so good! ...

That's related to another question I have. I noticed my girls will eat straw if I give it to them for bedding. I thought I read that could be bad for them. So I gave my pregnant doe hay for her nest. Is that OK?

 

[3mina]

Straw won't hurt them if they eat it, it's just not packed full of nutrition, hay is fine for nesting. I gave my girls straw for nesting and hay to nibble. With the hay available the straw stays in the nest.
I'd rather give straw for nesting since I find it's more absorbent than hay and mixes better than hay with the fur.
I'm finding lately though it's harder to find straw bales less than a thousand pounds and those are just much to manage.

 

[BunnyBounce]

Straw won't hurt them if they eat it, it's just not packed full of nutrition, hay is fine for nesting. I gave my girls straw for nesting and hay to nibble. With the hay available the straw stays in the nest.
I'd rather give straw for nesting since I find it's more absorbent than hay and mixes better than hay with the fur.
I'm finding lately though it's harder to find straw bales less than a thousand pounds and those are just much to manage.

OK, I may switch that around then. She hasn't started pulling fur yet.