considering grain feeding my buns...

[ohiogoatgirl]

so here are the recipes i'm finding...

6part oats
1 part barley
1 part wheat
1 part boss

4# barley
4# oats
2# boss
2# beet pulp shreds

6 part oats
1 part wheat
1 part barley
2 part beet pulp
2 part alfalfa pellet
1 part boss
1 part peas

(all came from here on RT)
along with the grain-mix i would be free feeding hay and in season giving plenty of cut forage and garden bits. and hopefully i will be planting a "rabbit garden" full of rabbit safe things to cut and dry for them in winter.

i'm wondering about things like pumpkin, squash, cucumber,.... if i grow these can i cut and dehydrate them to feed in winter? i would love to have a cellar or something to store the pumpkins whole but i dont have any place to store them that way.

what mineral/salt licks should i be looking at/for?
right now i'm feeding pellets and had a few salt and mineral wheel things but none of the rabbits would so much as look at them and they got tossed. but knowing the grain mix wont be complete mineral needs then i'm assuming they would figure out they need to lick a mineral/salt block/lick.
right now everyones in cagess but i'm hoping to get a colony setup going. so suggestions welcome for everything haha.

thanks!

 

[MaggieJ]

You will need hay with a good alfalfa or clover content. Most people seem to use the reddish-brown trace mineral salt block. Some prefer the loose minerals. I think Akane could tell you more about that.

It is feasible to dry greens and such things as pumpkins and winter squash. Don't forget to save the seeds! They keep very well and are excellent as food and as a dewormer. I don't think you could dry cucumber. You may have to guard against the pumpkins reabsorbing moisture from the air. If they do that, they could get mouldy.

Save the large onion and orange mesh bags for drying and storing things. Just hang them up on a hook or nail and don't fill them too full. The air needs to circulate.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

i have to make sure i can find somewhere to buy the grains from and prices.
would alfalfa cubes be okay? i really dont think i could afford to buy hay. we make our own hay. it varies certian cuttings and how the weather was what you get for hay. but we've fed/feed horses, goats, cows on it. and thats what i feed my rabbits and they seem to love it. i would have to ask my dad about content though.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I think those are all of my grain recipes, OGG, as they have morphed along the way. I had peas and barley in my mix only because I was rotating them out of our food storage. They will occasionally get these "bonuses" as we replace stored goods with fresher ones.

I am currently feeding:

4lbs oats
4lbs barley
1lb beet pulp
1lb BOSS

There is a lot of fat in the older animals I have been processing, though it varies with each one. Maybe I need to feed less grain. :?

The hay you have will probably be fine. If you buy alfalfa cubes and they really go after them, your hay may be lacking enough protein. You can probably just feed more grain to up the protein. I find that my rabbits prefer baled hay, but I also give cubes as a "chew toy" type treat.

The natural and grain feeding is fairly "new", at least since commercial pellets became common, so I don't think there are any hard and fast rules. You need to experiment and see what works for you. Even when feeding pellets there is variation because the quality is so varied between brands. Basically, your herd will develop to accept whatever diet they are on because you will keep and breed only the ones that thrive on it.

I think that feeding weeds and fresh greens make for healthier animals over all, but those too will vary with the seasons.

 

[bitterroot]

Quick question. I'm very interested in grain feeding for my rabbits, and am lucky enough to have several granaries nearby. When buying grains, buying them whole is preferred to buying them rolled, steamed, crimped, etc, correct? Also, when you're adding beet pulp, are shreds or pellets preferred? (I have access to both)

I only have 4 rabbits at this time. But have to buy the ingredients in 50 pound bags. Is it possible to freeze this to extend freshness?

Thanks for any help you can give!

 

[Piper]

But have to buy the ingredients in 50 pound bags. Is it possible to freeze this to extend freshness?

- On a survival board, they talked about (dry storage) taking plastic bottles (2liter, 3liter, gallon juice bottles) and storing grain in them, by adding a few bay leaves - 2leaves at bottom of bottle, 2leaves at top. I do not know if bay leaves are poisonous to rabbits.
- If you freeze, below a certain temperture, some of the grains may not sprout (if you are wanting to sprout too), but will still be nutritious for the rabbits.
- When thawing, make sure they are dry. Freezing can break the cell wall, liberating water, the water can condense and potentially cause mold.
- I think at 32F - the many grains will still sprout, the problem is when they freeze at a lower temperture.
- http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/s ... ole-grains

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Whole grains can be sprouted, which is why many prefer them. I find that whole oats fall out of the mesh on my feeders, so I like crimped. My barley is rolled, as that is all that is readily available to me. The beet pulp pellets are to large for the rabbits- they tend to drop them. I feed the shreds.

You could freeze the grains if you have enough space, but I would think that Montana is cold enough as it is at this time of year. One thing you may want to do is add 1 cup of food grade Diatomaceous Earth per 100lbs of feed to prevent weevil and moth infestations. Again, at this time of year it is probably too cold for much insect activity, but the DE contains trace minerals and is supposed to be a natural wormer, so I add it to all of my animals feed and any of our own grains or flour that are in long time storage.

You might also check your local smoothie or donut shops or even bakeries and ask about their used food grade buckets to store the food in. We get 2-1/2 gallon size buckets with lids from a local shop.

 

[bitterroot]

Thanks for the quick responses. I'm headed down to the feed store now.

 

[trinityoaks]

6part oats
1 part barley
1 part wheat
1 part boss

This is the one I use, but I use the BOSS only in cold weather.

what mineral/salt licks should i be looking at/for?
right now i'm feeding pellets and had a few salt and mineral wheel things but none of the rabbits would so much as look at them and they got tossed. but knowing the grain mix wont be complete mineral needs then i'm assuming they would figure out they need to lick a mineral/salt block/lick.

They may ignore the salt/mineral blocks when they're getting pelleted feed because they don't need them. If you go completely to natural feed (no pellets), they will definitely need the minerals. You could buy the little disks, but for the same price you can get a 4-lb salt/mineral block (labeled for goats) that would last a WHOLE lot longer.<br /><br />__________ Fri Oct 12, 2012 4:06 pm __________<br /><br />

When buying grains, buying them whole is preferred to buying them rolled, steamed, crimped, etc, correct?

Yes, for several reasons. First, whole grains will last much longer than the others. Secondly, you can sprout the whole grains for greens. Third, in a pinch, you could use the whole grains to grow your own if you had to.

Is it possible to freeze this to extend freshness?]

Absolutely! If you get whole grains, you don't even have to freeze them. Just store them in air-tight, water-tight containers in a cool place. If you can, you may want to freeze them for a few weeks first to make sure that any weevil eggs will be killed and not be munching away on your stored grain.

 

[sagewoman]

I am interested in feeding my rabbits a grain diet and getting away from pellets. I see that oats are popular and want to know if these would be oats bought from a supermarket, or from another source? Same question as to where I would purchase the barley and beet etc.

 

[Demamma]

You can buy oats from feed stores in big bags. a lot cheaper than a grocery store.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Same question as to where I would purchase the barley and beet etc.

Feed stores. Tractor Supply Co. is where I buy most of my feed. Buy the beet pulp shreds, not pellets.

 

[MaggieJ]

Sagewoman, I just read your introduction post in the Welcome forum and I had a feeling that you might be interested in natural feeding.

Grain is only a small part of most natural diets for rabbits. Feed stores are usually your best place to buy grain and other supplements like beet pulp.

The basis for a natural diet is hay... usually alfalfa hay because it has high protein. I feed alfalfa and grass hay year around, plus a small amount of grain and as much fresh feed (mainly weeds from April to November) as the season allows. I am fortunate to have enough land to forage for the rabbits and since I have only a small rabbitry it works very well.

 

[sagewoman]

Thanks for the info. I also have a small rabbitry. I have 2 NZ bucks, 2 NZ does. I thought I had 3 does and one buck, but we all know how that goes sometimes . I also have a Lionhead doe with a kit..hopefully female..and a LH buck. This is my 'starter kit' so to speak. Anyway, I as under the impression that alfalfa hay was too rich to feed all the time. I feed orchard grass hay, willow branches which they love, greens and pellets. I will check out my farm store for the oats etc. How much grain do you feed a day?

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I use to feed grains to my rabbits until the grain did a big hike in cost. THen it wasnt feasable to go with that anymore.... But instead what i do , they get ...There hay in the morning with flax seed and rolled oats in a seperate dish. Then at night feeding. They get some pellets, old fashion oats with boss and alternate with sunshine supplement which is the same as manna pro without corn in it.

 

[MaggieJ]

Thanks for the info. I also have a small rabbitry. I have 2 NZ bucks, 2 NZ does. I thought I had 3 does and one buck, but we all know how that goes sometimes . I also have a Lionhead doe with a kit..hopefully female..and a LH buck. This is my 'starter kit' so to speak. Anyway, I as under the impression that alfalfa hay was too rich to feed all the time. I feed orchard grass hay, willow branches which they love, greens and pellets. I will check out my farm store for the oats etc. How much grain do you feed a day?

Alfalfa hay is too rich if you are feeding pellets, because the pellets have plenty of protein. With pellets, your orchard hay is better... but if you decide to go to a natural diet your rabbits will need the protein that is in a good legume hay.

I feed approximately 1/4 to 1/3 cup of grain a day per rabbit, but since they are in a colony some may eat more than their share. No one is going hungry though.

 

[Piper]

Alfalfa hay is too rich if you are feeding pellets, because the pellets have plenty of protein. With pellets, your orchard hay is better... but if you decide to go to a natural diet your rabbits will need the protein that is in a good legume hay.

- Day before yesterday, I bought a bag of oats and a bag of wheat (yeahhh, found wheat!), but frogot to change the hay. I have both types of hay, so I do not have an excuse... Except I forgot. They do have thier mineral salt licks, though!

 

[MaggieJ]

Piper, it won't matter short term which kind of hay they have. In fact, if they are in a transitional phase from pellets to grain, it might be best to feed some of each for a while. I like to keep grass hay on hand and give them some from time to time.