minibackyardfarmer
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So hopefully in the right area to ask this lol.
We naturally feed and only pellets they get is a mix we started doing of beet pellets, alfalfa pellets, calf manor pellets,and sometimes depending on budget orchard grass pellets (since non are keen on Timothy hay pellets nor the alfalfa mixed ones). Plus we have a grain mix we use, alfalfa cubes or alfalfa with oats cubes, stuff off the safe list, and so forth. And good grass hay we get from my father in-law (they are addicted too and get all hoppy when they hear his truck bringing more it's comical lol)
And they have access to kelp meal and shredded beets (our one doe is a fanatic for them and any beet forms we provide we make sure are molasses free so they aren't eating for the sweet tooth) free choice as minerals, plus we do horse treats once every so many days (after long research on if they could have and what not).
Anyways, here in my part of Ohio already it's pretty humid most days.
We do frozen fruit and ice cubes etc for them to keep cool.
I was wondering, as I had to do some solution with some older kits, if we could give an option of watered down electrolyte solution (plus they would have their reg water as an option) as free choice on the hot days.
The solution we normally use (I use molasses and usually the baby cereal addition that was suggested if we have any on hand in the freezer where I keep most grains to prevent bugs) is from this post:
https://rabbittalk.com/threads/homemade-electrolytic-solution.14844/
We also talked about doing treats by smashing up some bananas, sw potato (their fav), and some pumpkin pure (we make ourselves and is just basic) and add the electrolyte solution to it and maybe some oats to make little treats.
Either as just pure, frozen bites (but not all ours like frozen fruit they wait for it to thaw out before eating it our one buck and 2 does are funny but our other breeding stock and any kits will even munch on the soft ice (our counter top ice maker makes the ice with the hole in it) we have), or just really chilled in the fridge small balls like you'd make protein bites or something for yourself kinda.
And give them this every other day or once a week or something.
But unsure if they can get too much electrolytes (if that makes sense) or not.
As I've only done the solution on the kits recently and one large doe a few yrs ago till they got the hop back in their step lol. And usually I've done the solution when they were acting ehh/a little lethargic like and assumed it was due to the hot days as nothing in their enviro or feed/water changed.
Sorry for the long post. Just wanted to get feed back from maybe someone with more knowledge or experience when it comes to electrolytes and rabbits, as I know rabbits like sweet and know water wise may need to be more diluted to be treated as an option for those that need it instead of them just wanting it for the sugar.
My research has come to a dead end trying to figure out the question of what is too much and if it can be a part of their regimen and at what consistency (x days, 1x WK etc).
I don't want to go through with our idea and cause issues because we go over what they can handle on a daily or weekly basis even if doing free choice, removing what isn't ate/drank and next time is fresh (as what's not ate or drank the chickens, ducks, and geese will enjoy willingly lol).
We naturally feed and only pellets they get is a mix we started doing of beet pellets, alfalfa pellets, calf manor pellets,and sometimes depending on budget orchard grass pellets (since non are keen on Timothy hay pellets nor the alfalfa mixed ones). Plus we have a grain mix we use, alfalfa cubes or alfalfa with oats cubes, stuff off the safe list, and so forth. And good grass hay we get from my father in-law (they are addicted too and get all hoppy when they hear his truck bringing more it's comical lol)
And they have access to kelp meal and shredded beets (our one doe is a fanatic for them and any beet forms we provide we make sure are molasses free so they aren't eating for the sweet tooth) free choice as minerals, plus we do horse treats once every so many days (after long research on if they could have and what not).
Anyways, here in my part of Ohio already it's pretty humid most days.
We do frozen fruit and ice cubes etc for them to keep cool.
I was wondering, as I had to do some solution with some older kits, if we could give an option of watered down electrolyte solution (plus they would have their reg water as an option) as free choice on the hot days.
The solution we normally use (I use molasses and usually the baby cereal addition that was suggested if we have any on hand in the freezer where I keep most grains to prevent bugs) is from this post:
https://rabbittalk.com/threads/homemade-electrolytic-solution.14844/
We also talked about doing treats by smashing up some bananas, sw potato (their fav), and some pumpkin pure (we make ourselves and is just basic) and add the electrolyte solution to it and maybe some oats to make little treats.
Either as just pure, frozen bites (but not all ours like frozen fruit they wait for it to thaw out before eating it our one buck and 2 does are funny but our other breeding stock and any kits will even munch on the soft ice (our counter top ice maker makes the ice with the hole in it) we have), or just really chilled in the fridge small balls like you'd make protein bites or something for yourself kinda.
And give them this every other day or once a week or something.
But unsure if they can get too much electrolytes (if that makes sense) or not.
As I've only done the solution on the kits recently and one large doe a few yrs ago till they got the hop back in their step lol. And usually I've done the solution when they were acting ehh/a little lethargic like and assumed it was due to the hot days as nothing in their enviro or feed/water changed.
Sorry for the long post. Just wanted to get feed back from maybe someone with more knowledge or experience when it comes to electrolytes and rabbits, as I know rabbits like sweet and know water wise may need to be more diluted to be treated as an option for those that need it instead of them just wanting it for the sugar.
My research has come to a dead end trying to figure out the question of what is too much and if it can be a part of their regimen and at what consistency (x days, 1x WK etc).
I don't want to go through with our idea and cause issues because we go over what they can handle on a daily or weekly basis even if doing free choice, removing what isn't ate/drank and next time is fresh (as what's not ate or drank the chickens, ducks, and geese will enjoy willingly lol).
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