Feed Conversion
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The short answer is depends on who is calculating, and it doesn't matter.
The long answer is, that it is typically calculated at an "optimal" diet for the species (typically 16-18% protein for rabbit grow outs from either pellets or hay) and across many individuals to arrive at an average, and these are done over and over and over, and then some median number gets reported on the internet. The real story is that a million tiny factors affect this number including management practices, feed quality, individual genetics, and the climate where you live. Studies will exist showing that you can get comparable feed conversion ratios on pure forage in one location, or great hay + small amounts of grain, or all pellets. Then make it dramatically hotter or colder and none of those numbers will be achievable with a given rabbit.
So this is a little like mpg for your car, if you take great care of it, drive carefully and use quality fuel, you may get the manufacturers published mpg on a given road, but throw in some funky weather, low tire pressure, and a lead foot and you will likely get something quite different.
The measurement is best used as a simple ballpark estimation, or a relative measure over time in your own herd...and very few people bother to keep accurate records in order to track this metric.
The long answer is, that it is typically calculated at an "optimal" diet for the species (typically 16-18% protein for rabbit grow outs from either pellets or hay) and across many individuals to arrive at an average, and these are done over and over and over, and then some median number gets reported on the internet. The real story is that a million tiny factors affect this number including management practices, feed quality, individual genetics, and the climate where you live. Studies will exist showing that you can get comparable feed conversion ratios on pure forage in one location, or great hay + small amounts of grain, or all pellets. Then make it dramatically hotter or colder and none of those numbers will be achievable with a given rabbit.
So this is a little like mpg for your car, if you take great care of it, drive carefully and use quality fuel, you may get the manufacturers published mpg on a given road, but throw in some funky weather, low tire pressure, and a lead foot and you will likely get something quite different.
The measurement is best used as a simple ballpark estimation, or a relative measure over time in your own herd...and very few people bother to keep accurate records in order to track this metric.
I would add that some rabbits will do better on varying proportions of pellets and hay, others on straight pellets, and what makes YOUR rabbits healthiest (or grow the fastest if that is your goal) is best. If your goal is straight meat production, you will want NZ or Californian rabbits and 17% pellets, lots of clean water, and breed moms who raise large litters of large kits (as opposed to small litters of large kits or large litters of small kits--milk production and litter size must match). A decent doe will make a bigger difference to a small operation than all the feed tweaks you can make.
Thanks for your answer -- it is very helpful.
My goal is to breed the pellets out of the rabbits over the long term with economical feed conversion being crucial and kept within the balance of time vs adg.
What I hope to end up with is a medium size rabbit with medium size litters that can be slaughtered at 9-10 weeks, on a grain and hay diet.
My goal is to breed the pellets out of the rabbits over the long term with economical feed conversion being crucial and kept within the balance of time vs adg.
What I hope to end up with is a medium size rabbit with medium size litters that can be slaughtered at 9-10 weeks, on a grain and hay diet.
Was just thinking about how to cut pellet costs. 38 bucks a bag when you can buy it.
We raise for meat. NZ Cal cross. Great moms.
Thinking I need to keep them on open feed when working. While keeping the kits from gorging on pellets while maintaining growth. Though about mounting her feeder up high so kits can't reach. Just spitballing though.
Grow outs and getting them to 5 pounds at 12 weeks will be the issue. Guess I will start by giving all the forage I can.
Thanks for getting this going
We raise for meat. NZ Cal cross. Great moms.
Thinking I need to keep them on open feed when working. While keeping the kits from gorging on pellets while maintaining growth. Though about mounting her feeder up high so kits can't reach. Just spitballing though.
Grow outs and getting them to 5 pounds at 12 weeks will be the issue. Guess I will start by giving all the forage I can.
Thanks for getting this going
I feel like you have the answer right there--rabbits are very easy to keep producing without pellets. However, it may take more time...a few weeks more to get to butcher weight. If you are raising rabbits for your own use, you likely will be happy to have them slow down a little. A trio can drown you in meat pretty easily, depending on how many people/dogs you are feeding.
I use pellets because I work 50h weeks out of the home, so I am paying for the convenience of dropping a scoop in the hopper and moving on with my life. However, if my life collapses (ie I lose my job) I can still feed the rabbits on forage, and I will have more time to gather it. To me this is the best of both worlds. and I absolutely don't think the pellets are better in any way. however, I only pay about $20/bag. If I were paying @Olbunny prices I would lose my mind!
