Feeding Honey

[craneman54]

I was reading the Natural Feed Formula List Post and saw where people are using Black Strap Molasses as part of their rabbit feed.

Would Raw Honey be a good substitute for BSM? I know both have alot of sugar but both have alot of health benefits as well.

 

[akane]

Molasses has around 30 times the mineral content of honey and 10% less sugar. Putting pollen into molasses would be a better idea. You can get bee pollen in big jars. We use it for nectar and sap loving sugar gliders.

 

[craneman54]

I did not know this. :lol:
Thanks for the info. Yes, I know you can get bee pollen I am hoping to start bee keeping this spring and have been researching it.I didn't realize BSM was so much better than honey.

 

[MaggieJ]

Blackstrap molasses is the result of the third processing of the sugar cane. Since most of the sugar has been removed by this point, you are left with the concentrated nutrients of the sugar cane. Don't confuse blackstrap with other grades of molasses that are referred to as fancy, dessert or table molasses. They are much sweeter and less nutrient-rich.

I have used it with good results as a winter supplement. I mixed a teaspoon of blackstrap, a couple tablespoons of sunflower oil and a couple tablespoons of water, heated it and stirred it into a mixture of whole wheat, kitchen oatmeal and black oil sunflower seeds- about 3-4 quarts of the dry mixture. The grain mix should not be even damp when you finish, just lightly coated with the molasses mix. I found that the rabbits loved it and that it seemed to help during the really cold weather in January and February.

Edited to add: Just noticed that you are in Louisiana, Craneman. I doubt you would need a winter supplement of this sort, but other members might like to try it. This mix is also good for restoring good condition to rabbits that have been ailing in some way.

 

[craneman54]

I agree we don't have the hard winters you northern folks get.

I was referring to alot of the other health benefits of raw honey. Such as raw honey is antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, has antioxidant properties, among a host of other good benefits.
I am not in any way saying BSM isn't as good as raw honey, just wondering if honey could be used as a replacement because of the other healthy benefits.

 

[MaggieJ]

A project for you, Craneman . . . and be sure to post your results. I agree that raw honey has many health benefits. The main problem I see with it is that it also has a high sugar content, which can cause digestive problems for rabbits. If you decide to give it a try, please phase it in very, very slowly.

 

[craneman54]

I did a little research this morning. From what I could find out,all info says not to use honey, it has just too much sugar for rabbits.
Guess I should have researched before commenting. Too likely to cause diabetes in rabbits to use.

 

[akane]

If you want to dip a little treat in honey or let them lick a spoon a couple times it should be fine but any more than that might be too much sugar. The molasses I used numbers for was even an average of molasses products. The black strap might be even lower in sugar and more concentrated minerals. I'd have to get a livestock container instead of using my human edible items database for exact details.

 

[craneman54]

I will try and find some BSM. I am sure some BSM has been had things done to it that would diminish the good parts,any thing I should look for to make sure I get the good stuff?

 

[MaggieJ]

I get excellent BSM from a bulk food store, a chain called BulkBarn. Any health food store also should have it. BSM is a by-product... it's what is left when the highly profitable white sugar is removed, so it is not adulterated the way many other foods are.

You can also get livestock grade at a feed store, but the containers are large and for rabbits one uses so little that it is probably best to buy food grade.

 

[akane]

Not like molasses goes bad. We bought a new one maybe every 5 years for the horses and dog treats.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I did a little research this morning. From what I could find out,all info says not to use honey, it has just too much sugar for rabbits.
Guess I should have researched before commenting. Too likely to cause diabetes in rabbits to use.

the too much sugar thing , is mostly valid for older or overweight rabbits, used as black strap would be, [just a little mixed with a lot of feed] it is not too bad, a lot of people feed things with more sugar content then this with no problem, - ie: carrots, sugar beet, J. artichoke, etc. but-- the cautions listed above are good.

 

[luluweezie]

MaggieJ, thanks for that great winter recipe! This will be our first winter with rabbits (it gets down to -22C here in the interior of BC, so pretty similar to you), and I'm grateful to learn how to give them a little extra energy to get them through.

 

[MaggieJ]

I neglected to mention that my supplement was fed instead of the the straight grains that formed a small part of the rabbits' natural diet.

The main food item is alfalfa hay (some grass content) which I fed free-choice. Grain or supplement - about 1/4 cup per adult rabbit. Fresh foods are a bit difficult in deep winter, but I tried to feed something fresh each day: vegetable trimmings, outer leaves of romaine, cabbage (phase it in slowly to prevent bloat), sprouted wheat or fodder, pumpkin and root crops like carrots and beets.

If you are feeding the supplement with pellets, luluweezie, do keep an eye on the rabbits to make sure they don't get too fat. I haven't fed pellets for about eight years, so it's a little difficult to be sure how the supplement would work with them.