Feeding pellet mix

[Proper2]

Im now feeding pellet to my rabbits, but planning on mixing the pellets with oat, wheat and rye, and ofcourse give them some hay few times a week
What do you guys think about this feed, i know some who do very well on it here but wanted to ask you
Thanks

 

[avdpas77]

A few thoughts. Rye is fine nutritionally, but for some reason most animals don't much like it.
these grains are going to reduce the overall protein level of your feed, so you might want to go to a higher protein level pellet which will cost more. The other alternative for higher protein is if you feed very good alfalfa hay. Very few grains other than peanuts or soybeans can kick up the protein level. You can't feed raw soybeans, but you can feed roasted ones.

 

[SatinsRule]

Also, whatever you supplement your feed with, be careful to pay attention to your rabbits after you begin feeding it. If one of your rabbits begins to back off eating regularly, check for scours/runs. If allowed to go unchecked and untreated, it could turn into a fullscale diarrhea in a rather short period of time. It's why I keed a bag of dried sycamore leaves around. They help to cure it. After it's cleared up, stop feeding that particular supplement to the rabbit in question.

 

[Proper2]

So you give the sycamore leaves against the diarrhea?
Will the hay not also do the job?

 

[SatinsRule]

Proper, let me give you the reason why.

I was into raising show rabbits as a teenager. In the summer of 1981, I lost several of my rabbits to diahrrea, and in rapid succession. A fellow breeder suggested feeding sycamore leaves to cure it. I used it from that day forward, and it worked like a champ.

It still works, too. I've cured it on a few of my current herd of rabbits, and it clears up almost overnight, including my prize red satin buck whose stomach cannot seem to take stuff like calf manna and black oil sunflower seeds. Not saying it's the "end all, be all cure", but when something works I stick with it.

 

[Proper2]

Ok thank you for the tip, cant get enough of them

 

[MaggieJ]

Good to know about the sycamore leaves, Billy.

Proper2, you likely don't have sycamore trees in your area, but there are other plants that will also do the job very nicely that are indigenous to Europe. All can be used fresh or dried.

The leaves of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry all work well to stop diarrhea. Doesn't matter if they are wild or domestic berries.

There are two common weeds that are excellent as well: plantain (Plantago major and related species) and Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris). I've provided links below to help you identify them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris

 

[curlysue]

I feed the oats in a seperate container,when i mix them together the rabbits scratch the pellets out too get the Goodies wasting a bunch of food.

 

[avdpas77]

Good to know about the sycamore leaves, Billy.

Proper2, you likely don't have sycamore trees in your area, but there are other plants that will also do the job very nicely that are indigenous to Europe. All can be used fresh or dried.

The leaves of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry all work well to stop diarrhea. Doesn't matter if they are wild or domestic berries.

There are two common weeds that are excellent as well: plantain (Plantago major and related species) and Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris). I've provided links below to help you identify them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris

These are good choices and common in most places. There are a number of sycamores in Europe, although I am not sure they get that far east. In western Europe, they are called "plane trees".

"Description
The common plane tree or maple-leaved plane (Platanus acerifolia) is widespread throughout Europe with the exception of the north and north-eastern countries. It is well known as a park and roadside tree"

It is as close to our sycamore as a red maple is to a sugar maple, and likely would work just as well.

 

[Proper2]

Thank you for all the info
We have sycamore trees arround here we are live