Home made rabbit Pellets

[RichinOregon]

There might be post on this subject and I just cannot find them. I am on the quest of exploring a complete nutritional diet recipe for making my own rabbit pellets or feed. I am trying to cut feed cost and the need to run to the store for my feed. Also I am trying to gain 100% control of nutrients I feed my rabbits and delete all the bad stuff out of there diets. Can anyone help and can it be performed cheaper then store bought feed. By the way I spend 14.55 for 50 lbs which pencils out to around .29 a pound plus gas money. I do not know what the balanced dietary need is of a rabbit. Oh and by the way these are meat rabbits so I will need to know about feed for buck, does and kits feed needs would be. And one more note, I understand I can go pick my own roots weeds and flowers in my yard but I do not have time for that and my back cant handle bending over to harvest.
:bunnyhop:

THANKS RICH

 

[JohnMc]

Not to be a downer on your idea, yes go for it. But before you even think about recipies, go price a pellet extruder and then figure out how many tons you will need to process to get your money back. There is a reason the feed mills exist. An alternative would be to go to the natural feeding subforum and go that route. Also do a search on fodder, that too might be an alternative.

 

[michaels4gardens]

There are some inexpencive pellet machines "on line" [shipped from China] that have good reviews, BUT-- before you spend a thousand +, and add shipping [probly $800] [ compared to a $30,000 extruder , that kills all the vitamins /enzymes anyway]--you need to source your premix, or concentrate [I don't recomend concentrate if you want to control the ingredients, unless the supplier has a "dedicated formula"] -- and source and price your alfalfa, grain, and whatever you want to have in your formula. I would not recomend diferent formulas for diferent rabbits, it is a "pain" and does not gain you much.-- just source and price a high quality ration, and add grass hay [in a manger]for the mature rabbits.
You may be able to pick up a used, drum/roller type pellet machine cheep, because most feed companys have switched to faster/ fancier, machines.

 

[BlueMoods]

I do feed pellets but, if I needed to go 100% home grown, I'd be drying the mix of feed for the rabbits into hay, chopping it for the just weaned rabbits. Too costly and, too much hassle to make pellets at home but, rabbits eat hay just fine (with allowances made for the just weaned ones to be able to eat enough of it easily).

If you have the land to grow enough forage plants to be made into rabbit hay, and are willing to do the work and not count the value of your labor, then yes that is cheaper than buying feed, but making pellets would not be for a very long time (unless you have a commercial operation and either sell the pellets in large quantities or, have hundreds to thousands of rabbits to feed daily.)

 

[RichinOregon]

Thanks for all of the advice. For a year and a half I have been growing barley fodder with BOSS. I have done so well with it that I grow enough to feed over 15 horses a day in which I sell at local feed stores. It is all automated and requires very little effort. After feeding the Barley Fodder for over a year I have enough experience to come to a few conclusions.

1 Feeding fodder has cut back my pellet feed considerably. I now feed over 3 times less pellets compared when I feed the rabbits only Pellets.

2 There is a down side to feeding the fodder which is, My kits love the fodder and start eating it at 4 weeks. I leave all the pellets they want to eat and the Fodder disappears first, but they take a additional 3 or more weeks to get to butcher weight of 5 1/2lbs. I still come out way ahead on feed cost but I do not like to keep my kits around 11 or more weeks for the slaughter.

3 Fodder is by far the best choice (in conjunction with pellets) for my Bucks and Does. They all stay at there ideal weight, and are much friendlier and calmer. They also to appear much healthier.

4 Rabbits eating Fodder require 4 times less water, which really cuts back on filling my bottles. At some point I will get a automated water feeder system out there for the rabbits.

I am toying with trying calf manna with the Fodder on my kits. It may give them the added protein or what ever it is that seems to slow down the growth with the Fodder. Am I going the right direction here? Or is there something I am missing? I am trying to cut my feed cost back further so if any one has Ideas I would love to hear them.

 

[BlueMoods]

Add about 50% alfalfa to the kit fodder. You can grow that too and, the higher protein will make a big difference. Just get some going and gradually get them used to eating that much alfalfa. A bit (about 25 to 33% alfalfa is good for does from 1 week pre kindle through weaning too.

Sweet Potatoes are another good hay for finishing meat rabbits, and those are cheap to grow. See this study to see the results of using it for hay.

http://users.tamuk.edu/kfsdl00/Meat%20R ... search.pdf

 

[TwoAcreDream]

I wish you luck.

I am on the quest to do something different here.
Went to one store today to buy rabbit pellets and they were out.
This is the 3rd time in a row. I wanted their brand because I have
1 doe who is not eating the other brand I have now. She is a nursing
mom and I am trying to humor her. I mixed up some different stuff
for her for tonites feed. The other bunnies are eating the other brand
of pellets, I am getting from a grain mill. I am NOT going to switch
again. I was going back and forth between 2 places depending on
which end of town I was shopping.
I mixed up some sunflower seeds, cracked corn, wheat, oats, and
barley. What I had on hand. I also have chickens and I keep a
variety of grain here. The rabbits got the mixed up stuff in their
treat cups. I try not to put mixed grain in their J feeders as I have
some scratchers.
I feed a lot of hay. Not sure what kind, but it is 2nd or 3rd cutting.
When spring gets here, I plan on growing food for the critters.

 

[RichinOregon]

Very interesting BlueMoods, it sounds doable.