How much each to feed?

[GBov]

So my Rex colony is a happy place with one kit at last but, I was petting them all last evening and found that things are NOT all good................

The adults are shaped like velvet covered BRICKS!

Fat fat fat fat!!!

We only give them 2/3 cup pellets per adult and lots of coastal hay which they eat but mainly waste :roll:

They have to jump up onto a step to get to the food and they also spend lots of time jumping up and down off the nest box totes. And all the feed is cleared up by the next feeding time.

So how much SHOULD I be feeding them?

And how long a hay diet do they need to go on?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

2/3's sounds like a good amount- that is what I am currently giving most of my Rex in grain. :?

I don't think the protein content of the bermuda (?) hay would be adequate without the pellets.

Try dropping the pellet ration down to 1/2 a cup for a bit and see how they do. If they are really fat, maybe drop it to a 1/4 cup, and then increase it once they have lost the extra weight.

You may want to remove the kit from the colony or pen it separately within it so it can still get full rations.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

ditto what MSD said

 

[GBov]

Thanks guys, that was what I thought would be best to do.

As First has lived with all the other adults I am going to leave it in there until the end of the week when I am picking up a few weaned NZ color kits and it can live with them for awhile. It is eating on its own and frisky but its so small I thought it might have heart failure going into a cage.

Or will it be alright in a cage all alone after a colony?

Gosh, just checked my calendar and its only three and a half weeks old, no wonder it looks so small :shock:

Think I might leave the diet for a fortnight and then move it out. Am thinking of disbanding the colony for awhile so may just let the does thin down in cages and then put them all back together.

 

[MaggieJ]

MSD has a great way of free feeding kits without the adults getting the food. She takes a kitty litter jug and puts extra feed in it and lays it on its side. The hole is too small for the adults to get in, but the kits can hang out in there and get extra to eat.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

:slap: Why didn't MSD remember that?!?

Gasp! Maggie! :angry: Did you take the brain???

 

[MaggieJ]

Now how would I do that? :twisted:

 

[GBov]

:slap: Why didn't MSD remember that?!?

Gasp! Maggie! :angry: Did you take the brain???

:lol:

And are you making a collection of them as mine seems to have gone walk-a-bouts :shock:

 

[MaggieJ]

A collection of brains? :?

 

[GBov]

One for every day use, one for special occasions, one for when the first one gets lost or broken............

:lol: