Is my feeding schedule okay?

[The_Dutchess]

We will be doing 4-H with our Dutch girls this year, and want them to maintain a healthy weight. So I wast just wondering if the feeding routine I do is okay?

Morning: Pellets and handful or two of grass (we will b making them a run soon)
Afternoon: Handful or two of grass and a small pile of hay
Evening: Small pile of hay.

I make sure theyhave hay all the time, water all the time, and grass most of the time. I give them like one cup of pellets in their feeder a day.

I just want to make sure I am doing the right stuff. Also I have been holding Willow for ten minutes at least, a day, working on tring to figure out to pose her. By the way, how do you pose a Dutch and hold it in a show position? And someone we talked to mentioned 'the flip'?

 

[amandainohio24]

Not to familiar with the Dutch breed but for our county they had a couple of days where you could go and learn about how your breed needed posed and how to flip them correctly. My kids were able to learn a lot at the clinics (we went to 2 out of 3). To help with kids that are going to be showing the rabbits I would have them work with the rabbits a little every day so they are used to them. You can really tell who has worked with their rabbits and who has not when at the fair in my opinion.

As for your feeding schedule, I think how you do it is all up to what works for you. For us we feed in the late afternoon, each getting their hay holders filled and for their pellets we top off feeders for nursing does and young juniors. Our adults get 1 cup which is 3 oz of our feed since they are all roughly 3 pounds (1 oz for each pound). If later in the evening I notice that any of the rabbits need more hay it is refilled again.

 

[Marinea]

I have Dutch, and your schedule sounds good. Mine get fed their pellets in the morning, and then greens and hay in the early evening. I think the key is consistency. The only thing that really varies for my buns is what greens they get that day.

Good luck with the 4-H!

 

[Demamma]

I feed my rabbits their grains in the evening and hay or cubes in the morning.

 

[Peach]

Your schedule sounds good to me

My Mini Lops generally get fed & watered ( If I have school) @ 6am...regular days at 8am.

Afternoon, they get a water check

Night time, another water check.

I seldom feed hay or grass. I do give grass to the meat rabbits and they love it (plus helps with their feed bill!) I'm giving small handfuls of hay because it has seemed to of cooled down and everyone is a little more active ( A Mini Lop on a hot day rather lay around like a fat seal and just let it fall through the wire or poop on it)

Just pay attention that they don't become overweight and you should be fine

Dutch are posed in the commerical style like the Mini Lop . Type is important, but I know markings for them are super important too. All breeds are essentially posed the same. Eyes aligned with the front feet, back feet aligned with the hip. A lot of people make the mistake of over posing them so their feet are touching their eyes. (Which a judge was doing to my Mini Lops at a show and it was driving me nuts! No scrunching required! )

i.e

It's a little hard to see because Mini Lops are just so chunky, but his feet are right under him, not all the way to his eye balls. I like natural posers....some can be just outright difficult but the ones that stack up easily and hold themselves right naturally is what I like to see. The judge isn't going to hold your rabbit the whole time.... they (usually anyways) step back and look at the rabbit.

When I'm working with juniors, I'll pose them up, and then step back. I was to see if they are pleasing to the eye and balanced.

Judging Dutch:
http://www.dutchrabbit.com/articles/jud ... gtson.html