Is this an adequate diet for rabbits?

[aliciarohail]

Right now i'm feeding equal parts wheat/oats/boss (black oil sunflower seeds) and free choice alfalfa hay along with salt/mineral licks and water. Is this enough? Everyone seems to be good and i even had one have a litter of 9 is there anything else yall would add to this?

 

[MaggieJ]

Aliciarohail, I have split off your post into its own topic because it really was not relevant to the topic you posted under.

What you are feeding is a good base for a natural diet, but you may want to start supplementing with fresh foods as well. See the Safe Plants for Rabbits sticky for ideas about what plants you can feed. Limiting the rabbits to just a few foods, as you are doing, may over time result in deficiencies of certain nutrients. Feeding a wider variety can help to make sure this does not become an issue.

In addition, adding fresh foods (which most rabbits prefer to both hay and grain) can help to prevent obesity. Rabbits can look perfectly fine, but still store large amounts of fat in their body cavities, leading to decreased productivity. Such foods as grain and sunflower seeds, while valuable in small amounts, are the usual causes of internal fat accumulation.

Edited to add:
Please remember to make all changes to rabbit diets slowly so that their gut flora has a chance to adjust to the new foods. Sudden changes can cause problems and may even be fatal.

 

[Dood]

If everyone seems to be in good condition and fertile then it sounds good.

You dont say how much grains they are getting each day and I would worry about the does getting fat and you may need to reduce the about of BOSS to prevent this.

 

[Ivory]

Right now i'm feeding equal parts wheat/oats/boss (black oil sunflower seeds) and free choice alfalfa hay along with salt/mineral licks and water. Is this enough? Everyone seems to be good and i even had one have a litter of 9 is there anything else yall would add to this?

That sounds very similar to what I'm feeding mine right now.

They get regular 18% rabbit pellets, one teaspoon each of calf manna and whole wheat, whole oats, mixed rolled grains with mollasses, hay and ad lib whole barley (or rolled when I can't get whole, but they don't like it as much. I was also feeding them BOSS until I ran out a few weeks ago, and haven't been able to get any more at a decent price.

Where do you get your salt/mineral licks from? Is it rabbit specific? I have heard of eople giving rabbits licks, but have no clue where I would get one.

My guess is, if your rabbits look healthy and are breeding, they are healthy.

 

[michaels4gardens]

would introduce a little more cheep fiber to the diet to see it they need more, [grass hay, straw, corn stalks] to see if they need it, --
[if they eat it--they need it] the diet looks like it "might be"a little light on fiber to me-

 

[MaggieJ]

would introduce a little more cheep fiber to the diet to see it they need more, [grass hay, straw, corn stalks] to see if they need it, --
[if they eat it--they need it] the diet looks like it "might be"a little light on fiber to me-

This is a valid point and certainly adding extra fibre is a good idea, both from the standpoint of promoting digestive health and to help limit the amount of fattening concentrates that the rabbits consume.

A lot depends on the quality of the alfalfa hay. If it has a grass-hay content it is probably fine. If it is pure alfalfa, adding some cheaper grass hay to would be beneficial.
--

@ Ivory
The trace mineral salt blocks I use are the reddish-brown ones for general livestock. Other people use the ones for goats. They are available at feed stores. I can buy a 2 kilo block (about the size of a brick) for $2-3.

Generally speaking, rabbits eating pellets get sufficient minerals from their feed. Rabbits on natural feed benefit from mineral blocks. I have often seen wild cottontails poking around in the gravel of driveway to get road salt.

 

[Mickey328]

I feed grains as well...oats, barley and wheat primarily. In the winter I add 1 part in 4 of BOSS. I don't feed BOSS during the summer. When things are growing, I stuff their cages with as much green stuff as they want...they will eat it over anything else: dandelions, thistle, a wee bit of comfrey, plantain, clover, grass...whatever I can find for them. I buy the horse mineral/salt blocks and just knock off a chunk for them to lick on as needed.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I would agree that the addition of "mineral enriched" salt is an important addition to any "non pellet" ration. ---I make sure it is available all the time even when pellets are fed, [because I have little faith in feed companys] also sheep, or goat mineral salt is mixed for the mineral needs of your area ,[and pellet rations often are not] so it should be bought "localy" so the mineral mix is right for your local feed rations.

 

[Erin@samohtfarm]

Im wondering if barley fodder is sustainable feed for my rabbits to omit their hay. I normally feed them a nutrina pellet, oats,alfalfa and a low protien hay, and have recently introduced barley fodder to their diet..I also always keep a round redish brown salt lick in every hole. I would love to get out of the screening my manures so maticulously..also get out of having so much waist for the fact that most of the hay ends up under their pens... And cut the cost down..I started feeding my does the fodder before I bred them and they are loving the fodder. Im a little worried about it boosting their birth rate though since the average size litter for my 5 does is 10. The largest 13 and the smallest 7. I like having the smaller sized litters since I raise for meat and the kits are at average 5 lbs at 8 weeks vs. the larger litters at average 3 1/2-4lbs at 8 weeks. I would love to know if anyone has insight or hands on knowledge about replacing fodder for hay and or pellet. thanks
Erin~

 

[michaels4gardens]

I would think fresh barley grass is low in long stem fiber, -- maybe you could come up with a manger system to limit the waste, -- I did for mine-- but-- every situation is different.

 

[MaggieJ]

Barley fodder is an excellent food for rabbits, providing an abundance of protein and nutrients, but I am a firm believer in feeding hay as well. The rabbit digestive system is geared to fairly large proportions of low-nutrient, high-fibre foods like hay, tree bark etc.