Making your own healthy feed

[Haven Farm]

Calling all bunny nutritionists! Because of the cost and availability, especially if we ever face another supply chain crises, I am interested in growing and making my own feed. Growing hay is not difficult for me and there are a number of articles on the web that list all of the things we can feed rabbits that are herbs, fruits and vegetables. On the one hand wild rabbits get along just fine without help from Purina but when I look at feed for our domesticated rabbits it includes all kinds of additives to make it more healthy, things like vitamins or probiotics. Has anyone found a "menu" for rabbits that provides ALL of their needs that can be grown or produced at home? Actually I think more than one "menu" will be required to meet the needs of juveniles, adults and pregnant and nursing does.

 

[Scooter1A]

I feed Oren Reynolds to all meat rabbits, all ages. I also make sure they have grass hay. BUT if I don't give my NZ/Rex doe fresh greens, she is not a happy bunny. I gotta find a way to grow them in the winter but since it's only one rabbit I buy a spring mix for her at the store which I'm sure has pesticides on it. I find some buns love their pellets and some don't but they eat them. So my answer to you is I think they like the food they are used to, grew up on. Creatures of habit perhaps.

 

[Phrick]

I planted a bunch of moringa seeds at the start of monsoon season this year (end of June). I planted 5 seeds in each of 28 cage and had 22 cages sprout at least one (many of them sprouted 2-3). The biggest 3 grew to 8 feet tall in 5 months with a trunk that's easily 2.5 inches diameter. Several others got to an inch diameter and 5 feet, and a bunch are quite a bit smaller (watering issues, and we didn't have cages on them at first so a lot of cottontail damage). When the temps dropped into the 30s a couple weeks ago I cut all the leaves back and hung them on the arms of one of our portable carport frames to dry. The rabbits like them fresh and dry, and the goats as well. I don't have much this year as "tree hay" but I know they'll grow back next year quite robustly and with the taproots established I'll be able to harvest tender growth all season (plus I'll plant a ton more now that I know what I'm doing).

My hope is to feed my rabbits minimum 50% with moringa. I'm lucky to live where it can survive the winter with minimal effort on my part (I cut the stumps off to 18 inches tall and I'll cover the cages with burlap; this year I'm also packing the bottom 6-12 inches of the cages with wood chips to help insulate the taproot but hopefully after this year that step won't be necessary, just the burlap). Once the taproot is well established, only a multi-day hard freeze will kill it completely and the trees should grow 12-20 feet per year if I left them to just grow without harvesting; with continual pruning/harvesting I shoudl be able to really get a LOT of production out of even as few as the 22 cages so it's kind of an amazing plant if it's an option in your zone. Every part of the tree is edible, from roots to branches, leaves to pods, by animals and humans alike. Moringa leaves often are sold and consumed as a superfood supplement at a premium price.

We're also planting a whole bunch of mulberries, pomegranates, apples, jujubes, and likely some other stuff over the next year and I'll be saving all the trimmings for animal fodder. I did sprout barley for them for a while but it was really finnickey in our climate and we ultimately gave up. I may plant a rabbit garden to feed them too, but it's hard to grow most things here and with selling rabbits I want to be sure they're acclimated to what my buyers will have access to so I'm still trying to decide how I'll work it. I have the rabbits, goats, egg chickens and do a few rounds of meat chickens annually, and I plan to add ducks after a bit as well, so even if I don't wind up feeding most of it to the rabbits I have plenty of other animals around that can and will eat tree hay and that sort of fodder!

 

[maisaksson]

What about bamboo? Siberian Pea Shrub? Leucana (tree alfalfa)?
www.lucernetreefarm.wordpress.com

 

[Skai]

What about bamboo? Siberian Pea Shrub? Leucana (tree alfalfa)?

I've read that bamboo contains too much sugar/carbs to be good for rabbits. Other than a treat a couple times a week.

 

[Phrick]

I've read that bamboo contains too much sugar/carbs to be good for rabbits. Other than a treat a couple times a week.

It’s also super invasive and a bear to get rid of if you ever need to. My grandparents planted some at their place in WA in 1966 and basically the whole yard has bamboo shoots in it now. My parents live in that house now, we were just there in Oct and it’s a mess. Fortunately the mower can take care of new shoots but it means NO SKIMPING ON MOWING OR ELSE.

 

[Preitler]

I feed forage whenever possible, apart from what grows on my property also stuff that other people don't care to mow, along embankments, unused plots etc. Also trees along the brook that need cutting.

In winter it's hay, and some vegetables and fruit I grow myself or get from friends: apples, pumpkin, topinambur (most versatile and easy plant I ever grew), and a little store bought carrots. And branches and twigs from trees, they love to gnaw off the bark. Helps to dry them well, what is left over becomes stove fuel in the next winter..

I do feed pellets - as a treat. As reward for returning to the hutches (they are out there grazing during daytime). 2 fistful twice a day for 7 rabbits, not much, and they could easily d without.

 

[maisaksson]

topinambur (most versatile and easy plant I ever grew)

We call this Jerusalem Artichoke here in the US and YES it's so easy to grow and the rabbits love it. Also sunflower leaves, another big easy plant.

 

[maisaksson]

Does anybody feed banana leaves?

 

[dlynn]

We call this Jerusalem Artichoke here in the US and YES it's so easy to grow and the rabbits love it. Also sunflower leaves, another big easy plant.

I had both coming up all over my garden. The sun chokes spread far. The sunflowers came from waste in their bedding dumped in garden. Started with thinning. Then broke leaves off. Later whole plants pulled and thrown in the rabbit yards. They loved them all. Even chewing all the green off those tough stalks.

 

[hotzcatz]

I planted a bunch of moringa seeds at the start of monsoon season this year (end of June). I planted 5 seeds in each of 28 cage and had 22 cages sprout at least one (many of them sprouted 2-3). The biggest 3 grew to 8 feet tall in 5 months with a trunk that's easily 2.5 inches diameter. Several others got to an inch diameter and 5 feet, and a bunch are quite a bit smaller (watering issues, and we didn't have cages on them at first so a lot of cottontail damage). When the temps dropped into the 30s a couple weeks ago I cut all the leaves back and hung them on the arms of one of our portable carport frames to dry. The rabbits like them fresh and dry, and the goats as well. I don't have much this year as "tree hay" but I know they'll grow back next year quite robustly and with the taproots established I'll be able to harvest tender growth all season (plus I'll plant a ton more now that I know what I'm doing).

My hope is to feed my rabbits minimum 50% with moringa. I'm lucky to live where it can survive the winter with minimal effort on my part (I cut the stumps off to 18 inches tall and I'll cover the cages with burlap; this year I'm also packing the bottom 6-12 inches of the cages with wood chips to help insulate the taproot but hopefully after this year that step won't be necessary, just the burlap). Once the taproot is well established, only a multi-day hard freeze will kill it completely and the trees should grow 12-20 feet per year if I left them to just grow without harvesting; with continual pruning/harvesting I shoudl be able to really get a LOT of production out of even as few as the 22 cages so it's kind of an amazing plant if it's an option in your zone. Every part of the tree is edible, from roots to branches, leaves to pods, by animals and humans alike. Moringa leaves often are sold and consumed as a superfood supplement at a premium price.

We're also planting a whole bunch of mulberries, pomegranates, apples, jujubes, and likely some other stuff over the next year and I'll be saving all the trimmings for animal fodder. I did sprout barley for them for a while but it was really finnickey in our climate and we ultimately gave up. I may plant a rabbit garden to feed them too, but it's hard to grow most things here and with selling rabbits I want to be sure they're acclimated to what my buyers will have access to so I'm still trying to decide how I'll work it. I have the rabbits, goats, egg chickens and do a few rounds of meat chickens annually, and I plan to add ducks after a bit as well, so even if I don't wind up feeding most of it to the rabbits I have plenty of other animals around that can and will eat tree hay and that sort of fodder!

Plus you can eat the moringa, too! I put it in soup and occasionally in salad. It has an interesting taste.

Mulberry is very nutritious, we feed a lot of the leaves and branches to the buns. We also put mulberries in our cereal, make it into jam and pie. The mulberry leaves can also be made into tea as well as into salad as well.

If you're gonna plant bunny food, may as well plant stuff that they can share with their humans. Sweet potato (but not Irish potato) vines are good bunny/people food. They get the carrot tops, we get the roots. Since bunnies eat lower on the food chain than humans, a lot of garden and yard stuff can happily be shared.

 

[hotzcatz]

Does anybody feed banana leaves?

We've fed some banana leaves, they prefer ti leaves (cordyline terminalis) to banana leaves, but they will eat them. At least, most of the buns will eat them.

 

[hotzcatz]

It’s also super invasive and a bear to get rid of if you ever need to. My grandparents planted some at their place in WA in 1966 and basically the whole yard has bamboo shoots in it now. My parents live in that house now, we were just there in Oct and it’s a mess. Fortunately the mower can take care of new shoots but it means NO SKIMPING ON MOWING OR ELSE.

I've heard that depending on the variety of bamboo, they may have an irritant in them so not all varieties of bamboo may not be suitable for bunny feed. Plus, even if it's "clumping" bamboo, it's still gonna keep growing in a bigger mat and try to take over. Our neighbor has a monster bamboo, we're planning on trying to dig it up when he gets an excavator next month. Should be interesting to see if it can be done.

 

[Phrick]

Plus you can eat the moringa, too! I put it in soup and occasionally in salad. It has an interesting taste.

Mulberry is very nutritious, we feed a lot of the leaves and branches to the buns. We also put mulberries in our cereal, make it into jam and pie. The mulberry leaves can also be made into tea as well as into salad as well.

If you're gonna plant bunny food, may as well plant stuff that they can share with their humans. Sweet potato (but not Irish potato) vines are good bunny/people food. They get the carrot tops, we get the roots. Since bunnies eat lower on the food chain than humans, a lot of garden and yard stuff can happily be shared.

That’s my goal! We can’t eat a ton of fruit* but what we can eat, I’ll plant. So the moringa is shared, we eat the pods & leaves and share leaves & branches with the animals.

I want jujubes, for the natural sleep promotion for me, animals can eat leaves & cuttings.

Mulberries I know are great fodder, and I can eat the fruits sparingly & will use the leaves medicinally. We’ll strategically plant Shangriia, black Pakistans and everbearing varieties for shading the house as well as feeding.

Pomegranates for hedgerow, and whatever fruit the birds don’t get I can share with the animals.

Blackberry canes will go in somewhere and I can eat those & share with the animals.

I’ll plant several apple trees, feed cuttings to the animals and offer u-pick sales to the public. Possibly Asian pears as well.

Growing veggies is possible here I just haven’t given time to it yet, it’s way more work than animals in this hostile climate! But I’ll get a medicinal herb garden going and likely plant a few things specifically for the animals too.

* I am on a medical ketogenic diet - modified Atkins form so I get a bit more protein than a standard medical ketogenic diet like for epilepsy and as long as I stay active I can afford a few more carbs too... good thing I have all these animals to keep me busy! My husband is diabetic so he is a little limited too but less than me.

 

[maisaksson]

NO SKIMPING ON MOWING OR ELSE.

It's a grass afterall. We got some from a man in Missouri who manages many kinds of bamboo on a fairly small property and the key word is 'manage'. He mows or brush-hogs lanes between the cultivars and it keeps them contained.

I've heard that depending on the variety of bamboo, they may have an irritant in them so not all varieties of bamboo may not be suitable for bunny feed.

This is true. There is a novelty plant sold in Asian stores called "Lucky Bamboo" that is not a bamboo at all, but in the lily family. It is strictly ornamental and toxic to humans and animals.

The leaves - not the raw shoots - of bamboo cultivars such as Phyllostachys Bissitii can be fed to rabbits and they like them. We have that one and it is a running bamboo, the kind you have to mow and manage. Lots of other uses for it as well.

here's a site for identification:
https://bambubatu.com/bamboo-species-identification-a-gallery-of-grasses/

This site says that bamboo contains up to 22% protein as a forage:
https://lewisbamboo.com/pages/interesting-facts-about-bamboo

Mostly when looking up edibility of bamboo you get info about the shoots, which is not what you'd be feeding the rabbits.
https://lewisbamboo.com/pages/edibl...fg4B9TnGLRptSbgYWSvbxYSNZ2lPRgh6frYC3Kc6J3FqN

there's a thread on RT about this very topic:
https://rabbittalk.com/threads/bamboo-safe-for-rabbits-to-eat.7390/

I love RT. I've been browsing around the RT archives and there's this about formulating your own feed:
https://rabbittalk.com/threads/free-online-rabbit-feed-formulation-software.10325/

 

[Skai]

Plus you can eat the moringa, too! I put it in soup and occasionally in salad. It has an interesting taste.

Mulberry is very nutritious, we feed a lot of the leaves and branches to the buns. We also put mulberries in our cereal, make it into jam and pie. The mulberry leaves can also be made into tea as well as into salad as well.

If you're gonna plant bunny food, may as well plant stuff that they can share with their humans. Sweet potato (but not Irish potato) vines are good bunny/people food. They get the carrot tops, we get the roots. Since bunnies eat lower on the food chain than humans, a lot of garden and yard stuff can happily be shared.

I wish I could remember the source but I read a study where rabbits were fed mainly sweet potato vines and a very small amount of pellets. They cut the vines and dried them for a day before feeding. As a control they had rabbits fed only pellets. These were grow outs and both groups matured at a fairly equal rate and at 10 weeks, dressed out within a couple ounces of each other. The pellet-only group being slightly heavier. Sweet potato vines are high protein and well balanced nutritionally for rabbits. I can grow a lot of sweet potato vines, cheap. I can't grow pellets.

I do feed sweet potato vines and chaote squash vines in season but has anyone tried drying them for winter feed?

 

[5dognightfarm]

What about bamboo? Siberian Pea Shrub? Leucana (tree alfalfa)?
www.lucernetreefarm.wordpress.com

Working in natural resource conservation...please don't plant bamboo.

 

[therabbitlady]

Calling all bunny nutritionists! Because of the cost and availability, especially if we ever face another supply chain crises, I am interested in growing and making my own feed. Growing hay is not difficult for me and there are a number of articles on the web that list all of the things we can feed rabbits that are herbs, fruits and vegetables. On the one hand wild rabbits get along just fine without help from Purina but when I look at feed for our domesticated rabbits it includes all kinds of additives to make it more healthy, things like vitamins or probiotics. Has anyone found a "menu" for rabbits that provides ALL of their needs that can be grown or produced at home? Actually I think more than one "menu" will be required to meet the needs of juveniles, adults and pregnant and nursing does.

We have been feeding small amounts of pellets along with hay, foraged greens, comfrey, veggies from the garden, etc. We do get a little slower grow out, we hit 5 lbs at 10-12 weeks typically instead of 8-10, but feeding my little herd costs me almost nothing. My rabbits are currently excited about all the winter squash they're getting to eat. I go on "nature walks" and bring home sticks, etc often. Years ago I found this book https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Poultry-Rabbits-Scraps-Thompson/dp/1445512319 and have fed my rabbits that way since. I've had rabbits on and off since 2012. This year I plan on growing mangel beets!

 

[Haven Farm]

We have been feeding small amounts of pellets along with hay, foraged greens, comfrey, veggies from the garden, etc. We do get a little slower grow out, we hit 5 lbs at 10-12 weeks typically instead of 8-10, but feeding my little herd costs me almost nothing. My rabbits are currently excited about all the winter squash they're getting to eat. I go on "nature walks" and bring home sticks, etc often. Years ago I found this book https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Poultry-Rabbits-Scraps-Thompson/dp/1445512319 and have fed my rabbits that way since. I've had rabbits on and off since 2012. This year I plan on growing mangel beets!

That is what I have been looking for. Thank you. When I followed that link to Amazon I was introduced to another book on the same subject but a recently published volume. I bought both and will be studying both of them to make sure I am getting a totally healthy diet for my meat rabbits that will grow out fairly quickly. I may need to wait until spring to go totally without feed because I can't grow and store much until then, but I do have grow lights for some snacks.

 

[therabbitlady]

That is what I have been looking for. Thank you. When I followed that link to Amazon I was introduced to another book on the same subject but a recently published volume. I bought both and will be studying both of them to make sure I am getting a totally healthy diet for my meat rabbits that will grow out fairly quickly. I may need to wait until spring to go totally without feed because I can't grow and store much until then, but I do have grow lights for some snacks.

You are quite welcome! I am of the mindset that pellets are a new invention and I know my grandparents had rabbits that never saw a pellet in their lives. I do whatever I can to avoid paying for rabbit food haha.