sodekirk1961
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what do you members feed your meat rabbits? There is differing opinions on ratios of hay and pellets.
Meat Rabbit Diet
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eco2pia
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All the hay they want and as little pellets as I can--I watch the rabbit for weight gain or loss and adjust accordingly. A doe just sitting does not need as much feed as a pregnant/lactating doe, so it changes even for the individual.
sodekirk1961
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Do you feed weanlings through finished meat animals the same? I give free choice hay and free choice pellets. I’m aiming for a 4# carcass weight.
My babies feet never touch the ground. After 5 weeks (usually) I put them in their own hutch and they eat pellets and hay and what I pull from the garden. My doe is let out to graze at least 3 times a week and the buck usually wants to stay behind to guard the babies although he is separated from them by a cage wire. Normally everyone gets fed pellets twice a day and fresh hay put in daily. I use bowls to water with.
Cotton Rabbitry
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I give fresh graze once/twice a day, limited pellets and all the hay my grow outs could want and have had great weight gain with little fat (have found that fat on rabbits is bad tasting). I have mut meat rabbits and average 2lbs to as much as 4 1/2 lbs dressed, depending on size of my muts.
it's been hot and humid here lately so i haven't let my doe out much. she is pregnant again and she really gets to panting. i may put her in the basement today but we have a nice breeze as another storm is coming. how funny during grow season it never rains, then boom rain rain rain.
I feed my grow-out and lactating rabbits all the pellets and greens they care to consume (in summer). The buck gets a cup a day plus weeds (divided b/c I have to be in there anyway) and in winter, my breeders (three) get a half-cup of pellets, plus hay, morning and evening. I also like to give them a little piece of store-bought produce when I can... carrot, celery, etc.
i wonder if they know how hard we work for them. i got a feeling they do, they are so smart. Lulu my doe is in the garage, she likes the concrete floor. Goes out and eats then comes back in. She knows she has to go back to the hutch and since she is pregnant she is getting grumpier about that.
17% protein feed. 1/2 cup for adult rabbits. Doubled for does nursing and gradual increase as babies demand food. I choose frequently to give weeds from my garden, or some hay, or some mixed grains. but mostly.. the pellets are enough to them.
good to know, I'm feeding my doe too much probably.
Heartbased Homestead
Well-known member
Is this a common experience? Is it gamey? I do a high fat diet and was wondering about fattening up before dispatch
rabbit fat is usually discarded. some people make soap out of it.
Mostly it just gets discarded because it's a bother to collect it, and most times there isn't much anyway.
But it can be rendered and used for cooking or other stuff. I think there are more easy ways to gather fat for soap.
https://rabbittalk.com/threads/rabbit-fat.36329/#post-352279
But it can be rendered and used for cooking or other stuff. I think there are more easy ways to gather fat for soap.
https://rabbittalk.com/threads/rabbit-fat.36329/#post-352279
most people don't like the taste of rabbit fat, but some people do like it. You only know if you try it. Fattening up bunnies is easy. Limit their exercise and feed them a lot of pellets.
Fattening up bunnies is easy. Limit their exercise and feed them a lot of pellets.
eco2pia
Well-known member
I have done it both ways, freechoice renders fast growth and extra fat, but is spendy, so lately I have been more patient, and they get there, it just takes longer, and they are a bit leaner. I have space, and no urgent need for meat, so I have slowed down.
I often render the fat, and use it for cooking, just as you would save bacon grease or chicken fat. I am not sure why everyone says it tastes bad. From my rabbits it tastes like fat. Like rendered lard. The cracklins (crispy bits left behind) are grease soaked and I have not found a way to use them but with a little salt and adequate drainage could probably be used much like pork cracklings. I will say it has a lower saturation level than lard--meaning it is a softer rendered product. But it disappears into whatever dish I am cooking...maybe my dishes are more highly seasoned than most? A curry is not likely to be impacted by the flavor of the grease.
sodekirk1961
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I am currently feeding my rabbits Halmach brand 16% pellets but the price went up from $19.99 to $28.99 per 50# bag. There has to be a more affordable brand that is as good. What brand of pellets do you buy for your meat rabbits? I would love to get input on the Brand, cost per 50# bag and nuitritional value and the first ingredient needs to be either alfalfa or Timothy. Thank you for your advice in advance.
sodekirk1961
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Anyone feed Manna Pro and Gro pellets?
No, garvo 5065 (dutch brand breed and show pellet). 16.5?% protein and 3.5% fat They get about 15-20 grams/rabbit/day of that. Rest is haypellet (pavo fibrenuggets, officially for horses and 10%), graspellet with 16% and litters some alfalfa pellet at 17%. Along with that greens like hazel, willow, birch, climbing rose and comfrey. Some grow faster then others, but i see consistency in the does in how fast their litters grow (and that is from different bucks).
Manna pro is calf milk like stuff? I feed my rabbits like herbivores since that is what they are, did the same with my sheep back then and never had tummy problems. Since internal/intestinal issues in animals are a nightmare to treat/fix i'd much rather prevent them showing up by feeding animals like their digestive tract is designed for. That means low/no grain (herbivore is not a granivore) and basic always the same part as foundation of their diet. The other 25-50% i can feed as free stuff from garden and foraging.
Manna pro is calf milk like stuff? I feed my rabbits like herbivores since that is what they are, did the same with my sheep back then and never had tummy problems. Since internal/intestinal issues in animals are a nightmare to treat/fix i'd much rather prevent them showing up by feeding animals like their digestive tract is designed for. That means low/no grain (herbivore is not a granivore) and basic always the same part as foundation of their diet. The other 25-50% i can feed as free stuff from garden and foraging.
I used to feed both Pro and Gro and I always had good results. I did find that the does on kits did just fine with the Pro, so I stopped paying the extra for the Gro. If a doe is looking rough while feeding bunnies, I just add some BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) to give her more fat. Our rabbits don't seem to actually need the extra protein.
The only reason I stopped feeding Manna Pro is that when shipping became astronomical it went to $38/bag, and it wasn't reliably on the shelves. Changing feed brands around can really throw a wrench into rabbits' guts. So now I use a pellet made locally. I'd be happy to use Manna Pro again, though, if things changed.
Manna Pro also makes an affordable rabbit pellet called Small World that you can find in stores like WalMart. It seems to be good quality as well; I used it when I couldn't find Manna Pro. But it only comes in 10 lb and 25lb bags, so not really convenient for me (we go through 50lb bags fast enough).
Manna Pro is a feed company that makes all sorts of animal feeds. Their rabbit pellets come in Pro, Gro and Sho, with varying amounts of fat and protein. They also make a product called Calf Manna that many rabbit breeders use as a supplement. (I have used it that way, but have found BOSS to be just as effective and a lot cheaper.)
eco2pia
Well-known member
I tested it out recently. It seems...fine? I am realizing I am spoiled by being able to get locally milled food sometimes. I am always amazed when other pellet brands are not green. I don't know if that is because they sit around at the feed store, or because the local mill adds more/fresher alfalfa than they do. Pretty sure my buns would gain weight on air tho, so I have yet to find a brand of pellets that DOESN'T work.
