Our first litter is eight weeks old now. We weighed them today and the average was 3lb 8oz. Is that small for Californians :? ? The way they've been going through the feed, I'm hoping to get them in the freezer pretty soon. Also wondering if we should cut out the greens and hay?
Meat rabbit weights
- Thread starter Jensbuns
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ottersatin
Well-known member
I think that's a pretty good weight for weanlings.
Ottersatin.
ldtimer:
Ottersatin.
ldtimer:
Not sure why you would want to cut out the hay and greens. They will need more pellets if not getting the natural foods... and that would make them even more expensive to get to freezer weight, wouldn't it?
The weights seems fine to me... chances are good they will reach the five pound mark by 12 weeks.
The weights seems fine to me... chances are good they will reach the five pound mark by 12 weeks.
If you're feeding hay and greens it will indeed take them a couple of weeks longer to reach a "fryer" weight of 5lbs..but you're going to find them easier to deal with when weaned (food all day makes for a happy bunny). I've been watching the weights for a couple of years now, and it seems that once they reach 3.5lbs, that last 1.5lbs (to the magic 5lbs) goes on FAST.
Pellets are a 100%feed nutritionally, and will put on weight the most quickly, BUT it takes more. You're stuck with 1)more pellets/8weeks to butcher or 2)fewer pellets/hay/green and 2 more weeks to butcher. It's that last week or so that they seem to inhale feed. Over the course of a litter, you'll spend less on pellets if you feed hay and greens as well.
You could drop the hay and greens and feed more pellets to finish them, but it will still take a couple more weeks.
Pellets are a 100%feed nutritionally, and will put on weight the most quickly, BUT it takes more. You're stuck with 1)more pellets/8weeks to butcher or 2)fewer pellets/hay/green and 2 more weeks to butcher. It's that last week or so that they seem to inhale feed. Over the course of a litter, you'll spend less on pellets if you feed hay and greens as well.
You could drop the hay and greens and feed more pellets to finish them, but it will still take a couple more weeks.
Here, hay with a good alfalfa content (60-80%) costs no more than mixed grass hay and it puts weight on fryers much faster. Both run about $3 a small square bale here... which is a good deal. The problem is finding the good stuff... sometimes takes a bit of work.
Feed is something the husband and I have been talking about quite a bit recently, and I'm wondering if we can get some help on this? We've had two breeders locally, within the last couple weeks, tell us that we just need to feed pellets. They don't feed hay. We were feeding hay, grassy hay, and they seemed to stop eating most of the pellets, they wanted the hay. I guess our biggest question is, if we feed hay, and they are not eating a lot of pellets, how are they getting what they need nutritionally, especially the does? Are we feeding the wrong type of hay, should we switch to alfalfa?
ottersatin
Well-known member
Geri,
if you are feeding a good quality pelleted rabbit feed
and having drinkable water always available that is
all you need. Some DO and some DON'T feed grass-hay.
I do, as I know that the long fiber helps to keep
the hindgut working properly, and also helps to prevent Wool/furblock.
What you or anyone else decides to feed their rabbits in the way of additives
is entirely up to the breeder/owner. I add Sweet-feed, BOSS and rolled oats
to my rabbits diet. I am not suggesting that anyone do the same.
All I am saying is it works for me and my herd. I do not feed hay
in excessive amounts, thus not allowing enough of it to be consumed to the
extent of cutting out their pelleted feed. Hay is a good distraction
if you happen to have a rabbit that has been making a Pig of itself,
but it is not any good as a mainstay of the feeding plan if your plan
is to have healthy well conditioned rabbit. As always, JMPO.
Ottersatin.ldtimer:
if you are feeding a good quality pelleted rabbit feed
and having drinkable water always available that is
all you need. Some DO and some DON'T feed grass-hay.
I do, as I know that the long fiber helps to keep
the hindgut working properly, and also helps to prevent Wool/furblock.
What you or anyone else decides to feed their rabbits in the way of additives
is entirely up to the breeder/owner. I add Sweet-feed, BOSS and rolled oats
to my rabbits diet. I am not suggesting that anyone do the same.
All I am saying is it works for me and my herd. I do not feed hay
in excessive amounts, thus not allowing enough of it to be consumed to the
extent of cutting out their pelleted feed. Hay is a good distraction
if you happen to have a rabbit that has been making a Pig of itself,
but it is not any good as a mainstay of the feeding plan if your plan
is to have healthy well conditioned rabbit. As always, JMPO.
Ottersatin.
ldtimer:
Geri, as Ottersatin points out, there is no one right answer... just choices. I do feel that feeding some grass hay is a good idea for the rabbit's GI health, but whether it plays a major role in nutrition or a minor one depends on your goals. I think you need to clarify for yourself whether you want to feed a mainly pellet diet (quick growth, easy, a bit pricy) or whether you prefer a natural diet (slower growth, better flavour, more fun for the buns, more work, substantially cheaper in many areas) or if you are content to feed pellets with a bit of hay and natural food for variety.
I think this has really helped us sum it up, and what our goals are. Hubby and I talked about this again this morning, and we both have come to an agreement we will stick with. Our goal is to put on weight fast, with what our long term goals are, this will best suit what our needs will be. BUT, having horses, I am also a firm believer in the knowledge that animals need food to keep the process moving smoothly. We are going to stick with the pellets, and add in a small amount of hay just as a snack. We do have fresh water available 24/7, we have heated water bottles right now.
We weighed our weanlings again this morning. We've added in a couple other things to their diet, along with pellets, in the hopes of adding weight quick. We're finding they are waiting for the extras we give them, and avoiding the pellets more than normal, all except for one of them. Only one of them is eating everything we give her, and she is consistently gaining, she went from 2.1 lbs to 4.5 lbs in a short amount of time. The others that had gained the 1 lb last week when we weighed this morning, only gained 1/4 of a lb since adding in the extras to their diet. So I think we're going to go with just a free choice pellet for them.
Thanks for the great info, it really did help us decide what was more important for our goals.
We weighed our weanlings again this morning. We've added in a couple other things to their diet, along with pellets, in the hopes of adding weight quick. We're finding they are waiting for the extras we give them, and avoiding the pellets more than normal, all except for one of them. Only one of them is eating everything we give her, and she is consistently gaining, she went from 2.1 lbs to 4.5 lbs in a short amount of time. The others that had gained the 1 lb last week when we weighed this morning, only gained 1/4 of a lb since adding in the extras to their diet. So I think we're going to go with just a free choice pellet for them.
Thanks for the great info, it really did help us decide what was more important for our goals.
I think your rabbits are pretty typical there, Geri. I have never yet had a rabbit that didn't prefer hay/grain/greens to pellets. :lol: But the pellets do give faster grow out. If you want to feed a handful of grass hay for GI health, try offering it at a different time of day than their main feeding and keep the quantity small. That should not interfere noticeably with their weight gain.
ottersatin
Well-known member
Geri,
you might want to think about culling your rabbits to your feed.
That is: You retain as breeders those rabbits that do well on the feed you are using.
You will eventually cull you entire herd to your feed.
This is another reason why most breeders do not like to switch feeds.
They do not wish to start that system all over again.
If your rabbits are eating the feed, producing well on the feed
and maintaining condition. They are the ones you want to keep
and you want to stick with what is working for you and your herd.
Ottersatin.ldtimer:
you might want to think about culling your rabbits to your feed.
That is: You retain as breeders those rabbits that do well on the feed you are using.
You will eventually cull you entire herd to your feed.
This is another reason why most breeders do not like to switch feeds.
They do not wish to start that system all over again.
If your rabbits are eating the feed, producing well on the feed
and maintaining condition. They are the ones you want to keep
and you want to stick with what is working for you and your herd.
Ottersatin.
ldtimer:Maggie, I work from home, so what you suggested is pretty much what I do. Dave feeds everyone in the morning, lets horses out, and I go out at noon to check everyone, fill water bottles, and will give the hay snack at this time. It will give them something to look forward to in the middle of the day, since we feed pellets a.m. and p.m. I think we're getting there! It's always a work in progress to be new at something, and we'll work it out.
Ottersatin.......we are doing exactly that! When I spoke with Dave this morning, we both agreed, the 3 weanlings that are not gaining like the other will be headed to freezer camp. Everyone else is doing great.
Ottersatin.......we are doing exactly that! When I spoke with Dave this morning, we both agreed, the 3 weanlings that are not gaining like the other will be headed to freezer camp. Everyone else is doing great.
