Natural Feed - Drying Forage for Winter

[JG3]

Researching naturally feeding rabbits as we cannot get quality pellets here without a minimum order of a metric tonne which is way too much.
My question is, as part of their diet, can rabbits live off forage we dried for the winter or do they still need some source of fresh greens? Do we lose all the nutrition drying?

 

[a7736100]

Thefe's a loose rabbit that's living off the land for a few years near me. It looks pretty healthy and has a nice coat. From what I can see it just feeds on grasses and perhaps fallen leaves. I often see it in the neighbor's yard when his dogs are inside. Don't know what he does for water when it's below freezing for days.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Rabbits really like dandelion leaves

 

[MaggieJ]

Can you purchase a good quality hay from a local farmer? I was able to buy square bales (about 40 pounds) of an alfalfa/grass mix for about $3-4 a bale. (Try Kijiji for finding a source.) I usually bought about 15-20 bales a year for about six breeders and their offspring. They did waste a fair bit, but it became bedding for the deep litter system I used.

I also fed small amounts of whole grain, and the dried forage plus some fresh root vegetables etc. in winter. They had a trace mineral salt block and, of course, ample fresh water.

Dried weeds and leaves maintain much of their nutrition if air dried when they are at their best. Try to dry them out if direct sunlight in well-ventilated place. In humid weather, good air circulation is especially important to prevent mould.

 

[KelleyBee]

but it became bedding for the deep litter system I used.

Maggie, can you elaborate on the deep litter system to which you refer? Or, is there already a thread on the site with the relevant information?

 

[MuddyFarms]

If you want to have some amount of fresh greens to be adding to their diet in addition to the dried greens you forage, you can grow some fodder from the grain you would be feeding them. That turns the grain into a plant with many more vitamins and nutrients. You could even still feed them some regular dried grain. The fodder doesn't take much room if you don't have a ton of rabbits- you may find that you can do it on your kitchen counter even. They can be grown to several inches tall or only sprouted a bit.

 

[JG3]

Thank you everyone for all your input.

Now, thinking of doing this the first go around, my newbie fear is I won’t have enough greens dried to last until spring when everything starts coming back and/or I can replant some things. If this happens, would the rabbits do okay just on hay, grain and the salt lick. Obviously I’d feed the greens that I have, but in the scenario of I ran out eventually?

I haven’t read a whole lot on fodder yet, as in sprouting the grains to make a grass, but what I have read is you have to really control the temp and humidity where you’re growing them and it just sounds like it’s really difficult. What I thought I could do instead, which is similar, or maybe it’s still considered fodder, I’m not sure, is do sprouts or microgreens that take about 5-14 days (depending what stage you use them at) just on the countertop. Like the typical ones we’d make for ourselves, as this we don’t really pay attention to temp, humidity, and don’t require light. It’s done in a jar. Would this be good/similar? Things like broccoli sprouts, arugula sprouts, etc. Not grain ones.

 

[MaggieJ]

Maggie, can you elaborate on the deep litter system to which you refer? Or, is there already a thread on the site with the relevant information?

Hi KelleyBee,

Deep litter is a management method often used for chickens. Instead of cleaning the coop frequently, the waste is simply covered by fresh bedding materials. It is cleaned out completely at intervals -- maybe every 2 months in hot weather and a bit less often in winter.

You can use a similar system in a rabbit colony or large pen. Rabbits fed hay free choice can waste a lot of it, naturally preferring the leafy parts of the alfalfa and grasses. They tend to scatter the wasted parts. Since hay and straw both cost about the same here ($3-4 a square bale) I decided to let them use the waste hay for bedding.

My colony was in a well-ventilated shed in an 8 foot by 8 foot space. I put down a good layer of wood shavings (not cedar! Aspen is great, white pine is okay). As best I can remember I used 1 to 2 bales. After that, new litter was added by the rabbits as they scattered wasted hay. This meant there was always a reasonably fresh layer of bedding on top. The rabbits tended to potty at one end of the colony, away from their food and water, so that helped.

Shovelling out the colony when it became too deep took a couple of hours. I took a garden cart into the colony, filled it, and wheeled it out again. Maybe two or three times. One unlooked for benefit was the heat from the lower layers during the winter as a result of decomposition.

This may sound dirty and gross to many people, but the rabbits were happy and healthy and there was not a great deal of smell since the ample bedding kept things dry. The poop tended to work its way down and well out of sight. The pictures of the colony I posted somewhere show the system in use. Those pictures should be in the Rabbit Colony section. I believe the post was called "Pictures of my rabbit colony" so the search feature filtering the words pictures and colony and searching titles of post by MaggieJ should locate them.

Hope this helps.

~ MaggieJ

 

[Rabbits by Accident]

If you want to have some amount of fresh greens to be adding to their diet in addition to the dried greens you forage, you can grow some fodder from the grain you would be feeding them. That turns the grain into a plant with many more vitamins and nutrients. You could even still feed them some regular dried grain. The fodder doesn't take much room if you don't have a ton of rabbits- you may find that you can do it on your kitchen counter even. They can be grown to several inches tall or only sprouted a bit.

The fodder idea is great! I just tried it, and it's simple, and the rabbits love it. Someone put a great post with their fodder set-up. I will look for it. -- okay, I found 2 -

Here is one that makes a LOT of fodder (Great job @Everything is history

Here is a more simple version - (from @ozemba)

The good thing about these set-ups is they use things like plastic shoe boxes. I thought I had to use big boxes (because that is the first set-up I saw LOL)

- Liz

 

[MnCanary]

Hi KelleyBee,

Deep litter is a management method often used for chickens. Instead of cleaning the coop frequently, the waste is simply covered by fresh bedding materials. It is cleaned out completely at intervals -- maybe every 2 months in hot weather and a bit less often in winter.



~ MaggieJ

I'm doing roughly the same thing in a building with a concrete floor. Occasionally I scoop out a wet corner. I sprinkle PDZ occasionally, only on wet areas. I'm happy with the way it works. It doesn't require any more hay or bedding than I'd normally use. It is a lot less work, and certainly less frustrating than trying to keep the floor clean every day. I haven't seen any change in kit mortality or disease.

 

[MuddyFarms]

The fodder idea is great! I just tried it, and it's simple, and the rabbits love it. Someone put a great post with their fodder set-up. I will look for it. -- okay, I found 2 -

Here is one that makes a LOT of fodder (Great job @Everything is history

Here is a more simple version - (from @ozemba)

The good thing about these set-ups is they use things like plastic shoe boxes. I thought I had to use big boxes (because that is the first set-up I saw LOL)

- Liz

@Rabbits by Accident Good links! Here is another small version that I like (check out their cute little tray rack they made out of extra cage wire!)-

https://bharabbitry.weebly.com/growing-fodder.html

Thank you everyone for all your input.

Now, thinking of doing this the first go around, my newbie fear is I won’t have enough greens dried to last until spring when everything starts coming back and/or I can replant some things. If this happens, would the rabbits do okay just on hay, grain and the salt lick. Obviously I’d feed the greens that I have, but in the scenario of I ran out eventually?

I haven’t read a whole lot on fodder yet, as in sprouting the grains to make a grass, but what I have read is you have to really control the temp and humidity where you’re growing them and it just sounds like it’s really difficult. What I thought I could do instead, which is similar, or maybe it’s still considered fodder, I’m not sure, is do sprouts or microgreens that take about 5-14 days (depending what stage you use them at) just on the countertop. Like the typical ones we’d make for ourselves, as this we don’t really pay attention to temp, humidity, and don’t require light. It’s done in a jar. Would this be good/similar? Things like broccoli sprouts, arugula sprouts, etc. Not grain ones.

@JG3 The website I linked above definitely makes it sound like a very precise thing, but I think they forgot to mention that airflow can help with preventing mold issues, too. So not having it in a secluded back corner of the house where there is no airflow should help with that. If you have a ceiling fan in the kitchen you could leave that on.

I have never heard of sprouting things like broccoli or arugula for rabbits, but it seems like it might be too expensive to feed regularly? If you are already familiar with sprouting those things, though, you are way ahead for sprouting fodder. It seems the longer you let the sprouts grow, the more risk for mold to grow. So if you put a little bleach in the grain water when you soak the grain in a jar and if you feed it earlier in the growing cycle, it wouldn't be much different from your other sprouts. You could also try putting it in little trays that are more like baskets with big slits in the sides, which should also help with airflow to the roots especially. Just some ideas!

 

[MnCanary]

I read the results of a study using different colored LED lights on microgreens (basil and parsley). The researchers measured the nutrition of the harvested plants. The microgreens were grown for 10 days. The color of the LED light affected the nutrition. Red, or blue, or red + blue LED light increased beta-carotene (the precursor of vitamin A) and vitamin E. The article quickly exploded into more data than I could understand. But the point is: the light affects the nutrition of sprouts.

I'm still trying to find research than investigates whether plants grown in sunlight have better nutrition than plants grown under artificial lights. If anyone has information on this, please give me a shout.

 

[Rabbits by Accident]

So if you put a little bleach in the grain water when you soak the grain in a jar and if you feed it earlier in the growing cycle, it wouldn't be much different from your other sprouts. You could also try putting it in little trays that are more like baskets with big slits in the sides, which should also help with airflow to the roots especially. Just some ideas!

@MuddyFarms Thanks for mentioning this - I was just wondering about it. I thought a little bleach might reduce the amount of maintenance. That ridiculously expensive sprouter - $160 - (that I got at a yardsale for $1) mentioned adding some hydrogen peroxide to the water if you couldn't empty it every day. Bleach would be easier & cheaper. Good to know

I now have my wheat sprouts set up under a high skylight in an unheated garage and they are doing great.

Can I make wheatgrass juice for myself using this wheat? (I've heard of wheatgrass but have no idea what it actually is)

- Liz

 

[MuddyFarms]

@MuddyFarms Thanks for mentioning this - I was just wondering about it. I thought a little bleach might reduce the amount of maintenance. That ridiculously expensive sprouter - $160 - (that I got at a yardsale for $1) mentioned adding some hydrogen peroxide to the water if you couldn't empty it every day. Bleach would be easier & cheaper. Good to know

I now have my wheat sprouts set up under a high skylight in an unheated garage and they are doing great.

Can I make wheatgrass juice for myself using this wheat? (I've heard of wheatgrass but have no idea what it actually is)

- Liz

Yes- you can make wheat grass juice using sprouts just like this. Grocery stores sell little 3x4 inch (or so) mats of wheat grass for eating and juicing, too. It is so much cheaper and probably more nutritious to grow your own! Using some human-grade grain from a store would probably be a good idea if people are going to consume it. The website I linked earlier is one of the places I learned about using the bleach. They say it dissipates into the air and does not cause any issues with feeding to animals. I have no idea if that is used when people consume the sprouts, though. I was happy to hear about the bleach being useful with that, too. That's interesting about the hydrogen peroxide being similar in use.

Glad you found a good spot for the fodder! The rabbits should be very happy with you.

 

[MuddyFarms]

@Rabbits by Accident It looks like sometimes wheat grass for people to eat is grown in soil, but that probably depends on how you want to use it and such.

 

[Rabbits by Accident]

@MuddyFarms yes, bleach evaporates in 24 hours I think. I use it for a lot of things. Good to know!

The place I bought it (local small feed store) said people plant it. I wonder if they are planting it for animals, or for themselves, and what is the difference beetween animal seeds and 'human' seeds after they've sprouted, I'd think they'd be the same.

 

[MuddyFarms]

I read the results of a study using different colored LED lights on microgreens (basil and parsley). The researchers measured the nutrition of the harvested plants. The microgreens were grown for 10 days. The color of the LED light affected the nutrition. Red, or blue, or red + blue LED light increased beta-carotene (the precursor of vitamin A) and vitamin E. The article quickly exploded into more data than I could understand. But the point is: the light affects the nutrition of sprouts.

I'm still trying to find research than investigates whether plants grown in sunlight have better nutrition than plants grown under artificial lights. If anyone has information on this, please give me a shout.

Hey @MnCanary - thought you might like reading the science behind the Allay Lamp. Various forms of light affect so many things, it's incredible. I would be inclined to agree with you about sunlight being the best form of light for plants on many levels, and therefore the nutrition we get from eating them. I don't have any info on that, though.

The Allay Lamp has a bulb that only omits pure green light waves- the only bulb that can actually do that, I believe. It's not just that it looks green to our eyes because of a colored cover or something- it really omits the green light itself. This green bulb feels better than sunlight or any other kind of light bulb to my eyes.


https://allaylamp.com/pages/science

 

[MnCanary]

The Allay Lamp has a bulb that only omits pure green light waves- the only bulb that can actually do that, I believe. It's not just that it looks green to our eyes because of a colored cover or something- it really omits the green light itself. This green bulb feels better than sunlight or any other kind of light bulb to my eyes.


https://allaylamp.com/pages/science

It always amazes me that people have ideas like this (one color light can help with migraine pain) but that they're able to follow through with some research. Muddy Farms, thanks for the link.

 

[Cindy in SD]

@Rabbits by Accident Good links! Here is another small version that I like (check out their cute little tray rack they made out of extra cage wire!)-

https://bharabbitry.weebly.com/growing-fodder.html



@JG3 The website I linked above definitely makes it sound like a very precise thing, but I think they forgot to mention that airflow can help with preventing mold issues, too. So not having it in a secluded back corner of the house where there is no airflow should help with that. If you have a ceiling fan in the kitchen you could leave that on.

I have never heard of sprouting things like broccoli or arugula for rabbits, but it seems like it might be too expensive to feed regularly? If you are already familiar with sprouting those things, though, you are way ahead for sprouting fodder. It seems the longer you let the sprouts grow, the more risk for mold to grow. So if you put a little bleach in the grain water when you soak the grain in a jar and if you feed it earlier in the growing cycle, it wouldn't be much different from your other sprouts. You could also try putting it in little trays that are more like baskets with big slits in the sides, which should also help with airflow to the roots especially. Just some ideas!

Broccoli seeds are expensive, but just about any seed that can be sprouted will do, if it agrees with the rabbit's tummy. If you buy grain in 50 lb bags, it can typically be sprouted though it may need soaking first. Grass seed too, unless it's been treated with something nasty. There are online merchants who sell seeds for sprouting. It's an expensive way to grow food IMO, but you can find deals sometimes. If you have grow lights (I just use LED "garage light" type fixtures), you can grow greens such as spinach, etc. all winter long for you and/or the buns. Then there's hydroponics. I haven't done this but there are lots of videos and it looks easy enough. I just use my set-up for starting plants for my spring garden but if you have the space there's no reason you couldn't grow bunny food.

That said, rabbits and other livestock will go all winter on stored hay and commercial feed and don't seem to suffer because of it. I myself go all winter without fresh greens because the sort you get in the stores are just about as likely to kill you as nourish you, and I do fine, too.

 

[JG3]

Wow, so many replies on here I didn’t see!

I came back to add Ive had success with growing fodder soaking the wheat grain in hydrogen peroxide and rinsing 2-3 times a day when it’s still early and drying faster, then cutting it down to only twice once the grass is up and roots are tighter, staying moist longer. I just grow it in a kitchen window, it gets natural sunlight and there is a register there I’m sure contributes to airflow. I just didn’t sitting in a box for my test, LOL. But I’ve purchased shoe racks now that will house all my containers per day. Mine is ready to feed on day 6 (by my standard LOL). Can also on day 7. After that it starts to go bad.