Natural Feeding Issues

[skysthelimit]

Yeah now that he's been getting the fresh greens, he won't eat the pellets. I've noticed some still will eat the pellets, big hogs, and some will hold out until they get more greens. So it's all or nothing for some. Is there any other plant that can be grown (that doesn't take acres of land) that will take the place?

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

hm... very interesting topic...
i currently have 3 adult bucks, 3 adult does, 3 jr does, 2 jr bucks, and 14 kits that are 7/8 wks old. so a total of 26.
i cut lots of grass with a machette (the big jungle-choppin through knives haha) and i cut it into an old plastic kitchen trash can. i still feed pellets but you can definitely tell when i dont cut grass for them one day with suddenly empty feeders hahaha.
but for this amount of rabbits i go through about 3 50# feed bags sorta packed full of grass. of course i have alot of land and there is plenty that never gets mowed or anything. so right now i've got a sort of field of my own that only i cut with the machette for the rabbits. right now it is about knee high. so once i get cut across that area i should be able to go back to the other end and start back there with tall stuff that has grown back in.

 

[skysthelimit]

hm... very interesting topic...
i currently have 3 adult bucks, 3 adult does, 3 jr does, 2 jr bucks, and 14 kits that are 7/8 wks old. so a total of 26.
i cut lots of grass with a machette (the big jungle-choppin through knives haha) and i cut it into an old plastic kitchen trash can. i still feed pellets but you can definitely tell when i dont cut grass for them one day with suddenly empty feeders hahaha.
but for this amount of rabbits i go through about 3 50# feed bags sorta packed full of grass. of course i have alot of land and there is plenty that never gets mowed or anything. so right now i've got a sort of field of my own that only i cut with the machette for the rabbits. right now it is about knee high. so once i get cut across that area i should be able to go back to the other end and start back there with tall stuff that has grown back in.

I've been snatching clover off of any place I can find it. I grabbed some to try to get it to grow, but I don't have long, because at some point the city will start mowing these vacant fields.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

perhaps you could try planting clover into your lawn or an area that you could let grow up a bit to harvest for the rabbits?

 

[MaggieJ]

Red clover would be a good substitute for alfalfa. High protein and the rabbits love it. The only downside is that you must be very careful not to cut it for drying when it is wet. Clover will go mouldy at the drop of a hat.

 

[skysthelimit]

perhaps you could try planting clover into your lawn or an area that you could let grow up a bit to harvest for the rabbits?

I planted some seed and a bunch I grabbed up, but there is no good place to grow the quantity I'd need to be really useful. I'm in the city and I can be cited for grass over 4 inches, not to mention my landlord would never allow for me to grow grass tall enough to get clover on the lawn. My mom is my landlord, and they are coming over for memorial day, so I have been quite busy weeding my garden beds in the front of the house, and lamenting the fact that all of the great weeds are going to waste. too many to feed in one day, too many to store past 2-3 days.<br /><br />__________ Mon May 14, 2012 6:52 am __________<br /><br />

Red clover would be a good substitute for alfalfa. High protein and the rabbits love it. The only downside is that you must be very careful not to cut it for drying when it is wet. Clover will go mouldy at the drop of a hat.

maybe this weekend I'll go on the hunt, collect as much as possible and dry it in the barn.