funnies50
Well-known member
Lol, just wondering...what exactly IS natural feeding? because I'm sure all lettuce doesn't count. :? And I'm sure ALL hay isn't quite natural feeding, either.
Natural Feeding Questions
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You are right, natural feeding is much more complex than that. It involves combining natural foods to provide a rabbit with the nutrition they need, without using pellets.
Natural feeding usually involves one or more of the following:
Alfalfa hay
Grain
Sprouted fodder
Gathered forage.
Alfalfa hay and clover hay are not grass hays, and are much higher in protein than grass hays tend to be.
Grains like wheat, barley, and oats can also form the majority of a good diet.
Sprouted fodder involves taking grain and sprouting it, which completely changes its nutrient profile. It can be fed right after sprouting, or anytime up to about 8 days. Every day, the nutrient content is different, so the breeder will decide at which point they want to feed, and stick with it so the fodder is relatively consistent.
Forage is made up of gathered weeds and herbs which are known to be safe and nutritious.
A mineral block chunk is provided for salt and trace elements.
Natural feeding is not recommended to anyone just starting with rabbits. It takes a lot of study and attention to get it going well, and rabbits already have a good sized learning curve.
Natural feeding usually involves one or more of the following:
Alfalfa hay
Grain
Sprouted fodder
Gathered forage.
Alfalfa hay and clover hay are not grass hays, and are much higher in protein than grass hays tend to be.
Grains like wheat, barley, and oats can also form the majority of a good diet.
Sprouted fodder involves taking grain and sprouting it, which completely changes its nutrient profile. It can be fed right after sprouting, or anytime up to about 8 days. Every day, the nutrient content is different, so the breeder will decide at which point they want to feed, and stick with it so the fodder is relatively consistent.
Forage is made up of gathered weeds and herbs which are known to be safe and nutritious.
A mineral block chunk is provided for salt and trace elements.
Natural feeding is not recommended to anyone just starting with rabbits. It takes a lot of study and attention to get it going well, and rabbits already have a good sized learning curve.
Excellent explanation, Miss M! (Not that it surprises me. )
Natural feeding is certainly not something to jump into without considerable experience with rabbits. You can end up with nutritional deficiencies or severe digestive problems if the diet is not in balance. If the subject interests you more than just in passing, Funnies, I suggest you read everything in the Natural Feeding forum and then follow it for at least a year before transitioning your rabbit to it.
)Natural feeding is certainly not something to jump into without considerable experience with rabbits. You can end up with nutritional deficiencies or severe digestive problems if the diet is not in balance. If the subject interests you more than just in passing, Funnies, I suggest you read everything in the Natural Feeding forum and then follow it for at least a year before transitioning your rabbit to it.
funnies50
Well-known member
:hmm: Yeah, okay. Thanks, MaggieJ and Miss M
And what exactly would 'grain' be, btw? I assume it's not rice or barley all day. :roll:
And what exactly would 'grain' be, btw? I assume it's not rice or barley all day. :roll:
Grain in this context would usually mean the whole or rolled seeds of wheat, barley or oats, or a mixture of those. Grain tends to be fattening, so I only feed small quantites to my rabbits - about 1/4 cup per rabbit per day for large rabbits. Most of their feed comes from alfalfa hay and gathered forage - safe weeds and leafy twigs from certain trees mostly.
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I've been jealous of Maggie for some time now, because where she lives, alfalfa is cheap. Here... very expensive. :roll:
I was nervously awaiting a response from an expert, since I haven't done natural feeding yet myself.
At least you can tell that I've been paying attention. :yes:
Thank you!MaggieJ":ybri0lt1 said:Excellent explanation, Miss M! (Not that it surprises me.
I was nervously awaiting a response from an expert, since I haven't done natural feeding yet myself. At least you can tell that I've been paying attention. :yes:
funnies50
Well-known member
Lol. How fast does one bunny go through a bale of hay? Because down at the rescue centers I always see heaps of hay piled in the corner for rabbits and I was sitting there wondering whether a baby bunny would go through all of that just as fast. :lol:
