Michaels4Gardens, thanks for the replies. So, this winter then, grass hay is what you would recommend if you were going to buy hay for the winter to replace grass? If so, would you buy any alfalfa at all? Also, I read on a veterinarian website that you have to be careful letting rabbits graze as they can get parasites. Is this something you worry much about? Sorry again for all the questions.
New to feeding rabbits naturally
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hoosier89":363luqs1 said:
I would recommend grass hay to replace the portion of their diet that was grass. depending on the condition of your rabbits, alfalfa can be used to boost calories, and protein levels. This is especially useful for nursing does with litters. All rabbits are not the same, if your rabbits get fat easily, or are already in good condition, extra calories are not a good thing.
So here is the brutally honest part, and remember this is just my opinion...
I also am very concerned about parasites, and as time goes on, and as you graze the same ground repeatedly , the possibility of parasite problems increases, ascarids, tapes, and other worms will be present , and numbers will increase over time and need to be treated at least annually . -- My main concern is the protozoan parasites, hepatic, and intestinal coccidiosis, [as well as the possibility of EC].- the cocci are especially devastating and often have rapid onset, high mortality, -,and early detection, diagnosis, and timely treatment , [even for veteran rabbit raisers] is often difficult.
If you are going to graze, a very careful watch must be implemented [not that it is a bad idea anyway] to notice any overly soft stool, poop smears, wet or poopy buts, poor condition, feed intake reduction, listlessness, fever over 103, etc. -- see the problem with early detection-- the list of possible symptoms is just too long, and too hard to identify, even for experienced raisers. Coccidiosis is able to live for over 50 years in the soil, its "spores" are in the feces, contact with the feces, is how it is spread. Even in cage raised rabbits, cleanliness is often not enough to prevent an outbreak, [especially if you feed hay, weeds, or anything with contact with soil, that is not heated to high temperatures in a pelletizer.] -- anyway-- my point is-- if rabbits graze, you will eventually develop a residual coccidiosis population, that will make the mortality rate of young rabbits from 4 to 9 weeks very high, and in extreme cases also take the doe who has a depressed immune system, or is new to it with no immune resistance . If you just have a couple of rabbits this problem can be avoided for years sometimes, but-- as you get more rabbit numbers this potential will increase exponentially. - and grazing will become an extreme liability that will have to be dealt with in your future at some point.
Over the years I have become more paranoid of coccidiosis, not less, as I have see the horrible consequences over and over again, in rabbit raisers both new and veteran.
bottom line-- if I were going to even consider grazing rabbits again, I would also grow garlic chives, and make sure each rabbit got a handful each week "forever" [allium family plants kill coccidiosis ] ---[ I do this anyway in the summer months because I feed weeds, and roots, with some dirt still on the roots, and I know this place I now live on has a residual cocci problem.]
remember this is JMHO
If you don't feed pellets I recommend you feed alfalfa or some other high protein plant such as clover, vetch, kudzu, mulberry etc... in the summer I can collect these as fresh forage but in winter I buy a 50/50 Timothy/alfalfa hay mix (and I'd would buy alfalfa if it was available) but i ration it out and offer unlimited grass hay.
My rabbits are on a semi intensive breeding schedule with at least 6 litters a year. If you breed less often then a high protein is not as critical but it will take longer for your does to get back to a good body condition and longer for your grow outs to get meaty.
When I first switched to fresh forage I had huge losses to hepatic coccidia, rather than go back to pellets I decided to breed for resistance and several generations later I now have very few cases
My rabbits are on a semi intensive breeding schedule with at least 6 litters a year. If you breed less often then a high protein is not as critical but it will take longer for your does to get back to a good body condition and longer for your grow outs to get meaty.
When I first switched to fresh forage I had huge losses to hepatic coccidia, rather than go back to pellets I decided to breed for resistance and several generations later I now have very few cases
