Please clear up some terms for me

[Cottie]

I keep thinking I have a handle on what all these terms mean, but find different definitions.

Fodder
Silage
Hay (edible, dried grass?)
Straw (bedding, dried stalks?)

I'm sure there's more that I can't think of right now.

 

[AmysMacdog]

Fodder is Forage- green foods like weeds, tree branches
Silage is fermented hay
Hay is dried/cured grass
Straw is dried wheat grass (stems)

 

[Secuono]

Fodder, now-a-days, means sprouted seeds for feed.
Silage is grass cut and stored in silos/in the ground with controlled decomposition[? that's what I understood at least, not spoiling, kind of cooking or something.]
Hay is dried greens.
Straw is the long, hollow stems of grasses, not very nutritious so it's used as bedding most of the time.

 

[Cottie]

OK. Is fodder supplemental to feed, or feed supplemental to fodder?

 

[avdpas77]

Fodder is Forage- green foods like weeds, tree branches
Silage is fermented hay
Hay is dried/cured grass
Straw is dried wheat grass (stems)

I like Amy's answer best so I will expand upon it.

Fodder = forage= any food an animal gets for themselves, usually pasture or some kind of green plants, but can also be seed, acorns, etc. Of course with rabbits this means any fresh food or seeds their owner brings them.

Silage is fermented forage. It can be grass, corn, grain, alfalfa, almost anything.

Hay is dried/cured plants. It is usually grass, but can be clover, alfalfa, immature soybeans, etc.

Straw is the dried stems of a cereal grain. While it is usually wheat, it can also be rye, barley, oats, etc.
Dried pine needles are also sometimes referred to as straw.

 

[Miss M]

Fodder can be supplemental or the other way around, or it can also be their entire diet aside from hay. You just have to make sure that you gather or sprout things that will give them the correct balance of nutrients.

For gathering, just explore the natural feeding forum.

For sprouting, this is the thread: fodder-sprouting-systems-anyone-t10317.html
I plan to try the sprouting myself, eventually. The idea of growing 6 lbs of feed for every pound of oats or wheat or barley I buy is very attractive.

__________ Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:46 pm __________

By the way, when I say "correct balance of nutrients", I don't mean precise measuring and scientific certainty. Merely being sure that a good bit of what you are feeding contains good protein levels for them, and providing a bit of red mineral salt block, should be enough for the buns.