Salt

[fuzzy9]

When we switched to Pen Pal we stopped putting salt spools out because we were told there was enough in this particular feed, and wouldn't need to put more out. I'm curious if salt typically plays a role in anything to do with breeding? We are having so many problems getting does to breed, and we never ever had problems like this before. I'm really thinking now that this is a matter of something they are not getting enough of in this feed.

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

I have no idea but it seams like allot of people are having the same trouble with getting their does bred. I wish you all the luck getting it figured out.

 

[fuzzy9]

Thanks bunches tm!

 

[Miss M]

It wouldn't hurt to put them back in there to see if it makes a difference, but perhaps it has more to do with the change of feed than the salt? :shrug:

 

[akane]

Plain white salt will not make a difference and can be harmful. Brown trace mineral salt wheels do provide some nutrition and soft mineral blocks provide even more but only come in large livestock size.

 

[fuzzy9]

So maybe add in a small chunk of mineral block?

 

[trinityoaks]

So maybe add in a small chunk of mineral block?

It couldn't hurt. I like to use the 4-lb mineral blocks labeled for goats.

 

[fuzzy9]

Thank you! Gonna try it, and see if it helps.

 

[akane]

Since we have colonies we get the big horse blocks with grains and vitamins added not just minerals.

 

[fuzzy9]

I have to order my bag of minerals for the ponies tomorrow, it's a brand I really like, and I can get it in block form as well, so I think I'll order that to try with the rabbits.

I'm curious what your thoughts would be on this, if this could be playing a role in this? We are definitely having an issue with something in our feeding that's keeping my does from breeding. We've had a really hard time finding hay this year. The hay we have been feeding is over grown, brown colored hay from a round bale that was this years first crop. It seriously was very lacking. Everything else that we had been feeding, and will be feeding through spring, from this year has been growing in ground that is very dry, and depleted from any moisture. It's very fine stemmed, and to dry. That has got to diminish any kind of nutrients that may have been in that hay, any little bit of nutrition that they would be pulling from that grass. Could this be enough to make this kind of difference with our does?

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

do you give any supplements at all

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

I am considering getting the soft block mineral salt and putting some in a dish for each of the cages. I figure the extra mineral on top of their pellets cant hurt.

 

[Cowboy1]

I have a buck that licks his wheel constantly.
We feed pellets and supplement with hay and treats from the flower garden and vegetable garden.

I am wondering if he is doing it from boredom our really needs that much salt?

He has used almost an entire wheel since we got him 6 weeks ago.

 

[fuzzy9]

The only thing I supplement with is free choice hay. Every other time I've tried supplements the does seem to hold out for the good stuff, and pick at the pellets. But either something is going on now because of the hay quality, or they changed something within the pellets recipe themselves. We've never had this issue before, it just started this last 3 or 4 months, and coincidentally, right about the time they closed the local mill down where they made Pen Pal, and started milling it out of state. It's also about the time we started having hay issues, and couldn't find decent hay. Not sure if a deficiency would be because of one or the other, or if both could play a roll.

I ordered the mineral block, and I have some flax here I'm going to start giving a tiny bit of that too. Maggie also gave me a list of some greens I can pick up from the store. Hopefully these changes will help.