Tips for a Suburbanite?

Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Rabbit Talk Forum

Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
C

Cspr

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 15, 2013
Messages
464
Reaction score
0
Location
Southeast
So I always want what's best for my animals, and this includes my current bun and planned herd. Right now I've been feeding my little sir, Basil, the following:

Sherwood Forest Natural Food - pricey! $9 for a month of feed for one bun
Prairie grass hay - free
Rolled oats - from cupboard
Willow branches - free
Scraps from homemade bread

He'll eat his pellets, but he LOVES prairie grass hay, rolled oats, and willow branches. I'm trying to figure out a cheap way to feed rabbits, but feeding them better than pellets, if you catch my drift? I don't have a feed store near me as I live in semi-rural area with strip malls but no pet store for a good thirty minutes in any direction. I think there's a seed store where my neighbor gets some stuff, but I don't know if that's...useful? I looked online and it seems like they sell seeds and pesticides. o_O

Half the cost of the food is, I swear, the shipping. I live in a very green area. There's public land all over, it's where I get the prairie grass, but I don't know what else to add?

I have various grass types, wild onions, squash and cucumber plants, clover, rosemary, mint, and strawberries all growing in abundance in my yard. I have a fig tree, a dogwood, and a bunch of brush in the back I need to check out.

Wild plants tend to be prairie grass, dandelion, marigold, goldenrod, sometimes willow or maple, and I think sow thistle.

I'm thinking of growing sweet potatoes because I hear they're excellent and can be grown potted indoors all year round?

I'm trying to sort out if I can formulate some sort of diet made more or less out of what I can find in the vicinity of my house, and where people suggest I buy in bulk to save some monies for other bunny stuff?
 
Dandelion and Sow Thistle are excellent for rabbits, and other wild foods list can be found under "Natural Feeding" topic here. I had to look up the Sherwood Forest pellets, looks like they use alfalfa as first ingredient, which is good, but there's other brands which do too. Look for the ingredients list (sometimes they are REALLY tiny) to list alfalfa first, and at least 16% protein (later you might want 18% or higher for nursing does and growouts). As for stores which carry rabbit pellets, try googling Tractor Supply, and "farm feed stores". And if there's nothing like that close enough, be VERY picky about the labels, but sometimes Walmart carries feed by major manufacturers, under different labels (it's usually the "seconds" though, so that's why the ingredient list is imperative). What you don't want to do is buy in SUCH bulk that the feed gets moldy while you store it; mold will kill a rabbit quickly (and in the South, it's always a real threat). As you add rabbits, you can buy better food for cheaper, because a bulk bag doesn't hang around as long. Also, if you are foraging due to low budget (rather than just wanting to "go green"), don't try to start with expensive rabbits. It's sad to lose a "meat mutt" breeder to which you have become attached, but if you lose an expensive rabbit, you are also out of pocket. Also, lots of hay for the fiber, keeps their guts clear. In the South, I have found coastal Bermuda to be one of the less expensive, yet quality hays. You should be able to find a 2'x2'3' "feeder bale" between $4-$10 each. Again, watch for mold!
 
Welcome to RabbitTalk, Cspr! :welcome:

It sounds to me as though you will be able to make the transition to natural feeding (or natural feeding with just limited pellets as a supplement) quite easily, given the abundance of green feed at your doorstep. Just don't try to do it all at once... There is quite a learning curve. Fortunately, the Safe Plants List will give you a good start.
safe-plants-for-rabbits-list-t55.html

Rabbits need more than just the green feed, however. Most natural feeders also give hay, some whole grains (wheat, oats, barley) perhaps mixed with sunflower, flax seed etc. This thread has some of the formulas that members use.
natural-feed-formula-list-t12371.html

Right now, your rabbit is getting good protein from the alfalfa in the pellets you use. If you eliminate or drastically reduce the pellets, you will likely want to add alfalfa hay, alfalfa cubes or other high protein foods. Certain greens like willow and kudzu have protein similar to alfalfa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudzu
Animal feed
Kudzu can be used by grazing animals, as it is high in quality as a forage and palatable to livestock. It can be grazed until frost and even slightly after. Kudzu had been used in the southern United States specifically to feed goats on land that had limited resources. Kudzu hay typically has a 15–18% crude protein content and over 60% total digestible nutrient value. The quality of the leaves decreases, however, as vine content increases relative to the leaf content. Kudzu also has low forage yields despite its rate of growth, yielding around two to four tons of dry matter per acre annually. It is also difficult to bale due to its vining growth and its slowness in shedding water. This makes it necessary to place kudzu hay under sheltered protection after being baled. Kudzu is readily consumed by all types of grazing animals, yet frequent grazing over three to four years can ruin stands. Thus, kudzu only serves well as a grazing crop on a temporary basis.[3]
Click to expand...

While your rabbit population is still small, I suggest you read all you can on our Natural Feeding forum. There are a lot of older threads that you will find helpful. And, of course, we will be glad to answer your questions as you go along. :) Please make all changes to your rabbit's diet slowly... Sudden changes can really upset digestion and even kill it.
 
Try giving your "seed store" a call and see what they have. In my experience, many of the smaller local stores have horrible websites, not useful at all. Often feed-type stores are happy to do special orders for you at no additional cost if they don't regularly stock what you want.
 
Thanks so much, guys. :D I heard some "rabbit people" talking about this site, and I can see why everyone loves it.

@Dragon: I'll have to look more into the closer stores. I know I looked at all the big box stores, not expecting much, and I found "candy" sold as rabbit food. -shakes head sadly- I suppose for right now I might try to just start lowering the amount of pellets given slowly (add in some more oats in case of stomach trouble). Luckily the rabbit is already used to prairie grass hay and willow. I'll start adding in some greens at first and look into feed stores and all. And, yes, I realize mold could be a problem. I keep all the food airtight and out of direct sunlight. But you're right--don't buy in bulk until more rabbits.

Also, luckily for me there's a farmer that has pedigreed and half-pedigreed rabbits for crazy cheap about an hour and a half away. I was shocked, but apparently her family does so much else that $10-15 dollar rabbits aren't a big deal.

Thanks for the hay suggestion! I'll look into it once I get more of them. You know, to the point cutting down prairie grass hay under those crazy large power lines becomes annoying. Better me than the power company coming once a year and just turning it into clippings.

@MaggieJ: Thanks for the list and telling me kudzu and willow are so good. :eek: I had no idea! I mean, I knew they weren't bad for him, good fiber and all, but protein, too? And, yes, I will be sure to change over slowly. The breeder unfortunately didn't bother to give me any of the feed he was on, but lots of oats and careful watching, I got away with only a few loose poops and I'm quite grateful.

@Jessil: I'll give them a call then. :) Had no idea. Then again, I am green as all get out.

All in all, I get either supplement with pellets/use alfalfa/kudzu and provide plenty of hay, whole grains, and seeds like BOSS, sunflower, and flax. -nods- I'll have to see what sort of mix would be cheaper but also healthier for the rabbits than the current pellets bought in more bulk than I can probably safely handle ($9 is in bulk, in the quantities I'm getting it in it's far more expensive).
 
A couple more items you're likely to have down there in "The South"- blackberry canes and leaves, and strawberry leaves. Bunnies love those. Oh, and turnip greens.

Welcome to RT!
 
I don't know what kind of winter you get but I try and buy 'goat hay' as it is cheaper, has more 'weeds' and things that horses and cattle won't eat.

You could make your own hay by scything (or weed whack) the fields around you, dry the greens out and bundle for the winter, or for anytime, to minimize buying hay.

Keeping protein levels adequate is the hardest part of natural feeding. Try and figure out what plants around you have the most protein, or dedicate a garden to growing a high protein crop like vetch, beans or alfalfa, and the rest is easy.
 
@Marinea: Thanks for the welcome. :D I think there are some blackberries growing on this one hill. Need to go check it out again. :) And, of course, yes, I have plenty of strawberry plants. We grow 'em to eat, but little sprouts come up here and there and get to be bunny food. :)

@Dood: "Winter"? What is this thing you call "winter"? XD We get down to maybe 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Below freezing weather makes people go to the store and buy a boatload of bread and milk; it's entirely absurd. But thanks for the "goat hay" suggestion! I just found a feed store by looking into a rabbit food supplier that's close, so I'm going to call them soon. ;) Thanks, guys. :D

I'm planning on getting out and doing that in the next week, but I would like to see how much hay/whole grains/seeds in general will cost me. Then maybe I can focus on just getting greens and kudzu/willow (high protein plants, apparently) for the bun(s). Might be able to get off pellets for the most part.

I might try to see if we can grow some alfalfa sprouts inside for the bun. Would you suggest that, or trying to grow it in a garden along with squash/cucumber/garlic/tomato? And, if beans for protein, would those be soybeans or any sort of beans? -confused- I don't think soybeans are good for rabbits...?
 
Certainly you can grow an alfalfa or alfalfa/redclover patch for the buns. It will last for several years at least and you can cut it as you need it fresh or cut and dry for hay. Kudzu and willow and many other greens can be dried as well.

Soybean can be fed in moderation but they must be roasted or steamed. Too high a percentage in their diet can cause digestive problems. Beans, in general, are not recommended for rabbits, but they can eat the foliage. Field peas are a good source of protein and are safe, but not as palatable to rabbits as some other choices, so do your research about how best to use them.

The foliage of tomato, eggplant, pepper and other members of nightshade family are toxic in varying degrees. Do not feed them to the buns. Most rabbits will not eat squash or cucumber leaves because of the bristly texture.

Grain grasses are a good food for rabbits. Generally these are referred to as fodder and we have a whole long, long, thread about it.
fodder-sprouting-systems-anyone-t10317.html
 
Oh wow. Okay. I'll have to get some alfalfa seeds then. :D And we have white clover in abundance in our backyard (the dog rips up any "nice" plants). But great to know! I presume the nutrition goes down once it's dry, or is it roughly the same?

Gotcha. I'll avoid all that then. Doesn't seem to suit my needs. Don't want to cause extra problems

Thank you for the news. I would avoid them just how watery they are (I don't even like tomato, but the youngest adores them). I heard they might eat young leaves from squash/cucumber plants, but I took stock of my weeds and I found thistles, clover, dandelion, etc. For herbs, parsley, rosemary, mint, and lemon thyme. Discovered I have two sugar maples in the back(!) and I also have a dogwood and fig. The dogwood has been loved (along with the sugar maple), but are dogwoods/figs safe? I don't see why not and I'm sure the rabbits have some sort of rationale as to what to eat, but I don't know...I sort of think of them like they're little toddlers. Will put anything in their mouths. Basil tries to eat carpet, after all.

But the founder project also sounds very interesting. It makes the seeds more nutritious apparently? So would you suggest trying this with BOSS and flax, maybe even whole grain seed? -curious- I'll read over at the forum, though. ^^; I just like the answers you lot keep giving me! :D
 
It occurs to me that you should check with your extension agent about what plants will grow well in your area. I seem to recall that alfalfa is hard to grow in certain areas, but I cannot recall which ones. Our conditions here in Southern Ontario are similar to those in Ohio, New York State and Pennsylvania but further south than that and away from the influence of the Great Lakes it may be different.

Grain grass (fodder) can be grown anywhere but you need to read the thread because although it is simple, it is not always easy to get good results. Since our temperatures went up to around 70-75 F. we have been having problems with mould that we did not have when the temperatures were in the 60's.

You can definitely do this but there is a lot of information to process at the beginning. I can only be of limited help because of the climatic differences. You need to use the Latin names for plants when identifying them... It is the only way to be certain that the plant mentioned is the one you mean. On another forum someone was all set to feed teasels to their rabbits because the local name for them was cattails. There is a big difference between Dipsacus fullonum and Typha latifolia. Only her mention of the spines saved her from a big mistake!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipsacus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typha_latifolia
 
A note on the kudzu- mine will only eat the younger, smaller leaves. They won't touch the big old ones, or the vines.

My buns love parsley, mint and rosemary. They also get kale, spinach, mustards, collards, dark lettuce, rose leaves, apple leaves (thinking of things that grew in Mississippi when we lived there).
 
Thanks, guys. Fodder does seem quite complex and I'm trying to do research because I realized that fodder with salt lick and greenery/prairie grass hay will be roughly HALF as much as what I've been spending on pellets. o.o; You people have probably saved me a boatload of cash, so thanks. -hugs and/or cookies for anyone who wants them-

Okay. So if your house has a common temperature in summer of about 76 F and the outside temperature goes from 80-90 F, where would you suggest planting the grain seeds and seeds for fodder? I'm a green thumb. Grown everything from okra to lentils just watching the plants and figuring out where to go from there, so I don't think it would be difficult for me to just grow them in my garden patch or in deep trays/tubs as I've seen on the forum's links. But I'd love to know more, because savings and I'm (hopefully) getting a few more animals soon. If I can just convince that one housemate it's a great idea (he's a dog-and-dogs-only person, but dogs are so not as useful as rabbits, especially "pet" dogs).
 
Not raising 'em for meat. Mini Rex and American Astrex (5 1/2-6 pounds). To be fair, any peanuts, sickly/defective animals, etc. could be used as dog chow. I'll mention it, but I don't know if he'd like that either. He's a bit of a wimp, if I do admit. Went hiking with him once and he couldn't be bothered to put a mauled pigeon or snake out of their misery (dogs!). I, however, was perfectly fine with killing either, but he told me to leave them and got flustered at the idea of me killing them in front of him. :roll:

I'm sure the dog would be less picky about raw meat, mind you. The thing eats other animals' scat already. :lol:<br /><br />__________ Sun Jun 16, 2013 6:41 pm __________<br /><br />Though I will admit if I can't find good people, be they wanting a pet, brood, or show animal, the kit will be going to the raptor rehab center or zoo, not to a pet shop.
 
When i said beans i should have clarified and said legume. Alfalfa and vetch are both legumes as well as beans and should be harvested for hay just before the seeds ripen when the plant protein is usually highest.

Drying wont affect protein levels too much, the age it is harvested is more important
 
Gotcha, and I just read up on the whole age thing, Dood. Fascinating stuff. Apparently it peaks around seven days for one of the grains. -fumbles trying to remember which- I'll check more into specifics after I call the feed store tomorrow. (Wow, it got late fast. What I get for studying. XD )
 
Go to the Purina website and search for dealers near you that sell their rabbit chow. You can also search for Southern States dealers. Also ask your local riding stables where they get their hay.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top