Tips for putting on weight?

[OneAcreFarm]

Roxie's kits are 7 weeks and only weighing 2-2.5lbs. I am thinking of weaning them and putting them on free fed pellets and adding some calf manna and oats, since my feed is 16% protein. They have been eating pellets, calf manna, oats and hay with mom since I took out the nest box at week three. Any other ideas?

 

[MaggieJ]

We sometimes enrich a grain mixture with BOSS, kitchen oatmeal etc. and mix in a bit of blackstrap molasses and sunflower oil. We put a spoonful of blackstrap in a mug with an ounce or two of water and nuke it to help dissolve it, mix in the oil and then stir the whole thing into a half bucket of grain. It seems to help. It is important that the mix is not so damp that it can go mouldy. Dry it off with extra grain if necessary.

 

[akane]

I much prefer BOSS over calf manna. Lots healthier and promotes better weight instead of just fat. You can also add vegetable oils. I'm testing out a horse coat and weight supplement that is vegetable and flax oil with vit e, biotin, and folic acid. Grains and boss will all lower your protein not help increase it . They are all down around 10-12% unless you get hulled BOSS which is around 20% but the hulls have a lot of healthy oils and fiber in them. I didn't think calf manna was that high either. To raise protein you need soy or legume hay or meal. You can get alfalfa meal in some feed stores. We always free feed the kits and breeding does. Most of the time the entire colonies are free fed and the amount of everything is just adjusted to make the right fat or protein level.

 

[RunninMI]

id say the calf mana is a good choice i have been impressed with it theres a guy around here that swears by cracked corn but i have dressed out rabbits of his and they are very fatty so i wouldnt suggest that for rabbits you want for your use.

 

[akane]

Calf manna is a lot of corn too. That's the cheapest thing to make a supplement out of so it takes some effort to find grain mixes and pellets without corn.

 

[SterlingSatin]

probably a stupid question, but what is BOSS?

 

[MaggieJ]

BOSS is short for Black Oil Sunflower Seeds.

 

[LilFish_JWQueen(:]

For my meat projects that I want to gain weight fast I feed oats black oil sun flower seed and calf mana and the pellets of course all as a mix and make sure to worm them...its the best advice (I got from a good friend that I got my satins from) for a rabbit to gain weight fast

 

[ottersatin]

Try some Sweet-feed as a top dressing on the feed.
You can mix it with some rolled oats, & BOSS.
Try a teaspoonful or two.
Or: You could place some ROCKS in their pockets!
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[MaggieJ]

Hey, Ottersatin! Good to see you back. We've been a bit concerned about you because of Hurricane Irene.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Try some Sweet-feed as a top dressing on the feed.
You can mix it with some rolled oats, & BOSS.
Try a teaspoonful or two.
Or: You could place some ROCKS in their pockets!
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

Hmmm, where are those pockets again? :lol: Will do, hope all the bunnies at your place are ok! Did your barn get any damage?<br /><br />__________ Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:47 am __________<br /><br />Thanks for the great ideas everyone...I will try a mix of these things and see what happens.

 

[MaggieJ]

Make the changes gradually, Shannon... You could get digestive upsets if you try too much at one time.

 

[ottersatin]

:clap2: We were out of power for four days.
It was uncomfortable but there were many others in worse shape than we!
I went to a friends place to get buckets of water for:
The rabbits and many other things you don't want to experience
We went to get our second bag of dry Ice and after waiting in line
we arrived home to! Power! There IS LIGHT! :clap2:
So were fine though I was suffering Computer Withdrawal!
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[MaggieJ]

I figured you might be without power, Dennis. Glad it was no worse than that!

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

My tip for putting on weight:

PLENTY of ice cream!!!

:icecream: :icecream: :icecream: :icecream: :icecream: :icecream: :icecream: :icecream:

 

[iamdrglass]

How much boss is fed at a time? How much do you pay for it in your area? I checked here and it is 50.00 for 50lbs.

When you feed vegi oil does it make their coats shine? (I know it does work on horses coats.) Do you drizzle it on top of pellets? And how much per head?

Dan

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Make the changes gradually, Shannon... You could get digestive upsets if you try too much at one time.

They have already been getting oats, so I thought I would add a little bit of boss for a couple of days, then add a little bit of the next one...etc.
You are right, I DON'T want any digestive issues...

 

[MaggieJ]

Sounds like a good plan, Shannon.