what kind of oil

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I know the cool weather is around the corner.. I am thinking all ready of switching my food for the rabbits for the winter.. I was thinking of add some oil to their grains ... what kind is good and how much ?

 

[michaels4gardens]

I use recycled fry oil from a restaurant , [ not the best, but -the price is right] I add about a teaspoon / day for adult breed stock in the grain, --and / or about 1 cup to 10 lbs of cooked potato when feeding does and litters.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I will not be using recycle oil here.. I don't feed potatoes.,, never crossed mine mind that you can do that.

 

[HoppinHalfPints]

I LOVE using flax seed/flax seed oil for my animals. We add it to my horse's meals and it keeps him shiny and his coat healthy. It's pretty expensive, but a little goes a long way.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I am all ready using flax seed in there diet.. I was looking for a different oil.. and also using boss

 

[ek.blair]

I have used hemp seed oil before... they seemed to really like it

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I have to look for that

 

[ek.blair]

I found it bottled for dogs (and horses in gallon sizes ) at www.biostarus.com

 

[ottersatin]

Why not just add some Black oil sunflower seeds
as a top dressing to your feed?
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I do give them some boss..........in the middle of winter it get cold here.. some nights are -30.. and I don't feed pellets.. so I want to add some oil to there food

 

[ek.blair]

I do give them some boss..........in the middle of winter it get cold here.. some nights are -30.. and I don't feed pellets.. so I want to add some oil to there food

It gets pretty cold up here in Alaska too... what is in the grain mix that you feed? How do your grow outs end up finishing?

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I have my own recipe for I use for summer and winter ..

 

[angelate]

Do you use hemp seed oil that we humans are eating or some made special for dogs and cats?
I'm fighting sneezing with my rabbit and read that is good for allergies.
Do you think I can give him also something like this: https://canah.com/en/products/hulled-hemp-nuts-detail ?

 

[akane]

I suggest a nut oil (peanuts are a legume), then safflower, and then peanut. Canola is ok but does not have the nutrition and omega fatty acids that those oils and flax have. Hemp is good if you are feeding a diet high in omega 3 like lots of flax and no sunflower. It is up to 75% higher in protein than flax. I do not suggest a sunflower oil as the only oil. It is not well balanced. Use in shell boss and avoid other sources higher in omega 6 than 3 like the hemp oil.

 

[MaggieJ]

Mary Ann, I sometimes have used a grain mix (wheat, kitchen oatmeal, BOSS etc,) with a bit of sunflower oil and blackstrap molasses mixed in. I put a couple spoonfuls of oil, a spoonful of molasses and a couple spoonfuls of water into a cup and heat it in the microwave, then drizzle it over the grain mix and stir it in well. The grain should not be even slightly damp when you finish. If it is, add more grain. I use this as winter supplement and also to build up a doe if she loses condition from nursing. I've been very pleased with the results.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I suggest a nut oil (peanuts are a legume), then safflower, and then peanut. Canola is ok but does not have the nutrition and omega fatty acids that those oils and flax have. Hemp is good if you are feeding a diet high in omega 3 like lots of flax and no sunflower. It is up to 75% higher in protein than flax. I do not suggest a sunflower oil as the only oil. It is not well balanced. Use in shell boss and avoid other sources higher in omega 6 than 3 like the hemp oil.

I agree with above comment that other oils are better then canola, [and-JMHO]- would add, -I would never feed canola to anything, especially the older "canola" with high percentage of rape seed oil, as it has been shown to cause a lot of health problems in test groups.

 

[dangerbunny]

I prefer oil seeds over oil, like Flax, BOSS, Pumpkin. Although I have used Wheat Germ oil to help get rabbits breeding (extra vitamin E is supposed to help with fertility) with good results. I've also given Rice Bran as a winter supplement and the buns seem to like it. Too much oil can cause loose droppings so I stick with whole feeds or use an oil with a lot of nutrients. I think the best thing you can do in winter is provide plenty of forage, breaking down the fiber generates more body heat.
This article talks about why it works in horses and I figure it is similar for rabbits. http://www.extension.umn.edu/agricultur ... in-winter/

 

[Prisma]

What about using olive oil?