what should I feed my flemish giants?

[dark.lapin]

I currently feed my flemish giant harvey one cup of feed and 1/2 cup of oats. I was wondering what type of stuff should I addd to food to help with codioning the fur and getting good weight on body. harvey has started to gian weight but I can sill feel his spine and hips. The reason he is like this is because the orignal person I bought him from did not take good care of him and put him in small cage. Also what type of hay should I get? I currently use timothy but I know that I am going to need alot more hay if I am going to have a 25 hole rabbitry.

 

[ottersatin]

How old is your Flemish Giant?
If he is a youngster/has not yet reached senior weight
he/she should be placed on full-freed. That is food available 24/7.
Once your rabbiot reaches Senior weight you should provide what
he/she will finish in a few hours. I would feed at the same time
each day preferably early morning or evening. Whatever fits best
into your schedule. If after reaching senior weight you can still feel
the spine and hips it may be a genetic frailty. Over feeding may do nothing
but create an overly FAT poorly fleshed individual.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[eco2pia]

what should I feed my flemish giants? A LOT!!

lol, just kidding, ottersatin just covered it...it reminded me of "what do you feed a 400 lb. gorilla? any thing he wants!"

 

[akane]

Any grass hay or early cut grain hays, late cut gets you straw or just stems, are nearly equivalent and suitable. Young or pregnant rabbits can have some legume (clover, alfalfa) hay.

 

[dark.lapin]

How old is your Flemish Giant?
If he is a youngster/has not yet reached senior weight
he/she should be placed on full-freed. That is food available 24/7.
Once your rabbiot reaches Senior weight you should provide what
he/she will finish in a few hours. I would feed at the same time
each day preferably early morning or evening. Whatever fits best
into your schedule. If after reaching senior weight you can still feel
the spine and hips it may be a genetic frailty. Over feeding may do nothing
but create an overly FAT poorly fleshed individual.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

he is senoir and the person who orignally owned him did not take good care of him. I honestly think that he is like that because she did not provide enough hay. If I breed him with that problem also occur in his offspring?

 

[ottersatin]

Not necessarily,
just don't breed to something with the same problem
and eventually through proper breeding choices you
can and will produce better quality, that is what breeding is for.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[pfaubush]

I feed my Flemish Giants 1 oz. per lb. of body weight, just for a maintainance ration, plus grass hay. Are you feeding 18%? The problem with feeding by volume, rather than weight is that some feed has much more volume in an ounce than others. You can add some calf manna to top dress, but be careful with the amount. I would give 1 TBL per day as a top dressing to his feed. I've had to do this with some newly aquired rabbits and it works well. Just make sure he's gaining condition and not flab.

 

[akane]

Grass hay does not add much weight. It's like eating a salad. Little calories and fat. Lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Not getting grass hay will not make a skinny rabbit. Usually it's actually the opposite. Feeding on all grains and pellets with no hay results in a fat rabbit if you don't practice portion control. Not enough grain, pellet, or proper vitamin/mineral supplement will cause a skinny rabbit.

Whether he passes it on depends what the cause is. If it's just not enough pellets then it wouldn't be genetic. If he's naturally bony and/or doesn't digest things well then odds are the offspring will suffer for it. Sure you could breed it out over time but be aware that it is likely to show up in the first place.

 

[dark.lapin]

Grass hay does not add much weight. It's like eating a salad. Little calories and fat. Lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Not getting grass hay will not make a skinny rabbit. Usually it's actually the opposite. Feeding on all grains and pellets with no hay results in a fat rabbit if you don't practice portion control. Not enough grain, pellet, or proper vitamin/mineral supplement will cause a skinny rabbit.

Whether he passes it on depends what the cause is. If it's just not enough pellets then it wouldn't be genetic. If he's naturally bony and/or doesn't digest things well then odds are the offspring will suffer for it. Sure you could breed it out over time but be aware that it is likely to show up in the first place.

to be perfectly honest I am not shure. When I showed him in january the judge siad that he was skinny. I have started to finnally get some results with him gaining weight thought ...its just taking a long time. IDK if it because he is on wire floor or just how he was raised. He does have some promblems getting the pellets but I am probly just going to use crocks. How can you tell if it digestion problems? Also the orignal owner did not give him hay. so should I just feed him hay for a little bit I have only had him for 2 months.

I feed my Flemish Giants 1 oz. per lb. of body weight, just for a maintainance ration, plus grass hay. Are you feeding 18%? The problem with feeding by volume, rather than weight is that some feed has much more volume in an ounce than others. You can add some calf manna to top dress, but be careful with the amount. I would give 1 TBL per day as a top dressing to his feed. I've had to do this with some newly aquired rabbits and it works well. Just make sure he's gaining condition and not flab.

so far I have succesfully got some fat on his but but its still boney and now he is finally gaining some weight. I have heard of using calf mana befor and i am probly going to try it thanks for help. I use purina show chow

 

[ottersatin]

so far I have successfully got some fat on his butt,
he's still Bony. Now he is finally gaining some weight.
I have heard of using Calf-Manna before and I am probably
going to try it thanks for help. I use Purina show chow. [dark.lapin]

dark.lapin,
if you are feeding and the rabbit is gaining weigh but still bony
you are creating an overly fat rabbit. You want to put on Flesh, not fat.
A fat rabbit is not a healthy rabbit and fat is not what you want.
I believe that the rabbit is genetically flawed, you might do better to add
some rolled or whole oats to your feeding program. Oats will put on flesh,
not fat. Try breeding this Buck to an extremely well typed Doe.
This will be your only option for true improvement down the line.
I hope this helps to improve the type eventually.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[dark.lapin]

so far I have successfully got some fat on his butt,
he's still Bony. Now he is finally gaining some weight.
I have heard of using Calf-Manna before and I am probably
going to try it thanks for help. I use Purina show chow. [dark.lapin]

dark.lapin,
if you are feeding and the rabbit is gaining weigh but still bony
you are creating an overly fat rabbit. You want to put on Flesh, not fat.
A fat rabbit is not a healthy rabbit and fat is not what you want.
I believe that the rabbit is genetically flawed, you might do better to add
some rolled or whole oats to your feeding program. Oats will put on flesh,
not fat. Try breeding this Buck to an extremely well typed Doe.
This will be your only option for true improvement down the line.
I hope this helps to improve the type eventually.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

thanks. I choose a doe that 19 pounds and has a litter on the way so I think my breeding program will be okay. its just a shame since he has sutch great steel gray fur. I will try rolled oat instead of quaker who knows maybe that will help.

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

Good luck with him, do you have a picture you could post here?

 

[curlysue]

I had good luck getting a rabbit too gain weight by feeding him a teaspoon of horse feed with his other food. i put it in a seperate dish.the rabbit was a Netherland dwarf.

 

[PulpFaction]

Have you wormed the rabbit?

 

[dark.lapin]

Have you wormed the rabbit?

I have not. what should I use to worm him?

Good luck with him, do you have a picture you could post here?

I might be able to in a little bit.

 

[MaggieJ]

You might consider trying him on some pumpkin seeds. Not only are they extremely nutritious but the also act as a natural wormer. You can get them already shelled at a health food or bulk food store and although they are not cheap, they go a long way. Start him with just a few and work up to about a tablespoon over a period of a couple of weeks. Naturally as with any new food, you need to watch for signs of gastric trouble, but my rabbits have never had any problems with them.

http://health.learninginfo.org/herbs/pumpkin-seeds.htm
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... ce&dbid=82