What to feed a nursing doe? What does Lulu need?

[garden lady]

I have read so much and mostly I read pregnant does are kind of mean and grumpy and after kindling she goes back to her happy self. Lulu did it backwards. One of the reasons I did not think she was pregnant was she was the happiest, friendliest rabbit, now she is I think tired. She is not one that does not look in on her babies. If she hears a dog bark off in the neighborhood she listens and if one of the other rabbits makes a sudden move, she is off to the back to check on her babies. One of the reasons I am not looking at them but once a day. She is busy with these babies checking on them. They are all fat and doing great. I give her all the pellets she wants and I have read several things about Calf Manna and BOSS. Other than hay and pellets and I went to 18% protein pellets, what does she need? How much Calf Manna for her per day, how much BOSS for her per day? If she seems not herself, tired maybe, what does she need? Could it be calcium? If I give her kale, how much would she need? I give grass/weeds and she eats that, pieces of apple, carrot, etc., but I do not want to give more of that, because it seems she is needing something with substance or :? She gets a tablespoon of oats and I read be careful with oats and give that, but have seen on here somewhere that Flemish Giants have had 1/2 cup of oats a day. If I give her oats, how much at one time? I think she would sit there and eat all the oats she could get and explode! Do you give 1/2 cup at once or different times during the day?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Whatever you decide to add, gradually work up to the full amount. I no longer feed Calf Manna because it is high in corn, but when I did I fed about a TBSP a day, and an equal amount of BOSS. I started with about a teaspoon, and gradually increased the amount. I think 1/4cup of oats twice a day would be fine, with no need for a gradual increase.

She will appreciate dark leafy greens like cilantro and parsley. I have never tried feeding Kale.

 

[garden lady]

Whatever you decide to add, gradually work up to the full amount. I no longer feed Calf Manna because it is high in corn, but when I did I fed about a TBSP a day, and an equal amount of BOSS. I started with about a teaspoon, and gradually increased the amount. I think 1/4cup of oats twice a day would be fine, with no need for a gradual increase.

She will appreciate dark leafy greens like cilantro and parsley. I have never tried feeding Kale.

I was feeding them 1 tablespoon of BOSS a day and then cut back to maybe a teaspoon. I was not sure if a tablespoon was too much. Calf Manna I read good and bad. They ate all my cilantro, so I will have to buy her some. They have been getting a big leaf of kale once every other day. Another thing I read to be careful with.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

If they were fine on a TBSP of BOSS, I would bump her back up. I have one doe, Gofer-it, that leaves all of the BOSS behind in her feeder. She has five kits, but just doesn't want it. :?

 

[garden lady]

If they were fine on a TBSP of BOSS, I would bump her back up. I have one doe, Gofer-it, that leaves all of the BOSS behind in her feeder. She has five kits, but just doesn't want it. :?

I kind of mix with the pellets. I put it on the bottom of the bowl once and they all started digging their pellets out to get to the BOSS, so I started putting it on top and kind of give a little stir.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Mine is all mixed in with the grain I feed- oats, barley, beet pulp, and BOSS. She is the only one that doesn't eat them, and it started fairly recently.

 

[garden lady]

I used to feed barley to the dogs, but cooked. Where do you get beet pulp?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

You can buy beet pulp at feed stores. I get it without molasses when possible, and get the shredded pulp, not pellets (they are too big).

 

[garden lady]

You can buy beet pulp at feed stores. I get it without molasses when possible, and get the shredded pulp, not pellets (they are too big).

I will look for it.

 

[MaggieJ]

I'm a great believer in green feed. Since Lulu apparently handles kale with no problems, I would introduce her to some yummy weeds. Dandelion, plantain, red or white clover, chicory etc. The leaves and twigs of willow and poplar trees are also excellent. Ease her into them if you like the idea. Just a bit or one or two each day and work it up.

 

[garden lady]

I'm a great believer in green feed. Since Lulu apparently handles kale with no problems, I would introduce her to some yummy weeds. Dandelion, plantain, red or white clover, chicory etc. The leaves and twigs of willow and poplar trees are also excellent. Ease her into them if you like the idea. Just a bit or one or two each day and work it up.

She eats a pile of dandelion and clover and other grass and weeds twice a day, twigs from apple tree to chew on. I have a couple of weeds in my yard and I am going to take pictures of to see if it is plantain and another I am not sure what it is. When you give them green feed, how much? I am saying a pile, which is a big fistful twice a day. Should take a picture of that. They all just sit there and eat it until gone. Then, start back on pellets and and when tired lay down and next thing they have hay in their mouth. It is lucky I have them caged up, they would eat the whole town! :shock:

 

[MamaSheepdog]

It is lucky I have them caged up, they would eat the whole town! :shock:

Good thing you captured them before it was too late!

Since they were free-range bunnies, you can give them all the weeds they want- that is what they are used to, so it wont cause diarrhea. Give a few different types of weeds when feeding if possible.

 

[MaggieJ]

Oops! Forgot these bunnies were on green feed entirely a short time ago. In that case, you don't have to worry about quantity.

 

[garden lady]

Oops! Forgot these bunnies were on green feed entirely a short time ago. In that case, you don't have to worry about quantity.

Would it be better I give them more of this and then they will maybe eat less of the pellets?<br /><br />__________ Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:35 pm __________<br /><br />

Mine is all mixed in with the grain I feed- oats, barley, beet pulp, and BOSS. She is the only one that doesn't eat them, and it started fairly recently.

Oats - check
Calf Manna - check
BOSS - check
beet pulp - check - found some but have not bought it yet
barley - check - found some but have not bought it yet

Anymore special fancy rabbit conditioning, feeding secrets? :mrgreen: Just kidding, but I can see I would love showing rabbits. Some kind of competition in me I guess. Guy at the feed store I am sure thinks I lost it. He knows the story of the rabbits and probably wondering if I have 100 yet. Bought 2 different kinds of pellets, now Calf Manna and asking about beet pulp and price of another kind of pellets and come back in and ask if he has hay and what kind of grass hay is it? :mrgreen: I will go read about beet pulp, but what is your reason for feeding it? Would it be something I would want more in winter?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

MaggieJ doesn't feed pellets at all, and neither do I or a few other members. TrinityOaks and I probably feed an equal amount of grain to our rabbits in place of pellets, while MaggieJ feeds much less grain, and feeds mainly weeds and hay.

They may grow more slowly on a more natural diet but that is probably better for the animal. From a production standpoint, not so good!

 

[garden lady]

MaggieJ doesn't feed pellets at all, and neither do I or a few other members. TrinityOaks and I probably feed an equal amount of grain to our rabbits in place of pellets, while MaggieJ feeds much less grain, and feeds mainly weeds and hay.

They may grow more slowly on a more natural diet but that is probably better for the animal. From a production standpoint, not so good!

I will have to read through all the posts and see all the reasons why. Then, also who has their rabbits outside and who lives in colder climates. A lot of reading and understanding. I am trying to remember what my yard is like in the winter. I think I still have some weeds and grass. I know my hollyhocks are green and I think there is grass out there. I know in the spring it looks like my yard is yellow from the dandilions and the neighbor too and he does not use any weed killers. He used to raise rabbits for meat.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Go to the Natural Feeding Forum. There is a lot of good info there.

I stopped using pellets because there can be bad production runs and people have lost their entire herds. MaggieJ stopped using them because she found out there was animal tallow in hers.

 

[garden lady]

Go to the Natural Feeding Forum. There is a lot of good info there.

I stopped using pellets because there can be bad production runs and people have lost their entire herds. MaggieJ stopped using them because she found out there was animal tallow in hers.

Is it common to have bad pellets? I did buy a sack before I even caught the rabbits and was putting it out for them to eat and I got down to the bottom of the sack and there were a couple of big clumps. I looked at the bottom of the sack and it looked like the ingredient tag had been wet before. I threw all of what was left on my compost bins.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Common? No. You know how you hear of bad dog food every once in a while? Same thing applies. The difference is that it isn't affecting just one or two dogs that you own (and will hopefully be able to save with the help of a vet), but umpteen rabbits in your barn that you may have been breeding for years. All that work gone in one fell swoop.<br /><br />__________ Wed Sep 26, 2012 6:08 pm __________<br /><br />The issue you described was due to poor storage at some point during transport, not the production facility. It can be equally dangerous because you may not have noted the water damage to the bag, and mold spores could have spread throughout it. You got lucky!

 

[ZRabbits]

Haven't bought big sacks of pellets as I don't have upteen rabbits, but do make sure of dates and freshness. Mold is very bad for rabbits, and some smell the mold and do not eat. Or even if it's not fresh.

If I was to go that route, I would really need to know what you are feeding. Pellets today are designed to make sure your rabbits get the right nourishment. Bad nutrition can cause issues that are harmful to rabbits. But your rabbits were wild for a time so they have experienced a non-pellet diet.

Take it slow. Read all you can and ask lots of questions. Some greens, like grass, can cause bloating issues. I've had my rabbits for over a year now, pellets are doing well for them. But I have introduced greens very slowly. One green, wheat grass, that I swear by. It does my rabbits good.

It's definitely an interesting concept. But not for every bunny IMHO. Wish you luck if you do try it.

Karen