What type of hay/grass is this? Pics included*

[Ben]

Hey everyone,

I have a very small meat rabbit operation with 2 does and a buck in my back yard. I am feeding Purina Pellets right now, along with timothy hay and some occasional fruits. I am looking to find an alternative that I can find in the wild that they will eat so I can lower my pellet usage. Here are pictures, its near a river and there is tons of it, ones a close up and ones a longer shot. If anyone has any clue if this would be ok to feed let me know! Thanks in advance.

 

[akane]

Trash from my opinion. I don't care what it is it's been left way too long and sunbleached to uselessness. There's no nutrition left in that and it's too dry to really ID a type very well. Maybe if you got pics of it before it dried and especially while standing upright. It would need to be cut far sooner to be useful.

 

[arachyd]

You want something that's been cut while green and only dried enough to keep it from getting moldy when stored or baled.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

I second Akane's opinion--in order to properly identify a grass, one needs to know how tall, see the flower and seed head as it hangs, see how leaves branch off the stem--
Since you are in a house, with a back yard-- you could get some seed for oats, alfalfa, orchard grass, wheat etc-- and grow small plots of your own. Doing this, you can 'harvest' all summer long for fresh feed, and even dry some as hay. Oats and wheat should be 'hayed' prior to the seeds maturing- Wheat stems are a fresh green food only-- as dried wheat stems are straw...

 

[MaggieJ]

I agree with what the others have said, but if it is clean and not dusty/mouldy it could be used as bedding/litter if your rabbits are in a colony set-up or a communal pen on the ground or in a shed.

 

[Ben]

Thats what I was thinking in the back of my mind, but I still had to ask to make sure! I guess the only thing left would be to use it for hay for the nest box? Would that be do-able? I appreciate everyone's quick and honest responses!

@Frosted Rabbits: I do have a yard and space to grow small plots, thank you for the advice. Would you happen to have any more information on growing your own small plot? I will research it and see what I can come up with. Any idea how long it would take to actually get feed off the plot? I may not be living here much more over a year, so if it takes a long time I dont think it will be worth it.

 

[RunninMI]

Personaly would not put that in boxes with it being that dry it will be more of a danger. I personaly would just put a layer of woodchips or sawdust in the box the doe will pull fur to make a nest.

As for the hay as previously stated its no good for hay this year. but i have a simmilar plant/grass in some fields around here they bale it for horse and cattle hay so i would say if cut and collected properly it would be fine. It isnt gunna be as nutritional as like timothy or clover etc but it would work

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

@Frosted Rabbits: I do have a yard and space to grow small plots, thank you for the advice. Would you happen to have any more information on growing your own small plot? I will research it and see what I can come up with. Any idea how long it would take to actually get feed off the plot? I may not be living here much more over a year, so if it takes a long time I dont think it will be worth it.

it really doesn't take long for seeds to sprout and the plant to get tall enough to use for a small animal operation. You can even plant seeds in small tubs/ containers for winter greens. turnips can be planted in the late summer, and mulched well for winter time food in the north. For grasses to be nutritious, one wants to cut them back before they go to seed. After seeding, all nutrition leaves the stems and leaf.

So, plant a few square feet in say, oats-- and when the seed is just forming, cut it down half way, feed then, or dry for hay and feed later. You can try the deer food plot packages for a variety of rabbit safe food in a small area. Anything you grow in the garden for yourself, and that is safe for rabbits, can be shared-- I dislike beets- but love the greens. If you have a few rows of corn-- after you pull off an ear, pull the stalk and dry it like hay-- Shuck the ears before cooking- feed the husks to the rabbits.. All kinds of ways to grow, in a short period of time, food for rabbits!!~

 

[MaggieJ]

I guess the only thing left would be to use it for hay for the nest box? Would that be do-able?

No, I wouldn't use it in nest boxes. I use the very best, softest grass hay in the nest boxes and tunnels. Baby rabbits begin nibbling while still in the nest and I want them nibbling on something good for them. It's the very first step towards weaning and it happens just around the time their eyes open.

 

[ottersatin]

I would never use Sawdust in any rabbit cage and most certainly
not in a nestbox. Doing so is only asking for trouble.
Kits and adults will breath in the sawdust causing/creating
breathing problems and can lead to the death of the rabbit.
I would use shavings and a good quality grass-hay.
But the choice is up to the breeder.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[RunninMI]

].
I would use shavings and a good quality grass-hay.
But the choice is up to the breeder.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

thats what i ment ottersattin thanks for catching my mistake

 

[hoodat]

I favor orchard grass for nest boxes. It's almost all leaf and no stem so you have less trouble with eye injuries.
I've recently been planting millet/milo where I need fast greens for rabbits. It's ready to start cutting in only two or three weeks. I just toss out the chepest bird seed I can find in the store. As a bonus I often wind up with some BOSS mixed in. It also makes good greens if you don't want to wait for it to hed up.

 

[ridgerunner1965]

im by no means a expert but what i have been feeding mine that they like is mostly turnip greens. they are easy to grow.however in the heat and lack of rain we are haveing i have to water them every day.i planted wheat grass in the fall and they liked that a lot this spring.i also planted turnips in the spring and they have done well till the heat came on.i have later plantings of turnips that are comeing on but needed water to germinate.im getting ready to plant maybe a acre of turnips, rye and sugar beets for fodder for the fall and winter.ive never tried the sugar beets before but expect them to be a lot like turnips.i wont feed the roots just the tops.it takes a lot of forethought ive found to keep yur herd healthy and in greens they like.its goin to be kind of a struggle for the next month dry as it is till my greens come on. they will have to live on pellets and whatever i can scrounge up for greens.