Which commercial feed for best growth

[EagleViewRabbits]

I am looking for anyone's recommendations on percentage of protein for meat rabbits. What do you use?
I am struggling with my local feed store about their feed. They had a "store brand" that had 16% protein. Now they are switching brands because of "restructuring." I went for almost 2 weeks on a 13% protein because that was all they had. I had one litter born too early and lost all.
Then store offered another brand that is 15%. I am really not happy, but can't afford to drive 50 miles for feed once a week or so.
I can get a Purina 18% protein, but it is about $4 a bag more expensive. They have offered to bring it in if people would buy it. I suggested they talk to other customers who buy their feed and get their opinion.
Even if I drove to Olympia, I only have one other feed store to buy from.

 

[Prisma]

I know it is a long drive, but you may want consider making a one a month or once every two month trip to get feed if you can get quality feed else where. I do that, I drive an hour and half (little over 60 miles) to get feed one way. Usually I try to make it so I get groceries and other supplies at the same time so its not just a "feed" trip.

 

[EagleViewRabbits]

Rebel.Rose, thank you for your comment. My problem with stockpiling feed is storage. I do not have a secure place that I could store several bags at a time. I also have a severe rat/chipmunk/squirrel, etc. problem so have to store my feed in metal garbage cans.

 

[Miss M]

It is possible that the increase in cost of the 18% Purina would be offset by a reduction in amount eaten. Since you can't adequately store feed, I'd press to see if they would get that in for you as a special order, even if other customers aren't interested.

 

[skysthelimit]

I have the same problem. Can't store, and frequently have no form of transportation.
I'm up to three metal cans, and I got one of those hard carriers that go on top of vans, to store extra bags on my porch.

the lowest I've gone is 15%, Slow growth. 16% is the lowest I would want to go.

As Miss M suggests, see if you can get them to order.

 

[ottersatin]

Hello EagleView,
Howmuch feed are you purchasing at a time?
I would suggest that you purchase no more than your rabbit will eat within three months.
After that time, Rabbit feed will lose it's nutritional value.
18% is a good feed and you will end up feeding less while also helping your rabbit
to ingest enough feed to help maintain warmth in the winter months.
their stomachs are only so large. Any feed that your rabbits will eat and afford them
the ability to maintain condition and health is the best feed choice.
In the end you will be culling your rabbits to their feed.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[bowbuild]

First where are you? Olympia Wa.? If you are I would suggest Excel feed out of Tacoma Wa. you can buy right from the manufacturer there. It is 16% and of all the feeds I have tried I get the fastest weight from this feed. Pm me if you need more information.

Bowbuild

 

[silver0202]

Am I the only one that has a problem with feeding regular rabbit pellets that are treated with fertilizer and are most likely GMO?

Modesto Milling certified organic rabbit pellets is what I use. Plus by heavily supplementing with self-sprouted fodder with organic grains from Azure Standard I keep my feed cost down.

 

[skysthelimit]

Am I the only one that has a problem with feeding regular rabbit pellets that are treated with fertilizer and are most likely GMO?

.

Nope, but I can barely get rabbit feed as it is, and fodder feeding is out of the question for me, for so many reasons.

 

[Celice]

I give my rabbits straight up alfalfa and timothy hay from local people. To me it just seems like they do better, they seem to enjoy it more too. I have some picky eaters when it comes to pellets and some of my kits this year just don't seem to like it, but with the loose alfalfa they are pigging out.

I know the farmers and most of them don't use fertilizer because they are small business owners. try to find some alfalfa in your area and just see how your rabbits like it, every bun is different in likes and dislikes

 

[Zass]

Am I the only one that has a problem with feeding regular rabbit pellets that are treated with fertilizer and are most likely GMO?

.

Nope, but I can barely get rabbit feed as it is, and fodder feeding is out of the question for me, for so many reasons.

For many of us East coasters, being able to get organic pellets in consistent supply for any quantity of rabbits is really hard.

We're sometimes struggling with high prices and supply problems on even lower quality national brand pellets like Purina and Manna pro. The nearest organic supplier is 2.5 hours away from me. Through the mountains, and it's a farmers market order-and-pickup type thing. It wouldn't even be available in winter, even if the drive was feasible.
Trust me, I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to make it possible.
I finally did source some unsprayed grass hay, and it's even for a good price! Only $4/bale.

I have also been looking around for an organic alfalfa and grain supplier for a few years now...but I haven't met with much luck.

 

[BC Belgians]

Raising rabbits should really be about the conversion of cheap/free low food value forage into a valuable food (meat). The way to do this should not be via direct feeding of expensive protein to grow muscle. They are not carnivores.

Although a mono gastric animal, the rabbit relies heavily on volatile fatty acids and proteins created in the cecum by bacterial fermentation of cellulose. A high forage (roughage, fiber, cellulose) intake can support a large gut flora population which produces large quantities of volatile fatty acids for energy and plenty of protein for growth and cell repair. Rabbits eating a low protein, high fiber diet consume more cecotropes, and cecotropes are 30% protein!

Rabbits forage for food. Their entire physiology is adapted to be eating all the time. They eat low food value forage and rely on nutrients provided by bacterial fermentation in their hindgut which they ingest via cecotrophy or "pseudorumination".

So, in some way you are not feeding the rabbit directly, but you are feeding the bacteria in the rabbit that feed the rabbit.

Many successful, long time rabbit raisers swear by LOW protein pellets, but you MUST increase the overall fiber intake at the same time. You could offer more of the low protein pellets, but by far the cheapest way to feed rabbits is with offering an unlimited amount of hay (grass/ alfalfa) and by cutting fresh grass.

I am not a long time rabbit raiser, but I have very good results feeding my rabbits a 16% pellet with unlimited grass hay and supplementing them with a small amount of oats and sunflower seeds. In the near future I will try and replace the rabbit pellet with a straight alfalfa pellet in order to raise my rabbits organically.

That being said, I have heard that commercial meat rabbits may have been selectively bred so highly for performance in cages on pellet that those breeds may not excel with natural approach.

 

[wildeden]

I feed a 18% protein feed. Aside from pellet nutrition and protein levels, another thing to consider is the growth of your breeding stock purely due to their genetics. Note the fastest growers in your upcoming litters and their weights compared to other littermates. Best of luck!

 

[Featherhoof]

I use Purina pro 18% pelet with lots of garden greens In the summer, wheatgrass fodder and Timothy hay in the winter when I don't have enough garden stuff to share.

 

[wamplercathy]

I was looking at rabbit feed at Orscheln. They have several bun feed I was eying these 2: (1)16% Rabbit Pellets - 40Lb. Bag Country Lane- 40Lb. Bag, Model #: 33015, SKU #: 109502823,for $12.49. (2) Manna Pro Select Series Rabbit Food 16% - 50 Lb. Bag, Model#: 0046902150, SKU #: 101330925, for $16.49. If it were yall which would you buy for your herd. opcorn:

 

[ckcs]

I like Manna Pro. I use the Gro formula 18%. Cost me $20 a bag out the door with tax. Cost about $2 a bag more than their Pro formula. I've been using Manna Pro for a year or two and have been pleased. I have a fellow breeder that had a problem with quality control. He keeps finding corn in the bags. I have not had that problem.