The Homesteader's Way of Feeding Rabbits

[BarredBuff]

As a goal for 2011, I would like to produce some of the rabbits's feed in one form or another. I am gonna grow a little field corn and some BOSS for them. For a couple of days I have been giving the buns some apple tree branches. Any other branches they can eat? I also am going to make some yard hay for them this summer. Do they like fodder? Can they have oat, wheat and alfalfa sprouts? Any suggestions?

By the way I have three adults right now, but Im going to keep another female out of my three babies.

 

[miss_thenorth]

http://www.ontariorabbits.org/hot_topics/hint_7.html

That site might help a bit. I have not exclusively fed rabbits forage, but my grandfather did, when he was raising his family. I feed pellets year round, but in the spring/summer/fall, I hav alwasy supplemented my bunns food with clipping from the ditch. I would go out there with the hedge trimmers and clip the tall grass and weeds, and jugive some to the bunns. Also, twigs and such from some sucker trees that grow near here. Just remember that if you are switching to forage from pellets, to do it gradually as bunnys bellies are quite sensitive, and they can die from toxicity due to too much fresh greens.

According to my dad, my grandfather used to forage for three seasons, as well as castings and weedings from his garden. In the winter, they got hay and veggie scraps from supper.

There are lists online tht tell you which plants are poisonous /toxic to rabbits. Once youget familiar with them, you should have no problem foraging and gardening for your bunns.

 

[BarredBuff]

Okay Thanks!! I am going to gradually get them off pellets. Im still going to use pellets just not as much.

 

[tortoise]

I do some foraging for my rabbits. The quantity of fresh grasses and leaves is huge to maintain my rabbits. It's almost impossible for me to keep up. I'll still keep trying.

 

[CrimsonRose]

Feed the corn stalks to the rabbits they love them! Same with Sunflower leaves and stalks! Also Feed them weeds! Some of rabbits all time favorites are weeds... Plantain and Dandelion are 2 common yard weeds that mine go nuts for... and they are super nutritious! Rabbits do better on grasses than they do with the grain itself... So if you do grow grain... just keep the "hay" left over for the buns! feed some BOSS and corn during extreme cold spurts to help them add a tad of fat for heat and you should be good to go!

Late summer and fall my buns live off of the garden scraps... typically I'm canning like crazy at this time... So all my tomato tops and such go to feeding the buns!

 

[BarredBuff]

How many do you have?

 

[BarredBuff]

Oh and how long would it take to get them used to fresh vegetation?

 

[CrimsonRose]

I have 15 adult rabbits and I think about 18 babies (I know way too many... LOL but a few the kiddos keep as pets)

getting bunnies used to fresh veggies is easy... just start with a few pinches of greens... give them that for a few days... then just keep adding too it... They need to build up bacteria in their bellies that help digest the fresh stuff... so takes about a week or two before they can basically have all they want to eat...

Most people say to NEVER give a baby bunny fresh greens and if they are away from mom and on their own I will agree... But the way I introduce babies to greens... is while they are still in with mom... about 2-3 weeks old... I will add a pinch of greens to the nest box with them to nibble on... just make sure you give some to mom as well... She will make the bacteria to digest it and give the babies the bacteria as well... so they will not get sick from it! Just do it slow and in little batches... then by the time they are weened from mom they are used to the greens and will do fine on their own with them!

If you get a new bunny from someone who feeds only pellets then wait till the baby is several months old and then slowly introduce the greens... otherwise they can't digest them and will get diarrhea and can die if feed too much...

Fruit is different from greens as well... so make sure it's given in small portions at first... let them build up the needed bacteria to digest it...

 

[BarredBuff]

Okay thanks!! Ive been giving them some greens most of the week. I need to treat them today with some stuff. Is brocoli poisionous?

 

[CrimsonRose]

No broccoli or anything that's in the garden you eat is good for the buns!

I had broccoli planted in my garden this summer and one rabbit got loose and ate the whole batch of broccoli and cabbage in my garden! so yeah they love it!