Thank you so much for producing the video. The video is one of the best nutrition videos I have seen. Is there a video for your breeder doe's nutrition?
How can I contact you guys otherwise? I’ve been rearing Rabbits for a little while now,but sometimes I stumble upon some experiences that baffle me....presently my greatest challenge is with feeding and the digestive system....we tend to have issues here in the Caribbean with the heat and the feed ( not at its best with the nutritional values/contents)... i happen to get my hands on a Joe wheeler rabbit pellets and show hutch deluxe for my lops two days ago.....I’m about to give it a try... I think you guys are doing a good job, keep it up and continue being encouraged!👍🏾
I honestly think that hay is vital it is the best thing for preventing GI Stasis as well as teeth problems pellets just turn to mush inside their digestive system
I know this video is old, but this is interesting. We are raising meat rabbits and use a tractor when we wean. We still feed pellets. But it seems like maybe I’m making it harder on myself…curious what you think? I don’t really have cage space at all right now to even wean them to a cage.
I think I may be doing it wrong. I raise meat rabbits and just give them a mix of pellet, boss, whole oats and calf manna, and also a handful of hay. Maybe that's why there's fat gathered up around there kidneys when I butcher. Informative video. Thank you:)
In growing meat pens the BOSS and Calf Manna aren't doing anything for you except making them fat. With the price of the Calf Manna I would definitely cut it out. The only real benefit of the BOSS in a growing kit is to create nice fur. Thanks for watching!
@@SpragueRiverHomestead oh, thank you so much for that. I thought it was like a protein booster to build muscle mass. Glad you told me. Because I cant get a higher protein level feed here, what would you recommend that I add to raise it? Thanks again for the info
@@Constitutionalapologist what percentage can you get? If it's 16% I'd leave it as is and just feed that. They'll grow a tad slower, but for most breeds that's a matter of just days and isn't worth the time or expense of additives.
I'm confused about hay. We protein test our Bermuda hay because it's part of the diet for our cows in winter. Of course, the cattle use those calories as heat to keep themselves warm, being ruminants also. Our hay tests at about 15% protein.
That's really high for Bermuda grass. It more typically tests at 8-10% protein. The biggest issue with hay being a regular part of the diet in rabbits is that the nutritional values vary wildly by species, strain, region, field, and even acre. With such variation it is very difficult to factor it in for a small animal like a rabbit unless you test every bale and make adjustments each and every bale.
@@SpragueRiverHomestead there's something else I didn't know. You are a fount of information. I had always been told that rabbits chew a cud like cows and goats.
Do you add grass from the yard ? I don’t I found that grass from the yard even thou I don’t use pesticides herbicides I don’t thing there much nutrients.
Most yard grasses are more show than nutritional. We feed some of our wild grasses, but mostly just to the adult rabbits as a treat. If we are truly doing a green feeding we use Kale, Collards, Chard or Dandelion. Lots more nutrients there for sure. Thanks for the compliment! We try to keep to the subject at hand unless it's one of our updates. We get a lot of comments about how we talk too much and need to show more "homesteading". 🤷 We do our best, but I refuse to live 24/7 with a camera strapped to me so people can watch me pull weeds and shovel manure 😊
Thank you for all that information. I also have a question about the hay: I do feed alfalfa blocks to all my adult breeders and the grow outs (~2” block per day) as it’s by far neater than loose hay. What are the dangers of too much calcium? I figured the young ones won’t accrue damage before they go in the freezer, and it keeps their fiber needs met. But would they grow faster without it?
Too much calcium can cause urinary sludge and urinary calculi, which can also cause bladder infections. I've heard of sterility and even death in extreme cases. I wouldn't give alfalfa blocks more than 2x weekly for adults. You can usually find forage cubes which are various hay compressed similarly, though they do tend to be more expensive. Honestly though, if you feed a complete feed your rabbits don't actually need them. As far as the juniors go, it does depend on how much they are getting. Most likely the alfalfa blocks won't hurt them, and being higher in protein than most Hays they most likely aren't slowing them down much at all, especially if you are feeding them an 18% feed. If you are using 16% I'd consider ditching them or going down to 2x weekly, especially if you aren't seeing any digestive issues. Thanks for watching
This is such wonderful information. I learned so much! Thank you for this video. My breeder told me to give unlimited alfalfa hay starting at 3 weeks of age to the babies, mom is in there which worried me all along. At 6 days ago (5 weeks of age) I started to notice some very loose stools so I started to separate a few babies from mom 2 at a time at a time to see if it was all or just one. Looks like it was one of our bucks and mom. What a mess in the cage and on the kits. So another question. I know your not supposed to give rabbits a bath, but then how do we get any dried on or even wet loose stool off the fur. This loose stool does stink, which surprised me as the solid poo doesn't smell. Back to the feed, I know that you mention this would be good for meat rabbits, just wanted to see what if anything to do for meat rabbits. We are breeding for meat only for our family and want to make sure we get the best feeding program in place for meat rabbits . As for our available pellet feeds around were I live all of them state this: Crude Protein (min amount) 16%, Crude Fat (min amount) 3%, Crude Fiber (min amount) 18% (max amount) 22%. So are these %'s okay for meat rabbits and adding the other items you mentioned? Any help would be wonderful.
Sorry for the slow response. Somehow I missed your comment! Stinky poo comes back as coccidiosis a lot of time. Have they recovered? I always use unscented wet wipes to clean up rabbits, as bathing them is definitely not a good idea. The pellet feed numbers sound just fine. Stay away from the alfalfa hay (which you've figured out for yourself already). If you choose to provide hay (remember, they don't need it) timothy or orchard grass tends to be your best option.
Can someone tell me more about the whole 4H thing? I live in Europe, and cannot find more about what this is. Just like to know more since i come across the term fairly often in american homestead videos.
4H is a National Youth program oversee by the Ag program of each state and run by County extensive agents. Kids join clubs that are based on different projects - rabbits, poultry, beef, swine, crafts, gardening, etc. Kids learn throughout the year, compete at their county fairs and can qualify for competition to state fair. They learn responsibility, leadership, community outreach, record keeping, etc and can qualify for college scholarships as they get older. Hope that helps answer your question 😊
Thanks for the suggestion! I've suggested to some of our local clubs that the kids go in together to buy and split up a 50# bag from the local feed store.
Thank you so much for this awesome info! My sons are showing 4h fryer rabbits(Californians) for the first time this year. They are required to be under 70 days old. Should I adjust your feeding schedule back a week or so to adjust to this?
Hello. Thank you for the awesome.e video. I have a question that I've been struggling with. How much hay should I be proviso g for each rabbit being it's just empty calories?. My rabbits waste so much.
For adult rabbits, if you are feeding a complete feed, they really don't need it except for when they are molting and can use the extra fiber. Part of the reason they waste it is because they don't need it, so they tend to nibble the best parts and waste the rest. If you want to feed hay anyhow, you'll want to use a hay feeder instead of just putting it on the cage floor, as it makes it harder for them to waste it. Though certainly not impossible.
@@SpragueRiverHomestead thank you so much. I've seen alfalfa blocks for horses. Would it hurt to give Me them I e of those every other day or so instead of hay?
@@Staceysue64 you can definitely use the alfalfa blocks. I don't like alfalfa for rabbits generally as it is too high in calcium, but if you don't give them more than 2x weekly they'd be fine.
@@SpragueRiverHomestead that's awesome, my local feed grainer has a great price on a fifty pound bag of black oil sunflower seeds and I always keep some on hand to feed the birds! Nice to know I can supplement my rabbits with a little now and then!
My kits are 3 and 4wks old. I put hay in the cage to help line the nests cause it was really cold when they were born. The kits have been eating it and mama’s pellets. The kits have poopy butts, but not too bad. I don't usually feed hay to my rabbits. I introduced a few nibbles of rolled oats to see if it will help bind things for them....I'm using a 16% protine feed....thoughts? I can't find your basics on feeding rabbits video. Does vs bucks vs wet does and pregnant....Do you have a link?
Once again thank you for your videos sharing your information. I have a question how do you keep your rabbits cool? Here it’s 102° I gave them gallon jugs of ice and I have a fan blowing. I was thinking on using some misters or swamp cooler but I’m afraid it might give them pneumonia what’s your thought on that?
Great video, good info. I'm one of those farm women that have raised just about everything but rabbits. (had two pet bunnies as a kid, I don't count those, LOL, they were so sweet, but FAT AND LAZY😂😂🤣🤣🤣) Thanks for the lesson. Knowledge is always good. By the way how is your garden doing?? Mine is doing really well getting salad veggies out now. God be with you.
Slowly. We've been so busy I haven't planted much. Kale, Collards, Chard and Spinach are doing awesome. Asparagus is doing fair, and the peas are coming on strong. I did get some radishes planted this week, and the pole beans are just about 6" tall. Potatoes are coming up too. Today I'm planning to do some work in the domes and get some of the tomatoes and possibly peppers out.
Thanks for the great presentation- Just getting into rabbits and this info is timely for me. Any changes?, I do see that this is a t least two years old based on comment age- Thanks again 🤙
Hello, thank you for the video as we are going to be first time rabbit showman in 4h. My question is on the barley and sunflower seeds. Are those amounts added for each feeding twice daily? Or once split twice daily?
Big Like, So adorable Rabbit. Thanks for your video. ❤❤❤ I hope to be your friend sharing daily life with our pets. I am a dad of Silver Poodle and White Bichon here. 😊😊
This is very good. Very informative. Hopefully we integrate some of this into our operation.
When you talk about oats. Do you give them to the rabbits dry? Or add something to them? Thanks!
Just dry. You want to avoid wet feed with rabbits, as molds can set in very quickly, and rabbits are extremely sensitive to molds.
Thank you so much for producing the video. The video is one of the best nutrition videos I have seen. Is there a video for your breeder doe's nutrition?
I haven't done one yet, but coming soon!
Did you ever make that video?
Yes, Nikki made a video titled. what should I feed my breeding rabbits? It was posted one year ago it is 27:41 long.
Vital information,thanks for sharing!
How can I contact you guys otherwise?
I’ve been rearing Rabbits for a little while now,but sometimes I stumble upon some experiences that baffle me....presently my greatest challenge is with feeding and the digestive system....we tend to have issues here in the Caribbean with the heat and the feed ( not at its best with the nutritional values/contents)... i happen to get my hands on a Joe wheeler rabbit pellets and show hutch deluxe for my lops two days ago.....I’m about to give it a try... I think you guys are doing a good job, keep it up and continue being encouraged!👍🏾
We have an Instagram and Facebook page also, or there is a contact email on our 'About' tab on the channel.
I honestly think that hay is vital it is the best thing for preventing GI Stasis as well as teeth problems pellets just turn to mush inside their digestive system
Science doesn't support that. Fiber of 20% is all that is needed, and a quality pellet supplies that.
Absolutely love your rabbit videos.
Thanks for sharing.
Glad you like them!
I know this video is old, but this is interesting. We are raising meat rabbits and use a tractor when we wean. We still feed pellets. But it seems like maybe I’m making it harder on myself…curious what you think? I don’t really have cage space at all right now to even wean them to a cage.
We use grow out pens when we wean. Don't overthink it. Do what is best for your situation.
I just added a bowl of water in my rabbut pen and they drank amd immediately gathered around the food bowl! Thanks!
Amazing how a little thing can make such a big impact. Thanks for watching and good luck!
You can also find barley at most grocery stores by the rice.
Great information easy to understand why not just saying but explaining everything
4H and FFA aside... This was a great video. Thanks for the knowledge. ☺
I think I may be doing it wrong. I raise meat rabbits and just give them a mix of pellet, boss, whole oats and calf manna, and also a handful of hay. Maybe that's why there's fat gathered up around there kidneys when I butcher. Informative video. Thank you:)
In growing meat pens the BOSS and Calf Manna aren't doing anything for you except making them fat. With the price of the Calf Manna I would definitely cut it out. The only real benefit of the BOSS in a growing kit is to create nice fur.
Thanks for watching!
@@SpragueRiverHomestead oh, thank you so much for that. I thought it was like a protein booster to build muscle mass. Glad you told me. Because I cant get a higher protein level feed here, what would you recommend that I add to raise it?
Thanks again for the info
@@Constitutionalapologist what percentage can you get? If it's 16% I'd leave it as is and just feed that. They'll grow a tad slower, but for most breeds that's a matter of just days and isn't worth the time or expense of additives.
@@SpragueRiverHomestead yep, I'm pretty sure that's it. Thank you, this is gonna save me some money. Awesome:)
I'm confused about hay. We protein test our Bermuda hay because it's part of the diet for our cows in winter. Of course, the cattle use those calories as heat to keep themselves warm, being ruminants also. Our hay tests at about 15% protein.
That's really high for Bermuda grass. It more typically tests at 8-10% protein.
The biggest issue with hay being a regular part of the diet in rabbits is that the nutritional values vary wildly by species, strain, region, field, and even acre. With such variation it is very difficult to factor it in for a small animal like a rabbit unless you test every bale and make adjustments each and every bale.
Rabbits are herbivores, but not ruminants like cows.
@@SpragueRiverHomestead true. They aren't going to eat half a square bale a day.
@@SpragueRiverHomestead there's something else I didn't know. You are a fount of information. I had always been told that rabbits chew a cud like cows and goats.
Do you add grass from the yard ? I don’t I found that grass from the yard even thou I don’t use pesticides herbicides I don’t thing there much nutrients.
Buy the way I really like the way you present the info. Just what you are talking about nothing else. To many channels add to much.
Most yard grasses are more show than nutritional. We feed some of our wild grasses, but mostly just to the adult rabbits as a treat. If we are truly doing a green feeding we use Kale, Collards, Chard or Dandelion. Lots more nutrients there for sure.
Thanks for the compliment! We try to keep to the subject at hand unless it's one of our updates. We get a lot of comments about how we talk too much and need to show more "homesteading". 🤷 We do our best, but I refuse to live 24/7 with a camera strapped to me so people can watch me pull weeds and shovel manure 😊
Thank you for all that information. I also have a question about the hay: I do feed alfalfa blocks to all my adult breeders and the grow outs (~2” block per day) as it’s by far neater than loose hay. What are the dangers of too much calcium? I figured the young ones won’t accrue damage before they go in the freezer, and it keeps their fiber needs met. But would they grow faster without it?
Too much calcium can cause urinary sludge and urinary calculi, which can also cause bladder infections. I've heard of sterility and even death in extreme cases. I wouldn't give alfalfa blocks more than 2x weekly for adults. You can usually find forage cubes which are various hay compressed similarly, though they do tend to be more expensive. Honestly though, if you feed a complete feed your rabbits don't actually need them.
As far as the juniors go, it does depend on how much they are getting. Most likely the alfalfa blocks won't hurt them, and being higher in protein than most Hays they most likely aren't slowing them down much at all, especially if you are feeding them an 18% feed. If you are using 16% I'd consider ditching them or going down to 2x weekly, especially if you aren't seeing any digestive issues.
Thanks for watching
Can the hay be alfalfa hay?
No. Alfalfa is not a true hay and is high in calcium. You want orchard, Timothy or just a good grass hay.
@@SpragueRiverHomestead thank you. Great information.
What if i can only get 16% portion feed.
Then use 16% feed. It's not worth the time or trouble to amend it. Use 16% and then follow the rest of the feeding program. You'll still get results
This is such wonderful information. I learned so much! Thank you for this video. My breeder told me to give unlimited alfalfa hay starting at 3 weeks of age to the babies, mom is in there which worried me all along. At 6 days ago (5 weeks of age) I started to notice some very loose stools so I started to separate a few babies from mom 2 at a time at a time to see if it was all or just one. Looks like it was one of our bucks and mom. What a mess in the cage and on the kits. So another question. I know your not supposed to give rabbits a bath, but then how do we get any dried on or even wet loose stool off the fur. This loose stool does stink, which surprised me as the solid poo doesn't smell. Back to the feed, I know that you mention this would be good for meat rabbits, just wanted to see what if anything to do for meat rabbits. We are breeding for meat only for our family and want to make sure we get the best feeding program in place for meat rabbits . As for our available pellet feeds around were I live all of them state this: Crude Protein (min amount) 16%, Crude Fat (min amount) 3%, Crude Fiber (min amount) 18% (max amount) 22%. So are these %'s okay for meat rabbits and adding the other items you mentioned? Any help would be wonderful.
Sorry for the slow response. Somehow I missed your comment!
Stinky poo comes back as coccidiosis a lot of time. Have they recovered? I always use unscented wet wipes to clean up rabbits, as bathing them is definitely not a good idea.
The pellet feed numbers sound just fine. Stay away from the alfalfa hay (which you've figured out for yourself already). If you choose to provide hay (remember, they don't need it) timothy or orchard grass tends to be your best option.
Can someone tell me more about the whole 4H thing? I live in Europe, and cannot find more about what this is. Just like to know more since i come across the term fairly often in american homestead videos.
4H is a National Youth program oversee by the Ag program of each state and run by County extensive agents. Kids join clubs that are based on different projects - rabbits, poultry, beef, swine, crafts, gardening, etc. Kids learn throughout the year, compete at their county fairs and can qualify for competition to state fair. They learn responsibility, leadership, community outreach, record keeping, etc and can qualify for college scholarships as they get older.
Hope that helps answer your question 😊
I don't know if it is possible but with the increase in local brewing I bet they might be able to help you find a good source for barley
Thanks for the suggestion! I've suggested to some of our local clubs that the kids go in together to buy and split up a 50# bag from the local feed store.
Thank you so much for this awesome info! My sons are showing 4h fryer rabbits(Californians) for the first time this year. They are required to be under 70 days old. Should I adjust your feeding schedule back a week or so to adjust to this?
70 days is 10 weeks, so no, you shouldn't adjust. We cover up to 7-8 weeks and beyond.
Hello. Thank you for the awesome.e video. I have a question that I've been struggling with. How much hay should I be proviso g for each rabbit being it's just empty calories?. My rabbits waste so much.
For adult rabbits, if you are feeding a complete feed, they really don't need it except for when they are molting and can use the extra fiber. Part of the reason they waste it is because they don't need it, so they tend to nibble the best parts and waste the rest.
If you want to feed hay anyhow, you'll want to use a hay feeder instead of just putting it on the cage floor, as it makes it harder for them to waste it. Though certainly not impossible.
@@SpragueRiverHomestead thank you so much. I've seen alfalfa blocks for horses. Would it hurt to give Me them I e of those every other day or so instead of hay?
@@Staceysue64 you can definitely use the alfalfa blocks. I don't like alfalfa for rabbits generally as it is too high in calcium, but if you don't give them more than 2x weekly they'd be fine.
white board knowledge! :)
stupid question, should be black oil sunflower seeds be shelled?
Not stupid at all! We leave them shelled. Some of the rabbits eat the shells, some chew them off and spit them out.
@@SpragueRiverHomestead that's awesome, my local feed grainer has a great price on a fifty pound bag of black oil sunflower seeds and I always keep some on hand to feed the birds! Nice to know I can supplement my rabbits with a little now and then!
My kits are 3 and 4wks old. I put hay in the cage to help line the nests cause it was really cold when they were born. The kits have been eating it and mama’s pellets. The kits have poopy butts, but not too bad. I don't usually feed hay to my rabbits. I introduced a few nibbles of rolled oats to see if it will help bind things for them....I'm using a 16% protine feed....thoughts? I can't find your basics on feeding rabbits video. Does vs bucks vs wet does and pregnant....Do you have a link?
Great info, do you feed the 1/16 oats, tsp of black oil sunflower and tsp barley twice a day or once?
what kind of bedding should i use
We recommend wire floors, 1/2x1 inch, 14 or 16 gauge.
If you have solid floor hutches, pine or aspen shavings cleaned daily.
Once again thank you for your videos sharing your information. I have a question how do you keep your rabbits cool? Here it’s 102° I gave them gallon jugs of ice and I have a fan blowing. I was thinking on using some misters or swamp cooler but I’m afraid it might give them pneumonia what’s your thought on that?
We use misters and circulating fans in our rabbit barns to keep things cool.
Sprague River Homestead thank you.
So helpful 👍 thank you
You are so welcome!
Good job girl
Great video, good info. I'm one of those farm women that have raised just about everything but rabbits. (had two pet bunnies as a kid, I don't count those, LOL, they were so sweet, but FAT AND LAZY😂😂🤣🤣🤣) Thanks for the lesson. Knowledge is always good. By the way how is your garden doing?? Mine is doing really well getting salad veggies out now.
God be with you.
Slowly. We've been so busy I haven't planted much. Kale, Collards, Chard and Spinach are doing awesome. Asparagus is doing fair, and the peas are coming on strong. I did get some radishes planted this week, and the pole beans are just about 6" tall. Potatoes are coming up too. Today I'm planning to do some work in the domes and get some of the tomatoes and possibly peppers out.
Thanks for the great presentation- Just getting into rabbits and this info is timely for me. Any changes?, I do see that this is a t least two years old based on comment age- Thanks again
🤙
Nope, no changes.
Hello, thank you for the video as we are going to be first time rabbit showman in 4h. My question is on the barley and sunflower seeds. Are those amounts added for each feeding twice daily? Or once split twice daily?
Big Like, So adorable Rabbit.
Thanks for your video. ❤❤❤
I hope to be your friend sharing daily life with our pets.
I am a dad of Silver Poodle and White Bichon here. 😊😊
Will this also work with Himalayan rabbits?
Himalayans aren't a meat breed, so you don't use them for meat pens.
However, yes, you can do the same things to condition a show animal.
Humm
THUMBS DOWN: time to get a microphone for better audio at 1.5x speed.