Which hay for my rabbits?
- Thread starter Boo-Boo's Mama
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #42
I found this while reading on the internet some months back...is it good advise?
Calf Manna is a very notorious addition to the doe's diet after they kindle and are nursing their young (2 tablespoons/day while nursing). It also is very good to give 1 tablespoon/day to the young kits when they start to eat on their own, it increases weight gain by 15% and make the meat taste sweet. Limit giving to Does that are resting between litters and Bucks to once a week. Be sure to feed in separate dish as they will dig all the food out of dish looking for it.
Calf Manna is a very notorious addition to the doe's diet after they kindle and are nursing their young (2 tablespoons/day while nursing). It also is very good to give 1 tablespoon/day to the young kits when they start to eat on their own, it increases weight gain by 15% and make the meat taste sweet. Limit giving to Does that are resting between litters and Bucks to once a week. Be sure to feed in separate dish as they will dig all the food out of dish looking for it.
Never tried Calf Manna myself but I hear it's good!
Boo-Boo's Mama :
I found this while reading on the internet some months back...is it good advise?
Calf Manna is a very notorious addition to the doe's diet after they kindle and are nursing their young (2 tablespoons/day while nursing). It also is very good to give 1 tablespoon/day to the young kits when they start to eat on their own, it increases weight gain by 15% and make the meat taste sweet. Limit giving to Does that are resting between litters and Bucks to once a week. Be sure to feed in separate dish as they will dig all the food out of dish looking for it.
I think it's excellent advice. I love Calf Manna. It's a miracle conditioner if you have rabbits that tend to stay on the lean side, or if your does lose condition badly while nursing, or if you have rabbits that go through very difficult molts. I don't think it's needed if your rabbits are doing ok on maintenance, but I think the above is good advice. I also would definitely recommend following the advice about feeding it in a different dish! You do NOT want to create feed scrabblers!
The only downside is that Calf Manna comes in a 25# bag (at least in my area) and costs around $20. If you have very few rabbits, a bag may go bad before you can use it. If you know anyone else with rabbits, you can split a bag, or you can do what I do...feed it as a good high protein treat for your chickens, too.
I found this while reading on the internet some months back...is it good advise?
Calf Manna is a very notorious addition to the doe's diet after they kindle and are nursing their young (2 tablespoons/day while nursing). It also is very good to give 1 tablespoon/day to the young kits when they start to eat on their own, it increases weight gain by 15% and make the meat taste sweet. Limit giving to Does that are resting between litters and Bucks to once a week. Be sure to feed in separate dish as they will dig all the food out of dish looking for it.
I think it's excellent advice. I love Calf Manna. It's a miracle conditioner if you have rabbits that tend to stay on the lean side, or if your does lose condition badly while nursing, or if you have rabbits that go through very difficult molts. I don't think it's needed if your rabbits are doing ok on maintenance, but I think the above is good advice. I also would definitely recommend following the advice about feeding it in a different dish! You do NOT want to create feed scrabblers!
The only downside is that Calf Manna comes in a 25# bag (at least in my area) and costs around $20. If you have very few rabbits, a bag may go bad before you can use it. If you know anyone else with rabbits, you can split a bag, or you can do what I do...feed it as a good high protein treat for your chickens, too.
- Thread starter
- #45
Quote:
I'm wondering if you could freeze it and use as needed?
I'm wondering if you could freeze it and use as needed?
Boo-Boo's Mama :
Quote:
I'm wondering if you could freeze it and use as needed?
I do know folks that keep it in the freezer. That should work if you have the space, I don't.
Quote:
I'm wondering if you could freeze it and use as needed?
I do know folks that keep it in the freezer. That should work if you have the space, I don't.
- Thread starter
- #47
Quote:
In Alaska you don't have a place to freeze it.
Now that I have all the ice bottles out of the upright freezer, I do have room but next summer will need the space again so the chickens and rabbits don't have problems when we get in the 100's.
In Alaska you don't have a place to freeze it.
Now that I have all the ice bottles out of the upright freezer, I do have room but next summer will need the space again so the chickens and rabbits don't have problems when we get in the 100's.
Quote:
This is very bad, I have seen it myself with a nursing doe.
As soon as I took that nasty alfalfa away, it cleared up.
DO NOT feed your rabbits "legumes", like alfalfa, clover, soybean, peas, etc . . .
Do feed your rabbits grassy hays like orchard, timothy, oat, rye, rice, wheat, vetch, irrigated pasture, etc . . .
Look on your local CL, thats where I find mine and its cheap, feild-fresh, and long-stemmed.
You want to find 2nd cut hay, as it is more fibrous than 1st cuts, and more nutritious than 3rd/4th cuts.
Dont be afraid to ask questions, people that grow and sell hay will be more than happy to discuss quality with you, and the good ones will give you a flake to take home and try for free.
Feed stores charge about 2-3x the price they get it for, and the pet stores with their puny stale bags are a joke . . .
This is very bad, I have seen it myself with a nursing doe.
As soon as I took that nasty alfalfa away, it cleared up.
DO NOT feed your rabbits "legumes", like alfalfa, clover, soybean, peas, etc . . .
Do feed your rabbits grassy hays like orchard, timothy, oat, rye, rice, wheat, vetch, irrigated pasture, etc . . .
Look on your local CL, thats where I find mine and its cheap, feild-fresh, and long-stemmed.
You want to find 2nd cut hay, as it is more fibrous than 1st cuts, and more nutritious than 3rd/4th cuts.
Dont be afraid to ask questions, people that grow and sell hay will be more than happy to discuss quality with you, and the good ones will give you a flake to take home and try for free.
Feed stores charge about 2-3x the price they get it for, and the pet stores with their puny stale bags are a joke . . .
Last edited:
- Sep 24, 2010
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moderation is the key to feeding anything, even pellets.
Alfalfa and other legumes are good for a rabbit if they are fed in moderation. feed only very small ammounts to get the benefits needed. If overfed they can cause calcium deposits, but only if fed in large ammo0unts.
The same applies for BOSS and Calf Mana. these are high protien fatty foods that can cause problems with obesity if fed in large ammounts. Feed no more than a tablespoon per rabbit if you feed these foods.
Feed treats and green foods in moderation as well.
Just keep a handle on ammounts and your rabbits will be just fine eating these feeds. Alfalfa is good if fed in moderate ammounts and BOSS is bad if overfed.
It all depends on the AMMOUNTS.
I've found that Soy bean Meal is very good for rabbits. I like it better than calf mana.
Try Walmart. I've seen calf Mana in a ten pound bag there.
Alfalfa and other legumes are good for a rabbit if they are fed in moderation. feed only very small ammounts to get the benefits needed. If overfed they can cause calcium deposits, but only if fed in large ammo0unts.
The same applies for BOSS and Calf Mana. these are high protien fatty foods that can cause problems with obesity if fed in large ammounts. Feed no more than a tablespoon per rabbit if you feed these foods.
Feed treats and green foods in moderation as well.
Just keep a handle on ammounts and your rabbits will be just fine eating these feeds. Alfalfa is good if fed in moderate ammounts and BOSS is bad if overfed.
It all depends on the AMMOUNTS.
I've found that Soy bean Meal is very good for rabbits. I like it better than calf mana.
Try Walmart. I've seen calf Mana in a ten pound bag there.
I will never feed my rabbits Alfalfa no matter the amount, just isn't worth risking.
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