Feeding lactating does

Sabine · Apr 26, 2010

I am currently free feeding Pearl on pellets as she is nursing a litter. She loves it but can't be bothered to eat her cecals. You can imagine the state of the hutch especially as she isn't spending much time in the run right now. Should I cut back on pellets although she is nursing as she obviously is getting too much?

tonyshuman · Apr 26, 2010

I have always heard to never cut back on pellets for babies, pregnant moms, and lactating does, whether they eat their cecals or not. However that is not practical experience at all, just what I have read. It's true that the cecals have a lot of good nutrition in them, but it may be better for them to eat more pellets than cecals while in that growing/feeding stage because of the extra calcium from the pellets.

bunnybunbunb · Apr 27, 2010

Well... I use to free feed. When I was using crappy Purina the does where eating two cups a day and still boney. Now with Manna Pro I feed pregnant does 1/3 a cup twice a day, does with babies between newborn and two weeks get half a cup twice a day and does with older babies get around two cups a doe. Of course I adjust to the needs of the litter size, moms and growth of babies. Free feeding really is not healthy, IMHO.

polly · Apr 28, 2010

Depends how many kits you have Sabine 1-2 feed around twice what you normally feed plus unlimited hay plus any veggies she is used to. More than 2 and I usually feed almost a full bowl though once the babies are out of the nest and eating themselves I start free feeding as the babies need the food to.

Sabine · Apr 28, 2010

One has two and the other one 3 kits. The one with the two kits is making the worst mess so I may be overdoing the pellets? They both feel rather skinny though.
I have also started adding alfafa hay and some oats and sunflower seeds.
Pearl (the one with the 2 babies) has started refusing the least liked pellets in her food. I assume what she does eat is too rich then? They do have two other types of hay (timothy and Meadow) apart from the small handful of alfafa.

pamnock · Apr 28, 2010

Rabbit Production recommends a gradual ration increase after kindling until full feed is reached.

Since some of our lactating does over eat, we don't necessarily give lactating does full feed.

Lactating humans require about a 25% increase in caloric intake (approx. 500 more calories a day). On full feed, I gained a lot of weight when nursing LOL