Show/breeding rabbit nutrition whatcha feeding?

[dixonsrabbitry1]

My rabbits were on nothing but purina fiber 3(1/2-1 cup a day), grass hay, and grass(when i get the chance to let them out).

Now since this heat wave won't let up any, they are slacking off on the pellets. The bunnies that were eating a cup have dropped to nearly a half a cup. Those that were eating a half seem to be doing ok. So I added some pure fresh grown alfalfa hay mixed with a little grass into the diet. Along with some grain conditioner I have mixed up. my reason for adding that is because I very paranoid about losing rabbits to the bloat like I did last year. They are even picking at the hay, even though its the nice green, stemmy stuff that they normally love. This is first cutting hay. i am giving a small handful in the mornings, and some haven't even finished their off by the end of the night(its normally gone by the next morning). However they are chowing down on the grain, and it seems to be keeping their appetites going.

The grain mixture consists of whole race horse oats, black oil sunflower seeds, and safflower seeds. i plan to add steamed/crimped barley to it this week. And maybe some calf manna.

So what are you guys feeding to keep your rabbits in good health and condition for the shows all year round?

How are your rabbits handling the heat? Some of mine are out of condition from it. Others are just fine.

 

[mistyjr]

Well, I feed my rabbits about 1/2 cup of rabbit chow a day. My dutch boy gets less then 1/2 cup because he was getting over weight on the 1/2 cup. They get a hand ful of hay. Once a week they get Parsley. And I just started putting a pinch of oats in there pellets.. Momma's(already are mommas, or going to be mommas) And the new babies I fill their dishes all the way up..

Finch my REW Wooly hates this weather. When it gets to hott her nose will start to bleed. But they all are eatting fine. But they get a fan and water bottles.

 

[TinysMom]

Hey Janelle....we're supposed to share our "top secret" recipes?

Just kidding...

My flemish are getting the Purina gray bag - and mixed into a 50 pound bag is added 1 whole container (42 ounces) of long cooking oatmeal (uncooked) plus about 1/2 that amount of calf mana.

Mind you - I'm feeding mamas, babies and just some who are growing (my oldest are a bit over a year old).

My hollands and a couple of pets are getting the Purina blue bag - they get supplemented some oats (not sure how much) and a teeny tiny bit of calf mana - as in - they might get one or two pellets per meal.

My lionheads are getting a local brand with the oatmeal mixed in also.

All are getting hay as they wish (within reason - sometimes I may run low on hay).

When it starts cooling down I will be added in sunflower seeds again (black oil) and wheat or barley and possibly a tiny bit of wheat germ as topper to my show rabbits. I don't want the sunflower seeds now because from what I understand - it raises their internal body temp and can cause molting or something like that.

I am surprised - some of my flemish and all of the hollands are doing outstanding right now - a couple of flemish - not so great. Nyx's fur is the softest its ever been.

I don't know about you - but I will be very glad when this hot weather ends. Its hard to want to spend much time playing with them and petting them and stuff that helps me keep track of their condition - when its so hot out!

Good luck with your rabbits.

 

[RAL Rabbitry]

My rabbits get a 1/2 cup of 16% pellets a day and hay. The only rabbits that get supplements are the brood does with litters. They get a teaspoon of calf manna a day and when the babies come out of the nestbox they get oatmeal. When you give alot of supplements you end up with a line that needs them. I want my rabbits to keep good condition without having to supplement them.

 

[TinysMom]

Wow - good point Roger - something for me to think about!

 

[lelanatty]

I agree with Roger too.
My rabbits are on Purina complete formula and get hay occaisionally. When they really need to shine up for a show I will give them a slice of apple about a week before. I am not sure why this helps, but it really does seem to.
That's also one of the resons I really like my ND's. They usually keep themselves very clean and I barely have to do any grooming before I put them up on the table. If they aren't in condition, then I won't show them, and if they don't get into condition naturally, they don't stay around very long.

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

RAL Rabbitry wrote:

My rabbits get a 1/2 cup of 16% pellets a day and hay. The only rabbits that get supplements are the brood does with litters. They get a teaspoon of calf manna a day and when the babies come out of the nestbox they get oatmeal. When you give alot of supplements you end up with a line that needs them. I want my rabbits to keep good condition without having to supplement them.

Very good point. Yep. i agree. i don't feed suppliments unless I have to. Haven't had to do it for a couple of years. But with this weird weather i want to do anything i can to keep them eating good. Yes, tiny's mom I am getting sick of this 85-95 degree weather. Its horrible up here. And my barn is in the shade. There has only been one break since this started. Last year we had all kinds of breaks from it. And to top it off we are getting super bad thunderstorms that have been spawning tornado's left and right. Barn is under lots of shade, though.

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

lelanatty wrote:

I agree with Roger too.
My rabbits are on Purina complete formula and get hay occaisionally. When they really need to shine up for a show I will give them a slice of apple about a week before. I am not sure why this helps, but it really does seem to.
That's also one of the resons I really like my ND's. They usually keep themselves very clean and I barely have to do any grooming before I put them up on the table. If they aren't in condition, then I won't show them, and if they don't get into condition naturally, they don't stay around very long.

That reminds me. I like to give mine crab apple slices as treats now and then. Not very many. We practically have a orchard of dwarf crab apple trees growing in our back yard. Some of them look small versions of apples. They are really good and sweet. The bunnies love them.

One thing that does help bunnies during hot weather is offering heavy duty crocks, metal pans, the plastic ones that hang on the side of the cage, etc instead of water bottles. For some reason I have problems with the rabbits keeping their condition on the bottles, but they do much better with the crocks. I think its because they have better access to them then they would the bottles.

 

[leo9lionheads]

I feed Purina Rabbit Chow Complete (Green Bag)
Morning feed I add some calf manna, black oil sunflower seeds and rolled oats. Then at night they get plain pellets and a handful of hay.

Juniors get a 1/3 of a cup, Seniors get 1/2 cup, Lactating Does get anywhere from 1-2 cups and wean-lings generally get 1/4-1/2 cup a day depending in their appetite. There are a few that get more or less depending on their size and how much they eat as I don't like to have food sitting in my rabbits feeders.