Who needs free choice or per day?

[GBov]

RIGHT! My use of pellets has gone through the roof!

So to reduce it I need to know who needs free choice and who needs per day feeding.

Pregnant does = free choice
Lactating does = free choice

Bucks = ?

Growing kits = ?

Un-bred does = ?

And how much per day per rabbit?

I have NZB, NZW and Mutts so mostly big to large body size.

[Pat Lamar]

Pregnant does shouldn't need free choice... if they get fat, they tend to have difficult deliveries. Lactating does and growing kits need free choice. Bucks, pregnant does and unbred does should have per day feedings. 3/4 to one cup a day or whatever they can clean up within a 24-hour period.

Pat Lamar

[brandkelz]

I have found that each rabbit eats a little more or a little less then another, but they all tend to eat around 1 cup a day. That is for bucks and open does. You can run some fingers down the spine and feel for the backbone. If it is really sharp and can be noticed than feed a little more. If cant feel at all, feed a little less. Now this is with the larger breeds like nzw, cal, etc.

I dont begin free feeding does until they kindle, I might slightly increase their daily ration a little but,only they are trying to break the door down when I come with food. I keep free feeding until the kits are weaned at which I lower the does ration back to normal. Kits I free feed upto butcher or if keeping, until about 6 months and slowly bring them to the normal rations.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

[rags57078]

in the winter here I free choice , yea they are plenty fat even maybe too fat LOL

[SquashNut]

I don't feed any one free choice. I was getting too much waste.
I found if I fed twice a day there was no waste at all, but that is extra work.

[mygoat]

I tell my dad that if there's a nestbox in the cage or more than one rabbit in the cage, they get free choice 18% pellet - this means preggo does get free choice pellet the last 4 days of prengancy until their kits are weaned at 6 weeks.

I feed my silver foxes and NZB's 1 heaping cup of 15% pellet if they are not working. Free choice hay as well.

I feed free choice pellets to meat pens until butcher, and free choice to keeper babies until about 4.5 months old or so.

[missfire]

I have the same isssue with feed usage, I free feed all Pregnant Does & Does w/litters & Kits in grow out pens. Bucks & unbred Does get a measured amount=1 1/2 tuna cans approx.. I have NZ and Cali's.

[scpankow]

I only free feed nursing does, weanlings and grow outs. Everything else gets 6oz per day of 16% feed, free choice hay and some BOSS/oats as treats now and then.

[jwal10]

I don't free feed anything, but I have time to monitor. I feed twice a day, all they will cleanup each time. All the hay they want but also fed twice a day. Free feeding promotes waste, they like to play and push it out of the feeder. I feed in crocks....James

[Mosherd1]

When people say free choice do you mean just load up the hopper with feed or just make sure they always have something in the hopper and never run out?

[lastfling]

To me free choice means that when the rabbit wants to eat, that there's something there for them to eat, no matter the time. Filling the hopper works, unless it runs out between fill ups.

[Falls-Acre]

Free choice is offering as much feed as they want for whenever they want. Limit fed is where you give a specified amount each day. Most rabbits should be limit fed. The only rabbits I free choice are a doe with litter and then the weaned litter until they are split. I may also free feed larger breed youngsters for awhile until they are several months old to maximize their growth potential. Adult rabbits and pregnant girls are ration fed or limit fed according to their breed and body type. Make it a habit to check the back on your rabbits at every feeding and you will find that your feeding regimen will improve. If they need more, give them more. If they need less, give them less.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

I agree with branskelz. I only feed free choice to mothers that are actually lactating, starting at day 4 or 5 after birth. Super newborns aren't taking that much milk.

I also feed juniors free choice from weaning to one pound less than desired senior weight. I am very good at judging body condition. I can look at a rabbit or touch a rabbit and know if it needs more feed or not.

Also, you being in Florida, don't have the issue of cold weather. For the most part, I feed all my mature brood bucks free choice once we get below 20 degrees to stay. If not they lose weight slowly over winter and look rather haggard come spring. Its just too cold here for limited feed.

For grow out groups with multiple animals in the cage, yes I fill the hopper. For my single bucks and lactating does that need more feed, I simply feed double. I guess I call that free-feeding.

I also have a giant angora buck and an english angora buck. I free feed them all the time, because the majority of the feed energy goes into growing hair. Regardless how much they eat, they are always lacking in body condition. They need special supplementation because of that.

I have also started feeding more of a better quality hay to try and stretch out the feed, and I have been putting more effort lately into selling more show quality juniors to help offset the feed bill.

My current feed bill is around 150-200$ a month, just for rabbit feed. Was a fraction of that a year and a half ago. Ouch!

[mysticklobo]

Originally Posted by lonelyfarmgirl

I also have a giant angora buck and an english angora buck. I free feed them all the time, because the majority of the feed energy goes into growing hair. Regardless how much they eat, they are always lacking in body condition. They need special supplementation because of that.

What protein level are you feeding the angoras? I have English, German and Hybrid (mixture of German/French/Satin/Giant and English) and they get 1 cup of a 16% feed daily and then a 30% alfalfa/70% grass hay to eat. They are all in excellent condition and have full rich coats. I'm in the process of plucking/shearing all of them right now. Here is a picture if one of the hybrid bucks:



We also have Jersey Woolys and Lionheads. Still working on getting the rex over here from my friend in Houston. She is falling in love with Agave.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

the feed is a 16%. I wouldnt use any less than that. my tans would be skeletons! I feed an alfalfa grass hay also and sometimes a solid red clover hay, probably twice a week. They do have rich full coats, they just always seem a little less than what I want physically, but then again, I am comparing to rex. the body type is the same. they arent unhealthy or starving nutritionally.

[scpankow]

Wow Betty! That is one big ball of fur! LOL

[GBov]

I actually called my mum in to see the picture of the giant tribble lol.

[mysticklobo]

I've noticed that some lines of angoras don't see to fill out completely, just like some lines of other breeds don't. You might have some that will always be rough and not fill in like they should.

[mysticklobo]

Thanks!! That is Cloud, he is 39.875% German Angora/28.125% French Angora/25% Satin Angora/7% Giant Angora. He is the main herd buck for the hybrid line. I have a daughter out of him that isn't quite a year old and will be having her first litter this winter, she was bred to him last Saturday, as I want to see if I can get some more chinchillas.

[Haven]

How much of a measuring scoop would you feed and full sized Champagne or Cali meat rabbit per day? My Champ buck always acts like he is starving if i don't free feed him. He runs laps around his pen knocking over dishes and pounding on his gravity feeder each time I come out to feed. His weight is normal, but if I free feed him he will gorge on pellets and oats, etc. I'm glad spring is coming so I can start adding more greens.