[nuby]

I just read that rabbits will die of malnutrition if they are not allowed to eat their night droppings. Ii would like to mix my own feed for them; alfalfa, hay, grain, etc., no pellets. How are they able to eat their droppings if they drop through the wire floor of the hutch?????

 

[wynterwren]

Hi Nuby! Welcome to the world of rabbits!

I know it sounds pretty ewwww when you first discover rabbits eat their own droppings......but while it's true they do eat bunny poo--it's not the little bunny berries you see on the ground or in the litter box....They have to eat cecotropes--The rabbit generally eats it right from the cecum--it doesn't necessarily drop.

I'm all for natural grains and my Angora rabbits, get them as a supplement to their pellets. Pellets aren't a bad thing and they do ensure the proper balance of vitamins and nutrients the rabbit might not get from grains--like calcium to prevent issues with malocclusion.. Just be sure to check the nutritional needs of the rabbits you've chosen to raise and go from there..

Best of luck to you Nuby! Let us know how it goes!

Suzi

 

[Jan in CO]

Yes, Nuby, they do. They don't look the same as their regular droppings, they're more like a clump of grapes. You probably will never seen them! Jan in CO

 

[nuby]

Oh, OK. So, they won't fall through the wire. We are starting out with New Zealands ; two young does and a buck, and a pregnant older doe (wish us luck on our first kindling experience!) They are getting pellets right now until we can figure out what and where to get the home-mixed rations. We want to do this eventually because it's cheaper.

Thanks!!