The Footsteps Stud Feeding Plan...

One of the most common questions that I am asked is about feeding rabbits…what food to buy, how much, where from etc BUT the one questions I am never asked but is extremely important is….HOW do I feed my rabbit?

Because this question is forgotten about, later on I am told of feeding troubles –tummy problems, bunny not eating all of his food etc.

 

I have to add though, I have not completely solved feeding issues here with my own rabbits until this year –it has been a lot of trial & error, trying to get the feeding & diet right for a happy, fit & healthy rabbit. Now that my feeding system at home is sorted, I thought it would be a good idea to post here all about the feeding of the Footsteps rabbits :- ) That is…what, where and HOW :- )

 

So, the first thing is HAY….and lots of it! Even though my rabbits have tried lots of different pellet/mix feeds, the one thing that has always stayed the same with my rabbits is lots of hay and this to be available all of the time. A lot of people feed hay from hay racks which, yes, are a fantastic idea because they keep the hay clean and fresh plus have the advantage of encouraging the rabbit to eat the hay slowly, in turn preventing boredom. BUT a lot of rabbits love having a big pile of hay in their cage to sit on, throw about and run in and out of (especially the bucks!) so the best thing to do is offer BOTH a hay rack AND a pile of hay in the cage :- )

 

Hay is FIBRE which is vital for aiding digestion, keeping the teeth in good shape and also one very important thing…preventing boredom & keeping the rabbits occupied. Fresh, quality hay should be on offer to your bunny at all times but I will go through the feeding routine here in this blog entry.

 

So, although I listed hay as first, really, another extremely important part of feeding is WATER…and again, lots of it! It’s vital for life that rabbits have fresh, clean drinking water available at all times (make sure you change the water at least once a day but keep checking the levels throughout the day) via a purpose-made bunny drinking bottle. BUT some rabbits don’t like using the bottles so then the best thing to offer is a ceramic, non-tip drinking bowl. The only thing now is you have the problem of the bowl becoming filled with hay/bedding by accident or running low on water or possibly the rabbit getting wet! So, keep the bowl to a small size to stop the risk of the rabbit being able to sit or fall in the bowl. To solve the problem of the water possibly running low or becoming contaminated –offer BOTH a bottle AND a bowl :- ) Then, the bunny has the option of both :- )

 

Okay so hay and water are sorted…what about concentrate feeds? This is a topic that many people are quite confused about and I admit it has ‘confuzzled’ me over the years with so much to think about. So, the mixes/pellets available are endless…so many different types and all having different benefits and varying levels of quality. Of course, you want to feed your rabbit the best possible feed available but if you have more than one rabbit then feeding the highest quality concentrates available becomes an extremely expensive shopping trip every week.

 

I have always wanted to be able to afford the best quality feeds available because I know that feeding the best really does have endless benefits. Obviously every good rabbit owner wants the best and aims for a fit, healthy & happy bunny but I have had to think more so about this because I have breeding and show rabbits so that means rabbits that are stud bucks, pregnant & lactating does, rabbits that require that extra sparkle for the show table and growing youngstock. As well as those needs to fill, I also have retired older rabbits aged 5 years old plus and they require a special diet too.

 

So, with lots of different dietary requirements that is all part of owning lots of rabbits……WHAT SHOULD I FEED THEMMMMM???!!!! OMG :/ lol –that’s what I used to think because there was so much feed available to me but I wanted something that would meet the needs of them all without the system being complicated.

 

So, since 2007, they have all been through lots of different foods because I just haven’t been able to get it right! The main problem was that the rabbits weren’t eating what I had bought them –some of my rabbits are divas and will only eat the best food! Others just have their preferences and will simply turn their noses up at anything they don’t like the look or smell of!! It’s true….rabbits have likes and dislikes just like us humans do!

 

I have to add here that changing feed from one to another is NOT a good thing and even though I admit I have changed feeds a lot, I have ALWAYS changed the food over carefully, over a period of a few days to let their tummies adjust to the change of food. This is extremely important with young rabbits & lactating does so please keep this in mind if you have found yourself needing to change concentrate feed to something new but I’m hoping to help solve your problem!

 

So, I am sure you have come across the pellet vs mix debate? I’m sure you will have done –what is best…pellets or mix?! Ah, what a drama that is. I myself have never been able to make up my mind over ‘what is best’ until recently. Now what about the problem of feeding a mix but the rabbits leave the bits they don’t want or don’t like? So then, you swap to a pellet option but the rabbits get bored of it because it’s all plain & boring? Yep, I’ve had that problem too believe it or not!

 

Right…..so, think about my other theories and solutions to offering both in the form of water bottles AND bowls…hay racks AND a pile in the cage? What about applying this theory to concentrate feeds too? Offer BOTH pellets AND mix? Could it work? YES….BUT you have to now think of the vital question……HOW DO I FEED BOTH?

 

I have always kept in mind that a rabbit’s digestive system is just about the same as a horse’s digestive system and as I have always owned/worked with horses…I have horse feed at home. So, recently we bought a new brand of horse food that came with a new suggestion –soak the food and mix with chaff (a horse forage/fibre feed) instead of feeding it dry. Ah! A new idea! But…why?

 

Well, when food is eaten and digested, it swells throughout this process and I think it is thought that soaking feed before offering it is aiding and improving digestion because the swelling up of the food is done BEFORE it is eaten.

 

There are many more benefits to soaking food before offering it as well –it looks better in appearance, it smells better, the consistency is the same as it goes like a mash, it encourages better chewing & eating as the food is soft/moist and easy to eat. So, for me, this was it! SOAK THE FOOD to make a bunny mash! :- )

 

I did wonder whether the rabbits would like the food or not but…..they absolutely LOVE it! I had the problem before of rabbits not eating a mix but finding pellets boring and not interesting. One other thing that was restricting my choices was the cost of the feeds – it seemed that just because a feed was made for rabbits that the companies selling it could just throw on an extremely high price.

 

So, I was planning to feed my rabbits like my horses by soaking the feed but what about actually feeding my rabbits HORSE feed? Sounds crazy but…really, it’s actually not! It does make sense as a rabbit’s digestive system is the same as a horse’s. PLUS, there are so extremely high quality horse feeds available that are CHEAPER than rabbit feeds!

 

I looked endlessly at the horse feeds available and chose Allen & Page Stud/Youngstock Cubes because I wanted something to meet the needs of my breeding/young rabbits. This feed, I have found, is also suitable to meet the demands of my show rabbits and my older rabbits. FANTASTIC :- ) So, I have chosen that feed that suits me at HALF the price of what a top branded rabbit feed is.

 

I have chosen the cubes rather than the mix because I wanted the horse feed to be more like a supplement to the diet for my breeding/show/young and older rabbits so I also buy a basic rabbit mix that has all the required vitamins & minerals for rabbits but adds variety to the diet –it is not expensive to buy but adds variety to the feed by being a mix. This stops the diet being boring with just cubes (cubes which are like pellets –plain & boring!).

 

Of course, I know not everybody has breeding/show or young rabbits and not everyone may require a stud/youngstock specialist feed but if you have more than one pet rabbit you can still do exactly the same –you can buy a basic rabbit mix and then buy a fibre cube for horses –something like Allen & Page Quiet Cubes. You can buy the Allen & Page feeds online as well as being able to buy basic rabbit mixes online too.

 

As well as the basic mix and the horse cubes, I also buy a bag of ‘Hi-Fi Lite’ chaff –this is a huge bag of forage/fibre feed for horses. It last for a very long time and a small amount is added to the feed when soaking it. You can also buy this online or from a local horse feed supplier.

 

All you have to do to store the feeds is to do a 50/50 –half mix to half cubes. Do the 50/50 in a large storage tub. Now find a smaller tub that has an air-tight lid –a tub that keeps food fresh. This smaller tub is for soaking the feed. 

 

So now to soak the feed……if you have 2 rabbits, find a normal sized coffee/tea mug and put 2 full mugs of feed into the air-tight tub, next, add 2 mugs of water and mix in one mug of chaff to the feed & water. Now leave to soak for a few minutes…it should only take about one minute until it is fully soaked.

 

Next you need to work out how much your rabbit requires per day – I feed two meals a day because this is better, I think of it like us as humans –we like three meals a day and as rabbits like little & often as well, it is only right to feed them twice a day with the constant availability of hay being the ‘third’ meal.

 

If you get a normal-sized coffee or tea mug, a Miniature Lop/small breed rabbit will require about one mug per day –so half a mug of SOAKED feed per meal. A French Lop/large breed rabbit will require about two mugs per day –so one mug of SOAKED feed per meal. Those amounts are about right for the pet rabbit, breeding rabbit or older rabbit. A young/growing or lactating rabbit will require double. Now, I know it may sound like quite a lot BUT you have to think that the feed is soaked now.

 

All you have to do now is feed your rabbit the right amount of soaked feed :- ) He should love it and now the problems have been solved (but remember to introduce new feeds slowly, over a period of a few days) –no more leaving bits of mix, no more being fussy, a settled tummy and no more boring pellets!! :- )

 

The best thing to do is to make the soaked feed up fresh every morning. One extra thing you do have to remember is to wash the feed bowls every day to keep them fresh & clean. But, now you should start to see an improvement –all the food should be eaten but that is only if the amount is right –if you rabbit is still leaving food, cut down the amount a little bit.

 

Don’t forget about exercise –your rabbit needs regular exercise time every day- out in the run or in a large space to keep fit, healthy & happy :- ) Make sure you have a good feeding routine so your rabbit feels secure and knows when to expect feed. At home I have the following feeding routine:

8am – Morning soaked feed / waters changed

12noon – Afternoon hay / waters checked

5pm – Evening soaked feed / waters checked

8pm – Night hay / waters changed

 

I don’t like feeding hay with the morning soaked feed because I prefer for them to be left to eat their feed and then be given hay at lunchtime but then they have hay at all times after this. It works for my rabbits –remember about WORMING too. De-worm your rabbit with ‘Panacur 2.5%’ liquid every three months –about 0.5ml for a Miniature Lop and 1ml for a French Lop. This will help your bunny to be extra happy & healthy :- )

 

I am also asked about bunny treats & vegetables/fruit feeding – as a rule, I don’t feed fruit or vegetables to my rabbits. This is simply out of preference and my rabbits have never been fed either, I worry too much about it upsetting their tummies and prefer for them to stick to soaked feed and hay. BUT, I do often feed bunny treats or Weetabix is a favourite for my rabbits –sometimes Rich Tea biscuits too! Not lots, just occasionally as treats –they do love them! :- )

 

My rabbits are also fed Dodson & Horrell Dried Grass with the lunchtime hay, I class this as a treat too but part of the diet, they love it! :- ) Fresh grass is also available when my rabbits go outside for exercise but I always ensure the grass is not too rich because this, again, does upset tummies. I often hand-pick fresh grass for them all to eat or to put in the exercise runs for them to nibble on.

 

So, there you are…..that’s the Footsteps Feeding Plan! :- ) I hope this has given you some ideas and something to think about :- ) Any questions…feel free to email me: [email protected]

Charlotte :- )