Feeding Meat Rabbits Pt. 1: Overview of Rabbit Feeds, and How to Feed Pellets

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What should you feed your meat rabbits? Should you feed pellets? If so how much? Can you feed a more natural diet to rabbits? Is hay necessary for meat rabbits? In this video, I discuss the basics of feeding meat rabbits and go into detail on what you can and can't feed a meat rabbit, and how to feed pellets.
This is part 1 of the feeding meat rabbit series.
Part 2 discusses the different types of hay that you can feed your rabbits which you can watch here: • Feeding Meat Rabbits P...
Part 3 talks about feeding rabbits a diet without pellets, and more natural feeding methods which you can watch here: • Feeding Meat Rabbits P...
Also check out my full playlist on feeding meat rabbits for more details on different feeding strategies, types, and uses: • Feeding Meat Rabbits
Thanks so much for watching!
I hope you guys enjoy the videos and if you are looking to help spread the word, please consider liking, sharing, and subscribing.
If you want to help the channel even more and get something for yourself, check out our Patreon!
patreon.com/WestMeadowRabbits...
As always if you have any questions or suggestions please leave a comment below and I will answer!
You can also visit us at www.westmeadowrabbits.com
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:50 Commercial Pellets Overview
3:04 Different Types of Hay and Their Uses
4:35 Fresh Greens, Wild Forage, Food Scraps
5:55 Adapting Rabbit Diets to Your Circumstances
6:55 Things You Should never Feed Rabbits!
8:35 How Much to Feed, Recap, and Closing Thoughts
#meatrabbits #homestead #sustainablefarming #hay

Опубликовано:

3 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 91

@jennamillsap8220 3 года назад

7 Thumbs down by people who don't like that he's raising them to eat. (shh don't tell them that they are a major part of the food chain in nature)

@mdb1239 Год назад

What is astonishing (at least to me), is that rabbit meat is not sold and consumed everywhere in the US (sold at Walmarts,, Whole Foods, Krogers/Safeways, etc). But it isn't. Rabbit meat (the one time I ate it) is delicious and tasted just like chicken -- it was very good.

@westmeadowrabbits Год назад

It's also much more sustainable and has a higher protein content than chicken. Its not sold because big ag and the US gov collude together. They subsidize cheap grain winch makes chicken less expensive than it really is, and use marketing and regulations to block out/demonize competition.

@Africa1000 6 месяцев назад

It's actually better than chicken!

@jacquelineb5060 3 года назад

This is an amazing video! I can tell I’m learning from an experienced and thoughtful person.

@westmeadowrabbits 3 года назад

Thanks so much I'm glad I can help!

@raeastrea5203 2 года назад

Wow, thanks for all the great info, really appreciate it =) I just got my rabbit cages set up and I am super excited to get started. With this info I feel I can dive in right away, thank you!!!

@westmeadowrabbits 2 года назад

I'm Glad you found it helpful! Good luck!

@conniepitts8392 7 месяцев назад

@@westmeadowrabbits What's your opinion on hay cubes????

@westmeadowrabbits 7 месяцев назад

@@conniepitts8392 Nothing wrong with them, but they're usually more expensive per pound then baled hay. If you prefer to feed hay that way and don't mind the cost that's fine.

@strwbryparfait3889 2 года назад

What a great video! Thanks! I look forward to watching the other ones, also.

@guyward3928 3 года назад

Nice explanation. I going to watch the rest of them. I’m looking forward to seeing them

@binipoof4153 3 года назад

Good comprehensive and moving in a sequence

@wilson-nm5ok 3 года назад

Loved the video and the information offered🤝🏽🙂

@faithbuller4086 3 года назад

Good basic information. Good job 👍🏼

@hobojuanita7756 2 года назад

Only took a minute for me to like and subscribe to this guy. I just wish he would quit trying to hide what he's really feeling in his gut, and thinking by saying just joking. But I get it... Don't want to scare off the gulable and blind from liking and subscribing...and don't want to be shadowband by RU-vid. Your a smart young man. Don't change....the rest of us are getting what your saying any way.

@jjhdarklight007 3 года назад

Great video! Only one I found covering these topics from this perspective.

@westmeadowrabbits 3 года назад

Glad you find it helpful!

@williamstephens3805 2 года назад

Brilliant, glad to come across this

@squizzyicetea 2 года назад

This has been super informative 👏 thank you 😊

@westmeadowrabbits 2 года назад

I'm glad I could help!

@darthtaiter Год назад

Great advice and info.... much appreciated. I'm planning on keeping meat rabbits and the whys and wherefore of what you just taught me were very helpful.... Subbed 🙂

@shannonlatrise 2 года назад

Thank you for this!

@charleencnossen9930 Год назад

Very good. Thank you!

@lukewang4396 2 года назад

very very great job. thank you so much.

@harrisfamily3754 3 года назад

I have found that it is best to use a pellet form hey products. and mix it in with your regular pellet feed less waist and last much longer

@adonaizedek8966 3 года назад

Thanks for the information Greetings from UGANDA Looking forward to beginning a rabbitry.....3 rabbits to begin with Collecting all the information I can

@westmeadowrabbits 3 года назад

Good luck! Some viewers from Africa told me rabbits are booming over there so I'm sure you will do great!

@tomprice2501 4 месяца назад

Great video, I grew up in Rhodesia and successfully bred New Zealand whites, blacks, California and other varieties. I also bred guinea pigs to keep most varieties of snakes away. I would use a clay pot like a Kromatof (spelling) to cook my rabbits, in fact I had 3 pots, one of cooking chicken, one for rabbits and the other for for bread and bread pudding. Never clean these pots with detergents, only use lemons and water back in the oven to remove fats, especially chicken. Important to soak your clay pot and the lid in water for 30 / 45 minutes, put your rabbit in with carrots beans peas potatoes onions celery , herbs like Oregano parsley Tyme and other herbs of your choosing. Don’t put any water in your cooking process, because you will that your pot will have a wonderful natural gravy flavour from your vegetables and rabbit.

@suzannebazeghi5698 3 года назад

thanks a lot it was very usfull info i havr plan to start my homesteading and one of my animall would be rabit and alsoo your a good teacher you used simple word that is usefull for a lots of imigrants like me .i pray for your heaith and happienes.

@westmeadowrabbits 3 года назад

Thanks so much that means a lot! Be sure to let me know if you have any questions or requests.

@jeanbergeron4112 2 года назад

Love the videos

@reginacarroll8149 2 года назад

Thank you

@HelenEk7 Год назад

Good and informative video. Greetings from Norway.

@westmeadowrabbits Год назад

Thanks for watching!

@Lumbasi_E 2 года назад

Awesome 👍

@siviwemusubi2233 6 месяцев назад

Wow that's great

@backyardfarmingaroundbyfa1059 3 года назад

Nice video

@brudleyarcellana1159 3 года назад

Thank you for sharing..new fren here

@VideoconferencingUSA 8 месяцев назад

Nice job, regarding rabbit tractors in the yard. I have a lots of weeds here in South Florida. Some breeders are saying don’t do tractors here because of the parasites they will pickup. I’m more worried about the weeds.

@westmeadowrabbits 8 месяцев назад

Parasites can happen, but most are carried by manure. If there aren't to many wild rabbits in the area and you move the tractors every day, you shouldn't have any issue.

@junipersue 6 месяцев назад

I don’t think you’re exaggerating….. 🙄

@lorrainerussell6049 Год назад

❤❤❤

@celebvoncelebrus4429 6 месяцев назад

When we had meat rabbits in Eastern Europe we used to give them hay and dry bread during the winter. Never fresh one, but like dry to the stone level. Outside the winter mostly green grass, red beet, trimmings from kitchen and some pellets. After seeing this amazing channel, I started to think about to reintroduce rabbits to my backyard. But back to the Q, do you think dry bread is not appropriate food for the rabbits?

@westmeadowrabbits 6 месяцев назад

My family from Greece does the same thing. I think it's ok if you aren't feeding pellets.

@naturally_danii 3 года назад

Rabbit tractor = 80% savings on food, better quality of life 👌🏽

@carlclark1036 Год назад

Will you add an episode featuring your rabbit tractor?

@westmeadowrabbits Год назад

It's in the works, but wont be out till next summer.

@andrealosinger3866 2 года назад

Thanks for the info! I've seen a lot of breeders adding rolled oats to the staple pellet diet. Do you recommend using oats?

@westmeadowrabbits 2 года назад

In my mind, if you're feeding a good quality pellet, its totally unnecessary.

@backyardfarmingaroundbyfa1059 3 года назад

Supporting each other here. Keep it up

@stacyclark5910 4 месяца назад

How about grow out bunnies once they are weaned? Is it good to tractor them to ‘harvesting’ weight? Garden greens or willow tree hay for grow out bunnies? Thanks!

@westmeadowrabbits 4 месяца назад

Yes and Yes!

@Dchase32 Год назад

Thank you for all of your videos! Do you feel 4-h market rabbits should be on 18%? Or are they okay on 16 or 17% as long as they are gaining weight properly? Also, have you noticed a difference in muscle gain with different brands of feed, or is this mainly genetics?

@westmeadowrabbits Год назад

Feed is one of the more controversial subjects in the rabbit world. Genetics are critical, but feed will determine whether a rabbit reaches its genetic potential. In my mind quality ingredients and consistency in the feed formula is more important than brand. 16% is not ideal for grow outs or pregnant mothers, but fine for maintaining non breeding adults or bucks. Protein and calorie content determine muscle growth, so going with a cheaper (lower protein feed) will reduce growth rates. However that could work if you're feeding a lot of protein/calorie rich foods in addition to pellets (like black locust/clover/alfalfa). Unfortunately there's no one size fits all. You need to look at what resources you have, your budget, and your goals, and go from there. Hope that helps. Sam

@Dchase32 Год назад

@@westmeadowrabbits sure does thank you so much

@haileybogan4440 2 года назад

I didn’t realize until I watched this video that the manna pro im feeding is only 15% protein 😳however the only other thing I can get is 16% ts brand. Unless I ship in food which is going to get expensive. Is there anyway I can bump up my protein without switching feed? (They also get Timothy hay) thanks ❤️ also what about feeding boss? (Black oil sunflower seeds)

@westmeadowrabbits 2 года назад

At the end of the day the best feed for meat rabbits is what is available! 16% is standard for bucks, and and rabbits over 5-6 months that aren't breeding. Feeding 16% to Does with litters is not ideal, but they won't die. It will just take more feed and won't produce as fast growth rates and condition. Boss is a good source of calories, but not protein, as they are mostly fat. That best easily available source of protein is Alfalfa, which is the main ingredient in rabbit feeds. You can get it at feed stores. As far as "fresh" plants, you can't beat black locust which I talk a lot about on the channel. Keep in mind that high protein feeds also have lots of calories, so don't feed to much to rabbits that aren't growing or breeding. Hope that helps!

@ceepark114 Год назад

❤I have a couple of does that started to dig their pellet feed out of their feeder. They are bred and will have their kits in less than a week. Could being pregnant be a reason they are wasting their pellets? I've seen this behavior with the kits once they start eating solid food.

@westmeadowrabbits Год назад

Does especially pregnant ones have an instinct to dig, so that could be it, or the might just be bored. Are you using hanging feeders? If they aren't eating their pellets right away you might want to cut back on feed. I only free feed after the litter is born.

@mikeriverajr4447 3 года назад

i have a question that i can't seem to find any where. my rabbits that i use to have as well as my brother still has , has always fed them fresh hay as well as horse pellets which are either pure natural timothy hay or a Timothy alfalfa mix and nothing else, they have always seemingly done pretty well on this and from my understanding is a all natural diet since its pure hay in both a pellet form and regular form . . . so my question is? is this wrong? i see so much more things in a rabbit feed, which are potentially questionable. while with the horse pellets its literately has only hay as its one ingredient. would love to have your insight on this. . . we also use calf manna as a occasional supplement/treat to them another side note: my rabbit that i had a long time ago actually died after i tried feeding her commercial feed, i question whether it was a bad food or just that she was so use to hay and hay pellets and then transitioned to a commercial feed.. im about to get back into breeding and am not sure whats the best choice

@westmeadowrabbits 3 года назад

That's a really awesome question. I am going to make a video soon on reading a rabbit feed tag which should go over what's in the feed. The short answer is that I don't see anything wrong with feeding just horse pellets. Especially a timothy alfalfa mix is going to give them plenty of energy and fiber. For a good rabbit feed, it will balance fiber and energy sources as the primary ingredients. Most of the ingredients will be for those two purposes. The other ingredients is to offer trace minerals, probiotics, and vitamins. While your rabbits will survive fine without these I generally find that the commercial pellets cover all your bases, and eliminate the need to supplement. In all likelihood your rabbit probably died from switching to quickly to a new feed. Their digestive systems are very sensitiv3e and that is a major switch. In the end feeding horse pellets is probably fine as long your ok with slightly slower growth rates. Just make sure you supplement where appropriate (leafy greens, vegetable scraps, tree leaves, etc.). If you do use horse pellets id use one that has at least some alfalfa in it. At the end of the day let your rabbits be the guide. If your happy with how they are doing then you should be good.

@mikeriverajr4447 3 года назад

producer pride ingredients Ingredients: Wheat Middlings, Sun Cured Alfalfa, Ground Rice Hulls, Rice Bran, Whole Pressed Safflower Seed Solvent Extracted, Calcium Carbonate, Ground Corn, Cane Molasses, Salt, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Manganese Sulfate, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide, Zinc Sulfate, Basic Copper Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3 Supplement

@westmeadowrabbits 3 года назад

@@mikeriverajr4447 This stuff is vitamins and minerals: Salt, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Manganese Sulfate, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide, Zinc Sulfate, Basic Copper Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3 Supplement These are fillers for fiber: Ground Rice Hulls, Rice Bran Wheat Middlings The corn should not be in there and alfalfa should be the first ingredient so I would not use this feed.

@johnliberty3647 9 месяцев назад

I am interested in meat tabbits because manure is tainted with aminopyralids which destroys garden.

@westmeadowrabbits 8 месяцев назад

Rabbit manure is awesome for the garden!

@mizzyz7275 3 года назад

I live in Jamaica, there isn't a bunch of hay, but we live on a farm, my dad as acres and we have a bunch a grass, can we feed my rabbits grass?

@westmeadowrabbits 3 года назад

Yes you can! Hay is just dried grass, but rabbits also love fresh grass!

@mizzyz7275 3 года назад

@@westmeadowrabbits thank you, also after a while the grass gets dry so I think it's good, I'll definitely keep ur suggestions in mind

@calamaridog 3 года назад

You can make delicious jerk rabbit when you prepare them

@mizzyz7275 3 года назад

@@calamaridog I don't want to eat them, I have them as pets and for selling the babies

@be.ndover Год назад

what is a good mix to make pellets ?

@westmeadowrabbits Год назад

Making a balanced pellet is extremely complicated, time consuming and expensive. You would be better off buying pellets, or feeding an entirely non pellet diet. If you are going to formulate a diet without any pellets, you will need to do a lot of research which is beyond the scope of my expertise. I don't recommend it unless you have a lot of time on your hands.

@be.ndover Год назад

@@westmeadowrabbits im going through a $100 a month in pellets so last year i picked up a pellet machine i calculated i could save $1000 a year if i make my own but no clue on a good mix ratio. i was thinking i could just mix a few things together and it would be easy but now im thinking it would be cheaper to just go to the store and buy myself the food and skip the animals completely. not to mention how hard it is to judo chop rabbit kill my rabbits lol trying to get some one to kill for me is hard to

@westmeadowrabbits Год назад

@@be.ndover A store would always be cheaper, so saving money is not really a good reason to get into meat rabbits. Nothing about making your own pellets would be easy, but you can supplement heavily to save on the amount of pellets you use, which is something I cover extensively on the channel.

@logiic8835 2 года назад

How profitable is the meat rabbit market in the US?

@westmeadowrabbits 2 года назад

In the US not profitable at all in most places. I have a video about it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-l-c0vJhZvEk.html

@logiic8835 2 года назад

@@westmeadowrabbits perfect, thanks

@nphare 2 года назад

Ah yes, the famous unit of measure, the tuna fish can.

@morningmystfarm2017 7 месяцев назад

Ok, so I'm curious!! You said don't feed them poison ivy.... I'm a goat person, and goats LOVE poison ivy. Can you please explain why it would be bad for rabbits? (Not that I'm going to plan on harvesting THAT and bringing it to them anyway 🤣)

@westmeadowrabbits 7 месяцев назад

I've never heard of rabbits being able to eat poison ivy, but I wouldn't want to bring it to them either! That's what goats are for!

@morningmystfarm2017 7 месяцев назад

@@westmeadowrabbits Goats certainly enjoy it. I'm sure sheep eat it too, which is why I wondered why it might be toxic to rabbits.... Guess it's time to do research😎

@rooteddeephome 2 года назад

Know anything about roasted soybeans?

@westmeadowrabbits 2 года назад

I know its common in chicken feed, but I probably wouldn't feed it to rabbits. It would be to rich for them (to much protein and calories, not enough fiber). There are cheaper ingredients that they would do better on.

@rooteddeephome 2 года назад

@@westmeadowrabbits We have access to abundant supply of non-gmo soybeans and a roaster. Wasn’t sure if that would do well for them in a mix. Also have access to other things like alfalfa hay, wheat berries, rye, and other grains. Several farmers in the family raising diverse crops. We are more familiar with raising pastured chickens and do a special blend for them, I think it’s Joel salatins mix recipe with some vitamin and mineral supplements. Haven’t come across a good go-to for rabbit feed yet. Maybe I need to get that book you mentioned. Want to have our rabbits in tractors and found a breeder who has been raising them that way for many many years.

@westmeadowrabbits 2 года назад

@@rooteddeephome You could definitely get way with it if they were mixed and pelletized. Here is a link to the feed tag of the feed I use: blueseal.com/product/home-fresh-top-hutch-18/ You can see that soybeans are a main ingredient, but it is primarily alfalfa and Wheat Middlings. Alfalfa provides plenty of calories and proteins, while the wheat middlings provide fiber. The rest of the ingredients are mostly for vitamins minerals, and other trace nutrients. They key with rabbit food is to make sure the ingredients are evenly mixed and in some sort of pellet. Rabbits will pick out the things they like and ignore less preferable items leading to imbalances in their diet. If you've got a lot of proteins and calorie rich foods like alfalfa and soybeans. They key will be balancing it out with plenty of fiber from grass hay or something similar. Having them in tractors will greatly help with fiber and micro nutrients. They will graze aggressively and the weedier the field the better!

@troybuckley7600 6 месяцев назад

Great info you always seem so annoyed in your videos though when your explaining things haha

@westmeadowrabbits 6 месяцев назад

I gotta work on that. I usually make these things in response to people spouting a bunch of BS that needs to be corrected.

@jamesstephens6941 Месяц назад

Good info. Your hands pounding the table is annoying and distracting.

@kevywilliams3304 Год назад

Commercial Pellets are grain.. Gmo junk !

@westmeadowrabbits Год назад

Quality pellets have little to know grain, mostly byproducts from processing. The main ingredient is usually alfalfa. In any livestock feed you will have GMOs. Unless you have access to non GMO feed which will cost two or three times as much, and even then, there is no way of guaranteeing it is 100% GMO free.