I have watched all 3 parts of this series, I've raised rabbits for about 7 years and this is one of the most informational series I have seen! I just found your channel and I love it!

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much that means a lot! I am glad you are finding it useful!

Actually there isn't a lot of info on the internet, because most of it is regarding keeping a rabbit as a pet. And the bulk of it boils down to "only pellets are safe" and "take the bunny to the vet". For example I can't find anywhere whether rabbits may or may not eat potatoes, or why if they shouldn't. So yeah, videos like these are very helpful, I'd watch a longer one for sure.

Comfrey leaves are 18% protein and my willow trees go a long way towards reducing my feed bill. Both of these plants are easy to propagate and tough to kill. Here in north Idaho we’re surrounded by wild rose bushes and the rabbits eat those leaves as well.

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

Agreed!

@wachobsealey2

2 ай бұрын

We have just planted 75 willows and my husband often mentions putting comfrey in our yard. 😊

The cost of feed is still rising, and I'm having a hard time finding hay that's not contaminated with persistent broadleaf herbicides. Those herbicides (supposedly) don't harm animals but it stays in their manure, meaning it's no good for use in compost for the garden. So this information is tremendously valuable to me, thank you.

Our rabbits love mulberry stems and leaves, wild grapevine and sweet potato leaves. Here in Florida we have some kind of weed year round to feed the rabbits. I'm going to look into the Black Locust to see if it grows here.

@westmeadowrabbits

9 ай бұрын

I would think it would, I'm pretty sure it is native to the South of the US originally.

I know this is an 'older' video series. I watched all three after just finding your channel tonight. I am researching raising rabbits for meat. I've got the space and other resources living in a very rural area. I'm hoping to begin raising rabbits in the spring of 2024. Quite simply, I want to know at least as much as the rabbits themselves before I ask them to depend on me. Enough babble... :) I want to thank you for the mention about dandelions. My neighbors are sometimes not happy with me because I allow them in my lawn. But they never turn down my dandelion wine. I haven't made that in a while as alcohol doesn't play well with my meds. I also use the leaves for salad and the stems can add flavor to bone stocks. I'm glad to find out rabbits enjoy them as well. I should have figured that out as there are some wild rabbits around here also

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! It's very smart of you to do the research ahead of time. It will save you time and money. Pretty much all common yard weeds are great for rabbits!

@falcolf

4 ай бұрын

I love dandelions too, they're such an underappreciated wildflower amd bees adore them.❤

@tomprice2501

3 ай бұрын

My rabbits love the bark of guava bushes as we had these bushes growing wild along bush paths between villages, 3 leave clover, in fact anything on the ground

I have like 4 volunteer mulberry bushes in my yard that I've tried to kill for years. This year, I specifically let them grow unmolested because I just received my breeding trio of silver foxes!

Thanks for a very well done three part series! I just ordered the book you recommended. I'm not opposed to feeding pellets but where I'm at in Brooklyn NY, the only organic pellets I can find are $50 for a 50 lb bag. If I'm growing my own meat, I'd like it to be top quality (but not $10/lb to raise). A video on how you run your tractor system would be appreciated if you get a chance/have the inclination!

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! That's very steep for pellets! Since your in an urban area I wonder if any local restaurants would be interested in giving you vegetable scraps? If done carefully they can form a large part of the diet. I will make a video on the tractor soon, but the obvious disadvantage is that they don't work in the winter!

@cynthiarothrock4255

2 жыл бұрын

Your math is wrong. $50 for a 50 pound bag is a single dollar per pound. $10 a pound would be $500 for a 50 pound bag. Your welcome for the math lesson.

@christ9359

2 жыл бұрын

​@@cynthiarothrock4255 He's referring to the cost of feed per pound of rabbit meat, genius.

Plantain tea works great for poison oak rash. Plantain also works for a good anti parisite for sheep.

@westmeadowrabbits

5 ай бұрын

That's really cool! Thanks for sharing!

I have eaten Plantain growing wild in our yard. It is delicious and our rabbits love it too. It is also call 'White Mans Footprint" because it is found in areas that people walk.

Excellent video, thank you for the great information!

A great video, per usual! Thanks for the tip on the book!

Awesome info on raise rabbits !

Great video’s lots of good info I am learning lots thank you

You are Awesome! Your info is straight on and usable with out the all the extra fluff talk. I love you!

Really good video series. Thank you for sharing the title ofthat book. We will be getting into raising meat rabbits soon!

@westmeadowrabbits

Ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

This is a great 3-part series, thanks for sharing!

Great video thanks

Thanks for sharing your knowledge! I'm just getting started with rabbits, and this series was very helpful

Great info

Good series of videos. I'll definitely be watching more of your content.

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Great info. Also for lactating does you can give dill, dandelions, and fennel.

Great info thanks

These are incredible videos. I really wish I had something like this when I started. Great work, sir!

@westmeadowrabbits

Ай бұрын

Thank you very much!

Just found your channel and it has some of the best information out there that I’ve found

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

Thanks I'm glad I could help!

Wow, your knowledge is impressive.

@westmeadowrabbits

7 ай бұрын

Thanks! I learn more everyday.

Love the series! Keep the videos coming!!

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! Any requests?

@YoooItsRex

3 жыл бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits no requests off the top of my head. Just keep putting out stuff you think is relevant and I’ll keep watching! Just got my first pair of rabbits last week.

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

@@YoooItsRex Thanks! Good luck!

Awesome! I have plenty of plantain, maple leaves and will have apple prunings in the near future. Thank you so much!

@westmeadowrabbits

7 ай бұрын

Your rabbits will be happy!

You are the man

Cool!!!! I’m a weed eater too. Tree hay? Never heard of it. We have a lot of black locust trees here in the mountains. Great video

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

You can't go wrong with black locust. Feed it all summer!

You said a mouthful about gravitating to Twinkie’s and other sugary foods!! It’s not our original instinct though because those “Frankenfoods” didn’t exist 100 years ago. As humans, we have tons of information but don’t necessarily do the best thing. Thanks again for a great video!

Sassafras! Mine lived the sassafras this year. In the summer they didnt like the mulberry leaf stems, but just offered it last week and they gnawed the stems right up. Maybe because its winter and there is less to choose from. I appreciate the tip on black locust, I didnt even think of that one. Very nice videos, thank you

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

I've heard of feeding sassafras form others, seems like a good option if you have it. They always get less picky in the cold!

another great book I bought in sequence of buying "Beyond the Pellet" (by your suggestion): Keeping Poultry and Rabbits on Scraps by Penguin great videos by the way, the best I've watched, very very informative! a shame that you stopped posting!

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

That sounds like a really interesting book, I will have to check it out! Don't worry I've got a lot of good videos coming out soon!

I started giving my rabbits small portions of sweetgum tree, just new growth, stems and leaves. They love it. It has some medicinal properties, so I only feed it once every week or two in hopes that it works as a preventative and helps keep them healthy. I've been doing it for a while with no noticeable issues.

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

That's the best way to introduce new foods!

Love your series. I purchased Beyond the Pellet a couple months back. I'd love your input on willows. I'm looking to order some cuttings.

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

I had a little trouble with growing willows, but that is likely from neglect on my end. Wild willows are fantastic sources of fodder. I have extensive amounts of black locust that I pollard, so that is my primary source of fresh fodder.

Thank you for these very informative videos! I had no idea black locust was so great, I thought they were just aggressive weeds.

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

Yea they are amazing. Rot resistant wood, excellent substitute for oak firewood and building, very fast growing, nitrogen fixing, tons of high yield flowers for pollinators, and nutritious leaves. Its the dream tree.

My rabbits love floribunda rose limbs and leaves as well as raspberry canes and leaves.

You can also feed them bananna leaves, if you live in the most southern areas of the US and can grow them. Rabbits love the actual bananna, but just give them a bite, rarely and only as a treat.

Thanks

Thank you! Just bought two does from you who are settling in. I love your information on alternative feeds in addition to standard feeds and I'll definitely look into the black locust tree. Do you think other livestock could use leaf hay (horses, sheep, cows, etc)?

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear the does are doing well and thanks for watching! Leaf hay has been used for millennia in cold climates as the primary source of nutrition for livestock, sometimes exclusively. I know cows, goats, sheep, and rabbits can live off of no problem. Horses are a little trickier. I have heard locus, which is fantastic for most livestock, can be problematic for horses. So leaves are good for all livestock but I would be cautious with horses and check with an expert before feeding them leaves. Otherwise FEED LEAVES!!

@blankablueboy1501

2 жыл бұрын

Why is this chic trying to look hideous?

Sei un grande

In my country we gave rabbits the vines that grow up on trees rabbit love it if you pick a leaf off you see milk.... goats sheep's love it to potato leaf mango leaf banana leaf..... they know what to eat if you just put food in front of the. Then you got an idea what they like

Why is this the first time I’m hearing of leaf hay? Thanks

I have heard that rabbits should only get rest maple because wilted or dried maple can cause severe problems. Have you noticed that? I have begun feeding them fresh maple without problems

Please what to feed baby or young rabbits. And at what weeks that you can introduce young ones to grains and weed.

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

I feed all my doe pellet's and hay freely available so when the babies start to leave the nest box around 4 weeks of age they start to nibble on the pellets and hay. Once they are out and hopping around I would slowly introduce any new foods you are planning on feeding them. This is much easier if the mother has already been eating these foods.

Wondering whether I could use excess crops to produce leaf hay? We grow a lot of our own fruit and vegetables, usually we give fresh excess or gone over crops to our chickens and quail. We are looking to get a trio of californians soon. I wondered if I could dry or dehydrate crops to use as leaf hay? Carrot, radish and beet tops, Swiss chard leaves and stems , gone over pea plants and bean leaves, corn plants? Could I do this with all my willow, hawthorn, Hazel and oak hedge clippings? Brand new to this, so thanks for your great videos, unable to find much info on this in the UK so far... most people seem horrified at the thought of eating thumper! 😄 Many thanks

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

Yes yes yes! You will save a ton on feed and the rabbits will love all the fresh food. Don't be dissuaded, there are plenty of people out there who happily eat rabbit! They are more sustainable than most poultry, and are delicious and nutritious!

@MsFigster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your fast reply. I am currently listening to some of your videos, while stretching some plastic fencing mesh across the crop bars in my smaller polytunnel, it gets really hot and dry in there (I usually cure my garlic and onions up there), so going to try using it to dry excess crops for leaf hay. We grow a small willow bed for basketry, woven fedges and have a 3 metre woven dome, so we have plenty of that. Was great to see your video on that too. So will try drying what we can to reduce costs and give a more varied diet. Checking out the pellets available locally today, hopefully won't need as much, thanks to your videos! Thanks again.

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

@@MsFigster Good luck, frim the sound of it you should do great!

Love the videos I'll be watching over and over. I've decided to raise rabbits as a hedge against what could be coming. Of course the hardest thing is going to butcher the first time. I have chickens and don't have a problem with meat birds. Or layers how are problem for one reason or another. You video I think is the most common sense. I'll be looking for the book. I live in one of the crazy blue states. It's already hit the fan. I have two rabbits that were free, not ones I use for meat rabbits, but I needed to know if I would like raising them. I do like raising them . My first question this time. Do your rabbits get mites or fleas from the tractor?

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked the video! I haven't had any rabbits pickup nay disease or parasites from the tractors. If you move it every day and avoid going back to the same spot you should have no issues!

@marilynmarilynohearn476

3 жыл бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits thank you so much. The two rabbits that I have now , one is a lion head and the other is a small Rex. They have been raised like pets and don't like me, I think because I'm raising them like meat chickens.the don't like to me to pet them. They're not aggressive or bite or any thing. And they seem inseperable. Though the lion head seems to be pregnant. At what point do I separated them.

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

@@marilynmarilynohearn476 If they were kept together there is no way to tell she is pregnant until she starts building a nest, at which point it may be to late. You should never keep males and females together if you can avoid it.

@marilynmarilynohearn476

3 жыл бұрын

I'm afraid that's the way I got them. What should I do now?

@marilynmarilynohearn476

3 жыл бұрын

He tummy is nice and round Should it be flat.

What does everyone recommend for feed in the south western regions ....less grasses, weeds and trees

@westmeadowrabbits

6 ай бұрын

I hope someone answers because I'm not super familiar with that region! I know there's a good amount of ranching out there though. As as a general rule, rabbits can eat what sheep do.

Hi! We have tons of fresh wild greens on our property. I'm still new to rabbit-breeding. People constantly tell me that I shouldn't give fresh greens to the rabbits, because they might get bloated, get diarrhea and even die. I was advised that everything I picked should at least dry for a day so it can be fed. The thing is, whenever I give the greens to them, they go totally crazy. There's nothing other food they care about if they have greens. I'd like to hear your opinion about that. Greetings from Greece

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

Hi and welcome t the channel! This seems to be one of the most common misnomers I hear all the time. While it is true that if you rabbits have never eaten greens before and you switch exclusively to them, they can have some problems. However rabbits evolved to eat green plants, its their natural diet. If you introduce slowly you can eventually feed greens exclusively if you like. Also, if the mother has been eating greens throughout her pregnancy and when she was nursing than the babies can eat greens right away because she has transferred the necessary bacteria to them already. In the summer fresh greens (leaves, grasses, herbs) make up 60% of my rabbits' diets and I have never lost a single one to digestive issues. Hope this helps!

@MP-uz5ks

3 жыл бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits Thanks for the answer, it approves what I observe. And it is completely logical. I'm so happy! Free food for our rabbits! Now I can feed them without having a doubt. Congratulations to your channel, it is very informative.

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

@@MP-uz5ks Thank you! Glad I could help!

What do you think about trimming suckers from trees and feeding those with any leaves? Or is just the tree leaves that are ok to feed your rabbits? What area of the country! What state are you in? It didn’t give any of that on your about Tab 😊

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

I'm Located in New England, Nothern Mass to be specific. Generally, I feed entire tree branches, leaves, and all to the rabbits. The leaves are the most nutritious part while the branch gives them something to gnaw on and provides fiber. Although all fresh branches (especially younger ones) also have a green layer just below the bark that is nutritious and the rabbits love it!

@edwardwyatt5665

3 жыл бұрын

How about corn on cob

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

@@edwardwyatt5665 Unless its all you have, id avoid feeding any kind of grain to rabbits. Its not the best for them and they actually do better on cheaper stuff like hay!

@hillockfarm8404

2 жыл бұрын

@@edwardwyatt5665 Sprout the corn, feed the plant. Corn i.e. starch requires amylaze to digest (in the small intestine) and herbivores like rabbits make very little of that. Also rabbits are native to eurasia, corn to the america's. In such cases i see digestive problems with adding it to a diet. They didn't "grow up" together in a sense.

Would like to see a video on breeding

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

I a whole playlist on breeding, check out my channels home page!

They 3way hay is it ok for rabbits

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

Not sure I understand the question?

Leaf Hay = Tree Fodder

Can you feed just grass based pellets with timothy hay? If not please tell me what I could add to the grass pellets

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

You technically don't "need" to feed hay if you are feeding a commercial pellet, as it is technically nutritionally complete. That being said I find that rabbits do much better with some form of roughage in addition to pellets. This doesn't have to be timothy hay, it can be orchard grass, any other dried plant material, or even fresh greens/ leaves. That being said if your rabbits are bored or having digestive issues, the first thing I would do is add some grass hay to their diet.

@luckypawrabbitryrescue5230

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. I'm hoping to purchase a pellet maker and use grass with Timothy Hay to lessen the feed cost hopefully

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

@@luckypawrabbitryrescue5230 If you are planning on making your own pellets the main ingredient should be alfalfa not timothy. If you only use timothy, your rabbits will be malnourished. You would probably be better off feeding separate ingredients v making pellets. It is very difficult to formulate a complete pellet, and they are expensive because they are a complete feed and use expensive ingredients.

@luckypawrabbitryrescue5230

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info

Some guys from around my place tell me feeding rabbits on "layers marsh" does the trick! How true is this? Ps: Layers marsh is the broken maize/corn feed given to laying birds and it's supposedly high in protein. Should I adopt the same as it's cheaper than pellets

@westmeadowrabbits

3 жыл бұрын

Its interesting that layer mash is cheaper there, its much more expensive here! Technically speaking its not ideal because rabbits were not designed to eat grain, they do much better on fiber diets primarily form leaves and grasses. (alfalfa is the main ingredient in high quality rabbit pellets.) I would google high protein fodder plants in your area, I have heard that these are goo ones in some parts of Africa. Calliandra calothyrsus (“calliandra”) Chamaecytisus palmensis (tree lucerne or “tagasaste”) Gliricidia sepium (“gliricidia”) Leucaena diversifolia (“diversifolia”) Leucaena pallida (“pallida”) Leucaena trichandra (“trichandra”) Morus alba (mulberry) Sesbania sesban (“sesbania”) At the end of the day, if all you can get is layer pellets, and its cheaper its better than nothing! Shoot for fodder if you can!

@adonaizedek8966

3 жыл бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits thanks alot for the info and thanks for replying.....means alot

Cutting trees for fodder results in a pollarded tree, that the term? Pollarding etc.

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

Yes and no, pollarding is a specific way of cutting that keeps the tree alive and healthy, but also very short. When done correctly pollarding causes the tree to produce many thin leafy branches that are harvested every 1-3 years depending on species. arborlifetreesurgeons.co.uk/tree-services/tree-pollarding/

@slimefart01

Жыл бұрын

Are you not referring to coppicing. Cutting to the stool and allowing bottom up regeneration, whereas pollarding is at a height of maybe 2-3m plus.

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

@@slimefart01 Correct I pollard, not coppice.

@slimefart01

Жыл бұрын

I appreciate the conversation! In the UK, rabbit for meat is campaigned against. I have eaten 100s of wild rabbits but there are none around me now, so I have five Belgium Hares and am breeding them for meat. So, thanks for all the effort that you have put into these videos, they are really useful.

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

@@slimefart01 Glad I could help! The anti meat campaign is ridiculous.

Can i feed the rabbits moringa leaves?

@westmeadowrabbits

4 ай бұрын

I believe so. Start slow and see how they do.

Do you know if feeding black walnut leaves is ok?

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

They're aren't any around me so I personally don't have any experience with them. I know they have plant growth inhibiting compounds in them, but I'm not sure how they would affect rabbits. I would ask around your area!

@jeremiahc1356

2 жыл бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits Thanks for the reply! I know they have some natural deworming qualities that have been used for goats - I might have to do some experimenting. Thanks for your videos - I enjoy how practical they are.

can you feed them the fresh veggies everyday or like once a week?

@westmeadowrabbits

3 ай бұрын

As much as you want once they're adapted.

@vickieakin7607

3 ай бұрын

awesome thank you @@westmeadowrabbits

Is Comfrey safe to feed?

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely, I have a video coming out soon showing how I use it.

@stacyboyett2823

2 жыл бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits thanks so much!

+1 sub

Not a twinky guy but know the body craves for what's needed.

I read that black locust trees are poisonous but also that deer and rabbits eat these in the wild. Should I be concerned? Or does anyone have experience feeding these to their rabbits?

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

Not sure where you read that but its absolutely not true. Black locust is by far the most useful tree available to the homesteader/farmer.

@justadogmom

Жыл бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits Thank you for your response. The first result to a quick Google search said they were poisonous. I'm just now getting into raising meat rabbits so I've been reading from several sources. Again, thank you for the clarity.

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

@@justadogmom No problem, just be careful on the internet, their is a ton of contradictory information. When it comes to foods your best bet is to check with experienced rabbit people (not pet owners) and experiment yourself.

i feed my rabbits alfalfa some vegies and barley, i have a question i still can't figure out the amount i should feed, do you have an answer for that?

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

It really depends on many things, I recommend checking out this book for more info: www.amazon.com/Beyond-Pellet-Feeding-Rabbits-Naturally/dp/1493654055

@ashrafkaasamani209

2 жыл бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits i don't have access to amazon were i live, which is the poor part of the world. is there an alternative to that book?

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

@@ashrafkaasamani209 You could check out this website riseandshinerabbitry.co When feeding rabbits entirely from non pellet sources, your best bet is to see what gives you the best growth rates. In general alfalfa or some other legume should make up the back bone of the diet. Other greens and grasses should be provided for fiber and micronutrients, grains provide a lot of energy but should be used sparingly and should make up a small part of the diet. That's about as specific as I can get because it will depend highly on local factors.

and onions are poison for rabbits! :)

I give my rabbits bamboo

@westmeadowrabbits

2 жыл бұрын

That's very interesting? Do they like it? Bamboo doesn't really grow in my region but I imagine it would be really useful in places where its common!

@wolfgurl88

2 жыл бұрын

@@westmeadowrabbits they love it! It grows by railroads, deltas, rivers here in California. It's an invasive giant grass but the rabbits love it! I heard ranchers give it to cattle also

He’s saying feed apples .. wrong … and he forgot apple branches . Yes!

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

I feed plenty of both.

You didn’t mention ticks … ticks hide in grass hay and leaves . Lymes in the bunny not so funny.

@westmeadowrabbits

Жыл бұрын

I've never had issues with ticks.