For this particular experiment, we will be focusing on the growth and development of Flemish Giants. To see this entire process from beginning to end, please follow the posts with this (above) title, which will be numbered.
WEEK 4: It seems the rabbits have been wasting far more feed than what they are eating. We tried totally withholding hay. They ate more pellets for a couple of days, but then went back to 'picking' thru their dinners and dumping most of it on the ground; where they have stopped eating it from and have left to lay there. The feed we had been using was Pen-Pal 18%. It costs aproximately $17.00 per 50# bag, and we have been going thru 100# per week. So, INO, with about $35 per week in just pellets, we have decided to cut our losses and get cheaper feed. On Tuesday, we began mixing our remaining 3/4's of a bag of Pen-Pal to 16-18% Rowe's, at $11 /50# bag. The rabbits (all breeds) are eating much more / not dumping their bowls. So, not counting what was being wasted (which was a lot) we're saving $10wk right off the top.
We have also began adding solid wood floors in each pen. This is a slow-going process, but we believe it to be a much-needed change in regards to getting them off of the damp ground. As these new floors are being added, we are also splitting/dividing the pens in half, so that we will be housing 2 Flemish per pen. This still allows for far more than the 'typical' amount of space for each rabbit, but not so much that they are 'running off' more calories than they are taking in.
(*note: We will continue to leave 2-3 pens full-sized/un-divided, for brood-pens... allowing much more space for the kits and mom once the kits start hopping around outside of the nest.)
We have also began adding solid wood floors in each pen. This is a slow-going process, but we believe it to be a much-needed change in regards to getting them off of the damp ground. As these new floors are being added, we are also splitting/dividing the pens in half, so that we will be housing 2 Flemish per pen. This still allows for far more than the 'typical' amount of space for each rabbit, but not so much that they are 'running off' more calories than they are taking in.
(*note: We will continue to leave 2-3 pens full-sized/un-divided, for brood-pens... allowing much more space for the kits and mom once the kits start hopping around outside of the nest.)