How to Grow your own grass fodder for your rabbits!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.ย. 2024
- Growing your own fodder or grass for your rabbits will cut down your feed bill, therefore reducing you dollar per pound for your rabbits when ready to process.
Food for Thought
Food for Thought
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Me: wants to make a grass carpet for my buns
TH-cam: did you mean meat farming?
My vegetarian ass: NO TH-cam I DID NOT
My vegetarian ass: but I will watch
Wow I had no idea growing grass could be so easy! And what a great organic feed for pastures rabbits! Thank you so much for making this video! My husband and I are looking into raising meat rabbits and you sure make it look like we can!
Thank you for those kind words
WOW I LIKE THE FROZEN BOTTLES FOR THE HEAT PROBLEM,,, YOUR VIDEO WAS GREAT THANK YOU VERY MUCH SIR!!!!!
I do mine w/out soil and works out great so far. My rabbits like it so much that I made a fodder system to grow more lol.
Can rabbit food just rely on the grass?
Lina Lee did you got your answer
I used quart jars and used salad mixes on my kitchen counter. My chickens love it. Nice to be able to see what's happening with a glass jar.
Great idea
I WAS wondering if chickens can eat it.
Thank you so much for your great videos. You’re one of about 3 or 4 TH-camrs that I go to for rabbit advice and are the reason we started raising meat rabbits. We just had our first litter on 1/2/18 and are looking forward to butchering our own meat soon!
Rob Daugherty Thank you for your kind words. Congrats on your new litter. I always felt good knowing I am producing good for my family.
really good instruction sir. im also feed it to our rabbits back home.
what we do is put the whole tray with the wheat grass we let them eat it removed it after the regrow it gain to be feed it.
Well that was amazing. I happen to have a green house...my soon to be here bunnies will have grass all winter long thanks to YOU!
It's just awesome to learn an easy way to sprout wheat ,thanks.
excellent idea about the fodder and the frozen bottles to keep them cool I wish I had thought of that 30 years ago my rabbit wouldn't have died of heat stroke and will use it for the pet bunnies here this summer
You can do this without the soil and they'll eat the roots too. 🙂
Thanks for that tip. I can't wait for my rabbitry to be completed.
I use a little hydrogen peroxide when soaking, instead of bleach, also rinsing pans and tools with it, no mold ever, and i have never seen the soil used, just water in a tilted , draining pan, then its 100% edible by anything, and really no mess
+gerard jones That's a great idea. I prefer the idea of hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach. What concentration do you use?
really cool .... I'm from Texas and we have meat rabbits. ... your videos are great ... thx for posting them .
This is so helpful I was finding how to grow hay but this is ok
relax and enjoy the ice-cream :)
You are good!!!
And thanks for video too
I see grass seed in no dirt I use dark jar warm water and do not soak more then 12 hours it will mold put in large steralite container with holes in one end tip do water drains add water every day and in lighted area it’s ready about 7 days
Cool great job I'm very interested in the whole process
Thanks for sharing! Can't wait to give it a go! Great voice too! Very easy to listen to! :)
Eddie, that is not "mold" in the no-soil container it's mycelium, and a very healthy mycelium at that.
John Abercrombie Thank you
Thank you very much and God bless you sir
Starry Hilder has a fodder video you may want to check out. If you're doing it without soil she has a method to keep the mold out.
Heather Cortes Cool, thanks
I would think this is a lot cheaper and healthier too than buying dried hay in plastic packaging from your local pet shops.
It is cheaper to grow, and very healthy for the rabbits in the spring, summer and fall. I haven't tried to grow indoors during the winter.
Do you have any videos of how to build the shelter you have your rabbits in? Or any suggested construction plans? I build something similar last year, though much smaller and poorly done, and I'd like to make a larger area for my cages to keep them better out of the elements.
th-cam.com/video/8gnw_53D5wM/w-d-xo.html Eddie
Great stuff mate! 👍
Ive just started with meat rabbits, this is such a great idea!!!
Great idea, thanks for the video
Since you are feeding your rabbits both fodder and hay, how much of each do you give one rabbit each day? Thanks for all the informative videos! Keep 'em coming pls!
The Rabbits get 3oz of pellets and they also get a big handful of hey. I'm not doing fodder just now but will get back into that soon.
Thank you for sharing ..
you don't need the dirt, just add water daily and don't let it soaked in it...
How many days did it take to grow it ??
and thanks for keeping the rabbits cool.
From what I remember, it maybe took about a week to ten days to grow
try a light bleach solution to your initial soak, to kill the mold spores... then you wont have as much of a problem with it by nit using the soil. This will make tge roots also available for your rabbits, which is where a good portion of the protein is.
ALSO! PLEASE, add more ventilation to your housing! maybe just lift the tarps up on the sides???
They only need a sort of shade, rather than an enclosure durring the warm seasons. I'm sure you know this... but thought I'd just suggest it.
Thanks for the advice. I have since then been using the bleach to good use, I only have tarps on the south and west walls for shade. The two other sides are open and have bug netting to keep down the flies.
cool Thanks fr you videos. Been really enjoying them!
I like the idea but introducing soil into the rabbits enclosure can bring the risk of Giardia and many other parasites. The risk would depend on the quality and location of your soil supply. If cats have access to the soil at any time before you purchase it the risk is very high. Just my two cents. Keep up the good work!
+Simple Life I don't mind two cents worth at any time. The soil was from a bag of potting compost; however, it didn't work as I hoped as I still got a mold on the seed. I have found out since then that putting a little bleach in the water at first will kill this mold without affecting the seed. Thank you for your comments. I am no expert and so if I am doing something I shouldn't please let me know.
What mix ratio are you using for your bleach? I have not made it to the point of growing my own fodder but it is on my to do list. Thanks
Just look at those ears in that first bunch! You must have some Flemish Giant in that mix.
+Allura Zynx No giant. They'll just grow into their ears lol
do you feed them exclusively on fodder or is there a rough percentage that you would suggest for fodder to be given? we are looking into breeding rabbits next year
No, I don't feed fodder exclusively. I give it when I have it, but mostly it's weeds from the rabbit garden I have, older kale that I have grown in the summer, or any other green. They also get hay and 3oz of pellets that's there in case they eat all the weeds.
how much fodder do you feed each rabbit a day after weening? when do you prefer to ween them?
I wean my rabbits at 6 weeks old. I give adult rabbits about 8oz per day when I have the fodder ready, which isn't every day.
I put Old wire cage down ground drop seed in and wet it all down,it grown will all I have keep watering
good job appriciatted
abdullah gm Thanks
I want to make rabbit feed for growth ,weight can you help me how many ingredients were mix in rabbit feed
Eddie are you doing rabbits again? I have missed your videos.... I learned DO much from you. I now have a rabbitry.
I might be doing some rabbits again this year but probably won't do any videos. I think I did as much as I think there is to learn to start off. Glad you liked them :)
I have started on oat and barley fodder on a very small scale. Since I only have 2 rabbits right now. However, for pellets, can you feed them the horse hay pellets ? we get timothy pellets for our older horses... Just wondering...
Also, when you say a rabbit need 10% of its body weight how are you measuring that? just the pellets? or hay as well... or just fodder? Sorry about all the questions.. Im very new at this. thankyou.
No one answered you but I'd like to know the answer myself.
Rabbit pellets are specifically formulated to be 100% of the rabbits nutrition
one thing that would worry me would be all the flies I see flying around and landing on you. do you have any problems with maggots or other such things with your rabbits?
+Audrey Ratliff Of course there are flies. One, it's July and very humid. Two, flies love poop, but no there are no maggots in the rabbitry. You go to any farm where there is poop, and you'll have lots of flies.
Fodder with wheat is the same as a commercial food. all wheat is grown, even the so-called organic, is, GMO.
I see you live in the woods. Go out back and start picking leaves and roots. Grape vines, rose bushes, blackberry, and try other trees. This is a better variety and completely natural way to feed them. You can also pick and dry for the winter.
Thank you for watching. I haven't done any other fodder since that video. I now cut weeds for fresh greens. I actually live right in the middle of a small city, on a small lot, not living in the woods. I just try to show people what they can do, even in a city (depending of local bylaws).
Your adding more money than needed. You dont need dirt for fodder
I was trying to eliminate the mould that can sometimes grow and someone told me to use the soil. I was also told to wash the seed in a very weak solution of bleach to kill the year before had. What do you do?
+Wilderness Twins yes you have the right idea.I've watched another video and he used compost and had better results.could you use some rabbit manure I wonder.
Eric Downs That's not a bad idea as in nature, rabbits eat their first elimination, so they could eat this maybe. I had never through of that....hmmmm, got me thinking now, and that's always a good thing. Thanks.
+Food For Thought Peat has a fungistatic effect. You may be able to pick up pure peat cheaper, but you need to correct it's pH before using it directly. You may also be benifiting simply from aeration and a bit extra water holding capacity. In such case a bit of chopped straw may do just as well.
+WorBlux Thank you so much for that information
The transparent one got more light~
Me jumping out of bed to hurry up and wash my oat fodder because I didn’t know I was supposed to do that😅
Lol
This was Eddie doing the video. I'm the other half of the channel, Gordon. I do this with my oats for my chickens. Once it starts to germinate, I dig it into the the compost in their coop. They will scratch up some, but a huge amount will start growing. There is a huge plus in them getting this at this stage. way more vitamins and proteins.
Amazing idea sir
If I feed my rabbit's this do I not need to feed them hay? Hay seems to be our biggest money muncher, so trying to find a cheap substitute that's healthy, and easy to grow with little sunlight for during the winter as well.
great vid can i recycle the rabbit scat as a growth medium for the fodder?
Mathieu De Four I haven't tried it in just the manure. let me know if it works for you.
fodder doesn't? need a growth medium, put it in your garden, rabbit manure isn't too hot
You can get a clean carpet of grass without soil.
I would like to know how this worked out for you and if you still use the rye seed? Also, is it the same seed as you would use for your lawn? And where did you get the pressure sprayer? Sorry for all the questions, but, no such thing as a dumb question right. :)
+Charlie Blum You are so right, there is no such thing as a dumb question. First, the spray was from Dollarama dollar store. I don't still use the rye seed as I had a problem with a fungus growing on it. I have bought oats and barley but haven't started the fodder inside so far but it's on my ever growing to do list.
Looking forward to seeing your results. Thanks so much.
+Charlie Blum actually you can use any seeds, from corn to oats, rice, you name it.
Where do you get your seeds?
do you have pictures of the bags you use please
Eddie,
I'm having a difficult time finding wheat or barley grass at local feed stores. I can find rye grass seed however and you mentioned it in this video as growing well. Do you still use it? Nutritionally speaking is it as healthy for the buns (and quail) as wheat or barley? As always you are one of my go-to channels for all things bunnies and quail and I appreciate your efforts very much.
Try anything they have, they should all sprout. Oats can also work well. Rye too if they have it.
Not sure about the nutrition. Try Google for better answers in that.
Try health food stores.
when do you harvest, and how much do they generally weigh live and dressed out
I harvest my rabbits at 10 weeks usually. They are over 5lbs and usually dress out at little over 50%, 2.5-2.8lbs carcass weight.
I have been reading Google all day, it says, 80% of rabbit food should be hay, 20 % grass.
On TH-cam I see most people feed 80% grass.
Just think of what rabbits eat in the wild, it's not 80% hay.
That is great! Thank you for the video :)
What type of grass seed did you use? I’m looking at starting a grass planter for my rabbit.
I used oats but I'm going to start using micro greens/sprouts as they have a lot of nutrients compared to just the grass
lol you got your stuff from dollarama yes ? love that store !
I love it too
Hello Sir ! I have a question about fodder . I begun growing fodder for my rabbits two years ago . It was winter time and I grew it in my greenhouse . The steps were : germination (in the water for 24 hours) , then in the tray , rinsing 3-4 times a day and it was perfect in a week . Unfortunately bad things started to happen when summer came . I transferred the tray rack outside the greenhouse under a shed . The germination produced much more smell and cloudy water so I started rinsing it 2 times in the first 24 hours . However , the same thing : the sprouts were having poor root system even if they got a medium sized sprout usually with a yellow color too . Some days before , I tried this method of yours but I still see the same problem , poor root system and low percentage of sprouts germinated . The temperatures here are about 30-35 degrees Celsius , I think wether that is the reason . Thank you for your time !
Mine in the summer was garbage. I'll try it in the winter to see the difference
Food For Thought I am a watermelon producer . So I will stick to some watermelon for my rabbits during summer months , or some fresh Alfa Alfa hay or silage . Have a nice day !
@@thankar3158 They will love the watermelon
Do you still have to give them pellets if you are already giving them fodder? Thanks
what about the mold, fur, that develops. This scares me, and afraid to give it to my chickens. How do I stop that.
Rince in hydrogen peroxide before 1st soaking. I add 3 drops per quart. Let sit for few minutes then rince, then soak. If seeds have a 'fermentation' smell then you should change water. But I've also added lime powder to water to change pH. This has stopped fungal growth. Have great results
How much time between water are you allowing? (The time between waterings.) You didn't say this or I missed it.
Just keep it moist. Depending on the heat.
my wheat berries keep molding on day 3 or sooner in the trays. I soak 1 cup of seed in roughly 1 gallon of water with 1 cap of bleach, its in ac part of the house kept at about 70. any tips on what might be wrong
I had the same problems and so I stopped. I am going to be starting them again this weekend I hope and will let you know how I get on.
Kimberly Crandall you need to keep watering and changing the water three times a day. wash away the water regularly.
Hahahaha i enjoyed your video, kinda reminds me of adam sandler's movie 😆 keep it up
Btw, what seed do you use? I can't hear it clearly
I used oats
My rabbits wold eat that in a day!
How come you don't raise Flemish Giant Rabbits? I would think you would get more bang for your buck.
Actually the meat to bone ratio for the giant breeds isn't very good. They grow fast and eat a lot but a lot of their structure is bone. I wish it wasn't so.
Penfold8 ahhhhh, I see what you did there
I have another question. Do you change seeds according to climate change. Like wheat for summers and Barley for winters (Just for example). The place I live weather reaches to extreme level of 45C in summers and 1C in winters. So what seed should I grow according to temperature to avoid heater or AC expenses.
I would ask local farmers what the best seeds are to grow in your area
Thanks a lot for quick reply... I really appreciate.
if i have 10 adult rabbits (8-12 lbs) and several litters of kits. how much would i need to grow to feed them a portion of folder daily?
talkingalwayz With that amount of rabbits, I'd find an area of grass to cut in the spring, summer and fall
can we give dry hay to rabbits or it should be green and fresh always
tarun thakur Dry hay I'd fantastic and should be given daily
Aye, our rabbits have free access to dried hay 24/7
That's not mold people think it is but really it is just roots there fuzzy but there not mold
Great!
Have you sprouted oats? and Boss? thankyou for replying back to me...
+Monu Khan I actually just got a bag of oats to try.
Food For Thought so how long are u soaking them? are u doing 7 or 5 day..I'm on day 2...kinda see sprouts... did u just get oat seeds? love your videos!
Hey ... I am new at growing fodder. I in northeast in USA. so do you grow fodder in a green house?
+Monu Khan No, in the basement. Fodder didn't need light too grow
How about temp? Thankyou!
Can Fodder be given to chickens? Thank You!
+john funk Yes
my rabbit only likes yellow apple,i tried to give him carrot, romaine lettuce and broccoli but he doesn't like those. is it bad? what should i do?
Feed them what they like but not too many apples as the sugar will make it fat.
Food For Thought thank you!
Hi Caro Loyola --- Only a small piece of carrot like a third of one, because they are high in sugar for rabbit's or so I've heard broccoli, lettuce and similar plants supposedly give them diarrhea along with any veggie that has a lot of water in it, will also give them diarrhea and that can kill them or make them very ill. I could be wrong but thus far that is what I have heard, and to not give any bunny under age 6 months anything but pellet's and hay, because it can also cause diarrhea.
ever thought of keeping your own fodder seed? close loop?
close loop? please tell me more.
Food For Thought Just growing your own seed, I kept watching your video's I notice you have a lot less space than i though.
+MsTokies I only have a very little garden.
I don't think you need the potting mix?
I tried it without and got a mould, but have learned since how to get rid of that. Thanks
Food For Thought
how much fodder do you give each rabbit? I will only have one breeding pair.
is the fodder all you feed your rabbits
Hoi you're probably not active anymore since you haven't posted a video in awhile but I was wondering if you could tell me what you normally feed your rabbits? I want to get into breeding meat rabbits in a couple years and some tips on their diet would be really helpful ^^
I feed them 3oz of pellets per day for adults. Pregnant does and young rabbits are free fed and can eat what they need. Always have straw for them too.
Couldn't you put the container right in the rabbits cage and let them eat off it and then take it out for a few days to let it grow back and put it back in again and repeat.
No, because the rabbits will dig it all out. They're quite destructive. They will also pee and poop all over it.
Yes if you think OUTSIDE the box. LOL
Design an UNDER cage system where the shoots will grow up through the floor grates, AND WALLAH./ No digging.
Come on guys, think outside the box! =)
***** They will still pee on it - which makes it no longer food.
CopperValentine
Actually you still are not thinking outside the box.
You need to remove the said box that is temporarily placed at one end of the cage for food. Throroughly water it down and place it in sunlight so it can regrow to full length.
During this process you put in a new box that was allowed to grow out.
Hope this helps. Always a way to make something work. Just think outside the box!
sprouts have a higher protein content than the seed version, and the protein percentage falls after day ten of sprouting.
can you taech me how to start a rabbit farming...how to know age for matured rabbit to be slautgher? can you give full manual for rabbit farming?
Jejaka Perindu I don't have a manual but I do have a lot of videos and a playlist "start to finish".
Alright... I will watch all your vids
Food For Thought can you make a vid what kind of food that rabbit cant eat?
Jejaka Perindu th-cam.com/video/SL36N6HoGSY/w-d-xo.html
I have a question Can I totally rely on wheat grass as rabbit feed. If so then how many grams of wheat grass an adult rabbit need in a day.
You can feed wheat grass, about 3-6oz. Some eat more, some eat less. I collect a lot of weeds from the garden and pull out what wasn't eaten after an hour or two.
I am planning to have white red eye rabbits for meat Just like yours. So I thought your ways of growing wheat grass is really cool and I wont feed rabbits other things. So do you think only 3-6 oz of wheat grass can fulfil the whole nutrition needs.
@@muhammadusmanafzal5244 There are a lot of weeds and grass you can use. Feeding sprouts will also give a lot more nutritious food for your rabbit. Giving pellets will also work.
Can you tell me if silage is good for rabbits?. Can rabbits be fed silage?.
You can, but the same as any new food, introduce it very slowly to the rabbits diet.
Thanks a lot.
Im sorry what kind of seeds are these?
Oats
Do you feed pregnant does fodder? how do they perform?
Did you have a problem with feeding too much and causing diariea in your rabbits?
Where can I order seeds, I went to my local feed store and they told me that they have whole oats but it was steamed and I was afraid that wouldn't work.
I got mine from a farm supply company, seeking for growing.
Which part of Scotland you originally from
Scott Wallace Born in Aberdeen, grew up in Tullibody, which is near Stirling.
Food For Thought cool Ayrshire man maself thanks for responding good luck with life in u.s
Thanks. Luckily we are in Canada :)
Food For Thought even better lol
Do you still feed a pellet as well
Angela cowley Yes
Food for tough
do you have any newer Video s ????
Carrie Ashley Sorry, none planned, however, Gordon is moving into a new home that he going to homestead and raise ducks etc so there maybe more soon
It look pretty good what your doing
How about rice fodder? (Obviously not rice grains.) Otherwise I'll have to go with wild grass. Live in Asia. 🤔
Whatever grains that you can use in your local region, then please use.
@@FoodForThought. 👍
How long can you keep the fodder before it dies?
Rare Diamond it's grass, so as long as you water it, it will live.
Hey, can fodder be given as alternate food of usual green foods(hay)...
Oh yes, for sure.
how much do ya feed ta yer rabbits? thank ya fer the video
I used to put in a tray in every other day, but because I had so many rabbits, I found that picking a large bucket of weeds was a better use of my time
@@FoodForThought. ai thought thet it woud be easier ta use a sickel mower ta cut the grass/weeds fer the rabbits but was,nt sure.. its less expensive then buyin pellets ,,, thank ya fer the video
You're cute. Love the accent. Any more at home like you?
V.J. L. lol thank you. Next down from me is my 14 year old son but he's very Canadian. I'm the only one with an accent lol
@@FoodForThought. lmao!!! "But he's very Canadian." Poor thing.
*Laughs in Canadian*
@@Bomber411 LoL, That's what happens after 20 years
eh i thought it would be better if you grew it in your own compost instead of buying soil... it should be cheeper than dirt lol
plus why ya buying baking pans for growning make that outta wood from scraps or something.. just doesnt seem efficient
and id also stay away from rye you might have a ergot problem
What's the name of your rabbit feed and how do I get it?
It's just a standard rabbit feed
What's the name of the seeds you soak for 24hrs?
They are just oats
any idea of where I could get a pair of new zealands
cushionofair Check your local listings on Kijiji or Craigslist, depending where you are. Farm auctions too or rabbit breeders in your area.