The amount of feed you feed your animal should depend on several variables. 1- How large your rabbit should be. 2-How active your rabbit is. 3-How hungry your rabbit is.

If your rabbit is starving all the time, you have to figure they aren't getting enough to eat. You can figure 1 ounce for each pound of adult body weight, but that isn't always a firm method. If your rabbit is very active and hungry, they need more. If they hold their condition on much less feed, they need less. We feed our 3-4 pound Hollands from 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup. It is important to clean out your rabbits' feeders after each day, before you put more feed in, paying close attention to what was in there. If there was nothing, day after day, and their condition seems "thin or rough" you might want to give them an extra ounce or so of feed. On the other hand, if they leave feed daily, and they are in good condition and active, they don't need as much and would be better with no stale feed sitting in their feeder. Of course, if you notice a rabbit suddenly not finishing his feed, it's best to look into his health and how his stools look, and how much water he is drinking.

Grain supplements are something that we choose to give our rabbits. There are people that don't believe in this, and of course, they're entitled to their opinion on it. The reason we do this, is to stimulate their appetites. They love it, and they deserve it and it does seem to help hold condition, and is a good barometer to their health. If they don't finish that grain, you know right away that they are not well, and to start watching their excrements. Plain and simple, it is for them more than for us. We use a mixture of rolled oats[resembling old fashioned oatmeal], flaked barley and a small amount of black oil sunflower seeds. We give them around a tablespoon of this mixture. Some rabbits don't care much for the barley. It seems to be an acquired taste, but if they'll eat it, it's a great grain for holding the condition they've already achieved. Oats are very tasty and we use them, exclusively, for does with litters and kits until they're around 4 months old. The added fat content helps in the growing process and they're not inclined to cause loose stools. I know I've mentioned the stool consistency frequently, but this is one of the biggest killers of young rabbits and we've worked over the years to decrease the mortality rate to this ailment. I will mention other things we've found to keep it down, along the way.

Hay consumption is extremely important. Fiber is valuable to keep the fur they ingest, grooming, moving through their system and to lower the protein content in their feed intake, if they need it.I use hay racks to keep it available all the time, instead of falling through the wire. If mine appear that they're not quite right and not wanting to eat, I throw in extra hay, outside the rack and they'll usually eat that if nothing else. Keeping them eating something, anything, can make all the difference in their health. I use good quality, grass hay. Make sure it's dried well, with no mold. Give this to them all the time. Keep it available even if they don't eat it all every day. If they're not feeling right, they'll need it.

Ok, now for the most important. Water. Yes, they won't eat anything at all, if they don't have that. I use ceramic crocks on 99% of my herd. The only ones that get bottles [2 out of 65] are the ones that are just hoggish beyond words. The reason I prefer the crocks, to other methods, is with a crock, you can see exactly how much water they drank. Some spill a little, but you can look, on a daily basis, and see the water disappearing. Also, with a bottle, since it hangs there, and doesn't get dirty, you don't change it as often. Another point is, they don't get the water as freely as when they drink from a crock. If most have their preference, they select the crock. This tells me something. We use a powder called "Stress B*Gon" in their water. It is cost efficient and has everything they need in it. Full range of vitamins and minerals, Pantothenic acid, and Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Enterococcus durans. Now all those 80 cent words aside, it's a source of live[viable] naturally occurring microorganism. This is the #1 thing that we've found to keep down the cases of lethal loose stools in the young Hollands and the mature rabbits as well. I think it's safe to say, we haven't seen a case since we started using this product on the entire herd. It is only $6.99 for a 20 ounce container of it. You only use about a 1/4 teaspoon per gallon so it lasts a very long time. It doesn't mix really well, but it is palatable and they drink it fine. It also works alright in the 2 water bottles, as well. We found it at the Southern States store, which is the southern equivalent of the Agway up north. We were buying the aqualyte and saw it, and found that it was cheaper and would save us adding acidophilus separately, to their water. A really great discovery for us. I use a spray bottle with a water/chlorox mix to spray each crock after emptying and then wipe it out, daily before filling.

The schedule we use for feeding is: supplements and watering in the late morning, and pellets and hay in the evening. Of course, for those that work outside the home, another schedule would work just as well, as long as you're consistent.

Remember, the keys to good management are observation and sanitation. Watch what they're eating and drinking. Keep their feed and water receptacles as clean as the environment allows.

Good luck, until next time.