Rabbit feed and hydroponic fodder

Nov 16, 2017

Having rabbits, you’ve got to worry about feeding them constantly.  In Zimbabwe, rabbits are typically fed with greens similar to kale, or grains.  We can also easily find commercially pelleted rabbit foods. 

I’ve heard varying opinions about whether or not to feed a mixed diet to our rabbit.  Some say, it’s best to feed them only pellets.  Others say hay should be added to the doe’s diet after kindling, but should not be fed continuously.

During the rainy season, we have a range of green vegetation in the forest, much of which I imagine would be good for rabbits (Victor shows up at random with bundles of all sorts).  However, to minimize the impact on our forest and not tamper with the ecosystem, I’ve been experimenting with hydroponically grown fodder using millet and sunflower seeds.  It’s ready to feed in 7-10 days.

Day 0

Day 4

Day 6

Day 7

Day 12

Sunflower seeds are very messy to grow hydroponically.  They stain the growing trays and floors.  The first yields of millet were much more successful and were hastily devoured by our rabbits, however the growth was dense and approximately 50% of the seeds did not germinate.  So - clearly I’ve got a lot of work to do before we can optimize our hydroponic system.  Not to mention the water (which really needs to be pumping automatically to make the process efficient).

The bunnies are now primarily on a diet of store bought pellets with fresh leaves of cabbage, mint, and other greens growing in the Gwango gardens.