# What Do You Feed Out Your Meat Rabbits Prior To Slaughter?



## Rollochrome (Apr 9, 2012)

My rabbits regular fare is pellet with alfalfa a time or two per week.

I am guessing that alfalfa will not contribute to good tasting meat necessarily...

What do you feed out your meat rabbits prior to slaughter AND....how long to you give them this finishing diet so the meat takes the flavor??


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## Whisperwindkat (May 28, 2009)

Our rabbits get a mix of alfalfa pellets, whole oats, and BOSS. Then they get grass hay and a supply of greens daily as long as we have them. They taste great.


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## HillbillyOutlaw (Dec 13, 2012)

We feed our rabbits pellets and hay. They also like grass, cabbage leaves and apples. The day before we butcher them we don't feed them anything but do provide them water.


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## FloridaHillbill (Dec 5, 2012)

Here, they get the same feed they've gotten every day - alfalfa pellets mostly, with some hay and fresh greens when available.

Taste mighty fine to me!


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

Rabbits pellets are mostly alfalfa anyway. You might be better off, if you feed pellets, feeding a different kind of hay. It is usually less expensive, and the added protein they are getting from the hay is likely wasted. Many feed makers, in order to be able to vary their pellets with changing costs by selecting different components, have started listing the alfalfa as "forage products" but in every case I am familiar with it is still alfalfa, because, it is still less expensive than soybean meal and trying to get the fiber percentage right with some other forage is difficult.


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## Zeet_Cranberry (Jan 11, 2011)

I don't believe pellets have that much effect on meat taste and other foods won't "flavor" the meat. As long as they have a good balanced diet the meat will be fine. No food the last day is for you so there will be less poo in the system.


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

I switch mine to pure hay a few days before slaughter, then no food that morning.

Next year I am building a portable grow out pen to move them on the grass for a few weeks before slaughter. My goal is simply to get a cleaner, natural food source through them before i eat them.

I have asked here before about different feeds affecting meat flavor and never heard much of an opinion on that.


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## bowbuild (Aug 2, 2008)

Sweet feed to the night before butcher, BUT THEY GET SWEET FEED THEIR WHOLE LIFE, and yes you can taste the difference.


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

I cant get mine to eat sweet feed. They toss it on the ground and it disintegrates into the dirt because the chickens wont even eat it down there. I tried 2 brands.

Do you feed sweet feed alone in the bowl, or mix it?


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## bowbuild (Aug 2, 2008)

Haven,

You must start them young. I begin a 50/50 mix as soon as they are able to eat on their own, you must be persistent as the first few times if they are not use to it they will dig. Now, here is the hard part for some people......If they dig it out, they get nothing till the next day, let them get hungry. Once they get the taste for the allstock (sweetfeed) they will eat it, and may even prefer it. Tractor supply sells the allstock, yes it has corn, and NO I have never had a problem with it. The last 3-4 weeks before butcher they never see a rabbit pellet, I may toss them a few cubed alfalfa blocks for digestion, but thats it.

Your adults must be slowly aclimated to the sweet feed as they have never had to digest this feed before, and more importantly without the does excepting the feed they will dig it out and the young won't eat it. Slowly adapt your herd into the sweet feed, they will beg for it after while. I have several adults in the 5-6 yr range that have ate sweet feed all their lives. I have taught several in my area how to use it as a cost saving route, and the taste in my opinion can't be beat. I would compare it to....a grass fed cow.....or a cow that has been grained before butcher.....and yes I know that rabbits don't marble like beef.

Bowbuild


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## Aimee (Nov 8, 2010)

interesting bowbuild. I am going to have to check that out


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## Rollochrome (Apr 9, 2012)

bowbuild said:


> Haven,
> 
> You must start them young. I begin a 50/50 mix as soon as they are able to eat on their own, you must be persistent as the first few times if they are not use to it they will dig. Now, here is the hard part for some people......If they dig it out, they get nothing till the next day, let them get hungry. Once they get the taste for the allstock (sweetfeed) they will eat it, and may even prefer it. Tractor supply sells the allstock, yes it has corn, and NO I have never had a problem with it. The last 3-4 weeks before butcher they never see a rabbit pellet, I may toss them a few cubed alfalfa blocks for digestion, but thats it.
> 
> ...


Are you talking about Feed Solutions Sweet Mix sold at Tractor Supply?

I couldnt find anything exactly called "all stock sweet feed"


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## bowbuild (Aug 2, 2008)

I believe so... I live on the west coast tractor supply is called "dels" here. I can tell you here it comes in a 40lbs bag, it is mainly used as goat food in my area. I have a call into my local store, and they told me it's regional as to the exact contents of the sweet feeds there are available. The feed in my area is made by purina. I generally wait for it to go on sale and stock up. I will post what I found out from my local store as soon as I know. One more thing....when you get a bag you want it rather "stiiff" in the bag. The reason I say this is because you want the food to stay together, or there will be too many fines......I am sure with a few bags you will understand...

Anyhow as I was writting this got the call from the local store... "producers pride".... allstock/sweetfeed 12% $12.49 50lbs "feed solutions" 50lbs alstock /sweetfeed $10.99 50lbs prices may vary by state or county.....---- I feel like I am trying to sell this stuff.

Bowbuild


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

Names vary by state also. In Colorado, it is often called "Sweet COB". (COB is an acronym meaning "Corn, Oats, Barley", the "sweet" part means that it is coated with molasses.) Down here in Texas, it is called "12% Horse and Mule" at our Co-Op. "Allstock" at the TSC, and "Sweetfeed" at the Moore's.

Look at the ingredients. It should contain corn, oats, barley, maybe some "forage material", and molasses.


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

The Producer's Pride sweet feed at TSC was like saw dust coated in molasses. The Feed Solutions in the white and blue bag is 2.00 cheaper, has more molasses on it and seems more palatable. This is at TSC stores in the north east. http://www.tractorsupply.com/feed-solutions-sweet-mix-50-lb--2427127


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## bowbuild (Aug 2, 2008)

Haven,


That is the reason I walk up to the pallet of feed and check to see how "stiff" the bags are they in my opinion should almost feel like a block.....you know you have enough molasses in it at that point. I will take back anything that won't stay together, and make it very clear to the manager I don't like buying crap feed that falls through my feeders. If you live in a more temprent area you will have to figure this out as heat can deceive you buy feeling the bag.....either way it should hold together regardless of what animal you are using it for.

Sweet cob in my area is rolled corn with molasses nothing else...so yes, it does vary by region and definition.

Bowbuild


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