# Is it ok for rabbits to eat goat feed?



## Nessa's Nannies (Mar 4, 2006)

I am thinking about keeping rabbits in the pen enclosure with the goats and I'm wondering if its ok for the rabbits to eat goat feed. Also, anyone knows of any poblems/disease with this arrangement?


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## Bernadette (Jan 17, 2004)

Nessa's Nannies - check out this thread. Same rules apply.

I would think the rabbits would be quick enough to get out of the goats' way, but there should be some kind of arrangement for the rabbits to have their own food.

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=168058


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

I always mixed my own grain/alfalfa pellet blend so all the goats and rabbits got the same anyhow. Only change of plan was when the does (goats) freshened and had molasses mixed with their grain. 

(Chickens and ducks also got the blend most of the time minus the alfalfa pellets, and they were always more than glad to clean up under the hutches if the rabbits spilt any ).

~Falcon


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## Nessa's Nannies (Mar 4, 2006)

Bernadette said:


> Nessa's Nannies - check out this thread. Same rules apply.
> 
> I would think the rabbits would be quick enough to get out of the goats' way, but there should be some kind of arrangement for the rabbits to have their own food.
> 
> http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=168058


Oh, no no, you missunderstand me. They would have their own feeders but knowing how curious rabbits are I just wonder if I have to worry about them eating goat feed or viceversa. i.e, my goats go crazy for flock raiser but I don't let them near it 'cause I know is too rich for them.


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## Bernadette (Jan 17, 2004)

You're right - I did missunderstand. 

However, I have found here that too many people want to feed dog food to everything they own. Inappropriate feeding contributed greatly to the mad cow and scrapie diseases. 

Whether or not you can keep them together also depends on the 'personality' of your specific animals. Just because something should work in principal doesn't mean it will, and vice versa!

Good luck!


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Nessa's Nannies said:


> ...knowing how curious rabbits are I just wonder if I have to worry about them eating goat feed or viceversa...





Bernadette said:


> Whether or not you can keep them together also depends on the 'personality' of your specific animals. Just because something should work in principal doesn't mean it will, and vice versa!


 This made me smile and remember our first 4 ducks. We ended up with 1 duck and 3 drakes. That summer, our outside cats also gave us two litters of adorable kittens. One day I was on the back stoop feeding the cats/kittens (augmenting the mice they always ate anyhow) when the duck realized that something was happening and she hadn't been invited! As soon as she muscled in on the catfood, it took a firm hand and broom to **** her and the boys away. (Poor cats knew better than to attack the ducks but they were hungry ). From that day forward, I would first throw a handful of catfood into the yard for the ducks to 'forage' so the cats could have their food in relative peace. They learned to eat pretty quickly!  

~Falcon


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## rabbitgal (Feb 12, 2005)

LOL, mine will eat the WIERDEST things. My sister fed a piece of popcorn to one just yesterday and the rabbit loved it. I suspect your rabbits would try to raid the goat feed too. :shrug:


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