# Whole oats for rabbits?



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

I love the taste of my rabbits on coastal hay and pellets but the cost of pellets is going through the roof so I am looking at a few other things to feed them to help stretch them out a bit.

Can I give them whole oats?

And what else can I give em to grow them good and help stretch the pellets a bit?


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

Oh, you can, but you wont be happy with the results. Most rabbits, won't eat whole oats, they scratch them out of the feeder. They really need to be rolled. Rabbits love rolled outs. Our mill here only crimps or crushes, and the rabbits wont eat them. Its the outer hull that is the problem.

I am colony experimenting with other feeds. The second cutting clover hay I have is really good. I give them that several times a week. Mulberry leaves are a comparable protein source, but maybe you don't have them there? They can comprise 50% of their diet. Any non-pellet feed you give them will cause slower growth, as pellets are specifically made for fastest growth. Read the natural feeding sticky at the top for more info, or you can go to Maggie's forum, rabbittalk.com for additional info.


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## scpankow (Mar 31, 2011)

lonelyfarmgirl said:


> Oh, you can, but you wont be happy with the results. Most rabbits, won't eat whole oats, they scratch them out of the feeder. They really need to be rolled. Rabbits love rolled outs. Our mill here only crimps or crushes, and the rabbits wont eat them. Its the outer hull that is the problem.
> 
> I am colony experimenting with other feeds. The second cutting clover hay I have is really good. I give them that several times a week. Mulberry leaves are a comparable protein source, but maybe you don't have them there? They can comprise 50% of their diet. Any non-pellet feed you give them will cause slower growth, as pellets are specifically made for fastest growth. Read the natural feeding sticky at the top for more info, or you can go to Maggie's forum, rabbittalk.com for additional info.


My rabbits LOVE crimped oats! They eat them faster than I can put them in the feeder, but they cost more than my pellets do here. Also, some of the oats fall to the ground and sprout in the bunny berries and so I have an endless supply of fresh oat greens for them!:bouncy:


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

Mine love all forms of oats but oats are a bit fattening. You may need to mix another grain in there to balance it if your rabbits are not being bred and producing heavily. The average rabbit pellet is only 2-3% fat maybe 4 while oats are 5-7%.


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## arachyd (Feb 1, 2009)

Mine love whole oats. They get about 1/4 to 1/2 cup each every day along with their greens, pellets and hay.


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## scpankow (Mar 31, 2011)

akane said:


> Mine love all forms of oats but oats are a bit fattening. You may need to mix another grain in there to balance it if your rabbits are not being bred and producing heavily. The average rabbit pellet is only 2-3% fat maybe 4 while oats are 5-7%.


I usually make a mix of 2 parts crimped oats, 1 part BOSS and 1 part Calf Manna. I give them about 2 Tblsp of that mixture a couple times a week, more often if it is cold or they are pregnant, nursing.


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## quailrabbit raiser (Dec 18, 2020)

[, member: 14258"]
Oh, you can, but you wont be happy with the results. Most rabbits, won't eat whole oats, they scratch them out of the feeder. They really need to be rolled. Rabbits love rolled outs. Our mill here only crimps or crushes, and the rabbits wont eat them. Its the outer hull that is the problem.
[/QUOTE]

Not the case with my rabbits.
Mine eat whole oats completely. I just don't mix it in. They like crimped too, but the whole oats take them much longer to finish, so i prefer that then having them scarf down oatmeal by the mouthful.

Try not to mix it, which is a pain, but topping the feeder with it works well for me for the kits and other rabbits. My bucks even get a 1/4 in winter if they can finish their feed. 

They like to give the oats separately for does. I give my nursing does 1- 1.5 cups of pellets almost the equivalent in oats and sunflower seeds by peak milk production. It is almost all they can eat in two separate feedings, but they also need to finish a good chunk of their pellet before they get the remaining half of the oat and pelle feed. They tend to eat what they need most, which is the extra fat and nutients. My kits grow out to 4.5 -3.0 by week 8 with large litters of 7-10. It really helps keep the condition on the does and the kits do well on that milk. This enables me to do successive breedings, without the does suffering. Oats and sunflower seed (mixed 50lbs oats to 12lbs), premium alfalfa & timothy hay, and 16% pellets for does. By week the time they get kits to week 2- 2.5. Both feeders need to be mostly finished before they get full oats ans pellets overnight. It's almost all they can eat. If they skimp on Pellets on day, or oats. They get 1/4 -1/8 cup less. I find that usually solves the issue. I believe they need the extra calories, fat, and nutrients. They also get some form of fresh fruit, leaves, branches, or greens daily. That and 1tsp of Calf manna.
The litter once eating gets 1tsp to share between them until they are weaned then 2 tsp & 1-2 tsp of oats to share between them.
I think it really helps keep the condition on the moms. When I used to do all pellets and hay, my does lost condition fast. The kits didn't seem to grow as well either.


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## arachyd (Feb 1, 2009)

My rabbits did well with a small treat bowl of whole oats in addition to their pelleted feed. One old doe actually managed to remove the hulls and eat the insides only. I alternated daily between oats and sunflower seeds. Once when I sold a litter the buyer picked one of the little ones up and exclaimed it was like a picking up a brick. They weren't so heavy before I started feeding oats.


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