# NEED HELP TO MAKE BABIES GAIn WEIGHT!



## ThePartyAnimal95

Hey I was wondering how to make my californian rabbits gain some good weight. Last year my meat pen weighed barely 3 pounds. But the year before that they wieghed five. Know the mother of my last year meat pen is the same from my 5 pound meat pen. They say that meat pen was really good but idk and they gained wieght real well because there was only three to the litter but this time there was 7. I am useing a different father who the judge said was great last year. Could it be the food or what? The liiter is due april 8th so any help and advice be for would be really helpful thanks. PLEASE HELP!


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## terri9630

I've had really good gains with my New Zealand Whites.  While the doe is pregnant I feed her pellets free choice, calf mana and oats.  The calf mana is fed according to the directions on the bag and I feed the oats the same as the calf mana.  Once the kits are weaned I continue to free feed them pellets and still give the oats and calf mana.  I also have hay cubes for the horses and give them to all my rabbits to play with/eat.  

I'll have to go check the bag again but I'm pretty sure it is a table spoon for pregnant doe/growing kits and a tsp for dry does/ adults.


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## norcal

terri9630 said:
			
		

> I'll have to go check the bag again but I'm pretty sure it is a table spoon for pregnant doe/growing kits and a tsp for dry does/ adults.


Is this the powdered formula stuff?  Read about it in THE book.   I get confused 'cause of all the mana brand stuff.  We feed mana rabbit pellets (right now).   Was thinking of getting mama rabbit some of the formula-type stuff.


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## ThePartyAnimal95

Is it ok to feed the mama rabbit goat milk i herd it would make them thrive


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## chickadee

Free choice 18% pellets and add a mix of oats (Quaker is good, but not instant), barley, black oil sunflower seeds, and flax seed. Mix equal parts and give 1 tablespoon daily as a top dressing to the pellets.


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## chickadee

ThePartyAnimal95 said:
			
		

> Is it ok to feed the mama rabbit goat milk i herd it would make them thrive


No. Adult rabbits are lactose intolerant. While there are people that are lactose intolerant can often drink goats milk, not everyone can. I would not take the risk... milk of any kind is very bad for adult rabbits. They do not digest it properly... I wouldn't take the chance.


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## terri9630

norcal said:
			
		

> terri9630 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'll have to go check the bag again but I'm pretty sure it is a table spoon for pregnant doe/growing kits and a tsp for dry does/ adults.
> 
> 
> 
> Is this the powdered formula stuff?  Read about it in THE book.   I get confused 'cause of all the mana brand stuff.  We feed mana rabbit pellets (right now).   Was thinking of getting mama rabbit some of the formula-type stuff.
Click to expand...

It's a pellet.  My rabbits love it. I buy it at my local feed store but my local walmart carries it too.
http://www.mannapro.com/products/calf-manna/


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## norcal

terri9630 said:
			
		

> It's a pellet.  My rabbits love it. I buy it at my local feed store but my local walmart carries it too.
> http://www.mannapro.com/products/calf-manna/


Thanks, I thought that's what you guys were talking about (the reddish stuff right?).


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## norcal

chickadee said:
			
		

> No. Adult rabbits are lactose intolerant. While there are people that are lactose intolerant can often drink goats milk, not everyone can. I would not take the risk... milk of any kind is very bad for adult rabbits. They do not digest it properly... I wouldn't take the chance.


The book said that you can give them dried milk.  I haven't, but is this out-dated information?   My book is from the late 70s I think....


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## terri9630

norcal said:
			
		

> terri9630 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's a pellet.  My rabbits love it. I buy it at my local feed store but my local walmart carries it too.
> http://www.mannapro.com/products/calf-manna/
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks, I thought that's what you guys were talking about (the reddish stuff right?).
Click to expand...

Right.


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## rabbitman

Calf mana kinda smells like licorish <----- I spellt that wrong LOL.

I fed my doe who was skinny she had a litter of 1 so Idk why she was but we have these weeds growing here that have lil purple flowers on them. 

Cut off the the purple flowers and feed them aton of it. I fed her tons of it and now she is so fat, she has a little dewlap under her chin....


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## chickadee

norcal said:
			
		

> chickadee said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> No. Adult rabbits are lactose intolerant. While there are people that are lactose intolerant can often drink goats milk, not everyone can. I would not take the risk... milk of any kind is very bad for adult rabbits. They do not digest it properly... I wouldn't take the chance.
> 
> 
> 
> The book said that you can give them dried milk.  I haven't, but is this out-dated information?   My book is from the late 70s I think....
Click to expand...

I haven't heard anything about dried milk, I wouldn't even take the chance though. She could potentially get very, very sick.


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