# Pasture Raising Rabbits



## Hobby Farm

I saw a post that brought up this topic, and it sounds interesting.  Is it possible to feed rabbits out on a nice pasture?  I was thinking about using my 6'x10' chicken tractor to house rabbits on the pasture.  Can rabbits get all their nutrition from a pasture?


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## miss_thenorth

This is something that I will look up in the future.  Probably in the winter when i have more time. 

The only thing I know, is that rabbits dig and tunnel.  so, in order to do this and stil be able to "own" rabbits ( that is without them running away), is to bury some type of wire fencing material that they cannot dig through.  

Also, I know that if rabbits do not have enough space, they WILL fight--it's a territorial issue, and I don't know the specifics at this time.

As far a diet,  too, I don't know specifics again, but  with every batch of rabbits I raise ( the ones that go to freezer camp), I have one or two escapees.  They never go far, and they are usually out over night, and I find them in the morning.  The certainly have never died from getting out, and I'm pretty sure, instinctively, just like they know to pull fur when they are ready to kindle, they know what is safe to eat and what is not.

My grandfather started raising rabbits during the war, and there was no such thing a rabbit food back then.  My dad and his brothers had to pick dandelion leaves etc on their walk home from school to feed the rabbits.  For the most part, if they didn't raise the rabbits, they didn't get to eat meat very often.  My grandfather was also an avid gardener, so those two things combined kept my dad's family very well fed, when others were less fortunate.  Also, the scraps fro the garden, weeds and all went to the rabbits.

He did, however, raise his rabbits in a hutch.


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## 2dream

I am considering pasturing my rabbits to an extent.  I do not want to raise them colony style but I do plan on building them runs with a possible common area that I can control.  Maybe giving two females and 1 male access one day and the next day a different male and females.  Or something of that nature just to give them an opportunity to get out of their cages and into the grass.  This will also allow me to let the grass rest when needed.

I think the chicken tractor would work great as long as it has a wire floor.  

I am not sure about just grazing them with no pellets.  If you have plenty of forage for them I would think it would be fine since wild rabbits never get rabbit food. LOL  Personally I would continue to give pellets.  One thing I have noticed about rabbits.  When they are full they stop eating.


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## rebecca100

We used to have neighbors who let their rabbits free-roam.  They had dogs that didn't bother the rabbits and the rabbits pretty much stayed in their yard.  Finding the babies was a bugger though.  At our old place I had a 2 does that were no good for breeding and they were the kids' so we turned them loose in the yard knowing that was how the other people kept them and they did great.  When we moved we caught them and found them new homes, but they lived free for about four months.  I imagine a good timothy/bermuda with either a little clover or alfalfa pasture would be good with a salt/mineral block.  I read that too much alfalfa/clover is not good for them, though, but is needed for the calcium and minerals, but is too high in protein to use as a main feed.  I have never done that though, that is just what I learned while reading at our old place.  I had planned to pasture them there, but never got the chance.


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## Ibicella

I personally wouldn't put them in a tractor.  As mentioned before, they dig and tunnel.  Give them a contained run or yard, and they should do fine.  Just watch out for those tunnels, because they're ankle twisters, plus there is no point in having meat rabbits if they just go down the rabbit hole when it's time to harvest! 

I would also supplement with hay or pellets, but you wouldn't need much.


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## Beekissed

Might want to check out books by Joel Salatin...they pasture raised rabbits in tractors for some years.  Moved them daily to new pasture after cows and chickens.


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## anthonyjames

I found a site that if you raise chickens  you would have heard of Joel Salatin and Polyface Farms.

Here is the link to what is called a portable hare pen.
http://polyfaceapprentice.blogspot.com/2009/02/hare-pen.html

If you notice the bottom it looks like they are using furring strips or old style plaster lathe at the bottom to stop the digging.  Then in the winters they house them in the Raken House (Rabbits and Chickens) with the rabbits above and the egg layers below.  

Also, is there any preferred way to kill them and process them

Thanks


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## tleventer

"Also, is there any preferred way to kill them and process them"

Rabbits are relatively easy to process.  Whether you dispatch via "broomsticking" (aka separating the cervical vertibrae) or "bopping" (hitting them on the head) or gas (some people do CO2 gas).... it really depends on you and your preference with whatever you're comfortable with.  After that it's really easy.  Best bet is probably to find a book that describes the process.  My hubby does the dispatching, although once they're dead, I have no problem with processing and have skinned and done a mini-autopsy on a doe that died on me for no apparent reason.  good luck... and thanks for the link with the hare tractor!


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## chinbunny1

ou can try asking the meat rabbit list about it. Personally i wouldn't try it. Rabbits tend to do much better in cages where they have acess to pellets. In fact I think one comment over there says it takes longer for them to grow out if they are just eating grass. a lot of domestic rabbits are capable of handling grass that well because we, as breeders, have bred that out of them over the years. By selecting animals that do well on certain brands of feed. You also tend to have higher losses with babies then you do in a controlled setup. there is also a higher risk of them picking up parasites too. Its just somethingt hat needs to be thoroughly researched before you go through with it. Not someting i would recoend doing for first time rabbit owners.


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## anthonyjames

They also give them feed as well as the grass they are pasturing on.  Freedom of choice and they grow out to between 2 - 3 lbs in 12 weeks.


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## anthonyjames

Here are some of my kits in their tractors in my yard.

They get grass, weeds, hay, & pellets.  I am watching to see how fast they grow out.  If not fast enough I will keep them in a cage a week or two longer to put on more weight and then put them in the tractors for about last 3 weeks or so.

gallery.me.com/anthonyjames420  then go to rabbits in tractors view to see 3 of my 7 tractors.  One tractor only has 4 rabbits as the other 5 are at a family farm.  I cycle babies in and out for the farm so the kids and pet babies all summer long.


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## houndit

Look here.  http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3333


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## Citylife

"Also, is there any preferred way to kill them and process them"
Rabbits are relatively easy to process.  Whether you dispatch via "broomsticking" (aka separating the cervical vertibrae) or "bopping" (hitting them on the head) or gas (some people do CO2 gas).... it really depends on you and your preference with whatever you're comfortable with.  After that it's really easy.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Take a look at this...  it is a great video guide for anyone.
http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBYv3I9cCgo

The lady w/4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits and their kits and a lizard


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## chinbunny1

As long as the tractor pens have a wire on the bottom of them to prevent the rabbit fro getting out, they should be fine. In no way shoul dthe rabbit be allowed to run loose. that is not proper free ranging.


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