Feeder Height for Litter Access?

[brentr]

I'm trying to do some comparison and figure out how others do this...my goal is to reduce feed wasted by young bunnies who are still in with momma. My rabbits are meat breeds - Calis & NZW

I put my feeders flush with the cage floor, so that when the litter leaves the nest box and starts exploring and eating pellets, they have no problem reaching the feed. I worry that if I move the feeder up higher, they won't be able to reach in. But it also seems that by the time they start eating really well on their own (between 3-4 weeks) the feeder is too low, and I get a lot of feed wasted from the little ones.

So my question to everyone: how high off the floor are your feeders in nursing doe cages (please give height from floor to top edge of trough on feeder)? Or do you have an alternative method for giving access to pellets for still-nursing bunnies? How do you minimize wasted feed?

Any tips or advice appreciated.

 

[DianeS]

I have a separate grow-out cage that I use, that sits flat on the ground. It's about twice the size of the hanging cages. I move mom and kits into it when the kits start moving around and it looks like mom wants some space sometimes. When I feed in that cage, I feed with bowls on the ground. I think they are anywhere from half an inch to two inches in height.

That way the feed is easy to get to, and if they dig it out of the bowl it is just on the ground as well and they can eat it from there. That leaves very little waste. (The cage is movable, rather like a tractor, it's not like the droppings build up or anything.)

 

[Chris]

My kitting pens are wooden pens and I feed the pens in stone crocks then when I see that the young are eating good but still nursing I put a creep feeder in the pen so that the little one can have full feed but the doe is on restricted feed. I made most the creep feeders out on food but I do have one that is made out of stainless steel.
Bass Rabbit Equipment sells a nice creep feeder also. http://www.bassequipment.com/Feeders/Feeding+Equipment/default.aspx


Chris