Food for rabbits in starting pen

C.GANEY · Post by **C.GANEY** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 2:23 pm

I was wondering what type of feed or food to use in the pen. I have three feeders in the pen with rabbit food in them. I've put pears, apples,sweet potatos even peanut top in there. Someone told me that they have used bananas, but i've never tried them. I wanted to see what other people are useing in there pen for food to feed in the winter time.Thanks

Chuck Terry · Post by **Chuck Terry** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 3:32 pm

Unless you get something else free, I would go with the regular old rabbit feed pellets from the feed and seed store. Be sure theere is a water source too - the rabbits seem to drink more water when they are eating the pellets.

bunnie harvester · Post by **bunnie harvester** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 4:30 pm

I use pellets and ear corn, they tear it up,noticed today they are barking the briars and tree sapplings

saux1 · Post by **saux1** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 4:49 pm

I Use Shelled Corn In My Feeders

C.GANEY · Post by **C.GANEY** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 5:22 pm

The pellet feed you buy at the feed store is what I put in my feeder now, but the problem I'm have is the squirrel and rats seem to eating more than the rabbit are.I have water bucket at all my feeder to. With the apple& pears the rabbit and rat seem to eat about the same on. But it hard to find the apple and pear in the winter time with out paying a arm and a leg for in the store. I have planted food plots in the pen for them but I was have problem with hawks and owls kill the rabbit in the food plot, I put feeder in the wood around cover to save the rabbit that I'd had left. What type of feeder do you used in for your pellet feed, I use like a automatic feeder without the front on it. Maybe I need to change my feeder to something else.

jeffn · Post by **jeffn** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 7:17 pm

I heard one beagle club was using calf feed and said the rabbits could not get enought

ncbeagler · Post by **ncbeagler** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 8:16 pm

Food plots do provide food:however,if you have roost trees you get cleaned out.I use barrels sawed in half top to bottom.Knock a 8 inch hole on each end cut the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket down to 5 inch high for a big bowl to place the feed.PLACE FEEDERS AWAY FROM ROOST PERCHES AROUND THICK COVER 1 FOR EACH 5 ACRES.Steve Church

Chuck Terry · Post by **Chuck Terry** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 10:23 pm

C. Ganey: you need to TRAP (NOT poison!) those mice and rats! They encourage preditors of all sorts. I have heard the rats will kill your baby rabbits. Plus, you may have a problem with pups trailing rats!

Cannon Hollow Hounds · Mon Dec 26, 2005 11:08 pm

I keep some ear corn in there for mine, and I have a spring house stream running through it for water. There's a lot of berry briars and sumac they eat a lot of too. Sometimes I take a few pats of good clover or alfalfa hay and stick them low in the crotches of small trees.

?? How can I catch the rats without catching the rabbits ? CHH

Lone Pine Beagles · Post by **Lone Pine Beagles** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 7:58 am

To kill the rats, make a crate with small holes in it so only the rats can get in. In the crate put a shallow bowl or pie tin. Now you will need some "fly bait" goes by the name of Gold something? Sprinkle the bait in the tin and pour some Coke, Pepsi, or Root Beer on it.
Keep the crate away from any other animals.
I use this for Coons and mice, it works really good!

I feed mostly shell corn in the winter and an occasional apple slice hear and there. Never give them a pile of apples, because they will engorge themselves and get caught by the dogs!!

Be careful with the rat bait,
Lone Pine Beagles

Adam M. O'Donnell · Post by **Adam M. O'Donnell** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 8:44 am

One of the poison's your talking about is Blue Marlin Fly Bait, and mixed with Soda Pop is extreamly deadly! I personally feel it is too risky to use. Imagine if your hound eat's a dead poisoned rat!

The plastic barrel cut in half long way's works best! put it in a thicket, on top of a wood pallet. Rabbit pellets and corn work great.

C.GANEY · Post by **C.GANEY** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 9:12 pm

Do you every have problem with snake taking over the the plastic barrel in the summer. I have kill two rattel snakes about 4 to 5 foot long and one was 2 foot long in the pen. The next ? is do you feed the plastic barrel all the time or just in the winter time.The reason I ask is that the 2 foot rattel snake was only 8 inches away from the the feeder, the bad thing was I had put two cup of food in the feeder before I saw the snake laying beside the the feeder (that will make the blood start pumping if nothing else will).

Thats the only thing that I would be thing when I was picking up the barrel to feed in the summer time. I've had it happen once that was enough.

bullboy · Post by **bullboy** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:16 am

i use pellets and for a feeder i use 5in pvc 4ft long with a elbow on the bottom and a coffie can for a lid or you can use stove pipe