FEEDING THE MEAT RABBITS ON A BUDGET.

Our first seven kits are now six weeks old and I am happy to say they are weaned off mama, eating fabulously on their own. Only three to four more weeks and what bunnies we haven't sold,  as two to three are being sold as pets, will be finished and frozen.

With a recent drop in income on my end of the family bacon winning I have been looking for any extra way possible to save during this time. Hence the beginning of the meat chicken/rabbit adventure.... The frugal bone in me knew there had to be a cheaper way to feed these rabbits. 

In looking around my property, with my refusal to purchase or utilize toxic weed killers AT ALL, one will notice the vast salad of "weeds" everywhere... Well in attempts to jump start a looming labor I have in the last week been weeding twice a day and feeding all my profits to the rabbits! Better yet... I have completely weaned them off of pellet feed. All 15 of my rabbits are now on a 100% all natural, GMOfree, organic, COST FREE....blah blah blah diet! 

I even take the baby bunnies out into a smaller grazing pen everyday. I simply move it about every few hours to give them a new variety. They are currently working around all the beds, rows, and mounds in the garden. Fertilizing as they eat any weeds or grass sprouts. Have I said what gold rabbit manure is??? Seriously come get some, your garden will thank you. Highly nutrient fertilizer + odorless = win for this pregnancy mama and her olfactory nerves!!!

The best part of this new bunny diet is they can't get enough of it. I can't understand why I didn't start sooner. At random I felt like feeding Belle and her babies some fresh greens one day last week and their reaction had me hooked! All across the board they show more interest in these greens than any other pellet feed I have fed them. It gives me piece of mind knowing just how simple this food is, no processing or adding necessary. The rabbits seem happier and my wallet is happier no longer handing over hard earned money for fancy organic feeds.

Of course with the upcoming baby we have saved feed for convenience and we have already delegated a special spot for winter rabbit feed in the homestead budget.

Any dollar saved is a dollar earned, especially in our case! Our next homestead purchase needs to be a cutlery set for butchering and processing all this meat...

--->two pigs to be slaughtered the first week of June

--->19 meat chickens to be slaughtered first week of June

--->5-10 meat rabbits to be slaughtered mid June

Safe to say we have a few burners going! And baby #2 hasn't even been born yet! But we wouldn't have it any other way..

And all is well for fresh grazed rabbits..