Feeding Angoras
It takes a little more thought when feeding Angoras than feeding most other rabbit breeds. The asset that makes them so great, their hair or wool, is also what can put a kink into feeding angoras.
An Angora Problem
Rabbits are very clean and groom themselves by licking. In the process, long hairs get in the mouth and into the digestive system, causing a hair blockage. They do not feel well because their bowels do not move and then stop eating. If wool block is not treated, they can die.
Feeding Program
In the beginning, we listened to all the advice. When we first started raising Angoras, we heard all sorts of advice about buying special foods, which were of course more expensive than plain rabbit food pellets. We were told to get the type of food especially formulated for Show Rabbits, the type that had papaya in it and special ingredients to improve the wool. They do seem to like these types of feed, but will also eat the less expensive brands.
We feed our French angoras about 1 cup of commercial rabbit food pellets a day.
Expensive tablets from the Health Food Store. We were advised to go to the Health Food store and buy papaya tablets to give them every day. The rabbits loved them but they cost too much to continue this practice for long.
Special mixtures of grain from the Feed Store. It was suggested that we use a special mix of grains mixed together. We were supposed to mix together various percentages of grains like oats and Horse Sweet mix containing molasses and various other ingredients.
This took time to mix properly and then when we gave it to the rabbits, they liked the grains better than the food. They picked through their food, knocked all their regular food out trying to get to the grain, and ended up not getting much to eat. The food all went through the holes in the wire cage floor and was spoiled by falling into the litter/waste pan.
Special Grains are still a part of their diet. The rabbits get treats of rolled oats and flax seed, and sometimes a few milo seed or whole wheat grains in a small separate bowl. This way they have their bowl of rabbit food and a bowl of treats.
Flax seed. We buy flax seed from the feed store in 50 pound bags and give 1 tablespoon a day sprinkled over their food or in a separate bowl. This lasts a long time and keeps their intestines clean. They eat better with the flax seed added and are less prone to wool block.
Rolled oats. Rolled oats are one of the rabbits' favorite treats and they tend to have better appetites when they get a tablespoon or two each day. We are able to get 50 pound bags of rolled oats at the feed store that are not labeled for human consumption.
Leftovers, orange and banana peels and waste from meal preparation are given in small amounts as treats. Some rabbits like a small amount of stale bread that has been permitted to dry out and is crunchy. We do not give huge amounts of any treats as they can get sick from too much of this sort of thing.
Greens. Greens from the garden like kale, mustard greens, amaranth, purslane, lettuce and swiss chard are a real favorites. Leaf lettuce, fresh clover, a few fresh blades of lawn grass, fresh spinach, kale leaves are all treats our rabbits like. When we let the buns run loose, under supervision, in the garden these are the sorts of plants they prefer. Do not give more than 2-3 leaves of iceberg lettuce because it is not very nutritious and mostly water and can cause diarrhea.
Prairie Hay. Prairie Hay and alfalfa bales are easy to get. The bunnies enjoy when we offer a handful every few days of prairie hay. It is a local product and inexpensive. Straw and hay are generally locally available in most places.
Water. Water should probably be at the top of the list. Rabbits need clean water at all times. If they do not have water, the dry rabbit pellets will not be eaten because it dehydrates them. In the winter when their water freezes, this can become a problem. Adding hot water at least twice a day is a good idea so they have a little unfrozen water. In the summer when it is hot it is imperative that they have plenty of water to drink.
