Usually, the bag will list the contents. I've noticed that some blended animal feeds contain salt and other ingredients that are not particularly helpful for lawns.

Regarding grains, I buy and apply. IMO, storing grains in your garage is not a good idea. If you do, it's an open invitation to every rodent and insect within several hundred yards of your place.

-Deerslayer

I buy mine and put it in a covered Rubbermaid bin. But if it comes up to Thanksgiving and I still have some, I spread it ALL. Otherwise by spring it will be half bugs.

Bugs in the feed. That reminds me of a time I was eating lucky charms at a friends house when a teenager. Needless to say I got disgusted and didn't finish the bowl.....oooouuuaaaaaggghhh.

I didn't see a list of ingredients on the bag of rabbit feed, but saw a breakdown on protein, fat, etc.

thanks for the help. I've seen evidence of a rabbit in my backyard already, after alfalfa pellets as fertilizer I might have my own petting zoo.

Alfalfa is 16% Protein. Rabbit pellets contain ~0.5% salt. If you apply at 10#/1000 ft^2 you would be adding 0.05 lb of salt per 1000 ft^2 per application. I get ~52# rain year and assume that the small amount of salt will wash out. I have read that KGB is more prone to salt than fine fescues.
My local feed supplier has numerous 16% feeds that contain soybean, alfalfa, corn, beet, oats, molasses, amino acides, minerals, etc.. They all have 0.5 to 1% salt and I am thinking about experimenting with some.

I have read that KGB is more prone to salt than fine fescues.

From what I've noticed, it is. Like the poster, I can only get alfalfa in feed (gerbil, in my case, is cheapest). It has 0.4% salt, or nowhere near enough to impact a KGB lawn. Certainly I didn't notice anything at my April application of the stuff.

I wouldn't apply it during a dry July just in case, but I still don't think it would be a problem. 0.05% salt over 1 K sq ft, figuring 20 lbs, is only .01 lbs of salt (.16 oz) over the area. I've spilled more table salt at a picnic and had no problems.

Thanks y'all. Just a clarification, when you say, KGB, I think you mean KBG (kentucky blue grass) not the old soviet spy and intelligence agency. haha

Either way, I have bermudagrass, which has some salt tolerance (I would think means okay for coastal areas) so a very small trace of salt and having bermuda, I think I'll be alright. So I'll be on the lookout for the local bunnies.

for those that are more knowledgeable feel free correct any info or assumptions I have here.
kevin

I'm not an expert on Bermuda but I do know that it requires plenty of nitrogen. Rabbit food contains less than 3% N.

Here's a Bermuda FAQ:

Bemuda FAQ

-Deerslayer

Deerslayer,
I'm a bit confused. I'm not new to bermuda care, but I am new to organic lawn care. So, I thought the more protein in a feed would yield more nitrogen after consumed by the microbes/food web.
I didn't see Nitrogen anyhere in the list of ingredients on the bag of rabbit alfalfa feed. Forgive me for my lack of knowledge in organic chemistry!

P.S. I have common (yuma) bermuda in back, and hybrid in front. My back also has spots of hybrid sod that I have put there and it has continued to spread over the years, it will eventually take over the yuma, as it has already in some places. I mow front and back at about 1". I have my mower on the second from lowest setting (rotary mower) and I'm sharpening the blade about every other cut. I'm also mowing about every 5 days.
(Hallelujah, we are getting some rain as i write this, hopefully it will help those wildfires in parts of GA).

There is some formula for converting crude protein to %N, but they are not equal.

You can look up the N-P-K of organic lawn food online though. Here is one document I found:

Organic Fertilizers

You'll notice that Soybean meal has at least 3 times the nitrogen as alfalfa.

"I thought the more protein in a feed would yield more nitrogen after consumed by the microbes/food web."

That's true. You can calculate N by dividing the protein percentage by 6. To care for Bermuda with organics, I suggest fertilizing with soybean meal, cotton seed meal, or CGM. All are between 7% & 9% N (between 42% & 54% protein).

If you don't object to synthetic organics, an application of coated urea now and then would help.

-Deerslayer

No doubt soybean is a great economical fertilizer. My grass (Red fescue, KBG) only requires ~1-2 lbs N2/yr and I prefer to do that with two 10-15lb/1K (September and October) applications of soybean meal.

I use corn meal and cracked corn for fungal control and limited weed control in the spring and if I want to do something to my lawn. I don't use CGM as I can't find a reasonable source.

I like alfalfa anytime, especially 3 weeks prior to reseeding in the fall. Alfalfa has hormones that help with root growth.

Corn, Alfalfa and Soybean cost about $9, $11, and $12 /50 lbs. Even though soybean is the most expensive it is easily the cheapest when evaluated as #N2/$. If I had bermuda I would use Soybean or CGM (If cheap).

I always switch KBG with KGB. Strange?

I always switch KBG with KGB. Strange?

In my case, it's the stupid spell-checker in Firefox.

No doubt soybean is a great economical fertilizer. My grass (Red fescue, KBG) only requires ~1-2 lbs N2/yr and I prefer to do that with two 10-15lb/1K (September and October) applications of soybean meal.

Yeah, I really should learn to leave well enough alone but I seem to be unable to do so where the lawn and gardens are concerned. I shoot for 4-6 lbs N per year (all organic feed), figuring that what doesn't decay now will do so later once the bacteria catch up.

I have to admit I'm a constant low-level feeder from May through October. On the other hand, I have to mow three times a week and the grass roots are reaching down to ten inches and still dropping fast. If the grass bothers to nap during the winter, it's usually only during February.

My lawn and gardens are on old, tapped-out corn field (it's been field for the last forty years, I've been there two). The soil change is remarkable in just two years.