What and in what quantities can you give a rabbit

1

6201

Article rating

Every farmer knows that the quality of feeding plays an important role in breeding any animal. The well-being of animals, their ability to resist diseases, as well as their productivity depend on the quality, quantity and types of feed. And rabbits are no exception in this matter. It is important to know what you can give your rabbit as food, and in what quantities. And it is equally important to understand what kind of food is capable of harming the animal. Because poisoning is no less dangerous than any infection.

What can you give a rabbit

Types of food for domestic rabbits

Before sorting out what exactly can be given to rabbits, you need to figure out which main groups are divided into the components of their diet. At the same time, one must understand that one type of food cannot be dispensed with, no matter how useful it may be. You should always make up your diet with several different ingredients. The farmer may also need to change portions periodically. This has to be done in cases where animals require certain vitamins that are found only in certain foods.

Do not forget about the seasonal change in the diet for the rabbit herd. For example, rabbits can and should be fed green and succulent foods. But in winter, fresh grass is not available and has to be replaced with quality silage. Therefore, it is also recommended to learn how to ensile, because hay alone cannot be done. There are several options for both winter and summer feeding. But first, it is worth considering all the types of feed that are commonly used for fattening rabbits:

• Grass and other similar green food. It should never be forgotten that wild rabbits are meadow animals. And for normal life they need meadow and field grasses, as well as tops of cultivated plants. For example, you can give rabbits mouse peas, coltsfoot, hogweed, clover, or plantain. They should also be fed with alfalfa, wormwood or nettle, but in some cases.
• Juicy food - not to be confused with green mass. This includes a range of root vegetables and vegetables. It is worth considering that contrary to popular belief, white cabbage does not always benefit these animals. If they get sick from cabbage stubs, it is better to remove them from the diet. Carrots, fodder beets and Jerusalem artichoke are worth noting among the root crops.
• Do not forget about roughage. They will not form the basis of the diet, but without them the rabbits will not do well. This type of food includes straw, hay harvested from the tops of legumes or cereals, tree branches, leaves and needles. All this is needed in order to grind the teeth of the animals and ensure normal digestion.
• Compound feed and various grains. These are sometimes referred to as concentrated feeds due to their high nutrient content. A large amount of such food will not be good for the eared, but it should be used to speed up feeding. It should be borne in mind that the use of such feed increases maintenance costs.
• Various food additives and table scraps. Food waste should be handled with care, because if it starts to rot or mold, it will become a dangerous poison. The same applies to the ingestion of foods that are unsuitable for rabbits. As for vitamins and minerals, they are given to animals as needed.

This is all a common division that some farmers sometimes disagree with. For example, silage can be classified as both green and succulent forage, depending on the composition and processing. Many more separate vegetables and fruits as rabbit food, although the animals are usually given something that cannot be used by the owner of the site. Therefore, it can sometimes be considered another type of food waste. In any case, it is worth considering each of the groups, and deciding what from it can be given to rabbits and what not.

Succulent and nutritious rabbit food

These feeds cannot form the basis of the animal's diet, but they must be included in it. Vegetables, fruits, roots and fruits of some wild plants are usually used as such food. If we talk about root crops, then eared animals can be fed with beets (beetroot is perfect for them), turnips, garlic, give them radish and carrots. But neither beetroot nor other root crops can be compared with Jerusalem artichoke. This root vegetable for rabbits is like a kind of ragweed. You just need to remember that this is an invasive plant.

Of the vegetables, these animals will like spinach, broccoli, corn cobs (you can give it whole), zucchini and squash. It is also worth giving celery (both greens and root crops), pea pods and tops, garden rhubarb, lettuce, phacelia and many other garden plants. Eared pets are not very healthy, but they are almost omnivorous in terms of cultivated plants. Still, you shouldn't give them nightshade crops. Potatoes can be boiled, and it is better not to use any such tops at all.

Fruits and berries for rabbits

With fruits and berries, the situation is exactly the same as with vegetables. You can give the animals currants, viburnum, sea buckthorn, blueberries, mountain ash, and other similar berries. And from fruits, quince, cherries, apples, pears, plums and even peaches are added to the feed. Some aesthetes feed their pets nectarine, pineapple, persimmon, orange, as well as the peel of these fruits. But the fruits themselves, and orange and banana skins are not always good for the animals. And give them, like other fruits, it is better in a very limited amount.

Interestingly, the eared inhabitants of the rabbitries happily devour acorns and chestnuts, both fresh and dried. You can diversify the diet with these fruits in the summer, or prepare them for use in the winter. For winter harvesting, acorns and chestnuts must be dried, finely crushed and then pressed into briquettes. Alternatively, it can be stored as flour in bags. It is better not to give such food to small rabbits in the first month of life. But adult animals can eat them in small portions every day.

Exotic fruits and vegetables for rabbits

The owners of decorative animals were the first to get carried away with unusual and expensive food. Then the same hobby was picked up by some farmers, who decided that such products improved the quality of meat and fur. But this, unfortunately, is not true. For example, you can give the animals pomegranates, kiwi, citrus fruits and their waste (tangerine peel), dates or raisins. This group also includes peanuts, dried fruits (many give dried apricots) and various nuts. These products are not harmful, but they are not very useful either.

The main disadvantage of using such feeds is their high cost. Even raspberries or strawberries should not be fed to animals, nor should they be fed with apricots or peaches. After all, all these fruits are not so cheap, and feeding them to animals is a waste. A number of livestock breeders claim that such feeding improves the quality of meat. But they will never increase its price, except in some rare cases. Here is what experienced rabbit breeders who have been breeding these animals for a long time write about this on the forums:

“Some newbies seriously ask whether it is possible to feed rabbits citrus fruits, various fruits and berries from the garden. Or maybe they should be fed with dried fruits (dried apricots or prunes) and nuts. And they motivate this by the fact that due to such a diet, the quality of meat improves. Alas, this is a very controversial issue even when it comes to healthy adult animals. And if it is given to a pregnant rabbit, or enters the feed of the rabbits, then it can cause considerable harm. Therefore, raisins, peanuts or pineapples should be left to people. "

Roughage in the diet of domestic rabbits

Unlike fruits and berries, roughage must necessarily be included in the portions prepared for the eared ears. They cannot form the basis of the diet, but without them animals will feel much worse. Coarse, hard food is good for digestion, allows you to grind your teeth, and, in principle, is needed by rabbits. But their excess can also harm, and this must be explained to inexperienced owners and children. First of all, you need to pay attention to certain tree species that will please eared pets:

• Coniferous trees. Pine and Christmas trees should be pruned in winter, when the animals lack green forage, in particular, various fresh grasses. But do not constantly feed them with needles and pine twigs. Intermittent feeding provides additional disease resistance. But if you constantly give a spruce, then it is already capable of harming the pets.
• Willow. If you constantly feed the animals with willow, then they may become ill from it. But if you periodically give twigs from these trees, they will help cope with various diseases of the digestive tract. But it is worth using willow with some caution.
• Birch tree. Birch is given when additional cleaning of the body is required. The branches of these trees have a diuretic effect, so you should not overfeed the animals with them.
• Branches of a row of fruit trees. Without fear, you can give the rabbits garden rowan, branches of raspberries, currants (you can also feed them with other similar shrubs), an apple tree or grapes. All that remains after periodic pruning of trees should be fed to the inhabitants of the rabbitries.
• Branches of forest trees. You can feed your pets with maple branches, acacia, poplar or mulberry. In case of diarrhea, oak branches can be added to food (they strengthen and prevent diarrhea). But, as is the case with other deciduous or coniferous species, it is better to give all this in limited quantities.

Harvested hay and straw are also coarse fodder. It is recommended to harvest hay from pea or bean tops, alfalfa or clover. They should not grow moldy, and poisonous or inedible plants should not get into it. Usually, hay is used for feeding in the winter, although sometimes the animals are fed with it in the summer. But no matter how much hay is prepared, it, like branches, cannot form the basis of the diet. For this purpose, green and concentrated feed are better suited.

Various concentrated feed and cereals

There are many different cereals that are allowed to feed eared pets. These include buckwheat, millet, pearl barley, rice, oatmeal and other similar foods from the table. Rabbit cereals should be fed in crushed form, or you can make cereals (the so-called mash).Porridges are suitable for both small, growing animals and adults. For example, boiled oatmeal or pasta goes very well. But undercooked food, or whole, not ground grain, should not be allowed to rabbits under any circumstances.

If we talk about grain, many farmers are interested in whether it is possible for rabbits to have sunflower seeds. In principle, it is precisely those seeds that are rich in essential oils that can be given to animals not in crushed form. But hemp or hops (buds, stems, or leafy forage) are best avoided. They should not be given to either small or large crawls. But wheat, rapeseed or millet are quite suitable as feed. But only in crushed form. Although millet is consumed by adult animals as a whole.

Wheat is not the only grain to work with. You can feed barley, make portions based on oats and a number of other grains. But it is better not to use sorghum for feeding - often animals have intestinal problems from such food. In principle, oat-based feeds are suitable for animals of all ages. Crimped (not crushed) grain, boiled oatmeal or rolled oats are perfectly digested by eared pets. But you can't give it fried, or with sugar - rabbits react badly to sweets, as well as to fried foods.

Rabbit food mixes and dietary supplements

Concentrated and combined feeds are often the basis for the diet of rabbits. But the dosage and composition of the mixture are always important here. It is very important to know what is and what is not in the composition of the feed, since the list of components is always available on the manufacturers' website. And you need to understand that what rabbits can eat also depends on their age. One feed is intended for rabbits that are not even a month old, and the other mixture is given to adult animals. And you cannot confuse them with each other, otherwise there will be problems with the health of the animals.

Although it is possible to give instead of some feeds prepared by hand mixtures with a similar composition. But you should always ensure that there is clean water in addition to dry food formulations. And there should be a lot of water, because there is no such animal that could do without it. The condition of the drinking bowls must be monitored with special attention in order to prevent clogging of the drink. And do not add salt to the water, as it is sometimes recommended. Such an additive can cause considerable harm to an animal if it is used ill-considered.

And if we are talking about mineral supplements, then it should be mentioned that rabbits need calcium, sodium and chlorine. But there is no need to give them chalk, table salt, or put a lick in the rabbitry. A list of foods containing these minerals is worth looking at. In particular, this list includes bone meal, wheat bran and a number of other products. For example, for these purposes, soybeans (pulp, meal, tops and fruits) are often given, or the cake of other legumes. But cottage cheese or cow's milk cannot be given to them. Baby rabbits are allowed only mother's milk.

Products from the table

Some table foods can be given to rabbits, provided they have not started to rot or become moldy. For example, you can feed them with slices of stale bread. But it is better to make rusks out of bread, and give it already in this form. This includes bread crusts, lettuce, and fruit and vegetable skins. But additional water will be required for the breadcrumbs. It is necessary to water the rabbits constantly, because the more they eat, the more they will need to drink. By the way, some owners prefer to add iodine and vitamins to the water.

Of those foods that rabbits cannot, mushrooms are worth mentioning. Even some species that are harmless to humans can cause rabbit poisoning. And here you will have to get activated charcoal from the first-aid kit, if it is there, of course. You should not feed the rabbits and paper (and do not need to say that you can sharpen your teeth about it), chocolate, chicken eggs and bird fish oil. House rabbits will definitely not like them.Very often, those products that are intended for humans should not be eaten by eared pets.

Green food for rabbits

This list includes various meadow grasses, tops of cultivated plants and that grass that is grown especially for animals. It is green food that is often the basis of the diet of domestic rabbits, and is used both in summer and winter. But in winter they are usually replaced with silage. Silage is a green mass chopped, compressed and treated with preservatives (eg salt is used). The herbs themselves are divided into three main groups, according to their effect and field of application:

• Edible herbs. This list includes the grass that is most difficult for an animal to harm - unless it outgoes it. These include purslane, clover, oregano, arugula, St. John's wort, Ivan tea, chicory and wood lice. They also gladly eat ape, plantain, shepherd's purse, yarrow, chamomile, knotweed and white sweet clover. Finally, they quite calmly consume field horsetail, sow thistle, rape, reed, sedge and rhubarb. But all of these herbs are best given as a mixture.
• Conditionally edible and medicinal plants. Motherwort, reed and sedge are sometimes included in this list. It is also worth bringing in loboda, marigolds, runny, tansy (wild mountain ash), dahlias and wormwood. For most of these plants, it is better to remove flowers, arrows and roots. And to improve the quality of meat before slaughter, they give mint, basil, celery, and sage. All this can be eaten by rabbits, but in small quantities.
• Inedible and poisonous plants. It is better not to give these grasses and shrubs to rabbits, under any circumstances. After all, even one stem can cause poisoning or upset the body. This includes tulips (in particular, their bulbs), wild garlic, calendula, mustard, all buttercups and cornflowers. Common cocklebur and yellow purse are also harmful. Do not feed celandine or fern. And from the bushes, lilacs are not recommended, and you should not give roses (in particular, their red flower).

It often happens that the same type of plant can both harm and be useful. It's all about the dosage and method of processing. It is also worth considering the fact that any grass growing along the roads will be harmful to the rabbits. Snow is worth mentioning separately - you shouldn't melt it and feed the rabbits with melt water. Drinking like this, contrary to popular belief, is of no benefit. It is worth taking apart some of the plants in more detail, in terms of their benefits or harm to the health of rabbits.

Varieties of wormwood

Bitter wormwood can cleanse the body of animals. In particular, it helps against various parasites in the digestive tract. This plant also stimulates the appetite, which is useful for accelerated fattening for meat. But is it possible for rabbits to have a different wormwood, of a different kind? In principle, these animals can also be given wormwood, they are also able to digest it. All other varieties are best ignored due to the risk of poisoning. And here it is already necessary to clean the bellies of the animals with potassium permanganate and activated carbon.

But even the beneficial species of this plant should be used with great care. This can be compared with the already mentioned pine, which benefits rabbits, but in limited quantities. Excess wormwood does not cause constipation or diarrhea. Instead, it acts on rabbits as a kind of stimulant of nervous activity. During the rutting season, this can backfire.

Seed grasses in the diet of rabbits

These plants are considered to be one of the main herbs recommended for feeding the rabbit population. This includes lupine (not alkaloid), clover and alfalfa. But these herbs alone should not be fed to eared pets. Firstly, you should not give them in large quantities to young animals, since the rabbits are not immediately able to digest, for example, lupine.Secondly, it is necessary to mow these plants on time, when they have not yet had time to become tough and tasteless for rabbits. The grass should be as soft and juicy as possible.

This must also be done because the ripe fruits of clover or alfalfa are not recommended for rabbits. Finally, when harvested for the winter, these plants are used as feed only in the form of hay or silage. Although some farmers prefer to use these herbs exclusively in the summer. It is worth remembering that both clover and alfalfa are rich in nutrients, and too much can cause intestinal problems and bloating.

Poisonous herbs

The list of plants that cause malaise in rabbits is very large and extensive. But most of the herbs that are included here belong to the swampy and moisture-loving varieties. In particular, do not feed rabbits with celandine, milkweed, or regular buttercups. There are some exceptions, but it is better to use meadow plants such as dandelions and chamomile as food. They are perfect as part of the diet of eared pets. And fleshy marsh plants are best avoided.

Conclusion

The compilation of a feed base for rabbits must be approached very carefully. You shouldn't feed them one type of food. It is desirable that portions include green food, rough food, and a certain amount of concentrates. And all this should be served not spoiled. Only then will the animals feed quickly and gain weight. And, of course, they will stay healthy.