Is it possible to introduce cucumbers into the diet of rabbits
Every livestock breeder, especially a beginner, asks how to plan the diet of rabbits so that they receive enough nutrients, vitamins and minerals. The nutrition of farm animals, including rabbits, should be complete and nutritious. In this regard, one often hears the question: "Is it possible to give cucumbers to rabbits?" Livestock breeders agree that yes, it is possible, but subject to certain rules.
Can rabbits be given cucumbers
Can rabbits be given cucumbers
In the diet of rabbits, juicy foods such as cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, potatoes, melon and watermelon peels, and carrots must certainly be present. Animals are given vegetables during the day, fresh or boiled, mixed with bran or mixed feed.
Rabbits like cucumbers, but you should not be led by animals and feed them with only one type of food.
Can farm rabbits be fed cucumbers in the first months of life? The first time cucumbers are given no earlier than two months of age of the animal. At this stage, the digestive system reaches a normal level of development and becomes capable of handling juicy vegetables. Like any other food, fresh cucumbers are introduced into the diet gradually.
It is necessary to observe how the animal reacts to the introduction of new food: if loose stools appear or the rabbit becomes lethargic and lethargic, the vegetable should be removed. If there are no changes in the behavior of the animal, and the feces are dry, then you can safely give the rabbit cucumbers further.
It is not recommended to give cucumbers to rabbits during the period of their fattening for slaughter. At this time, the diet of the animal should contain the most nutritious food.
Why cucumbers are useful for rabbits
Cucumber is one of the most common vegetables, and it is for this reason that it is often present in the diet of rabbits. Cucumbers are rich in:
- minerals: iron, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, iodine, zinc and chromium;
- vitamins B1, B2, C, folic acid (B9);
- proteins;
- carbohydrates;
- fiber;
- water.
The fact that the vegetable is rich in B vitamins helps livestock breeders cope with such a feature of the rabbit body as coprophagia. Many animals tend to eat their own droppings due to the lack of vitamin B in the body. The reason for this deficiency is that in the cecum of the animal, hay and grass are fermented with the help of bacteria. In the process, useful substances are excreted with night feces. Rabbits eat their own droppings to make up for this loss.
Eating excrement in small amounts is normal and even beneficial for the animal, but large amounts can lead to digestive problems and vomiting. With crowded keeping of animals, it is possible to become infected with helminths if one of the rabbits is a carrier of parasites.
Cucumbers are given fresh, in pieces or grated. In grated form, they are successfully fed, mixed with bran.Due to its juiciness, the vegetable is eaten in hot weather, the animal receives part of the necessary water from it.
After feeding, it is necessary to check the feeders for residues: leftovers can rot or turn sour. A rabbit who eats this risks getting food poisoning or an upset stomach, which is dangerous to his life and health. After eating, the feeders should be washed. The volume of food needs to be regulated so that the next time it does not remain, but the animals are not hungry either.
Is it possible to give cucumbers to decorative rabbits
Many keep decorative rabbits in the form of pets in their homes and apartments. On various forums, you can often come across a question about whether it is possible for decorative rabbits to have cucumbers.
Like agricultural rabbits, decorative cucumbers are given fresh. They are thoroughly washed, dried and cut into small pieces. You can give rabbits grated cucumbers. Wet vegetables should not be given, as this can provoke problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Sometimes they try to feed decorative rabbits in the form of a treat with pickled cucumber - they happily eat such a treat. But will there be any benefit from such food? is it possible for rabbits to pickle cucumbers? Definitely not. It is also not recommended to give vegetables grown in greenhouses in winter, as they may have a high level of nitrates.
Also, it is not recommended to give fluffy animals:
- Sweets. Due to the high content of simple carbohydrates in them, they are of no benefit to the beast. Excess sugar consumption over time leads to diabetes and obesity. Sweet fruits should be given in small amounts 1-2 times a week.
- Fried vegetables. They cause indigestion in rabbits. Fried sunflower seeds are also dangerous to health. They are tasty as they are, but they can cause cerous changes in the liver.
- Dirty food. It is forbidden to give food that is soiled in the ground or in something else: pathogens of dangerous diseases and helminth eggs may be in the soil.
Due to the imperfection of the digestive system in babies, you can give cucumbers to rabbits no earlier than at the age of two months. Some individuals are unable to digest it until the age of 4 months. If the animal's stomach is weak, then cucumbers should be completely abandoned.
Sometimes they try to feed decorative rabbits in the form of a delicacy with pickled cucumber. Animals are happy to eat such a treat, but will there be any benefit from such food? Can rabbits have pickled cucumbers? Definitely not. Can you give rabbits fresh cucumbers in winter? The introduction of greenhouse vegetables, including cucumbers, is undesirable: they contain a large amount of nitrates.
Is it possible to feed rabbits with cucumber tops
In late August - early September, many agricultural vegetables stop bearing fruit and finish their growing season. At the end of the cultivation of cucumbers, a lot of cucumber tops remain in the field. It can be used, and not just thrown into the trash or compost.
Cucumber tops are given fresh or harvested for the winter. In dry years, feeding animals with tops helps rabbit breeders greatly, since cucumbers provide a large amount of green mass.
Cucumber tops must be prepared for use:
- inspect for rot, mold, or other fungal diseases;
- remove damaged leaves or sections of the lash;
- wither in the sun.
Animals should not be given wet shoots, especially in the morning dew, otherwise digestive problems cannot be avoided. The same applies to the tops affected by aphids. Often slugs like to hide in cucumber shoots in hot weather. They are dangerous to rabbits.
You can also prepare cucumber tops for the winter. To do this, clean lashes are laid out in the sun and turned over from time to time. Mold must not be allowed to form. Rotten food is not suitable for animal feeding
In addition to cucumber lashes, the tops of other garden plants are also harvested:
- fodder beet;
- carrots;
- sweet potato;
- Jerusalem artichoke;
- sweet pepper;
- peas;
- beans;
- beans;
- zucchini;
- pumpkins.
You can not feed rabbits with tops of tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant. Like all nightshades, they contain hydrocyanic acid in green shoots.
Conclusion
There are many important factors in rabbit breeding, but the main one is a properly selected balanced diet. Not only the health of the animals depends on it, but also the quality of their meat and fur.
Animals that receive poor nutrition or food that is poor in vitamins and microelements, slowly gain weight, lag behind in development, get sick, and lose interest in the opposite sex. This is bad for the entire livestock.
Cucumbers are able to perfectly diversify the animal's menu and satisfy the body's need for nutrients. But do not forget that a larger percentage of the rabbit's diet is occupied by wild-growing fresh grass or hay, and only then vegetables and fruits. Pregnant and lactating females should be given compound feed and vitamin supplements.