Features of the daily diet for rabbits
Proper nutrition is the main source of energy for any living organism. And rabbits are no exception to this rule. Each farmer has repeatedly faced the problem of calculating the daily feed rate for these eared animals. In the wild, the rodent is looking for food for itself and is able to make up for the lack of nutrients. But how to properly formulate a balanced diet for feeding rabbits at home? To do this, you need to know what and in what quantity pets need. The diet of rabbits consists of basic feed and feed additives. The lion's share of the rodent's menu is made up of solid cereals and compound feed. Also, the pet just needs to be given greens or hay.
Diet of rabbits per day
Rabbit diets should contain the full range of minerals to strengthen bones, so supplements such as chalk or bone meal should be added. The rodent must necessarily receive vitamins, otherwise health problems will begin due to weak immunity. The correct diet for a rabbit per day should contain at least a few vitamin supplements. What types of food are there and how to calculate the daily allowance for a pet?
Different types of rabbit food
In the first place in the diet of the rabbit has always been, is and will be vegetable food. There are four main types of food:
- rough;
- juicy;
- green;
- concentrated.
Farm rabbits should be fed with hay or vegetables without restriction. As a treat, fruits and sweet root vegetables can be given once a day. Among other things, the pet needs mineral components. For this, a chalk or salt stone, which is sold in any specialty store, is suitable.
Green complementary food
During the warmer months, this type of food is the most readily available for rabbit owners. In early spring, the first plants begin to appear, and the dwarf pet will be provided with greenery until late autumn. Green complementary foods consist of:
- wild-growing herbs;
- grain and legume shoots;
- vegetable tops.
Plants for complementary foods can be prepared independently at home.
For this you need to know the types of grass, the rules for collecting and processing methods. Wild herbs can have both medicinal properties and contain a poison that can seriously cripple a pet's stomach. Avoid picking plants near roadways or in dusty places. Before using the plants, it is advisable to rinse with boiled water - sometimes a good grass can be pollinated by a poisonous neighbor. Bean shoots must be introduced carefully into complementary foods: they can cause diarrhea in the animal.
Green food should be varied: in this way the actions of different herbs can compensate for each other and be better absorbed by the pet. For example, sugar beet or potato tops should be added to complementary foods with plants that have a fixing effect: oak leaves, hazel leaves or yarrow. This helps to avoid the disorder in the rabbit.It is not recommended for rabbits up to 4 months to give the tops of these vegetables: the stomachs of the young are too weak and a breakdown may occur.
Coarse feed
This type of food should be on the eared menu in order. A young rabbit's daily diet in the wild is one-fourth of hay, tough grasses and wood. At home, you should adhere to the same norm.
If the rabbit has an excess of roughage, this can negatively affect the furry's digestive system. A stool disorder quickly depletes the eared and can even lead to the death of the pet.
Hay
Hay is harvested in late spring, when the grass has not yet begun to bloom.
Plants are mowed and moved, after which they are washed with water. It is required to carefully examine the grass for the workpiece: it should not be affected by insects or contain rot. After the future roughage is laid out on a linen cloth. When all the moisture is dry, the workpiece is taken out into the street or balcony on a sunny day, but the grass is dried in the shade. Direct sunlight kills most of the vitamins in plants. The place where drying takes place should be well ventilated, and the grass should be laid out in one layer. This protects the hay from rotting or coarsening.
Coarse hay that has been cut after flowering can also be fed to rabbits. To do this, grind the tough shoots into flour and add them to regular feed.
For the winter, one rabbit needs at least 40 kg of dried grass. If the rabbits are intended to be bred, then you can add another 10-15 kg for each possible rabbit.
Branches
In case of a shortage of hay, it is first of all necessary to feed foster and lactating rabbits, as well as cubs. Adults who are not planned to be allowed to mate can be fed with wheat straw. But animals will not last long on this diet: straw is extremely poor in nutrients.
The branches of the trees are harvested in summer or late spring. It is necessary not to miscalculate the moment when young foliage has already appeared on the trees, but has not yet grown to a rustling crown. This is the best time to harvest branch feed. In winter, the rabbit often lacks vitamins, and the branches will be an excellent addition to the main diet. Also, the rodent will be able to grind its teeth on the bark, as a result of which it will chew on the cage less.
However, not all trees are suitable for human consumption, and some can seriously compromise the health of your pet. Of the useful species, branches of maple, acacia, mountain ash, oak or alder can be distinguished. It is forbidden to give branches of elderberry, apricot or wild rosemary. These trees are extremely toxic to the rabbit. Birch branches can cause kidney disease, so they should be given in moderation. Some fruit trees contain hydrocyanic acid, which is also poisonous.
For better storage in winter, cut branches are tied into brooms and also dried on sunny days. If you did not have time to prepare the required amount of branch feed, do not despair. In winter, rodents can be given coniferous branches, which are also rich in vitamins. From mid-autumn to early March, these trees lose some of the resin and essential oil, so they are safe for the pet. Thorny branches should be introduced into complementary foods carefully, starting with 10 g per day. After that, the dosage can be increased to 200 g per adult.
Juicy types of complementary foods
In summer, greens cope with providing the animal with vitamins. But what to do in winter? Here juicy types of feed come to the rescue: silage or root crops. Silage is a type of complementary food obtained by fermenting the crushed mass of green plants, root crops or tops. It is important to remember that juicy complementary foods are rich in vitamins, but poor in fiber and protein, so they make up no more than 20% of the daily diet.
For silage preparation you will need raw materials and storage space. Turnip, Jerusalem artichoke, pumpkin or zucchini are perfect as raw materials. Silage is very easy to prepare at home, finely chop all the ingredients and then tamp them into a wooden barrel.If the farm is on a farm, then it is better to dig a special hole for this purpose and strengthen it with wood or cement.
After the laying, it is necessary to restrict the access to air so that the fermentation process does not begin. To do this, you can use cling film or cover the barrel with wood dust.
The composition of the silo should be as follows:
- 40% vegetable tops;
- 30% legumes;
- 10% root crops;
- 20% mashed boiled potatoes.
Silage should be fermented for 1.5-2 months, and only after that it can be fed to rabbits. For a herd of 20 individuals, 100 kg of succulent feed is enough.
Silage is the first source of vitamins in furry diets during winter. On large farms, silage makes up 80% of the eared feed base.
Concentrated feeds
This type of feed deservedly ranks first in nutritional value among rodents. Solid grains contain a minimal amount of water, and at the same time are rich in protein. Not surprisingly, when feeding for meat, farmers give rabbits an increased amount of concentrated feed.
The optimal daily intake of grain in pet food is 30-40% of the total feed per day. This may include wheat, oats, beans, corn, rye, and peas.
The most neutral and healthy grains are oats and rye. The leader of the legume trail is corn. These supplements can be given to the rabbit alone. The rest of the grains should be mixed or subjected to primary processing.
Cereals can be fed sprouted or cooked bran. The first in line for this food are pregnant females. They need a lot of protein in order for the rabbits to be born healthy and strong.
Vitamins and minerals in rodent feed
It's no secret that the rabbit is a herbivore, but like other living things, it needs non-plant minerals. The daily intake of nutrients depends on the age and weight of the rabbit. To replenish calcium and phosphorus in the body, rodents are given chalk, special salt and bone meal.
A couple of drops of fish oil a day is also considered a good supplement. If your rabbit lacks vitamin C, then you need to add a couple of drops of lemon juice to the water. It is important to remember that the lack of vitamins in the animal's diet can lead to stunted growth, hair loss, rickets or exhaustion.
Rabbit daily nutrition table
There is a table for calculating the daily feed rate, which takes into account the age and weight of the rodent, the season and physiological indicators. The feed must contain all the nutrients. Most of all vitamins and minerals are required by pregnant women, and lactating rabbits, and cubs in the first month after weaning from their mother. Adults need least of all during periods of the least activity of the body. If the goal of the farm is animal hair, the amount of protein in the diet can be reduced by increasing the amount of calcium using bone meal and chalk. When fattening for meat, the diet of rabbits should mostly consist of concentrated feed.
A lactating female and babies up to 2 months are fed 4 times a day, young animals and adults - 2-3 times. There are 2 types of feeding: three times a day and four times a day, which are also divided according to the seasons.
The winter ration for feeding farm rabbits includes three meals a day for an adult:
- 8 hours - 50% concentrated feed and hay;
- 12 hours - full rate of juicy feed;
- 17 hours - 50% concentrated feed and hay.
In winter, the diet for farm rabbits includes four meals a day for an adult:
- 6 hours - 30% concentrated feed, 40% hay;
- 11 hours - 30% concentrated feed, 50% succulent feed;
- 16 hours - 50% hay and succulent feed;
- 19 hours - 30% concentrated feed, 25% daily hay requirement.
In winter, twig feed is given at night. If necessary, it can be alternated with dry additives, hay and root vegetables.
The introduction of a root crop into a fluffy diet also requires special observation.An overabundance of succulent food is the risk of indigestion in rabbits. Diarrhea leads to rapid dehydration and can even provoke the death of a pet.
Summer three meals a day for an adult:
- 6 hours - 50% concentrated feed and 30% greens;
- 15 hours - 30% of the daily intake of green complementary foods;
- 19 hours - 50% concentrated feed, 30% greens and full roughage.
Summer four meals a day for an adult:
- 6 hours - 30% concentrates, 15% herbs;
- 11 hours - 30% concentrated feed, 15% greens;
- 16 hours - 50% of the daily amount of grass;
- 19 hours - 30% concentrated feed, 15% grass and full roughage requirement.
Balanced feeding of the rabbit is an urgent question for all owners of a fluffy animal. The owner selects his own optimal menu for pets by trial and error.
The daily diet for a rabbit should be as balanced as possible and saturated with vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
Conclusion
If you have just got yourself a decorative rabbit and do not know where to start, refer to the table of feeding standards, and then customize them individually for your pet. The diet for a decorative rabbit may differ slightly from the nutritional system of a farm rabbit.
With the right feeding regimen, the furry friend will be protected from many diseases and will be able to please with activity and curiosity. Proper nutrition is the key to the growth, development and fertility of a fluffy.