What do rabbits eat at home
Every farmer should know what rabbits eat at home. A rabbit is a unique animal, its meat is an ideal dietary product, and its fur is used for sewing fur coats, hats, skins are used for gloves. For all its merits, keeping a rabbit is not so easy. The most important thing is to choose the right diet for the fastidious pet. Any novice rabbit breeder should learn this. Eating rabbits is not so difficult, but it is worth approaching this issue responsibly.
What do rabbits eat?
The menu for the eared ears must be compiled for every day and strictly monitor its implementation, otherwise it will not work to breed rabbits. Almost the only serious problem faced by the owners of a rabbit farm is animal nutrition. Immediately after purchasing pets, you need to draw up a diet for them, and for this you need to know what rabbits eat at home. The basic principles of feeding should be based on balance and variety.
Why is it important to feed your rabbits properly?
- They have very weak stomach muscles. The intestines and stomach should never be empty, and for this you need to often give your pets food and know what they can eat. It is necessary to feed the rabbits in small portions, and then leave hay and water in the cage.
- Digestion in rabbits works hard throughout the day. The rabbit must constantly chew and drink. When leaving the house, it is necessary to leave the necessary food for the animals even for several hours.
- A predisposition to diarrhea. Foliage and twigs protect the stomach and intestines from infections. With a properly composed diet, the pet will develop and grow normally.
- Weak immunity. In rabbits, you need to constantly develop and improve the quality of immunity and provide products that activate the protective properties of the animal's body.
Rabbit family owners should ask themselves what they want from their business. If the goal is tender meat and shiny skins, then taking care of the nutrition of domestic rabbits is the first necessity. To breed pets for meat, you need to add more protein foods to the menu. If you plan to feed rabbits with compound feed, then it is better to choose special mash-ups for fattening individuals for meat. Also, any food is subdivided according to the age and characteristics of the pet.
For example, pregnant females and young rabbits need to be fed with minerals and vitamins added to the food.
You also need to know what and when domestic rabbits eat, what can be given to animals, and what is strictly prohibited. You should carefully familiarize yourself with the features of feeding, types of feed, diseases and treatment of rabbits from them. You can study the reviews of how experienced farmers feed rabbits at home or at the factory. Rabbit breeders can share their stories. It sometimes takes many years to learn how to properly feed rabbits.
Main meal
Like all rodents, eared ears eat any plant food. Fresh grass or dried tops does not really matter. It is best if the rabbit food comes from your own garden, as grocery stores can be loaded with chemicals to extend the shelf life. Rabbits are especially fond of beans and all legume plants. This is the main ingredient in the rabbit menu.
In addition to plants, the owners of rodents should offer pets other types of food, then the rabbits will grow healthy, cheerful and bring the owners not only joy, but also a good income. How many types of feed are there? There are only 4 of them, and all of them must be present on the rabbit menu.
Green feed
Green forages are herbs, but not everything. Best of all, animals eat clover, wormwood, nettle, yarrow and tansy. These herbs have medicinal properties, which is also important. The rabbit's body is designed in such a way that it independently senses which grass it needs to eat more and which less. Ideal when rabbits graze on the lawn and get their food.
Of course, provided that you are confident in what type of grass grows on the site, from spring to late autumn, you can provide them with animals without much worries. But for the winter you will have to stock up on hay. Preference should be given to legumes, legumes, sowing, grains. This also includes cabbage of any varieties (except red), tops from vegetables. Especially rabbits love to feast on the tops of beets, Jerusalem artichoke, but it is very sweet, so the tops of sugar and fodder beets should not exceed 1/3 of the entire portion of the rabbit's lunch. Potato tops - 1/4 of the total feed mass. A 100% ban is imposed on the tops of tomatoes.
Rye, clover and lupine can be planted on their own in early spring, then the rabbits will be provided with fresh grass for a long time. You should take care of wild grass for food: there is a great chance of accidentally capturing poisonous grass along with useful. Young grass should be mowed, as it is tastier and healthier.
Together with herbs, twigs and leaves of alder, yarrow, oak are served on the table. This will strengthen the work of the digestive tract of rabbits. It is important to remember that they have weak intestines and stomach, the digestive organs need to be helped to work. It is generally forbidden to feed small rabbits with beets and its tops!
Of course, pets also have their own eating habits. Beets, dandelions are their favorite delicacy. But this does not mean at all that this is the only thing they need to be fed. In no case. The menu must be compiled independently and the health of the animals must be monitored. If digestive disorders become noticeable, it is worth revising the diet.
Juicy feed
These are roots and silage grown on the beds. Succulent feed is used more often in winter, when there is no source of nutrients. Juicy feed is less rich in fiber, more in vitamins. Especially useful for mothers rabbits: they increase the amount of milk for feeding babies, and good feeding of rabbits reduces the risk of death of young animals.
What foods are juicy foods
- Cabbage. Rich in vitamins C, E. May provoke bloating, fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract. Small portions are the best solution to this problem.
- Beets (any, feed or sugar). Increases metabolism, immunity. Has a debilitating effect on the intestines, so it needs to be fixed (branches of oak, alder are good).
- Pumpkin. The key to a beautiful skin is regular consumption of pumpkin.
- Carrot. Rabbits' favorite food. A red and yellow product should be given. The same applies to cubs: they can be offered carrots from 3 weeks of age, starting from 10-15 g. In winter, rabbits eat well carrots dried since summer. It retains a sufficient amount of carotene, vitamins B1, B2, C.
- Potatoes. Before use, it is advised to boil it.Starch is not the most ideal component in the diet of rabbits, since it is difficult to digest, therefore it is undesirable to give it in its pure form. Better to mix with other types of feed. Potatoes are quite nutritious, the rodents will be fed for a long time.
- Silage. You need to cook it yourself or buy it. This is a simple procedure. Silage is kneaded in pits or barrels, preferably made of wood. The silage contains beets and other vegetables, tops, herbs. Everything is mixed, laid, covered with clay. It is necessary to close the hole tightly so that oxygen gets into the pit or barrel as little as possible. The silo is ready after 2 months of aging.
A few secrets about silage
- Do not use potato and beet tops.
- Corn (cobs), peas (whips) are very suitable.
- You can add powdery paste to the barrel or pit. The process will go faster.
- Good silage cannot smell like mold or rot. Good quality and fresh silage smells like sauerkraut. We must make sure that the workpieces have not rotted: spoiled feed will lead to the death of rabbit families.
Roughage
Coarse food creates comfortable digestion for rodents. Hay, twigs, grass flour, straw are all a source of protein and fiber. Approximately 1/4 of the feed is required. Grass for hay is mown in the spring when it blooms, until the grass turns rough or yellow. It is better to choose mowing sites with good soil moisture. These can be the same grasses as for green food. Hay must be dried, then stored in dry, well-ventilated rooms. The cut grass is better preserved on special wooden decks at a distance of about 50 cm from the ground.
This will save the roughage from rodents. If the hay is poorly preserved, it can be processed to make good grass flour. It is added to the feed in small portions. Drying hay under the bright sun is also a bad idea: vitamins disappear, rabbits eat such a product without much pleasure. Tree branches are good for rabbit digestion. It can be branches of oak, alder, acacia, linden. It is possible to use branches of bushes: raspberries.
Ledum, elderberry, bird cherry, apricot are poison for rabbits. It is strictly forbidden to use such branches when feeding. It is very convenient to store branches in winter, right in the snow. From this, they do not lose their useful substances. You need to harvest in June, tying brooms and hanging in a dry place. It is not recommended to store and dry branches in the sun. Juniper, spruce and pine branches are very fond of the eared ears. Straw is harvested from oats and millet.
Concentrated feed
This is compound feed. Contains a large amount of protein. Eating compound feed provides an increase in the body weight of rabbits. Concentrated feed is 1/3 of the diet. For rabbits, compound feed is suitable, which is used to feed piglets and calves. There is a special dry granulated food for eared eared. It is very comfortable. You don't have to add anything to it, unless there is a female feeding the baby. She needs to add grain to the diet: without it, lactation can be scanty.
This type of feed contains cereals. First of all, oats, it can be used in whole and in crushed form, it has a good effect on the intestines. Despite its nutritional value, it does not cause obesity. Corn also makes up a large proportion of concentrated feed. Great rabbits eat corn porridge, especially small rabbits. Barley and wheat are germinated before being given to animals. This feed induces fermentation. You can eat for no more than 4 days in a row. Wheat bran and cake are also great for feeding. This is the waste of the food industry.
Vitamins and Supplements
With a lack of vitamins, any creature has health problems. This is especially true of rabbits, whose immunity is most often weakened. Lack of vitamin supplementation leads to illness, weight loss, and a decrease in the number of offspring.As a top dressing, you can make a whole list of what the rabbit eats and give lilac branches, as well as willow, pine, willow tea, pepper, buckwheat, barley, sunflowers. From vegetables, you can give Jerusalem artichoke, zucchini, herbs and cucumbers.
What vitamins do rabbits need?
- Fish fat. Vitamin A, D.
It is necessary to give to all individuals, regardless of age. From 0.5 g - for babies, up to 3 g - for lactating rabbits.
- Vitamin E.
Present in wheat germ. If wheat is not in the diet, you can add vitamin E separately to food.
- Phosphorus and Calcium.
Contained in bone meal, bone ash. Chalk is also a source of these vitamins.
- Minerals
Table salt is the main source of minerals for animals. Salt is calculated in the same way as fish oil. Babies are allowed 0.5 g per day, males and non-lactating individuals - 2 g, lactating rabbits - 3 g. The need for vitamins and minerals increases with the arrival of cold weather. We must not forget to treat them to your pets in winter every day. If there is a lack of some element, pets can eat paper in the cage, their own fluff, so it is very important to give all the necessary trace elements that animals eat and tolerate well.
What rabbits eat in summer and winter
In the summer, it is a pleasure to compose a menu for eternally gnawing pets. The variety of herbs and plants makes it possible to vary the diet. At this time, it is necessary to observe the condition of the animals: add hay and branches to help the pets cope with the problems of bloating. In addition, there is a lot of water in the succulent grass and tops, which also contributes to the occurrence of diarrhea.
Winter is a difficult period. You need to prepare for it in advance, select the necessary grains. If you spend part of the summer on this, you will not have to clutch your head in cold February, running in search of silage and straw for feed. Vegetables, root vegetables can be stored not only fresh, but also frozen, dried. They will retain enough vitamins and minerals. By the way, not everyone knows that sauerkraut is a treat for rabbits. It can be prepared in large quantities and storage usually does not cause problems. Don't forget about chalk and table salt. Needles, branches of conifers are a source of vitamin C, and it will also be useful to give a Christmas tree and pine. Vitamin C is essential in winter to maintain immunity. In winter, adding such branches to the diet of rabbits is a rule.
Another rule is to increase the portions of rabbits not only with age, but also when the ambient temperature drops. It is better to give preheated food on especially cold days. Lukewarm cereals are well suited for young animals. You should especially carefully monitor the drinking bowls in winter: the water freezes in the cold, and rabbits drink often. Water is essential for digestion; without it, pets will quickly die. If the rabbit is thirsty, it will chew on ice, but this will not benefit its health. Food in the feeders can freeze as well.
Food Prohibitions for Rabbits
- Sweet. We are talking about confectionery and chocolate products.
- Branches and fruits of apricot, bird cherry.
- Herbs spurge, begonia, celandine.
- The tops and fruits of tomatoes.
- Pea and corn husks.
- Mushrooms.
- Red cabbage.
- Nuts.
- Pea porridge.
- Some fruits such as agave.
- Honeysuckle.
- Up to 3 months, you can not give a Christmas tree and large branches of other trees.
- Mustard.
- From vegetables, in the first place, onions should not be given, but many livestock breeders argue that dried onions have become part of imported mixed feed for rabbits.
- Alfalfa can only be given dry and with restrictions.
Raising rabbits is not easy, but it is a lot of fun. They multiply quickly, which is good news for the enterprising farmer. It is necessary to pay close attention to the needs of the animal, follow simple rules, follow the advice, then problems can be avoided. It is important to remember that the rabbit is unpretentious in food, but requires careful attention to the peculiarities of the digestive system.
Useful Tips
The cage, drinkers and feeders should be cleaned clean after each meal. Failure to follow these precautions can lead to an unsanitary situation. In such conditions, pets are more likely than others to pick up various diseases. Removing droppings and leftovers at all will attract rodents, primarily mice, which are considered disease carriers. What should be done and why?
To clean the cage, if the animals are kept indoors, disinfectants should be used. If rabbits are kept in nature (in burrows or greenhouses), then for pets you need to equip their home and fill up all possible holes. Some rabbit breeders use reindeer moss for covering reindeer moss.
If pets have digestive problems, then you can give them chamomile. Farmers give chamomile as an anti-inflammatory and also to improve the absorption of food. They don't give chamomile raw, first you need to dry it a little. All fruits and vegetables are introduced into the diet of rabbits gradually and start with small dosages. Before giving the rabbit fruits or vegetables, they must be rinsed under running water, and all bones and peels must be removed. Do not give rotten or spoiled foods. If you follow the simple rules for the care, maintenance and feeding of pets, and most importantly - know what rabbits eat, then you can grow healthy and mobile individuals even at home.