How to introduce beets and their tops into the diet of rabbits
Before introducing new products to the rabbit menu, you need to make sure of their benefits. Beets are no exception. You should figure out if you can give rabbits sugar beets and how to do it right.
Is it possible to give rabbits beets and their tops
The diet of rabbits should be complete and balanced so that they actively gain muscle mass, and also have strong immunity to various diseases. It is not difficult to diversify food, especially if the farmer has his own vegetable garden, where vegetables and herbs are grown. But you should be aware that not all food will be good for animals.
What kind of beets will be good for rabbits
Some farmers often share the bitter experience of introducing different root vegetables into the daily rabbit menu. According to them, you need to be careful when feeding vegetables, as well as their leaves. Very often animals experience digestive problems from such products, and sometimes even die. Sugar beet for rabbits has the same effect. Still, most farm owners have the opposite opinion about this vegetable. The fact is that it is necessary to feed rabbits with sugar beets or other root crops at strictly calculated doses. Beet feeding to farm rabbits should be supervised by the breeder. If the pet reacts normally to such a product, you can offer him a beetroot diet 2 times a week.
The necessary beneficial effect can be obtained only by starting feeding with 30-50 g of the product, gradually increasing the dose. In addition, not all types of root vegetables can be fed to rabbits. In domestic gardens, 3 types of this vegetable are grown, and only 2 are suitable for feeding, so the answer to the question of whether it is possible to feed rabbits with red beet depends on the variety of the root crop itself.
The most common and healthy sugar beet. It contains little fiber, which indicates its rapid absorption by the body.
Many breeders recommend giving sugar beets to rabbits also because they are rich in vitamins and minerals. Such a product strengthens the immune system, as well as the cardiovascular system of the eared. You can also feed the animals with fodder beets. This product has a higher energy value compared to other vegetables and herbs. But, nevertheless, there is less benefit from such beets than from sugar. It is forbidden to give table beets to eared beets: they are rich in fiber, which adversely affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract of animals. Such beets for farm rabbits are a slow-acting poison, animals can die from diarrhea or stomach (intestinal) bleeding.
What kind of beets to plant
The animal organism has a strong sensitivity to the quality of the food consumed. Pets eat everything that a person gives, but it is his mistakes that can lead to digestive diseases in rabbits, as well as to their death, therefore, deciding to devote a place on a land plot for planting beets, you need to know which product will be the most valuable and useful for eared ... Experienced breeders are advised to give preference to sugar or fodder beets. It is these root vegetables that include a large number of useful trace elements. The most valuable for immunity are:
- B vitamins;
- vitamin C;
- pectin;
- betaine;
- iron.
If you feed rabbits with such root crops, their immunity will strengthen and the work of the cardiovascular system will improve. A healthy animal quickly gains muscle mass, which is one of the main goals of keeping eared ones. In addition, many farmers report that feeding rabbits with sugar beets will increase their fertility.
Any soil is suitable for planting a vegetable. He is not whimsical to growing conditions and care. Such a root crop is a real find for a rabbit breeder. On a farm that contains at least 20 heads of animals, it is necessary to allocate about 2 acres of land for planting. Such an area will allow you to get the proper effect from the harvest of the product, especially if you need to store it for the winter. The main thing for the farmer is not to confuse the varieties of the root crop. It is contraindicated to give table beets to rabbits.
Not only roots, but also tops
Having given preference to sugar or fodder beets, rich in vitamins, iron and other trace elements, you should know that the feeding itself will be even more complete when the rabbits are provided with the leaves of these plants. But the new product, the root crop itself, is introduced gradually, after the eared ones have no problem eating "tops". Animals eat green leaves both fresh and in the form of silage.
It is necessary to carefully feed the leaves of fodder or sugar beets fresh, adding them to the mash with other herbs and vegetables. But before that, the tops should be well rinsed and dried. This procedure has its own characteristics:
- the tops are dried in the open air under the sun;
- for the duration of precipitation, the leaves are hidden under a canopy or lowered to dry in the basement;
- after drying, the tops are sorted out and washed again.
This product is known for its antiseptic properties. Decorative rabbits like tops, they willingly eat it, and this affects their immunity. In addition, the farmer can use the leaves of fodder or sugar beets as silage. Together with the root vegetable, it is finely chopped and placed in a large container with other types of greens, as well as vegetable waste. On top of all the ingredients, sawdust is poured. The resulting mass goes through a fermentation process, after which it is used for its intended purpose.
It is equally important to figure out which leaf feeding will be the safest for animals, because these leaves have a laxative effect and can cause digestive upsets in rabbits. That is why the tops are advised to be added to the daily menu in minimal quantities. It is best to use such a product no more than once a day.
Features of feeding rabbits with beets
You can give rabbits red beets from 1 month. The new product should not replace one meal. It should be added to the ready-made mash in the amount of 25-30 g. The feed with the root crop will appeal to young eared people and will not affect the work of their digestion. The very next day, animals can eat more beets - up to 50 g. They give rabbits red sugar or fodder beets, gradually increasing the dose by 10-15 g daily. If there are no problems, then animals can consume:
- by 2 months up to 100 g per day;
- from 3 months to 150 g of product per day;
- from 4-5 months - up to 300 g per day.
It is equally important to divide the daily weight of the root crop into several doses. In the first 2 months of life, rabbits eat only boiled food. Raw eared beets are also introduced gradually, adding them to the mash. Adults are able to digest the root crop in large quantities, equal to one full serving. This transition is necessary, because boiled beets are a product that has lost some of the useful microelements during cooking. A raw root vegetable is more useful and nutritious for animals.
It is also important to monitor the purity of the product. The beets should be free of dirt, rot, etc. Before feeding the animals, the root crop must be washed and finely chopped (if given raw). If you need boiled beets, the product is thoroughly washed out and cooked whole.After cooking, it should be finely chopped or grated.
What else you should know
The answer to the question of whether it is possible to give red beets to rabbits depends largely on the age of the animal, as well as on the characteristics of its immunity. Young rabbits should not be fed with only one product. Beets are dangerous for the untrained body and lead to bloating and diarrhea. In addition, it is most advisable for the farmer to use the root crop as a useful supplement to the herd's diet. The minimum consumption of the product allows you to accumulate it for the winter, when animals are especially in need of vitamins and other useful substances.
Some farmers are often interested in the question of whether beets can be added to the menu for pregnant rabbits. Experienced rabbit breeders are confident that beets are completely safe for the female and her fetus only if she has previously eaten it.
It is not recommended to introduce the root crop during pregnancy, like other food products that are new to the animal. You also need to know about the safe dosage of the root crop. The rabbit will receive the greatest benefit from the product when consuming 450 g of vegetable. In addition, beets induce lactation, which is most beneficial for newborn animals.
Diet variety is just the first step towards a healthy, productive rabbit population. It is equally important to rotate your meals correctly. In winter, you should give preference to juicy food, and in summer - green. So it is when feeding beets. In summer, animals can consume this product up to 450 g per day, but in winter it is better to use it only as a vitamin supplement.