Contents
The gastrointestinal tract of rabbits has not changed since the time of domestication, which means that the main component in the animal’s diet should be hay. In addition to fresh and dried grass, in nature, a rabbit can gnaw the bark of young fruit trees. He usually gets grain in small quantities during the ripening period of wild cereal grasses. Together with the stems of these plants.
The diet of domesticated rabbits differs from the diet of wild rabbits only in the possibility of obtaining succulent feed in the winter, which wild animals are deprived of. Private amateurs add juicy food and kitchen trimmings to the diet of their rabbits to save expensive compound feeds. Or make wet mash with an admixture of bran. What decorative rabbits eat is almost the same as the diet of domestic rabbits bred for meat. Hay ornamental rabbits get the same. Compound feed for ornamental rabbits may differ in chemical composition, as some feeds are designed specifically for ornamental animals. There are also compound feeds for problem decorative rabbits. But the principle is still the same: grain mixture. They can also receive juicy food. But it already depends on the courage of the owners of the animal.
Food for decorative rabbits is divided into three large groups: coarse, concentrated and juicy.
Roughage
Roughage is a food with a high fiber content per 100 g of dry weight. That is, hay, straw and tree branches.
In addition to quality levels, hay is also divided by nutritional value and chemical composition. But if the chemical composition has to be checked in the laboratory, which the average owner is unlikely to do, then the average nutritional value of hay is usually known from reference books. However, decorative rabbits do not need very nutritious hay, it will rather be harmful to them, as it will lead to obesity.
Differences in the types of hay
In the first place in the ranking of hay for ornamental rabbits is timothy hay. On the second meadow forbs. This hay is made from wild herbs. Further, alfalfa hay and oat straw, which was harvested during the milky ripeness of oats.
Alfalfa hay is undesirable for rabbits older than 6 months as it is very high in protein. For adult rabbits, low-protein hay and grain pellets are enough to keep from becoming obese. But old animals will not be able to chew on the hay and chew on the hard granules, specially designed to grind down constantly growing teeth in rabbits. Herbal flour comes in two forms: in granules and in bulk. Depending on the condition of the rabbit teeth, you can choose the appropriate shape.
Oat straw, despite the name, is readily eaten by rabbits and is an excellent substitute for hay. But the main condition for quality straw should be its green color, indicating that it was cut in the stage of immature oats. Stems of mature oats are not eaten by animals very willingly.
Timothy grass, alfalfa and oat straw are homogeneous hay. But it is worth talking about meadow forbs separately.
Meadow forbs
Hay is good because a variety of herbs containing different amounts of trace elements and vitamins complement each other. But in the same hay there is a danger for rabbits. Many poisonous fresh herbs do not lose their properties even when dry. These plants include:
- hemlock spotted;
- avran officinalis;
- milestone poisonous, he is a hemlock;
- field larkspur;
- wild mustard;
- St. John’s wort;
- buttercup, almost all species;
- cockle. In this plant, only the seeds are poisonous, which can get into the hay along with the stem;
- digitalis;
- spurge;
- celandine;
- hellebore.
With hellebore, the situation is complicated. Being very poisonous in the European part of Our Country, in Altai it is so safe that it is one of the crops harvested for livestock feed. People in those parts also eat it. But since the salesperson at the pet store is unlikely to be able to tell the customer what part of the world the hay was made in, it’s best not to risk it.
As a result, the owner of the rabbit will also have to become a botanist. Especially if he decides to prepare hay for his decorative rabbit on his own. And this is a real option, since owners of herbivorous pets – degus, chinchillas, guinea pigs and decorative rabbits – often complain about the lack of quality hay in stores. Not only is it not of high quality, it is just moldy.
There is also seeded meadow forbs. Poisonous plants will not come across in such hay, but the set of herbs is poorer.
tree branches
For the winter, branches with bark are often harvested for rabbits. Theoretically, only branches are needed, but no one cuts off the leaves, so the rabbit receives a broom from the branches along with the leaves. You can also give fresh branches. Gnawing on the bark, the rabbit wears down its teeth. At the same time, a bundle of branches or a relatively thick field can serve as toys at the same time.
They give rabbits branches of deciduous trees and coniferous trees in winter.
There is a lot of hydrocyanic acid in the bark of stone fruits, and essential oils in the spring needles.
Often, brooms are prepared for rabbits from linden, willow or birch. Oak branches are best kept as a remedy for diarrhea. Brooms should not be dried in the sun. They are dried under a canopy in the shade so that the branches are blown with air. Linden harvested during the flowering period will appeal to animals.
Grain, pellets or compound feed?
Any of these varieties refers to concentrated feed. That is, to feeds that, with a small amount of consumption, give a maximum gain or energy.
Some rabbit breeders believe that the most natural food for rabbits will be a mixture of whole grains. Such a mixture contributes to the grinding of teeth, since many grains have a very hard seed. And also it is convenient to use such a mixture because of the possibility of mixing the grain in the right proportions with your own hands.
From grain, rabbits can:
- barley;
- oats;
- corn;
- wheat.
Concentrates also include legumes:
- fodder vetch;
- peas;
- soybeans;
- lentils.
Since legumes are known for their ability to swell when soaked, they are best served ground.
It is for this reason that compound feed is better than grain mixture for a decorative rabbit.
Actually, the word “compound feed” itself is an abbreviation for the phrase “combined feed”, that is, feed with several types of grain. Therefore, compound feed, strictly speaking, is any grain mixture with more than one component.
But after the advent of granules, the name “grain mixture” was assigned to a mixture of whole grains, and “compound feed” was assigned to a mixture of several types of crushed grains, granules began to be called granules, although they are compressed feed. Another type of compound feed containing rolled grain is called “muesli”.
When choosing how to feed a decorative rabbit at home, keep in mind that a decorative rabbit needs a little compound feed of any kind. A maximum of a few tablespoons, if decorative means some kind of large breed.
Feeding decorative rabbits with compound feed is usually done 2 times a day. However, the owner decides how many times to feed a decorative rabbit. Some recommend leaving the pellets freely available around the clock. But for a decorative rabbit, this mode is undesirable. So, rabbits are fattened on farms for slaughter or the uterine composition is fed according to this scheme, since rabbits need enhanced nutrition. They are constantly, if not sucrose, then lactating. A decorative rabbit will get fat from such a regime.
However, for ornamental rabbits, it is already possible to find specially made pellets, which take into account the rabbit’s needs and the owner does not need to make compound feed himself.
Juicy forages
Juicy feed includes not only fruits, vegetables and root crops, but also fresh grass and silage. The latter is usually given to rabbits on farms. It can provoke fermentation in the intestines. Therefore, the replacement of silage at home – it is also better not to give sauerkraut.
It is believed that rabbits are very fond of succulent food, but for a rabbit at 2 months or younger, such food is deadly. His digestive system is not yet developed and lacks the necessary microflora. Since the rabbits emerge from the nest and begin to taste “adult” food after 15 days, succulent food should not be given to the rabbit.
From 3 months old, the rabbit can begin to give a little celery or parsley. But you should start feeding fresh plants to the animal very carefully, little by little, carefully monitoring his well-being.
What you can feed a decorative rabbit:
- swede;
- kale;
- salad;
- Chinese cabbage;
- broccoli;
- celery;
- parsley;
- potatoes without signs of greening;
- dried grass;
- fodder beet.
What you can not feed decorative rabbits:
- green potatoes;
- grass wet from rain or dew;
- wet clover;
- fresh cabbage leaves.
What you can feed, but very carefully, but it is better not to give:
- clover;
- an Apple;
- carrot;
- long-term storage fruits and vegetables from the store (there are no vitamins, and there are more than enough chemicals for poisoning);
- Red beetroot;
- peaches;
- apricots.
The best diet for a rabbit
The task of the owner of a decorative rabbit is to feed the animal the required amount of hay and compound feed without long breaks between meals, providing the most natural food for the animal. But if hay and compound feed are constantly freely available so that the animal can constantly chew and ensure normal bowel function, then the animal will become obese. If you take long breaks and give out food only in the morning and evening, blockages of food masses in the intestines are inevitable.
Therefore, the rabbit needs to make it as difficult as possible to access food, forcing him to engage in the extraction of his daily food intake all day. You can do this by putting hay in such a ball.
The hay ball can be hung up or left rolling on the floor. It is better to hang it, because by rolling the ball, the animal will be able to drive it into a corner and then it will not be difficult for the rabbit to eat the hay.
Juicy food can be placed in a similar ball.
And for the production of pellets, the animal will also have to develop intelligence, winding kilometers along the way. Shaking out the pellets from such a ball is not an easy task.
The second option is worse. The animal will quickly figure out how to get the pellets, and this toy will keep him busy for a short time.
The advantage of such feeder toys is that the animal is occupied with them all day long and has no time to be naughty.
You can pamper your pet with twigs by building him an “anti-tank hedgehog” from a tube of toilet paper and branches cut and peeled from leaves.
And play – you can throw, and gnaw.
In feeding decorative rabbits, unlike farm rabbits, it is important to observe between continuous chewing for whole days and the minimum required daily feed intake. It is possible to determine whether there is a lack or excess of feed by periodically monitoring the weight of the animal.