Feeding guidelines for rabbits

Feeding guidelines for rabbits and all information on this page

Feedıng adult rabbits

Roughage (hay and straw) is very important in rabbit nutrition. Several reasons for this
there are. One of them is that when the stomachs of rabbits are examined, their musculature is very weak.
is observed. Therefore, the feed block accumulated in the stomach cannot be easily pushed into the intestines. This feed
In order for the block to be pushed into the intestine, a new feed must enter the stomach. In this case,
rabbits are on a constant diet. The constant entry of pelleted feed into the stomach also affects the digestive system.
exhausting. This is where roughages by weight (lightweight with high capacity by volume) and dry grasses come into play.Enters the intestine. Fermentation of roughage in the cecum (blind intestine) also provides vitamins (especially B
complex vitamins and vitamin K) and protein absorption.

Rabbits are fed dry as roughage.They consume alfalfa with great appetite. Another advantage of dry alfalfa is that it is rich in vitamin A. is that it is. Vitamin A is one of the most important elements for puppies during their development. It is never
It is important to remember that these herbs should not be given wet. The digestive system of rabbits
The nature of physiology tells us that a high proportion of indigestible fiber in the diet is vital.
that it’s a fiber. These fibers are readily available from dried grasses and straws. Straw is available 24
should be provided at the right time.

Dry feed factor in rabbits

This way the rabbit will always have a supply of fiber. The next part of the diet An important part of the diet is fresh leafy greens. Dark leafy greens provide good amounts of fiber and water, which
helps to maintain intestinal motility. In addition, a variety of at least 3 different types of food per day
is good to provide. For example, Cabbage, Lettuce, Parsley, Greens on top of carrots, Endive
greens, mustard greens, etc. If you have never fed rabbits with fruits and vegetables, it is best to
hay and haylage for two weeks and then fruit and vegetables for a few weeks
you start by giving a very small amount and then gradually increase the amount. This behavior
It prevents rabbits from having any digestive problems, such as diarrhea. If your rabbits
If you see that the consistency of the stool softens after the food you give, you can remove this food from the diet.
will be enough. At the same time, rabbits can also eat apples, pears, peaches, blackberries, blackberries, peas.
other fruits such as peel, broccoli, mango, kiwi, tomato, watermelon, melon, and orange. These
Before giving such fresh foods, you should always wash them.

Harmful foods for rabbits

Feeding rabbits high amounts of starch
Never give legumes and grains such as beans and peas.
Never give broad beans to rabbits. An enzyme not found in rabbits can cause fava beans to poison rabbits.
The mucous membranes of the rabbit’s mouth, nose, and tongue turn blue and the rabbit soon dies.
Rabbits should always have clean drinking water. If the rabbits’ diet contains a high
Keep in mind that if there are greens, they will drink less water than if they are fed pelleted feed.

As the main element, the other feed requirement of rabbits is pellet feed, which is actually the least important part of the diet.
The main reason for giving pelleted feed to animals is the homogeneous distribution of the feed.
That’s what it is. Of course, this means a balanced diet. When rabbits are given mixed feed.
and can be observed to choose what they want to eat. This is not specific to rabbits, but to all animals.

Feeds used in rabbit feeding

Energy Feeds

Barley, wheat, maize, oats, rye, and sorghum are widely used. Maize is used only for fattening
It is suitable for rabbits. Barley and oats are better utilized if they are crushed and corn is crushed.
If barley, oats, corn, and rice are given by germination, an increase in fertility and rapid development in offspring
is provided. Feed flour, wheat bran, and mill residues are also used in small quantities as energy sources.
can be used. Because they are laxatives and there should be enough cellulose in the ration. In rabbit feed
animal origin feeds are not used. Meals are generally preferred. Peanut meal is the most
It is the meal that he eats well, excellent as a source of both protein and energy. Furthermore, soy
meal, dried beer pulp, sunflower meal, rapeseed meal, sesame meal, flaxseed
meal, and cottonseed meal can be used in different amounts.

Dry roughages

Dry roughages are added to rabbit diets in large quantities. Good quality dry grass ration
reduces its cost. The grass used must be clean, and free of mold, mildew, and dust, otherwise various
digestive disorders develop. Legume grasses, especially alfalfa, are the best roughage for rabbits. Legume grasses
Herbs are rich in protein and are very tasty. They also contain cellulose necessary for regular digestion.
also provides. Males that are not in vaccination can be given as sole feed for females in the dry. Pregnant and
It can be added to the rations of lactating female rabbits at a level of 40%. Used in rabbit feeding
legumes, such as clover varieties except for stone clover, vetch, and peanuts. Wheat grasses, prices
Various meadow grasses can be used if appropriate. Protein, calcium, and vitamin A activity compared to legumes
are deficient in cellulose, they contain more cellulose.

Green Herbs

Rabbits consume a wide variety of grasses. However, they are too watery and therefore lack nutrients.
measures must be taken against their inadequacy.

OTHER FEEDS

Garden clippings, table scraps, fruit and vegetable scraps, and by-products for feeding rabbits can be used. These include potato peels, citrus pulp, peels, apple cheap, and supplementary feed sources. Jerusalem artichoke leaves, lettuce, nettles, milk thistle, artichoke leaves, and stems can be given. Roots and roots can be added to rabbit diets, especially in winter when fresh green forage is not available.
It is useful to add tubers. Their water content is around 90% and the protein content is quite high. low (1-4%). Therefore, it should not be included too much in the ratio. When these feeds are given to rabbits, the first They consume these first, and they can leave quality feeds.
Beetroot, carrot, turnip, and potato (if given cooked
well digested) should not exceed 1.5% of body weight per day. Also, breeder
rabbits and puppies under 3 months of age should not be fed. Sometimes shoots of woody plants are chewed
by rabbits to stimulate their growth and as a source of cellulose.
The main food of free-ranging rabbits in the countryside is grasses and wild plants that grow in the countryside,
herbs, flowers, roots, tree branches, leaves, nuts, and odd fruit. But rabbits
They also love to eat vegetables such as cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, spinach, cabbage, and cauliflower.

Rabbits and selective feeding

The key word in rabbit nutrition is selectivity. Rabbits are selective eaters. This means that every
plant, how much and in what proportion the rabbit should eat for its own health and needs at that moment
to eat herbs. When they are sick, they know which herbs to eat to get better. They know
is very important to keep in mind. That’s why when you feed rabbits, you make sure they have plenty of all kinds of food.
and the foods you give up in the morning should definitely increase in the evening. What are those leftover foods?
and you should give them less next time, but you should never give them so that they finish.
You should not force them, you should put new and fresh food in front of them. Leftover food, if it comes from the countryside, for example.
they are probably poisonous or useless to them at that moment. So never
you shouldn’t expect them to finish their feed dish completely. Selectivity in rabbit feeding
makes them healthier and more vibrant.

RABBIT STAPLES

Some of the basic foodstuffs listed above are unlimited and some are in very, very limited quantities.
and should be given in certain periods.

1 – Wild prairie grasses and prairie plants (unlimited)

On average, fifty kinds of wild grasses per square meter in the countryside,

flowers, and plants grow. Rabbits can choose the ones they need and grow them in appropriate quantities.

they eat. This is their most basic food. If you have a clean place near where you raise rabbits.

If there is a field, you should go out in the morning and evening to cut and pluck them fresh and offer them to your people.

and it makes rabbit breeding free of charge.

The dried herbs that I’m talking about, these are the herbs that you collect from the countryside and you dry, and these are the herbs,

it’s good to keep in the rabbits’ runners at all times, just in case they run out of feed early,

let their food be of a different kind. Things to consider when collecting herbs and plants from the countryside

do not pick grass or plants from close places, do not pick grass or plants from the base of trees or walls (dogs and cats

It may be contaminated with urine, and do not collect herbs and plants from industrial or factory areas. If in the morning

If you don’t feel like going out in the evening to collect herbs, you can collect a lot in the morning and store some of them in the refrigerator.

you can preserve it.

By the way, you don’t have to worry at all, rabbits are excellent at recognizing poisonous herbs.

noses.

2 – Vegetables and herbs (unlimited)

if we don’t have countryside near us or if we don’t have enough,

We can also feed our rabbits some of the fresh vegetables and herbs that people eat. In this case

much healthier and cheaper if we grow it ourselves. The point to note is that we buy

we need to wash the materials very, very well. Because agricultural products are often sprayed and

fertilized. If necessary, the outer shells should not be used. Vegetables we can offer our rabbits:

cucumber (cucumber), lettuce, lettuce, lettuce, spinach, celery stalk and celery, green part of carrot and carrot, chard,

cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli, purslane, dill, cress, arugula, mallow, sour grass, fennel, corn and

corn leaves, radishes, beets, parsley, parsley, chicory (yellow chicory), parsley root, mint,

chamomile, basil, etc.

These above-mentioned herbs are not processed in any way, they are simply washed clean and the excess water is drained off.

should be offered to the rabbits in unlimited quantities in a large heavy dish.

3 – Considerations regarding fruit (in limited quantities):

First, the fruit must be whole

must be ripe. Secondly, it should only be given in very small quantities and washed very well.

Thirdly, you should never give fruit on its own, but always with vegetables. You can give

fruit varieties: Apple, pear, apricot, apricot, banana, rosehip, melon, watermelon, grape, cherry, kiwi, peach, damson

plums, etc.

4 – Dried grass and leaves

dried grass, and dried fallen wood for feeding rabbits

leaves also have their place, in the sense that you’ve already harvested your rabbit from the moor or

that you pluck from the plants. You collect a lot of them and you grow them long, untrimmed.

you also need to dry it. This serves two purposes: First, it ensures that the rabbit always has spare

dried grass that should be kept on hand as food (summer-winter) and this should be replenished when two-thirds of it is used up.

Secondly, in winter it can be difficult to collect grass from the countryside, so it is important to keep large

is important. These dried herbs should be stored in a dry place in a healthy way. Good quality dried herbs, mis

it smells like hay. Stale dried herbs, on the other hand, either do not smell at all or smell musty if they are damp, which is very harmful.

We also buy a lot of herbs (parsley,

mint, dill, etc.) and dry them to enrich the rabbits’ winter menu.

5 – Tree branches and leaves

the bark of thick tree branches are eaten with great pleasure by rabbits.

and the thinner branches are eaten like grass. This behavior helps rabbits to sharpen their teeth.

but it is also a fun pastime for them. You can use tree branches all year round

You can give it unlimited and with its leaves, shoots, and even flowers. For this, all

pruned branches of fruit trees, also birch, beech, hazelnut branches, hornbeam branches,

6 – Seeds and grains

are not foods that rabbits normally eat much of. These are

but should be given in very small quantities at the end of summer and in the fall so that they fatten up in preparation for winter

to nursing mother rabbits. Sometimes a dessertspoonful is given to nursing mother rabbits or slightly overgrown babies.

can be given. If you are giving grain to rabbits during this period, it should be in ears, in nature, or in the field.

as it is found.

7 – Dried vegetables and fruits

It is better not to give dried vegetables and fruits at all. because

especially dried vegetables swell with gastric juice, leaving the digestive tract dry and damaged.

can give. Artificial feeds, especially pellets, are worse, no matter what the seller says, never

Do not feed pellets to rabbits. Especially not rabbits with digestive problems. Dried

fruit, on the other hand, has a very high sugar content and should only rarely be consumed in small quantities with other foods.

you can give it to the rabbit.

8 – Water

it is better to give the rabbit water in a heavy earthenware bowl with the sides bent inwards. Water

if you put the container a few centimeters higher, it will not get dirty anyway, and of course, you wash it every day and give it fresh water.

to put in the water bottle. Pet plastic materials such as water absorption bottles are not healthy at all and can quickly

get infected. Those who feed rabbits outside should at least feed them daily in the winter, as the water will freeze in very cold temperatures.

two or three times.

maple, linden, blackberry bushes, and pine branches are suitable. However, these trees should be treated
not sprayed with pesticides.

DIGESTIVE PHYSIOLOGY OF RABBITS

In order to feed rabbits correctly, we must first know the rabbit’s digestive physiology.
is necessary. With a few simple facts, you can actually treat rabbits with dietary diarrhea and digestive diarrhea in rabbits.
the system, the number of which increases rapidly as a result of malnutrition and causes sudden death.
deaths caused by certain toxic microorganisms such as Clostridium bacteria species, intestinal
We can prevent the onset of many digestive diseases such as obstructions, dental problems, etc.
These will be discussed in detail in the rabbit diseases section. Rabbit digestive system
They are quite different from humans and our other pets such as cats and dogs.

Rabbits’beneficial microorganisms of fermentative character in the cecum, especially beneficial microorganisms such as cellulose break down difficult-to-digest nutrients, thereby both obtaining the nutrients they need
and at the same time providing the rabbit with easily digestible food that is broken down. In the rabbit’s gut
These fermentative microorganisms play a very important role in the digestive physiology of rabbits.
keep them in the cecum. Antibiotics, especially those used unconsciously by mouth, are beneficial in the cecum.
as they can kill microorganisms and cause problems with the rabbit’s digestion of food;
such drugs must be used under supervision and with the advice of a veterinarian.

Rabbits are herbivores
(Herbivores) and therefore their diet is based exclusively on plant foods. Verbally
that when told, everyone says of course they know and even find it funny, but in practice, they always forget.
there’s a key phrase. Rabbits are rabbits, not people. That’s why rabbits are given
Do not give them junk food. Just as we don’t eat everything they eat, for example, dried clover.
and they don’t eat hay, they should be fed food that is appropriate to their digestive physiology,
Even if they like to eat, we should keep them away from junk food that they cannot find in the natural environment.
If we compare their digestive system with that of other mammals, we can see that the ungulates (Equidae),
more similar to that of horses in particular.

Rabbits are small but frequent
they eat a lot. Rabbits eat two types of feces: soft feces and hard feces, which are shaped like olive grains.
they produce. The soft feces are removed at regular intervals, which the rabbit passes directly into the anusten mouth.
It sucks and swallows without chewing, sometimes it can also pick it up from the ground. Surrounded by a slimy layer
The soft feces in the case contain about 70% water and resemble a bunch of grapes. Protein, especially
It is rich in B vitamins and minerals. Soft feces digest just like feed
events. This causes rabbit offspring to start eating solid feed in addition to their mother’s milk.
physiological, i.e. natural for rabbits, from about 3 weeks of age after they start
is a situation.

FEEDING RABBIT OFFSPRING

Feeding for rabbit kittens begins with adequate breastfeeding. A baby rabbit
suckle milk from its mother for 30 to 45 days (at least 3-4 weeks). This is to ensure that they have enough milk
breastfeeding is very important. Because breast milk provides the necessary immune elements – immunoglobulins
they receive. Puppies receive these immune elements – immunoglobulins – from no other source except breast milk.
they can’t get it from food. The milk should only be rabbit milk. So your new baby rabbits
If weaned early, cow’s milk should never be given because the puppies need milk. Because cow’s milk
and rabbit milk have major differences in composition, these differences can cause harm to baby rabbits.
gives.

Composition of rabbit and cow milk