Now rabbits are bred not only to obtain products (skins, meat), but also as pets. Such a great interest in cute eared creatures all over the world is due to the fact that they are quite unpretentious animals, very calm, relatively small in size. But experienced breeders know that any animal requires careful care. A particularly important role in the life of animals is played by properly organized breeding. Feed is the key to good growth, health, and fertility. For beginner rabbit breeders, it is worth remembering what to feed rabbits, taking into account their physiological characteristics. Food should fully cover their needs in proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc.
Features of nutrition and types of feed
Rabbits have a specific type of digestion. The stomach of these animals has weak muscles, which does not allow them to push through food on their own. Therefore, it is important that the stomach is always full of food, and new portions of food and water contribute to the further movement of food through the intestines. This explains why the rabbit constantly eats (up to 50 times a day).
The rabbit’s feeder should always be filled with food, and the drinker with clean water!
In order to properly compose a diet for these eared gourmets, it is recommended to include various types of fodder: green, rough, juicy and concentrated.
Types of feed for rabbits:
Green fodder:
- Wild plants
- Seasonal grains
- Garden green plants
- Meadow grasses
- Top of vegetables (carrot, cabbage, radish, beetroot)
Roughage:
- Hay
- Straw
- Branch fodder
Juicy feed:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Silage
Concentrates:
- Compound feed
- Granulated food
- Mixtures
It is important to provide the diet of rabbits with a variety of feed that meets their needs for proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. A combination of these types of feed will help provide rabbits with proper nutrition and maintain their health and well-being.
Hay in rabbit nutrition
Hay is an indispensable and useful type of feed for rabbits and should be given in unlimited quantities. Hay from meadow grasses, oats and ryegrass is the optimal choice.
Advantages of using hay:
- Rich content of vitamins and useful fiber, which contribute to the health of the rabbit.
- The hardness of the hay helps to grind the rabbit’s teeth during chewing, keeping them in good condition.
- The aroma of hay stimulates the rabbit’s appetite, encouraging it to accept the required amount of food.
- The rabbit consumes hay in large quantities, which contributes to normal digestive function.
Providing rabbits with high-quality hay is an important component of their diet. Regular supply of fresh and tasty hay will contribute to their health and well-being.
What branches can be given
Although the interest in branch fodder has slightly decreased due to the spread of ready-made granular fodder, it is worth noting that it has many positive aspects:
- Natural vitamins, trace elements and organic substances saturate the animal’s body.
- Branches stimulate digestion and help sharpen teeth.
- They are an excellent prevention of diarrhea and reduce financial costs for feed.
Here are some trees and branches suitable for feeding rabbits: willow, maple, raspberry, linden, rowan, apple, aspen, elm, alder, lilac, oak, ash, poplar, hazel, acacia. You can also use branches of coniferous species such as spruce, cedar, fir and pine.
In the spring, it is especially useful to give rabbits branches with opening buds, as they contain an increased amount of valuable substances. In turn, needles are recommended in the autumn-winter period, as they are rich in phytoncides that help prevent colds.
However, certain restrictions should be observed when choosing branch fodder:
- Oak and alder branches should be given carefully because of the high content of tannins. They can have a long-lasting fixative effect, but are also an excellent remedy for diarrhea.
- Branches of cherry, cherry, elder, cherry, apricot, bog, buckthorn, and wolfberry are best avoided because they contain poisonous substances.
Given these recommendations, branch feed can be a valuable addition to the diet of rabbits, ensuring their health and well-being.
Feeding rules and diet
The basic rules of feeding rabbits help to provide them with proper nutrition and maintain their health:
- Adequate amounts of food: Rabbits should have access to food without restriction so that they can eat when they want.
- Quality food: It is important to feed your rabbits a quality food that meets their nutritional needs.
- A varied diet: It is recommended to make up a diet of different types of forage, including hay, greens, vegetables, fruits and concentrated forages.
- Monitoring the availability of clean water: Ensuring constant access to clean water is an important aspect of feeding. In cold weather, it is recommended to heat the water before serving.
- Consistent Feeding Schedule: Establishing a regular feeding schedule promotes a healthy appetite and digestion in rabbits.
- Individual approach: Take into account the characteristics of each rabbit, such as breed, sex, age, pregnancy or lactation, when preparing the ration and feeding regime.
Additional recommendations for feeding rabbits:
- The gradual replacement of dry food with juicy food and vice versa is carried out during the week to avoid shock for the rabbits’ stomach.
- After the rabbits are weaned from their mother, they are fed with the same food they were fed before for 10-14 days.
- The grass must be aired before serving to remove excess moisture.
- Raw roots should be chopped and washed before adding to the feeder.
- The silage mass is recommended to be used immediately after extraction from the pit, it is better to mix it with concentrated fodder.
- It is desirable to disturb the branches of plants with hay.
- Potatoes should be boiled before using in rabbit food.
- Legumes should be soaked in water for several hours before feeding.
- Juicy and green food is recommended to be served after concentrates.
- Mixtures with flour should be moistened before feeding to avoid flour dust, which can be harmful to rabbits.
- It is better to grind the grain a little before serving.
- To enrich grains with vitamins, they can be germinated before feeding.
- Rough hay is recommended to be cut, steamed, mixed with cake and bran, and then fed to animals.
- Frozen roots and silage should be thawed before use.
Adherence to these rules and recommendations will ensure balanced and proper nutrition of rabbits, which will have a positive effect on their health and well-being.
How many times a day to feed rabbits
Regarding the frequency of feeding rabbits, there are several common approaches that can be used depending on the conditions and needs of the rabbits.
On large farms, 2 meals are often used: in the morning and in the evening. Half a portion of concentrated fodder in the morning, hay or grass during the day, and the second half of concentrates and juicy fodder in the evening.
At home, it is usually recommended to feed rabbits three times a day. The first feeding is carried out in the morning between 7 and 9 a.m., the next one between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and the evening one after 6 p.m. If feeders are used and concentrates prevail, you can limit yourself to two feedings per day.
It is advisable to carry out the last feeding closer to the night (21-22 hours) to avoid great hunger of the rabbits until morning. This will help prevent diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
When feeding three times, it is recommended to give 40% grass (hay) and half concentrates in the morning, juicy products for lunch, and the rest of hay and concentrates before night feeding.
In the case of two-time feeding in the cold season, the morning feeding includes half of the concentrates and juicy food, and the night – the rest of the concentrated food and hay. In the spring and summer period, it is recommended to feed rabbits with grass, alternating it with concentrates, dividing the daily amount into morning and evening.
Single feeding can also be used, although less often. With this approach, concentrated feed is first served, followed by grass, juicy products and hay.
Choosing the optimal frequency of feeding depends on the housing conditions, the diet and the needs of the rabbits. It is important to follow a regular feeding schedule to ensure a balanced diet and the health of your rabbits.
How long can a rabbit live without food
Since rabbits need constant access to food, not having food for more than a day can be fatal for them. In addition, it is important that rabbits have constant access to clean water. If a rabbit eats dry food, it can live no more than 6 hours without water. If a rabbit eats green grass, it can go without water for 3 days.
However, it is important to note that these estimates are general and indicative. How long a rabbit can go without food can vary depending on many factors such as age, health, body size and individual characteristics.
In any case, it is important to provide rabbits with constant access to fresh and healthy food, as well as clean water, to ensure their optimal health and well-being.
Feeding of lactating and lactating rabbits
The diet of pregnant rabbits should be rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals, and should exceed the usual food of adult rabbits by 25%, especially for young females. In the first two weeks of pregnancy, the formation of the placenta and the development of embryos take place, so the amount of food should be increased, and vitamin premixes should be added to the diet. In the second half of gestation, nutrition affects the size of the cubs, so the amount of feed should be slightly limited during this period.
Approaching calving (about a week before it), the amount of grass and forage decreases, and the amount of grain increases. Oats, compound feed, beans, soybean meal, sunflower cake, bone meal, fish oil, salt and eggshell are useful for sucroll females.
Lactating rabbits need a varied and nutritious diet throughout the lactation period.
The feeding rates are based on the average size of the brood – 8 rabbits. If the number of cubs is larger, then 20 g of feed units and 4 g of protein are added to each of them.
The optimal diet for lactating rabbits includes the following components: alfalfa grass, clover, oat grass, various herbs. To improve milk production, it is recommended to add root crops and hay from leguminous plants. Concentrates (up to 80% of the total mass) such as oats, peas, sunflower cake and wheat bran should also be present in the diet.
Below is an approximate ration for lactating females that have given birth:
- Juicy fodder (600-800 grams)
- Grain: oats, corn, peas
- Boiled potatoes
- Sunflower cake (60-80 grams)
- Meat, bone and fish meal
- Fodder yeast (5 grams)
For the winter diet of lactating females, it is recommended:
- 80 grams of grain or feed
- 100 grams of boiled potatoes
- 200 grams of cereal hay
- 15 grams of wheat bran
- 10 grams of sunflower cake
For the summer diet of lactating females, it is recommended:
- 500-700 grams of grass
- 60 grams of compound feed
- 20 grams of legumes
Feeding young rabbits
When feeding rabbits, it is necessary to follow certain rules, as well as provide them with a balanced diet:
- Food should be easily digestible and nutritious.
- The diet should contain a sufficient amount of proteins and vitamins, especially B group.
- During the first month of life, the main source of nutrition is mother’s milk.
- The introduction of fodder for young animals is carried out gradually, introducing a new ingredient every 4 days.
- The recommended number of feedings per day is 4 times, with exact observance of the time.
- Two weeks after weaning from the rabbit, the young continue to receive the same food that they used before.
- Growing up, the diet of young animals is expanded and adjusted taking into account age.
Recommended scheme of feeding young animals:
| 1 kg of live weight | 100 g of feed units |
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In the first two months, it is necessary to carefully monitor the feeding of the rabbits:
- From birth to 14 days – exclusively mother’s milk.
- 15-20 days – mother’s milk, but if there is a lack of it, you can start adding hay.
- 21-30 days – feeding with hay, dry mixes (twice a week).
- After 30 days, grass, hay, mixed crops and root crops are introduced.
- After 40 days, the rabbits are weaned from the female and their diet is gradually expanded.
- After 60 days, the ration of young animals is expanded to include various grasses, bran, hay and dry concentrates.
Recommended menu for rabbits aged 61 to 90 days:
In winter:
- Hay: 73 g
- Barley, wheat: 50 g
- Root vegetables: 210 g
- Bran: 20 g
- Sunflower cake: 45 g
- Bone meal: 5 g
- Fodder yeast: 5 g
- Salt: 1 g
- Tricalcium phosphate: 1.5 g
In summer:
- Grass: 260 g
- Barley, wheat: 43 g
- Bran: 13 g
- Cake: 38 g
- Bone meal: 4 g
- Fodder yeast: 4 g
- Salt: 1 g
- Tricalcium phosphate: 2.5 g
Feeding by season
Consider the differences in feeding in winter, summer, spring and autumn.
What to feed rabbits in the spring
Spring is an important season for feeding rabbits, because during this period they need an increased amount of vitamins and nutrients. To ensure a sufficient amount of these substances in the diet of rabbits, farms can include in their menu early spring greens such as quinoa, burdock, thistle, dandelion leaves and nettle.
Stinging nettle is a particularly useful source of trace elements for rabbits. It can be added to the diet of animals 2-3 times a week. Before use, nettles can be processed, boiled or simply dried and ground, and then added to mash or feed mixtures.
In addition, branches of trees such as willow, acacia, poplar, ash and birch can also be a useful addition to a rabbit’s diet in the spring. Rabbits can gnaw and chew on these branches, getting the vitamins and minerals they contain.
It is important to provide rabbits with a varied and balanced diet, including greens, nettles, tree branches and other food products that contain the necessary vitamins and trace elements. This will help provide the rabbits with the nutritional value they need and improve their health and welfare.
What to feed rabbits in summer
Summer is a great season to provide your rabbits with a variety of fresh food that fully meets their nutritional needs. In the summer, it is recommended to include fresh grass, fruits, vegetables and other food products in the rabbit’s diet.
The optimal ratio of components in the summer feeding of rabbits can be as follows:
- Concentrated feed: 40%
- Green fodder: 30%
- Juicy feed: 20%
- Roughage: 10%
It is important to follow the feeding schedule. Start with concentrates, then gradually introduce succulents, greens and roughages. This will help ensure the correct distribution of nutrients and a balanced diet for rabbits.
Fresh grass is an important component of the diet in summer. Rabbits can eat different types of grass, such as meadow grass, shepherd’s mix, dandelion, wormwood, chamomile and others. Fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots, cucumbers, watermelon can also be included in the diet. It is important that these food products are fresh and of good quality.
Also, don’t forget the importance of providing your rabbits with clean, cool water during the summer. They must have constant access to fresh water to hydrate and ensure normal body function.
By following these guidelines, you will be able to provide your rabbits with proper nutrition during the summer, which will contribute to their health and well-being.
What to feed rabbits in winter
A careful transition from summer ration to winter feeding is important to ensure the health of rabbits. In winter, they need extra attention and support, as they must conserve energy and maintain an optimal body temperature. In winter, the amount of food rich in proteins, fats and carbohydrates increases, and vitamin premixes become important components of the diet.
The main components of winter feeding of rabbits include:
- Hay (approximately 60% of the total daily ration);
- Branch fodder;
- Juicy vegetables (carrots, beets, cabbage);
- Cereal crops (barley, wheat, oats);
- Leguminous plants (legume straw, peas, lentils, beans);
- Compound feed;
- Mixtures, so-called “mixtures”.
The recommended ratio in winter feeding of rabbits can be as follows:
- Concentrated feed: 40%
- Juicy feed: 20%
- Forage: 40%
In the winter diet, the amount of dry food increases, which means that rabbits need more water. It is important to monitor the presence of clean water in the drinking bowls and make sure that it does not freeze (freezing water negatively affects the health of rabbits). If necessary, the water can be heated before serving, and it should also be ensured that the water does not freeze in the drinking bowls.
By following these recommendations, you will provide your rabbits with the necessary nutrients and keep them healthy during the winter period.
How to feed rabbits with mixtures
Mixes are a great option for feeding rabbits, as they eat them with pleasure. They often become the basis of the diet, especially for small farms, due to their profitability. Mixtures saturate the animal’s body well with nutrients.
The composition of mixtures may include:
- Straw
- Carrots, beets, potatoes (after cleaning)
- Onionskin
- Cabbage leaf
- Vegetables and their skins (pumpkin, zucchini, watermelon, melon)
- Chopped beans and grains
- Remains of meat and fish products (shredded and dried)
- Porridge and noodles
- Steamed compound feed
- Herbal flour
- Chopped straw
- Meat and bone meal
- Table salt, chalk, vitamins
The mixture should have a sufficiently thick consistency so that it does not spread and does not stick to the animal’s fur. During cooking, a base is prepared to which other ingredients are added. Boiled potatoes, pumpkin puree, clover or alfalfa juice can be used as excellent binders.
Approximate ratio of ingredients in a mixture for rabbits
The basis of the mixture (40-60%)
- Boiled potatoes and cleaning
- Steamed beet pulp
- Silage and table waste
- Boiled vegetable waste
Concentrates (30-40%)
- Combined feed
- Crushed grain (oats, barley, wheat, corn)
- Wheat bran
- Herbal flour
Protein and vitamin supplements (5-20%)
- Meat, bone and fish meal
- Boiled or dry minced meat from fish and meat waste
- Milk whey
- Fodder yeast
Mineral substances (1-2%)
- Bone meal
- Mel
- Table salt
Mixtures are convenient to serve to rabbits in the form of “cutlets”, since they do not eat plain porridge very much. Such “cutlets” can be dried in the oven, sprinkled with bran or rolled in sunflower tops, dried nettles or fine hay.
How to make silage at home
Silage is a very useful food for rabbits and can be prepared yourself by fermentation. This ingredient is high in calories and rich in vitamins and trace elements. Silage improves the digestion of roughage, regulates the work of the gastrointestinal tract and increases the milk yield of females. It is especially important to use silage in winter to provide rabbits with valuable nutrients.
Making silage at home is very simple. For this, different types of herbs, stems of garden plants, cabbage, sunflower and corn stalks are used before flowering. The green mass should be finely chopped and tightly compacted into wooden barrels or special silage pits. To seal the surface of the container, cover it with a film or cover it with sawdust.
When making silage, it is important to fill the containers quickly and compact them well to prevent air from entering. After that, the fermentation process takes place. Over time, a juicy fodder is formed, which has a yellowish color and a pleasant fruity aroma. Ensiling is widely used in rabbit farming around the world.
Leftover silage from feeders should be removed immediately, as it spoils quickly.
Dry factory or natural fodder
Of course, if you have the opportunity to feed your pets with natural food, then comparing its usefulness with dry granulated food is inappropriate. However, for various reasons (especially in urban environments) sometimes there is no alternative for feeding rabbits. Modern manufacturers offer granulated feed with natural ingredients that try to meet all the needs of your furry friends.
Comparison of advantages and disadvantages of natural and factory feeds
Natural products
Advantages:
- Food is natural for the rabbit’s body.
- Completely absorbed by the body.
- Some foods help to grind teeth.
- Does not stretch the stomach.
- You can not limit the amount of food that the rabbit consumes.
Disadvantages of natural products:
- It is not always possible to provide all the necessary components in the diet.
Dry granulated feed
Advantages:
- Always available for purchase.
- Convenient to use.
Disadvantages of pelleted feed:
- It is poorly absorbed by the body.
- Reduced amount of fiber.
- There is a risk of overeating.
- A large number of mineral additives in the composition, which can lead to urolithiasis.
- Not suitable for grinding teeth.
- Can cause distension and damage to the stomach and intestines.
As you can see, natural feed has undoubted advantages. But if you still choose pelleted food, it is important to follow the following recommendations:
- Choose products from a reliable manufacturer.
- Feed your rabbits according to package directions.
- Provide rabbits with constant access to sufficient food.
- Periodically give the animals the opportunity to move and walk.
Food against diseases
The plants listed have useful properties and can be used for the treatment and prevention of various diseases in animals. Here are some additions and edits to the list:
- Alfalfa, dandelion, clover, mint, cumin, dill are known for their properties that promote lactation. They can be useful for females, especially when feeding young.
- Wormwood, tansy, pumpkin – have anthelmintic properties and can be used to fight parasitic infections.
- Celery, dill, parsley, mother-and-stepmother – help to improve appetite, digestion and can increase potency in male producers.
- Dandelion, rutabaga, cabbage, turnips, quinoa, beetroot, nettle, birch – have medicinal properties for constipation and can be used to support the health of the urinary tract.
- Broccoli, cabbage, peanuts, soybeans – contribute to the accumulation of fat and can be useful for slaughtering animals.
- Borage, wheatgrass, pumpkin – have diuretic properties and can be used to support bladder health.
- Burdock and burdock are used as astringents for the treatment of wounds and irritations.
- Plantain, lingonberry – have antiseptic properties and can be used to treat wounds and inflammations.
- Stinging nettle is known for its antimicrobial properties and can be useful in the prevention and treatment of infections.
- Surepka is rich in vitamins and can be included in the diet to saturate the body with useful substances.
- Clover – can be useful for diseases of the stomach and intestines.
- Needles – used to improve the quality of wool and can help increase potency in males.
- Gorets is known for its hemostatic effect.
It is important to note that many of these plants can be dried for winter storage and use. Including these foods in your pet’s diet on a regular basis or as preventative treats can help keep them healthy and prevent disease.
What not to feed rabbits
For the health of rabbits, it is important to consider that their diet should be balanced and include the right ingredients. Here are some edits and additions to the list of prohibited and poisonous products:
It is forbidden to give rabbits:
- Low-quality food, frozen products and those that have soured or become covered with mold or dust.
- Root crops that have been treated with nitrates or pesticides during cultivation.
- Cereals containing fungi, especially mold and fusarium.
- Foods that contain a lot of salt.
- Sprouted potato tubers and green tubers.
- Boiled beets that have been standing for more than 6 hours.
- Some fruits, such as mangoes, avocados, oranges and figs.
- Some cereals, including rice, rye, millet, millet.
- Some legumes, including black and red beans and green peas.
- All dairy products.
- Baking and sweets.
- Combined fodder intended for cattle and poultry.
- Branches of some trees, such as apricot, lingonberry, bog, wolf’s cheek, elder, cherry and buckthorn.
Plants poisonous to rabbits include anemone, azalea, caladium, cyclamen, common water lily, spring buttercup, nightshade, poppy, narcissus, morning glory, antirrhinum, lobelia, fig, philodendron, rhododendron, tobacco, creeping buttercup, marsh saffron, saffron, mistletoe ) chrysanthemum
Conditionally permitted products include:
- Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, red cabbage, table beets, eggplants.
- Some pig compound feed and reverse.
- Dried fruits
It is worth remembering that these ingredients can be given to rabbits in limited quantities and with caution, as the rabbit’s diet must be balanced.
How to prepare fodder
For the winter, it is recommended to stock up on food from the summer, in order to save on the purchase of feed and to diversify the winter diet of rabbits, to make it completely balanced.
Recommendations for harvesting hay:
- Calculation of the necessary production: 60-70 kg of hay for 1 medium-sized adult rabbit, young animals – 10-20 kg of dried grass for 1 young individual.
- All herbs that rabbits eat in the summer will be suitable for making hay.
- It is desirable to mow the plants before the beginning of flowering.
- The grass is collected before its flowering and dried in the shade under a canopy.
- They mow the green mass after the dew rises, on a sunny day.
- Drying is carried out in a shaded place, under a canopy, periodically turning over.
- For better storage, hay is packed in bales (using a tractor with a baler or by hand).
- If the hay is harvested correctly, it smells nice, crisp, dry, green.
- It is recommended to store hay in a cool room, without light, preferably raised 0.5-0.7 m from the floor.
Recommendations for harvesting branch fodder:
- The feeding rate of branch fodder per day in summer is no more than 300 g per adult, and in winter – no more than 200 g.
- The best option for harvesting is maple, willow, oak, poplar, alder, ash, pear, raspberry, acacia, rowan, pine, spruce, mulberry, grape.
- It is better to cut the branches at the beginning of summer so that they have a lot of useful substances.
- The recommended length is 10-15 cm.
- In autumn, you can collect fallen tree leaves, they are also suitable for feeding.
- Branches with loose buds are also collected in early spring – they contain many vitamins.
- Branches for storage are tied in the form of brooms.
- It is recommended to hang aromatic dried brooms from branches in a dark, cool and well-ventilated room.
Advice from the rabbit:
- Do not collect plants near the road or factories. In such places, the grass can absorb toxic emissions, and rabbits can be poisoned.
- If some part of the hay turned out to be overdried, do not be upset. It will make herbal flour for mixes.
- To protect branch fodder from mold, improve its appearance, smell and color, it is salted. 350-400 g of table salt is needed for 1 m³ of raw material.
Feeding rabbits is easy. But these cute fluffy animals require a competent approach to nutrition. Taking into account all the nuances and recommendations for the composition of the diet, it is possible to achieve excellent results in breeding healthy animals.