Grass for rabbits. What grass do rabbits eat? What grass should not be given to rabbits?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Rabbits are funny fluffy creatures that many keep in their backyard. For some, this is a household or farm, a source of meat, fluff and income, for others - charming pets and four-legged friends. Be that as it may, but everyone who holds eared ears is faced with the question of what to feed them, which grass for rabbits is the most useful, providing the body with all the necessary substances. Today we will talk about this in more detail.

Rabbit food

These animals are adapted to eating exclusively plant foods. Grass for rabbits is a source of all the necessary trace elements. All year round in nature, hares feed exclusively on plants. In winter, when the forest is swept by snow, they make do with the bark of trees, dry wood, which sticks out in clearings. At the same time, many rabbit breeders believe that absolutely any grass is suitable for rabbits, relying precisely on the fact that they do not have to choose in nature. Indeed, there is some truth in this, but the wild rabbit has very strong instincts, he feels what is useful and what is not. pet tooguided by instincts, but they have become very dull over many generations, grown in captivity. In addition, an eared cat sitting in a cage can get bored or hungry. For example, you, the owners, stayed at work, skipping feeding, and only harmful grass for rabbits remained in the feeder. By the end of the day, he will give up and try the treat.

Delicate rabbit body

We came to the conclusion that the basis of nutrition for these animals is grass. However, before determining which grass can be given to rabbits, let's talk about the characteristics of their body. These pets are extremely sensitive to care, and their fragile body instantly reacts to the slightest changes. Proper nutrition means a lot. Only the optimal diet will ensure the he alth and good development of your pet. Their metabolism is so high that hunger for a fluffy baby is very harmful. However, the main danger lies here: food poisoning with such a metabolism is fatal, you simply do not have time to take action. Therefore, offer pets only those plants in which you are completely confident.

The rest of the products must be fresh and clean, without signs of mold, rot, without dyes and chemical additives. Now let's talk about what grass can be given to rabbits.

Forest herbs

Green and juicy food should be “on the table” for these animals all the time. This is the source of all the most necessary substances, the optimal diet offered by nature itself. First of all, this includes annualand perennial green undergrowth. Therefore, when choosing which grass can be given to rabbits, it is necessary to give preference to the one that grows in natural conditions, under the sun. Very often, perennial legumes are found near rivers - these are clover and alfalfa, excellent herbs that allow you to grow he althy pets. This also includes forbs, which are very fond of sunny forest clearings. These are yarrow and dandelion, plantain and cuff. These herbs can also be included in the diet every day.

At the same time, speaking about what kind of grass rabbits eat, it should be noted alfalfa, sainfoin, clover and couch grass, these are really the best herbs that can debug the digestive system of fluffy rodents. However, there is a small nuance here: they like clover and sainfoin more for their taste, but excessive consumption of the former is not recommended for females, as this impairs their reproductive function. Alfalfa contains a lot of fiber, about 30%, as well as protein (20%), which makes it an excellent component of feed mixtures.

Steppe herbs

This is a real expanse - huge areas covered with vegetation can provide a huge amount of food for your animals. However, going out into the steppe, you need to know what kind of grass rabbits eat, so as not to inadvertently bring home poisonous plants. In such arid regions, there are a lot of odorous and bitter herbs, which hares and rabbits eat very well. These are wormwood and yarrow, as well as many others. However, if you ask manynon-professionals, what grass can be fed to rabbits, then almost all of the listed species will fall into the prohibited list. This is fundamentally wrong, but the best of the steppe herbs are wormwood and yarrow.

Meadow grasses

Imagining green lush meadows, many people think that all this carpet is suitable for feeding to rabbits. In fact, no, most often this natural cover is formed in swampy and flooded areas where water stagnates. Such soil is loved by acidic grasses such as sedge and canary grass, horsetail and pike. Rabbits don't like all these herbs, so there's not much point in collecting them.

However, green meadows open wide scope for collecting green fodder. Speaking about what kind of grass you can feed rabbits, first of all, plantain and tansy, dandelion and sorrel, wild clover and field thistle should be noted. In addition, quinoa, horse sorrel, sage and reed grow in the meadows, which can not only be harvested in summer, but also harvested for the winter. Meadowsweet and timothy, mallow, comfrey and bluegrass, mouse peas, burdock, sweet clover, bedbug, heather, amaranth and cow parsnip will also come in handy. Coltsfoot, Ivan tea, have excellent nutritional qualities.

Poisonous plants

When harvesting green fodder, you need not only to know the useful varieties of plants, but also to know which grass should not be given to rabbits. At the same time, there are many nuances, for example, winter rapeseed and colza are suitable for food only before the appearance of seeds, otherwise their use maylead to stomach upset. Sudanese and sorghum have the same effect. Rabbits are very fond of corn, but be aware that it is very high in carbohydrates, and in the animal's stomach, it contributes to the formation of excess gases.

In summer, green food is considered the main food for rabbits. However, even mowing should be done before lunch, when it is not too hot. If the grass was collected after rain and dew, it is necessary to dry it in the sun before feeding it to rabbits.

How not to poison your rabbit

We continue the conversation about what grass should not be given to rabbits. You need to be especially careful while your pets are very young. The share of green fodder should not be more than 30% of the total diet, since the same clover they love, given out in large quantities, can cause severe diarrhea. The abundance of dandelion is also quite dangerous, despite the fact that this plant is useful and animals eat it with great pleasure. Yarrow and colza can only be given to rabbits as a treat. It is absolutely impossible to give babies goat-beard, geranium and euphorbia. Rabbits are very fond of fresh beet tops, but it is also not recommended to get carried away with it. To avoid indigestion, put sprigs of alder or oak in the cage with her.

If you are not sure what kind of grass you brought, it is better not to give it to furry pets, so as not to risk their he alth. However, you should not throw it away, dry it thoroughly to use it as bedding in winter. In this form, she willabsolutely safe, even if the rabbit tries to chew it.

Poisonous herbs

Despite the fact that the effect of plants at different stages of maturity on the body is not well understood, there is absolutely reliable information about which grass should not be given to rabbits in any form. These are buttercups and celandine, euphorbia, hellebore, backache, dope, belladonna, black root and many others. Lily of the valley, St. John's wort and mustard are very dangerous. All of these species contain substances that are fatal primarily to young animals. These are alkaloids, saponins and other poisons that cause poisoning and death. At the same time, the breeder should remember that it is not enough to know what grass to feed the rabbits, you also need to properly prepare it. It is undesirable to feed animals only mown, wet from rain or dew, or simply very juicy grass. It is better to dry it a little in the sun.

Dangerous buttercups

First of all, avoid collecting these poisonous herbs for rabbits. Buttercups are easy to recognize, they are distributed almost everywhere. You need to know this plant, be able to distinguish it from dozens of others. Its yellow flower has a five-leafed calyx and a five-petaled corolla. They usually grow in lowland and damp places, bloom from spring to autumn. They contain the strongest poison, protoanemonin, which is dangerous for all kinds of animals. Moreover, when dried, the plant becomes absolutely safe, the poison disappears.

Be very responsible about what grass to feed the rabbits. When eatena large number of buttercups is acute poisoning. The animal stops eating, it is tormented by bouts of pain, the gastrointestinal tract is most affected. However, death does not always happen, unless, of course, you feed the animal exclusively on buttercups. But such consequences as a decrease in immunity, growth retardation, are enough. It will take a lot of effort to bring the animal back to a full life. However, remember that plants growing in partial shade are usually more poisonous than those that are open to the bright sun.

Silage is an alternative to fresh grass

This is fresh herbs, cut and canned. It is in the silo that all useful substances are stored, the only thing that is lost is sugar. It is due to him that lactic acid fermentation occurs. However, for the preparation of silage, special conditions must be used. A sealed container is required, which will be very tightly packed with grass. If these conditions are not observed, putrefactive bacteria and molds can settle in the grass. Such a neighborhood can cost your animals dearly. For ensiling, you can use special facing pits, trenches, barrels, or you can put bags with plastic inserts right on the balcony.

What is the best grass for rabbits to make silage? Any edible grass is suitable as the main filler, but for a successful reaction, it is necessary to add corn and Jerusalem artichoke stalks, sunflower and carrot tops, cabbage leaves to it. After about 4week you get ready-made food, which is very fond of rabbits.

Root crops

Speaking about what kind of grass rabbits can eat, we forget that these funny creatures will crunch different vegetables with an appetite. Since it will not be possible to grow young animals only on fresh green fodder, let's look at which root crops can be included in their diet. All of them contain a large amount of water, a little protein, fat, fiber and minerals. Rabbits eat sugar beets well, because of the laxative effect, feeding is not recommended. Carrots and cabbage perfectly diversify the diet, you can also give potatoes, which are slightly boiled. Remember to wash and clean all vegetables well.

Melons are worth mentioning separately. In the fall, when green fodder runs out, these crops are great food for rabbits. It can be pumpkin, watermelons, zucchini rich in vitamins and microelements. Rabbits will eat them alone or mixed with other foods.

Concentrated feed

Autumn is coming, which means it is already difficult to figure out what kind of grass to give the rabbits, since there is nothing left in the summer cottage or in the field. Now the basis of food will be grain and hay. We will talk about dried herbs a little later, let's focus on cereals. Concentrated feeds are the most nutritious and important when rearing young animals. The most important cereal is oats. Rabbits and barley are excellent eaters. Legumes are an important nutritional element, they can be sprouted,providing the body of the eared creature with all the necessary trace elements. In addition, you can feed them in their pure form, after soaking them in water for 3 hours. Compound feed, consisting of different types of cereals, has proven itself to be excellent. Mineral supplements and specialized vitamin mixtures are also added to rabbit food. Regarding vitamins, you can consult the nearest veterinary pharmacy, it can be "Vitaminchik", "Ushastik", "Lolo" and many others. Bone meal, s alt and chalk act as a mineral supplement. S alt is added to compound feed, and juicy greens are sprinkled with chalk and flour.

Roughage

Winter is coming, and with it the question of what kind of grass to give to rabbits becomes more and more acute. Photos in magazines often show us small green gardens on the window, which are grown specifically for the pet. But this method is good only for feeding a decorative pet. If you have a farm, then you definitely need to harvest hay. Almost any soft grass that is mowed in large quantities and dried in the shade will do. However, this group includes not only hay, but also straw, grass meal, chaff and branch fodder.

Quality hay has a greenish color and a pleasant aroma. Its value depends on the composition of the grass, the time of its collection and storage conditions. The best herbs for hay are alfalfa, clover, sainfoin. This bean hay contains twice as much protein as cereal hay. However, you can dilute it with cereals, such as oats. It should be noted that it is necessary to harvest herbs before flowering, otherwise the haywill be rough. Straw is harvested from oats and barley, for the most part it goes to make bedding. In crushed and steamed form, you can add it to the diet as a source of fiber.

Closer to spring, stocks of hay usually come to an end, for this period you need to prepare branch fodder. To do this, at the beginning of summer, young branches are cut from various hardwoods, they are tied into brooms and dried in a ventilated room. By nutritional value, they are close to straw, it is a source of carotene and vitamins, cob alt and manganese. You can harvest branches of birch and acacia, willow, cherry, elm and hornbeam, pear, oak, spruce, willow, hazel. Rabbits are very fond of sprigs of raspberry and linden, alder and mountain ash. You can not use plants such as apricot, buckthorn, elderberry and bird cherry. The branches of these trees contain poisonous substances, so they can harm your pet.

When choosing herbs for rabbits, follow the same principle as when picking mushrooms. If you do not know what kind of plant it is and how it will affect furry pets, then either leave it in the field or determine it to dry, it will be safe in the form of hay.