Recently, the house of decorative rabbits has become very popular. These very funny and playful little animals quickly fell in love with people. But after buying a rabbit, there are often a number of questions about how to properly feed rabbits, how often and how much food. Today we will answer these questions.
Harmful food
Before you go to the store and buy a box of this or that food, look at what it's made of and draw a parallel between your pet and the wild rabbit. In fact, a rabbit - a small animal is not grainy, but a herbivorous. In the forest, he feeds exclusively on grass, bark, leaves, and it is unlikely that he will eat oat flakes somewhere there. Therefore, all kinds of breadcrumbs, corn, oatmeal, seeds, etc. leave it in its place. All these feeds are very harmful to the body of rabbits, eventually causing various pathologies. We do not think that you would like to lose your pet that way in two, not 10.
Proper nutrition
Proper nutrition of rabbits can be conditionally represented in the form of a pyramid. Let's consider each of the steps.
Hay
The basis of feeding rabbits is hay. It should always be in your cage in your pet. It can both be bought and cooked by yourself, after drying it in the sun. Be sure to keep in the hay no dust and mold. Also, you can not use hay based on alfalfa. Collect the hay in clean places, and not along roads. You can buy different hay and mix it, or just alternate. Excellent cooked hay contains vitamins, including vitamin D, calcium, carotenoids, as well as protein.
Hay is useful for a rabbit in that with its help it sticks out constantly growing teeth and keeps them in perfect order. Also, hay prevents the appearance of wool in the stomach and is very useful for the intestines of the pet, that is, it regulates the normal evacuation of the intestine.
Vegetables and herbs
The next step of the rabbit diet consists of vegetables and grass. They should be offered to him three times a day, using at least three types.
The grass needs to be collected in clean places, like hay. You can give it and in a wet state, with the exception of clover - this grass in a wet form provokes gases. In the case when you do not have the opportunity to find fresh grass, it can be replaced with greens.
If you decide to pamper the rabbit with vitamins and give vegetables, it is better not to give fruits, but greens, i.e. tops. For some reason, there is an opinion that the nutrition of rabbits mainly consists of cabbage and carrots. In fact, vegetables should be given to rabbits very carefully. For example, many of the vegetables contain calcium and oxalates, which, if excess, can provoke kidney problems.
Granulated dry food
The composition of the feed includes vegetable plants, grass and hay. This food should be given to decorative animals only if you can not enrich the ration with greenery to a sufficient extent. But at the same time it is strictly forbidden to switch to full feeding with fodder. It can be given only 1-2 tablespoons per day! No matter how much the rabbit eaten the feed, it must necessarily eat hay. Basically, dry food is advised to give to young rabbits, pregnant and elderly rabbits.
Delicious
On this last step are berries and fruits. They need to be added to food not more than twice a week, because they contain a large amount of sugar, which leads to a set of excess weight.
Regardless of what your rabbit's food, there must necessarily be water. Make it a rule to change it every day to fresh.
Forbidden
Carefully read these lines and remember. Rabbits are forbidden to give:
- Various goodies from shops based on grain and sunflower seeds.
- Flour products, such as bread, pasta, cookies, cereal, as well as various sweets.
- Dried fruits and locust beans. From dried fruits to prevent the appearance of hair in the stomach, you can occasionally give prunes.
- Various cereals and seeds, otherwise there will be problems in the state of health.
- Chocolate.
Yes, we understand perfectly well that I want to treat my pet something delicious. But giving the rabbit a cookie, think about how many years you would like to see him next to you: a year or two, or 10-15.