Rabbits are fun furry creatures that many keep in their yard. For some, this is home or farming, a source of meat, lint and income, for others - charming pets and four-legged friends. Be that as it may, but everyone who holds the ears faces the question of how to feed them, which grass is the most useful for rabbits, providing the body with all the necessary substances. Today we’ll talk about this in more detail.
Rabbit food
These animals are adapted to eat exclusively plant foods. Grass for rabbits is the 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 get by with the bark of trees, a dry land that sticks out on the glades. At the same time, many rabbit breeders believe that absolutely any grass is suitable for rabbits, relying 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. The pet is also guided by instincts, but for many generations raised in captivity, they have become very dull. In addition, the eel sitting in the cage may get bored or hungry. For example, you owners were late at work, skipping feeding, and only harmful grass for rabbits remained in the feeding trough. By the end of the day, he will give up and try a treat.
Tender rabbit organism
We concluded that grass is the basis of nutrition for these animals. 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 an optimal diet will ensure the health and good development of your pet. Their metabolism is so high that hunger for a furry baby is very harmful. However, the main danger lurks here: food poisoning with such a metabolism is fatal, you just do not have time to take action. Therefore, offer pets only those plants in which you are fully confident.
The remaining products should be fresh and clean, without signs of mold, rot, necessarily without dyes and chemical additives. Now let's talk about what kind of grass rabbits can give.
Forest grass
Green and juicy food should be "on the table" in these animals constantly. This is the source of all the most necessary substances, the optimal diet proposed by nature itself. This primarily includes annual and perennial green undergrowth. Therefore, choosing what kind of grass can be given to rabbits, it is necessary to give preference to that which grows in natural conditions, under the sun. Very often perennial legume grasses are found near rivers - these are clover and alfalfa, excellent herbs that allow you to grow healthy pets. This includes forbs, which are very fond of sunny forest glades. This is a yarrow and dandelion, plantain and cuff. These herbs can also be included in the diet every day.
At the same time, talking about what kind of grass rabbits eat, it should be noted alfalfa, sainfoin, clover and wheat grass, these are really the best herbs that can debug the digestive system of fluffy rodents. However, there is a small nuance: they prefer clover and sainfoin in terms of their taste, but excessive consumption of the former is not recommended for females, as this impairs their reproductive function. Alfalfa also contains a lot of fiber, about 30%, as well as protein (20%), which makes it an excellent component of feed mixtures.
Steppe grasses
This is a real expanse - huge areas covered with vegetation can provide a huge amount of food for your animals. However, going to the steppe, you need to know what kind of grass rabbits eat, so that you do not inadvertently bring poisonous plants home. In such arid areas, there are a lot of odorous and bitter herbs that hares and rabbits eat very well. This is wormwood and yarrow, as well as many others. At the same time, if you ask many non-professionals what kind of grass rabbits can be fed, then almost all of these species will be on the forbidden list. This is fundamentally wrong, but the best of the steppe grasses are wormwood and yarrow.
Meadow grass
Imagining green succulent meadows, many people think that this entire carpet is suitable for feeding to rabbits. Actually, no, most often this natural veil is formed in swampy and flooded areas where water stagnates. Acid grasses such as sedge and canary grass, horsetail and pike love this soil. All these herbs do not like rabbits, so it makes little sense to collect them.
However, green meadows open up wide scope for collecting green fodder. Speaking about what kind of grass rabbits can be fed, first of all, plantain and tansy, dandelion and sorrel, wild clover and sow thistle should be noted . In addition, quinoa, horse sorrel, sage and reeds grow in the meadows, which can not only be harvested in summer, but also harvested for winter. Meadow grass and timothy grass, mallow, comfrey and bluegrass, mouse peas, burdock, melilot, gooseberry, heather, shiritsa and hogweed will also be useful to you. Mother-and-stepmother and Ivan-tea have excellent nutritional qualities.
Conditionally poisonous plants
When harvesting green fodder, you need to not only know the useful varieties of plants, but also to navigate which grass should not be given to rabbits. At the same time, there are many nuances, for example, winter rape and colza are suitable only before seeds appear, otherwise their use can lead to indigestion. Sudanese and sorghum have the same effect. Rabbits are very fond of corn, but keep in mind that it contains a lot of carbohydrates, and in the animal’s stomach it contributes to the formation of excess gases.
In the summer, green food is considered essential for rabbits. However, even mowing should be done before lunch, before it is too hot. If the grass was collected after rain and dew, it is necessary to pre-wilt it in the sun and only then feed it to rabbits.
How not to poison your rabbit
We continue the conversation about which grass should not be given to rabbits. You need to be especially careful while your pets are very young. The proportion of green food should not be more than 30% of the total diet, since the same beloved clover, issued in large quantities, can cause severe diarrhea. The abundance of dandelion is quite dangerous, despite the fact that this plant is useful and its animals eat with great pleasure. Yarrow and colza can be given to rabbits only as a treat. It is absolutely impossible to give kids a goat-breeder, geranium and euphorbia. Rabbits love fresh beet tops, but it is also not recommended to get involved in it. To avoid indigestion, put alder or oak sprigs in the cage with it.
If you are not sure what the grass was brought for, it is better not to give it to furry pets so as not to risk their health. However, it is not worth throwing it away, dry it thoroughly in order to use it in winter as a litter. In this form, it will be absolutely safe, even if the rabbit tries to chew it.
Poisonous herbs
Despite the fact that the influence of plants at different stages of maturity on the body is not well studied, there is absolutely reliable information about what kind of grass rabbits should not be given in any form. These are buttercups and celandine, euphorbia, hellebore, backache, dope, belladonna, black root and many others. Very dangerous lily of the valley, St. John's wort and mustard. All these species contain substances that are fatal in the first place for 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 mowed, wet from rain or dew, or just very juicy grass. It’s better to let her down a little in the sun.
Dangerous buttercups
First of all, avoid collecting these poisonous herbs for rabbits. Buttercups are easy to recognize, they are widespread almost everywhere. You need to know this plant, be able to distinguish it from dozens of others. Its yellow flower has a five-leaf calyx and a five-petal nimbus. They usually grow in low and moist places, bloom from spring to autumn. They contain the strongest poison, protoanemonin, which is dangerous for all types of animals. Moreover, when dried, the plant becomes absolutely safe, the poison disappears.
Be very responsible for what kind of grass to feed the rabbits. When eating a large number of buttercups, acute poisoning occurs. The animal stops eating, it is tormented by bouts of pain, the gastrointestinal tract is most affected. However, death is not always the case, unless, of course, you feed the animal exclusively with buttercups. But such consequences as a decrease in immunity, a slowdown in growth, are enough. To return the animal to a full life, it will take a lot of strength. At the same time, remember that plants growing in partial shade are usually more toxic than those that are open to the bright sun.
Silo - an alternative to fresh grass
This is fresh greens, 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 it that lactic fermentation occurs. However, special conditions must be used to prepare the silo. 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 be expensive for your animals. For siloing, you can use special facing pits, trenches, barrels, or you can put bags with plastic inserts right on the balcony.
Which grass for rabbits will be optimal for making silage? Any edible grass is suitable as the main filler , but for a successful reaction, it is necessary to add stalks of corn and Jerusalem artichoke, sunflower and carrot tops, cabbage leaves. After about 4 weeks, you get ready-made food, which rabbits really like.
Roots
Talking about what kind of grass rabbits can do, we forget that these funny creatures with appetite will be brittle and different vegetables. Since it is not 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 it is not recommended to give feed. Carrots and cabbage are very diverse, and you can also give potatoes, which are cooked a little. Do not forget that all vegetables need to be thoroughly washed and peeled.
Separately, it is worth mentioning melons. In the fall, when green feed ends, these crops go well for rabbits. It can be pumpkin, watermelon, zucchini rich in vitamins and minerals. Rabbits will eat them both in pure form and in a mixture with other feeds.
Concentrated feed
Autumn is coming, which means that it is already difficult to figure out what kind of grass to give rabbits, since there is nothing left in the summer cottage or in the field. Now the basis of nutrition will be grain and hay. We will talk about dried herbs a little later, let's focus on crops. Concentrated feeds are the most nutritious and important when growing young animals. The most important cereal is oats. Rabbits and barley eat well. Legumes are an important food element, they can be germinated, providing the organism of an eared creation with all necessary microelements. In addition, you can feed them in their pure form, pre-soaked in water for 3 hours. Compound feed, consisting of different types of cereals, proved to be excellent. Mineral supplements and specialized vitamin mixtures are also added to rabbit food. You can consult your nearest veterinary pharmacy about vitamins; it can be Vitaminchik, Ushastik, Lolo and many others. Bone meal, salt and chalk are used as mineral top dressing. Salt is added to the feed, and juicy greens are sprinkled with chalk and flour.
Roughage
Winter is approaching, and with it the question more and more sharply arises of what kind of grass to give rabbits. Photos in magazines often show us small green gardens on the window, which are grown specifically for the pet. But this method is only good for feeding a decorative pet. If you have a farm, then you definitely need to harvest hay. Almost any soft grass that mows in large quantities and dries in the shade is suitable for this. However, this group includes not only hay, but also straw, grass meal, chaff and branch feed.
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. Such bean hay contains twice as much protein as cereal. However, you can dilute it with cereals, such as oats. It should be noted that grass must be harvested before flowering, otherwise the hay will be rough. Straw is harvested from oats and barley, for the most part it goes for the manufacture of bedding. In crushed and steamed form, you can add it to the diet as a source of fiber.
Closer to spring, hay stocks usually come to an end, for this period you need to prepare branch feed. To do this, cut off young branches from various hardwoods at the beginning of summer, tie them into brooms and dry them in an aired room. By nutritional value, they are close to straw; it is a source of carotene and vitamins, cobalt and manganese. You can harvest branches of birch and acacia, willow, cherry, elm and hornbeam, pears, oak, spruce, willow, hazel. Rabbits are very fond of branches of raspberries and linden, alder and mountain ash. Plants such as apricot, buckthorn, elderberry and bird cherry cannot be used. The branches of these trees contain toxic substances, so they can harm your pet.
When choosing herbs for rabbits, rely on 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 designate it for drying, it will be safe in the form of hay.