Rabbit nutrition has two characteristics. First, they need to be given a lot of tough food, because these animals belong to the rodent family, they must grind their teeth. Secondly, they eat a lot, because are quite mobile. And in their cage there must always be food.
Both decorative and ordinary rabbits are fed almost the same. The only difference is the amount of feed. If meat breeds can eat a little more than one hundred grams of compound feed per day, then pets are limited to a maximum of half this weight. Rabbits eat frequently (up to 80 times a day), so there should always be fresh hay in the feeder. It is this that forms the basis of their diet. Rabbits do not have muscles that peristalsis, and hay is just the kind of food that helps the intestines. Those. if rabbits do not eat hay every day, they may have problems with the digestive and excretory systems.
The hay should be green with a lot of leaves. It should be dry, not damp. Fresh grass and leaves should also be given in the spring and summer. For example, nettles, dandelions, clover, plantain, aspen leaves, rowan, linden. But grass (fresh and dried) should not make up the entire diet of animals, especially young ones, because because of this, they can stop developing.
Rabbits also need to be given fruits, vegetables and root crops: potatoes, pumpkin, apples, beets, carrots (in principle, you can only give them peeling). Rinse and dry thoroughly before giving food to your pet. Dust and dirt can harm the digestive system of rodents. Also, rabbits must be given concentrated feed: peas, oats, corn, lentils, bran, compound feed. Soak food for 10 minutes in water before feeding. Several times a week, pets can be given dairy products: yogurt, milk, return. To prevent the animal from getting sick, add vitamins and mineral feeds, as well as salt and chalk to food.
Feed the rabbits regularly with young tree bark: rowan, oak, willow, linden. It is this food that will help them grind off their teeth. Ornamental animals can also be given some special food. Before purchasing it, read the composition of the mixture on the package. A quality product should contain about 20% unrefined fiber, 15% protein and a maximum of 1% fat.
