A healthy rabbit has an excellent appetite - in one sitting he can eat half a bag of food. But the animal is not omnivorous, because it has a sensitive gastrointestinal tract. What place in the rabbit menu is occupied by bread, is it possible to give it eared, in what form and in what quantities - this is described further.
Do rabbits eat bread
Many rabbit breeders believe that bakery products are indispensable for their pets, because due to the nutrients contained there, they improve the taste of meat and the commercial quality of fur.
However, veterinarians claim that not all breeds of eared such food will benefit. In particular, the ban applies to all varieties of ornamental rabbits. Even small doses of bread can destroy dwarf wards.
Important! Any flour products for rabbits of decorative breeds are a poison of slow-motion. This also applies to sweets, cookies and other sweets. For a decorative animal, even a single chocolate product can be fatal.
For meat breeds, bread is a storehouse of carbohydrates, which in the diet of this group of animals must be at least 80%. Researchers note that this product is not “empty calories” because it contains:
- valuable proteins;
- fats;
- B vitamins;
- manganese;
- selenium;
- sodium;
- chlorine;
- iron;
- zinc;
- copper.
In combination, these components have a beneficial effect on the work of the cardiovascular, immune, nervous systems, organs of the digestive tract, metabolism, quality of hair and development of muscle tissue. It is characteristic that useful acids are stored even in breadcrumbs.
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However, in the process of drying bread loses a significant amount of vitamins and minerals, so it can not be the basis of the rabbit diet. In addition, according to experts, such products are fraught with danger to the health of eared pets.
Video: Is it possible to feed rabbits bread
Possible illnesses:
- improper sharpening of incisors (high-calorie food rabbits do not chew badly, and besides, there are no crystals of silicon dioxide in it);
- weakening of the jaw tissue, which develops on the background of hypovitaminosis;
- the occurrence of dental malocclusion (improper arrangement of teeth), which prevents the full operation of the jaw apparatus;
- disturbances in digestion (malfunctions occur due to the fact that the gastrointestinal tract of the animal is configured to assimilate predominantly untreated vegetable feed);
- the risk of enteritis (inflammatory processes in the organs of the digestive tract occur due to impaired microflora);
- obesity (rabbit immobility is fraught with skin and infectious diseases).
Did you know? Rabbits chew 120 times a minute and have more than 17 thousand taste buds.
Basic rules for the inclusion of bread in the diet
Experienced breeders feed their pets wheat, rye and bran breads, often mixing them. However, this ingredient should be introduced into the diet of animals very carefully, following the recommendations of veterinarians.
From what age can
In small quantities, such feed is useful even for small rabbits. However, it is impossible to give them to newborn individuals up to one month of age. Otherwise, the animals may have gastrointestinal disorders, bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, which can be fatal.
Experienced breeders advise introducing bread crusts to the menu of 30-40 days old rabbits after their weaning from the mother. Pre-product must be soaked in warm milk or in water. After mother's milk, bread, like any new complementary foods, should be introduced carefully, in small doses.
Familiarize yourself with the subtleties of feeding rabbits at home.
You need to start with the minimum portions, gradually increasing them every 10 days. It is best to add the product to the wet mash. The ideal components for them are food waste in the form of cereals and soups. Consider that no more than 200 g of such food is recommended for rabbits per day.
How to give
Fresh bread is strictly forbidden for feeding rabbits; Experts advise to give it in dried form. To do this, cut the loaf into centimeter pieces, which are evenly spread on a baking sheet and exposed to the sun for natural drying. When the bread cubes harden, they are collected in fabric bags for storage. Place choose dry, otherwise the workpiece may be covered with color. Many owners pre-rub bread with garlic mass of pressed cloves. This supplement is an additional stimulant for the immune system of animals, as well as a vitamin source.
For breeders who feed eared pets with bread, it is important to take into account the hygroscopic properties of this product. In drinking bowls of animals, there should always be fresh drinking water, because this kind of food is the cause of thirst. Therefore, it is recommended to soak the prepared croutons before feeding in water.
Important! Under no circumstances should there be left uneaten bread slices in the rabbit feeder. This is due to their tendency to rapid deterioration and moldiness. Damaged products to give animals is strictly prohibited.
According to veterinarians, this ingredient may appear in the diet of wards only as a treat. His daily dosage is calculated in such a way that 10 grams of bread fall on each kilogram of live weight of the animal. Remember that this is not the main component of the animal menu.
Is it possible to feed rabbits
First of all, experts advise rabbit breeders to abandon varieties of bread that contain a large amount of gluten. But besides this, you need to know which bakery products will be useful for eared pets, and which are harmful.
White bread
Delicacy in the form of dried pieces of white bread is very useful for rabbits. Such a variety in their diet will provide the animal's body with carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. However, do not forget about the calorie content of the product and the threatening consequences of its excess.
Overeating bread slices, big-eared risks to gain extra pounds or sick. Do not spoil him with such food. After all, the line between its benefits and harm is very thin.
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Black bread
A small encouragement for a fluffy friend in the form of a slice of black bread will not harm him. On the contrary, it will enrich his body with nicotinic and pantothenic acids, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, choline, pyridoxine.
But an excessive amount of delicacy can provoke fermentation in the stomach, increased gas formation and intestinal blockage. Therefore, it is important to limit the wards in this kind of feed. Such a product, even in small doses, is contraindicated for dwarf rabbits.
Crackers
If we are talking about shopping with the addition of chemical impurities, spices, flavors and flavorings, then, of course, for sensitive rabbits, this food will be dangerous even in small quantities. But homemade crackers, on the contrary, will serve as a vitamin-mineral supplement, which will not only strengthen the immune system, but also improve the functionality of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. But in the diet of rabbits such feed should appear no more than once a week in limited quantities.
Did you know? In Australia, the breeding of rabbits is prohibited by law, the violation of which is fraught with a fine of 30 thousand dollars. This is due to the fact that local people consider wild animals as the most destructive pests. Every year, they destroy agricultural crops and their rapid activity leads to the degradation of whole lands, causing damage to the population in excess of $ 600 million.
Homemade Cookies
From home baking, rabbits can occasionally be offered treats in the form of oatmeal cookies. It contains beneficial carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. But at the same time, the excessive use of such a delicacy threatens the trust violation of the intestinal microflora, which is associated with sugars and starchy substances contained in large quantities there.
Buns
Butter pastry is contraindicated for rabbits, like other types of sweets. This kind of food instantly causes upset stomach, indigestion, bloating and can lead to blockage of the small intestine in animals. In addition, excessive amounts of fat, sugar, starch, colors, flavors and flavorings will adversely affect the health of the herbivore pet.
Moldy Bread
If you decide to treat your fluffy friend with bread, you need to choose only fresh pieces. If any signs of mold are found, the product must be thrown away.
It will contain deadly for eared mycotoxins, which tend to accumulate in the body. Their obvious influence will become apparent when irreversible processes begin in the body of the ward.
It will be useful for you to learn whether it is possible to give nettle, bran, burdock and wormwood to rabbits, as well as what grass to feed rabbits.
Rabbit poisoning with stale bread is manifested by the following symptoms:
- disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
- lack of appetite;
- refusal to eat;
- lethargy;
- fever;
- mucosurus in feces;
- diarrhea;
- thirst;
- paralysis of the hind legs;
- internal hemorrhage.