Every breeder, especially the beginner, wonders how to plan the rabbits ’diet so that they receive enough nutrients, vitamins and minerals. The nutrition of farm animals, including rabbits, should be full and high-calorie. In this regard, one can often hear the question: “Can I give cucumbers to rabbits?” Breeders agree that yes, it is possible, but subject to certain rules.
Can rabbits be given cucumbers
Is it possible to give cucumbers to rabbits
Juicy foods, such as cucumbers, zucchini, must be present in the diet of rabbits Islands, potato, melon and watermelon rinds, carrot. Animals are given fresh or boiled vegetables throughout the day by mixing them with bran or mixed feed.
Rabbits like cucumbers, but don’t follow the animal’s diet and feed them only one kind of food .
Can farm rabbits be fed cucumbers in the first months of life? The first time cucumbers give no earlier than two months of age of the animal. At this stage, the digestive system reaches a normal level of development and becomes able to cope with juicy vegetables. Like any other food, fresh cucumbers are gradually introduced into the diet.
It is necessary to observe how the animal responds to the introduction of new food: if loose stools appear or the rabbit becomes lethargic and lethargic, the vegetable should be removed. If there is no change in the behavior of the animal, and the feces are dry, then you can safely give cucumbers to the rabbit further.
Cucumbers are not recommended to be given to rabbits during their feeding for slaughter. At this time, the animal’s diet should contain the most nutritious feed.
What are the benefits of cucumbers for rabbits
Cucumber is one of the most common vegetables, for this reason it is often present in rabbit diet. Cucumbers are rich in:
- minerals: iron, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, iodine, zinc and chromium;
- vitamins B1, B2, C, folic acid (B9);
- protein;
- carbohydrates;
- fiber;
- water.
The fact that the vegetable is rich in B vitamins, helps livestock breeders deal with such a feature of the rabbit body as coprophagy. Many animals tend to eat their own litter due to a lack of vitamin B in the body. The reason for this deficiency is that in the cecum of the animal fermentation of hay and grass occurs with the help of bacteria. In the process, useful substances are excreted with night feces. Rabbits eat their own litter to make up for this loss.
Eating excrement in small amounts is normal and even beneficial for the animal, but in large quantities can lead to digestive problems, vomiting. With crowded animals, helminth infection is possible if one of the rabbits is a carrier of parasites.
Cucumbers are given fresh, sliced or grated. In grated form they are successfully fed, mixed with bran. Due to its juiciness, the vegetable is eaten in hot weather, the animal receives part of the necessary water from it.
After feeding, it is necessary to check the feeders for residues: leftovers can stale or sour. A rabbit that has eaten is at risk of food poisoning or indigestion, which is dangerous for his life and health. After eating, the feeders should be washed. The amount of food must be adjusted so that the next time she didn’t stay, but the animals were not hungry.
Is it possible to give cucumbers to decorative rabbits
Many people keep decorative rabbits in their homes and apartments in the form of pets. In various forums, one often encounters the question of whether decorative rabbits can be cucumbers.
How and decorative rabbits give fresh cucumbers, which are thoroughly washed, dried and cut into small pieces. You can give rabbits grated cucumbers. Wet vegetables should not be given, as this can cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Sometimes decorative rabbits in the form of treats are tried to feed pickles – they are happy to eat such a treat. But is there any benefit from such food? Can rabbits have pickled cucumbers? Definitely not.It is also not recommended to give vegetables grown in greenhouses in the winter, as they can have a high nitrate content.
Also, fluffy animals are not recommended to be given:
- Sweets. Due to the high content of simple carbohydrates in them, they do not benefit the beast. Excessive consumption of sugar over time leads to diabetes and obesity. Sweet fruits should be given in small amounts 1-2 times a week.
- Roasted vegetables. They cause digestion in rabbits. Roasted sunflower seeds are also dangerous to health. They are tasty in this form, but can cause cerotic changes in the liver.
- Dirty food. Food that is stained in the ground or in something else is forbidden to be given: pathogens of dangerous diseases and helminth eggs can be in the soil.
Due to imperfections in the digestive system in babies, you can not give cucumbers to rabbits earlier than at two months of age. Some individuals are not able to digest it until the age of 4 months. If the animal’s stomach is weak, then cucumbers should be discarded altogether.
Sometimes decorative rabbits in the form of treats are tried to feed pickled cucumbers. Animals are happy to eat such a treat, but is there any benefit from such food? Can rabbits have pickled cucumbers? Definitely not. Can rabbits be given fresh cucumbers in the winter? The introduction of greenhouse vegetables, including cucumbers, is undesirable: they contain a large amount of nitrates.
Is it possible to feed rabbits with cucumber tops
In late August and early September, many agricultural vegetable crops stop bearing fruit and end their vegetation. At the end of growing cucumbers in the field there are many cucumber leaves. It can be thrown into the business, and not just thrown into the trash or compost.
Cucumber tops are given fresh or harvested for the winter. In dry years, feeding animal tops greatly helps rabbit breeders, as cucumbers give a large amount of green mass.
Cucumber tops must be prepared for use:
- inspect for rot, mold or other fungal diseases;
- remove damaged leaves or patches of the whip;
- wilt in the sun.
It is forbidden to give animals wet shoots, especially in morning dew, otherwise digestive problems can not be avoided. The same applies to aphids affected by aphids. Often in cucumber shoots they like to hide in the hot time of the slug. They are dangerous for rabbits.
You can also prepare cucumber leaves for the winter. To do this, clean the whips are laid out in the sun and turn over from time to time. Mold must not be allowed.The rotten food is unsuitable for feeding animals
In addition to cucumber lashes, the tops of other garden plants are also harvested:
- fodder beets;
- carrots;
- sweet potato;
- Jerusalem artichoke;
- sweet pepper;
- peas;
- beans;
- beans;
- zucchini;
- pumpkins.
You can’t feed rabbits with tops of tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant. Like all nightshade, they contain prussic acid in green shoots.
Conclusion
There are many important factors in rabbit breeding, but the main one is correctly selected balanced diet. Not only the health of the animals depends on it, but also the quality of their meat and fur.
Animals that receive poor nutrition or food that is poor in vitamins and minerals slowly gain weight, lag behind in development, get sick, lose interest in the opposite sex. This has a bad effect on the entire population.
Cucumbers can perfectly diversify the animal’s menu and satisfy the body’s need for nutrients. But do not forget that a larger percentage of the diet of rabbits is occupied by fresh wild grass or hay, and only then vegetables and fruits. Pregnant and lactating females should be given compound feed and vitamin supplements.
