Contents
- 1 rabbits
- 2 rabbit food
- 3 types of rabbit food
- 3.1 Feed
- 3.2 Concentrated feed
- 3.3 Food additives
- 4 feeding method
- 5 Video What do you know about rabbits?
rabbits
The rabbit is a mammal that man has exploited as food for him as an alternative to the meat of ruminants and poultry, as rabbits do not depend entirely on coarse materials such as ruminants, nor on concentrated feed as in chickens, and this is what makes rabbit breeding easy and possible at all times and places, as it is fast Reproduction so that he can get pregnant immediately after giving birth, and give birth to approximately seven young at a time. These features have made raising rabbits successful and profitable projects because of their abundance of production, rapid growth, and nutritional benefits not available to other living creatures.
Rabbit food
Wild rabbits depend mainly on green plants for their food, because they have a digestive system that is commensurate with plant foods, as the rabbit's stomach is small, and its large intestine is large enough to match the large percentage of fiber found in the grass. It is noted that feeding with green materials is considered a sufficient source to supply rabbits with all the nutrients they need, and some breeders rely only on alfalfa in feeding rabbits, which leads to an increase in the percentage of fiber that they eat and a decrease in consumption of other nutrients, and this matter delays their growth, so it must be taken into account Balance in rabbit food.
Types of rabbit food
The food provided to rabbits is divided into three sections according to the type of food: fodder, concentrated feed, and food additives. The following is an explanation of each type of food.
feed
Feeds are divided into the following:
- Green materials: These include alfalfa (green corn stalks, vegetables, carrots, turnips, cabbage, beets, taro, lettuce, and other grasses), and the alfalfa must be fully ripe and dry when served, while the green stalks must not be less than one meter in length. ; As the short plant contains a toxic percentage that may be harmful to the rabbit. It is noted that green food is rich in mineral salts and vitamins necessary for the vitality of the rabbit.
- Hay or hay: Alfalfa hay is one of the most important dry foods, as it contains a large proportion of protein and is of great benefit. it is considered a good nutrient. A good haystack must have certain characteristics, such as: harvesting it before flowering so that the percentage of fibers in it increases and the percentage of moisture decreases, and it retains its green color after drying so as not to lose its nutritional value, and it has complete leaves, and its smell must be acceptable and not contain other impurities.
concentrated feed
Concentrated feeds are grains and milling products, while legumes are high in protein. They are in detail as follows:
- Cereal grains: such as: oats, wheat, barley, corn, and legumes such as beans and lentils. It has sharp and pointed ends. If it is given whole, it works on a wound in the throat or the gastrointestinal tract, so it is preferable to give it crushed.
- Leguminous grains: which have a high protein content in their components, and crushed beans and lentils are among the most important sources of protein, but it is preferable to use old beans over fresh ones, and it is recommended to roast modern beans before crushing them.
- Vegetable protein concentrates (excrement): They are included in the composition of the balanced diet, such as: soybean meal, flax meal, sesame meal, and peanut meal.
food additives
Some antibiotics are sometimes added to the food to combat diseases spread in the wards of rabbits or their food, and also some vitamins to increase the productivity and health of rabbits, including:
- Antibiotics: Antibiotics, such as tramycin, are added to increase the weight of rabbits, and fattening continues until the age of 12 weeks to increase the growth rate and reduce the incidence of intestinal infections. It is noted that adding this percentage to a ton of ration may reduce the mortality rate among young rabbits to 75%.
- Anti-coccidiosis: It is added to the diet of Badari until the age of 12 weeks to prevent coccidiosis, especially for rabbits raised on a bed. Because they are more susceptible to this disease.
- Antioxidants: They are added to the diet to protect vitamins and fats from oxidation.
- Drinking water: The rabbit is a living being that needs water to carry out vital processes in its body, such as digestion, absorption, and excretion. Water is also involved in the formation of blood and other fluids. The amount of water a rabbit needs depends on several factors, including:
- Temperature, humidity, type of food used, stage of growth, and size of rabbits.
- rabbit age; As the little rabbits need more water.
- In hot weather, rabbits consume large amounts of water.
- Water consumption decreases when rabbits feed on green fodder because they contain a high percentage of it.
- Nursing mothers need large amounts of water to produce milk.
feeding method
Before starting to put food and water in the designated places, it is preferable to clean them well to prevent the multiplication of microbes in them, and the food is placed once or twice a day to ensure that a large amount is not placed, which causes damage or dirt. Diseases spread among rabbits and they lose their appetite. As for the quantity allocated to each rabbit, it increases with the age of the rabbit; After the end of lactation, the rabbit begins to eat 70 gm daily, and at the third month 100 gm, and in the fourth month 150 gm, and in the fifth month 180 gm, and in the sixth 200 gm. The quantity required for pregnant and lactating rabbits that must be fed varies from 250-300 gm per day, and the quantity must not be less or more than these levels so as not to deteriorate the rabbits’ health and thus increase their mortality rate. The amount of food provided to rabbits should also be reduced in the event of a high temperature. The need for food decreases by 19% when the temperature rises.
