What is the best hay for rabbits to grow a healthy livestock
Which hay is best for rabbits, you can find out if you study the features of feeding pets. In the wild, dried grass is the main component of the animal's diet. It regulates the intestinal tract, strengthens the teeth, as it retains all the benefits of fresh vegetation.
The need for hay for a rabbit
In nature, rodents graze on lawns for more than 5 hours. Providing long-term walking at home is problematic. Therefore, instead of fresh grass, rabbits should be given hay, which contains nutrients. Dry grass helps avoid intestinal disruptions that can lead to illness and death.
Hay is the main source of fiber for proper gastrointestinal function. There is no smooth muscle in the digestive tract of a rabbit, therefore, eating solid feed is required to move food through the esophagus.
Rodents can chew hay for more than 7 hours a day. Therefore, the taphole must constantly contain dry grass.
In addition to fiber, hay contains cellulose and helps the rabbit to grind off teeth, which grow constantly throughout its life. If the rodent eats only soft food, the teeth will grow rapidly, begin to damage the nerve endings of the animal, eyeballs, and the brain. In addition, pets use hay to build nests.
Hay rates
It is difficult to calculate exactly how much hay a rabbit needs for the winter. The appetite and needs of each individual are individual.
You can only adhere to the approximate norms and portions that are necessary for rodents of different ages.:
- newborn rabbits and individuals up to 3 months old require about 100 g of hay per day;
- from three months to six months - 200 g;
- adults need 300-350 g.
To prepare hay for the winter, you need to calculate the number of days and multiply them by the estimated portion. Since the cold season lasts about six months, about 60 kg of hay will be needed for one adult. It should be borne in mind that for females expecting offspring, the amount of dry grass must be doubled.
If the hay does not fit into the feeders, but is laid on the floor, it should be understood that the grass costs will be higher, since it is used by the rodent as bedding.
Experienced rabbit breeders calculate the amount of hay for the winter by the weight of the individual. To do this, multiply the rabbit's weight by the number of days.
Types of hay
The best hay for rabbits is self-made. Rabbit breeders can select grass from clear fields and lawns, dry thoroughly and remove. If this is not possible, you will have to purchase dried herb at the store.
Purchased
When choosing hay in the store, you need to be aware of a number of rules.:
- Product color. High-quality raw materials should have a greenish tint. This indicates that the herb has been properly dried and preserved.
- No mold.
- The smell of grass. The hay should be fragrant, free from tints of bitterness, acid, etc.
- The presence of different herbs in the composition.The raw material cannot contain or predominate one type of vegetation.
It is important to pay attention to the integrity of the packaging. A pack with tears indicates improper transportation and storage of raw materials.
Granular
Rabbit hay pellets contain the same herbs. In this case, the procurement process is identical to the usual version - the raw material is processed from bacteria, saturated with useful substances.
The main advantages of such products:
- Saturation of taste. The hay is more flavorful.
- Convenient storage. The granules do not freeze in winter.
- Good digestibility.
Therefore, when thinking about what can replace hay for rabbits that has nowhere to store, you should give preference to the granular version.
Which hay for rabbits is best in composition
A variety of grass is suitable for hay for rabbits. To choose the right composition, you need not only to take into account the benefits of a particular species, but also the preferences of the rodent. Rabbit breeders recommend choosing mixed herb products as the pet's diet should be varied.
Among the most useful and common herbs, the following vegetation can be distinguished:
- yarrow;
- rhubarb;
- nettle;
- burdock;
- dandelions;
- horse sorrel;
- plantain;
- lupine.
All these herbs contain nutrients and vitamins, promote the proper development of bones and hair growth.
Lactating females are recommended to be fed with hay, which contains clover, alfalfa, wheatgrass. They help to establish and improve lactation.
The best composition of hay is considered to be steppe, forest, meadow grasses, dried in the fresh air.
For therapeutic purposes, wormwood is added to the mixture of herbs (to increase appetite), shepherd's bag, mountain ash, chicory (prevention of helminthic invasions), dill (eliminates flatulence), yarrow (stops bleeding).
Several times a week, rabbits are offered a special composition of hay - clover, sainfoin, alfalfa. Herbs should be small, they are given in small quantities. Otherwise, the composition can cause poisoning and problems with the urinary system.
Grasses grown in different areas have their own nutritional composition:
- meadow vegetation contains about 10% protein, about 40% fiber, 5% fat, 10% ash;
- industrial feed (grown by farmers) will contain a minimum of ash (no more than 6%) and about 15% of protein components.
The raw materials will contain the maximum amount of nutrients provided they are properly harvested in the fresh air.
Prohibited hay composition
Making hay for rabbits is an important process. There are types of herbs that can harm and kill an animal.
Plants that are poisonous to a rodent include:
- dope;
- buttercup;
- marsh marigold;
- celandine;
- sagebrush;
- wild radish;
- lily of the valley;
- cicuta;
- digitalis;
- lumbago;
- wrestlers;
- cheremitsa;
- spurge;
- Chernobyl;
- raven eye;
- hemlock.
Do not harvest herbs growing along roads, in an area with a large number of slugs, in the territory of abandoned mines, swamps.
Frozen and moldy hay must be disposed of.
Harvesting and storage of hay
It is recommended to start making hay in late May and early June. The cut grass is dried in the open air under a canopy so that the products are ventilated and do not rot.
For mowing, it is better to choose sunny weather so that the grass has time to become lethargic immediately after harvesting. It will be possible to mow vegetation again in this place in 5-6 weeks. The main thing is not to miss the flowering stage.
The products are stored only in ventilated rooms, or outdoors under a cover made of dense film. The shelf life of hay is 1 year. After this period, the raw materials become unsuitable for feeding to rabbits. You should not use it as a bedding. It is recommended to give preference to straw, which is harvested from the stalks of cereals (rye, wheat, oats, barley).