Barley can be given to rabbits: the benefits and harms of cereal, how to feed

Proper nutrition is one of the main factors in breeding rabbits in your backyard. For the he alth and active growth of pets, a well-thought-out diet is necessary. After all, they have a very vulnerable and weak digestive system. Barley, like many other types of cereals, can be given to rabbits. After all, it contains many useful substances. But you need to do it right, without harming animals.

Can rabbits have barley?

Barley should be included in the rabbit menu. It is one of the he althiest foods due to its high fiber content.Therefore, with its help, meat breeds of rabbits can quickly gain weight. Decorative and hide breeds of pets require small amounts of barley. Otherwise, they will become obese. But you should not give up this cereal. It contains many useful substances.

Composition and useful properties

Rabbit barley is an excellent source of protein. This cereal contains:

• folic acid;
• B vitamins;
• vitamin K;
• retinol;
• tocopherol;
• ascorbic acid;
• calcium;
• potassium;
• choline;
• lysine.

The benefit of barley also lies in the fact that 13 grams out of 100 is protein. Therefore, all individuals who need enhanced nutrition are advised to increase the amount of this cereal in the diet. These are lactating rabbits, young animals, as well as pets that are recovering from illness.

How to feed and in what quantities?

Rabbits in any form are ready to eat barley. But the grain will be much better absorbed if:

• mix it with other cereals;
• prepare in one of the convenient ways: yeast, steaming, sprouting.

On average, it is recommended to give one rabbit 30% of barley from all dry food per day. For meat breeds, this figure may be higher. 2 large handfuls of cereal per day are sufficient.

Steaming

Preparation of barley for rabbits by steaming is as follows:

1. Grain is poured into a bucket. There should be 10-15 centimeters of empty space left to the edge.
2. Boiling water is poured over cereal. It should cover the grain.
3. Add a large spoonful of s alt to the bucket.
4. Everyone stirs.
5. Cover with a lid.
6. Let it brew for 6 hours.

Food can now be offered to rabbits.

Yeasting

The benefits of yeast mash are undeniable for meat breeds of rabbits. If you want faster results, you should feed the barley cooked according to this recipe.

There are 3 options for the yeasting process: starter, unpaired and sourdough.

Whatever method is used, certain rules must be followed:

• use warm water;
• the mixture will have to be constantly stirred (every 10-20 minutes);
• feed layer should not be higher than 35 centimeters;
• yeast is carried out in wooden boxes.

Less time consuming and relatively fast - no-pair option. Duration of preparation of a forage - 9 hours. For this you will need:

• cereal (1 part);
• baker's yeast (0.1 part);
• warm water (2 parts).

All ingredients are carefully combined in one container. Stir the product thoroughly every 20 minutes until the process is complete.

Germination

Sprouted barley is very fond of rabbits. Moreover, they eat not only the grain itself, but also the green part of the plant. To germinate cereal, you need:

1. Wash the grain. This should be done with running water.
2. Soak the cereal in water.
3. Put in heat for 24 hours.
4. If after a day grains appeared that floated to the surface of the water, they should be removed.
5. The rest of the grains are laid out on flat surfaces in one layer.
6. The top of the grain is covered with gauze soaked in water.
7. In this form, they are removed to a warm place.
8. After a couple of days, rabbits can be fed.

You don't have to harvest a lot of germinated barley at once. It can get damaged. In addition, the larger the stems grow, the less useful such food becomes.

Possible harm

When preparing food for your rabbits, you need to choose the right food. Otherwise, there is a risk of acquiring cereal unsuitable for feeding animals. You need to pay attention to what the barley should be:

• no dirty seeds;
• all particles are ripe;
• without stones and other rubbish;
• absence of rotten grains affected by pests or fungus;
• not raw;
• not overdried.

Feeding bad barley can lead to sad consequences.Poisoning, disease - an undesirable result. Excessive feeding of animals with barley can also be dangerous. This will cause obesity, which is an obstacle to normal reproduction. The male will not be able to cover the female. A fat rabbit endures and gives birth to much less offspring. At the same time, childbirth can be difficult.

Definitely, you can give barley to rabbits, but you must follow the rules for its preparation. Do not neglect the amount of it in the diet. Then the pets will always be full and he althy.

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