What grass can be given to rabbits: feeding requirements and rules

Hay or slightly withered greens form the basis of the diet of furry pets. Herbs contain many nutrients and contribute to the full growth and development of animals. However, you need to control the composition of the feed and know which herbs can and cannot be given to rabbits. They collect plants in different places: fields, meadows, summer cottage, garden, forest edges.

What grass do rabbits eat?

Vegetable mass is the basis of animal nutrition. Diversify the diet can be all sorts of useful plants. The main requirement is to properly prepare the green mass for feeding to rodents.

Meadow, field and forest grasses

The main value of herbs is ecological purity. Spring days and the beginning of summer are the optimal period for collecting natural food. The basis of the green mass is proteins, many nutrients. The most useful are:

silphium;
red clover;
stern lupine;
alfalfa;
vika.

Wild crops may well form the basis of a rabbit's diet. This is a cheap raw material that can be stocked up for a long time. Before adding to the feed, the greens are washed, dried to a dried state. Plants must be dried well before storage.

Important! They do not collect herbs that grow along roads, even village or summer cottages.

Garden

Great option to feed the pets - to collect the green mass from the garden. Parsley, pepper, celery, rhubarb, green peas are suitable for rabbit food. A good solution to diversify the diet is to use beet tops.

Often summer residents feed weeds to animals. This is the best way to combine weeding the site and feeding the animals. Garden nettle, dandelion, thistle thistle, quinoa, wild clover, plantain, shepherd's purse will do for food.

When using any garden crops, follow the general rules. Greens are fed dry / dried, but not wet. Small branches of fruit trees (plum, apricot, bird cherry) are often mixed into the grass. With pleasure, the animals gnaw on a thin vine.

Medicinals

Breeders periodically add a small amount of medicinal plants to the food for eared pets (about 30% of the diet). The most commonly used are sage, lemon balm, mint, cumin and even juniper. Sometimes nettles, pre-steamed and dried, are added to the feed. A small amount of wormwood will help cure an upset bowel.At the same time, farmers note that small additions of medicinal crops improve the taste of meat.

Collecting herbs can be done several times during the spring-summer season. The green mass is torn off before the flowering period and after. The forage preparation process is standard - the plants are mowed, dried a little.

Which herb should not be given?

Naturally, among the many herbs growing in meadows and fields, there are species that should not be given to animals. As a rule, rabbits refuse to eat harmful plants. But it will be more reliable to independently control the composition of dry food. The following crops are not added to animal food:

celandine, provoking severe intestinal disorders;
datura and foxglove causing heart rhythm disturbances;
eating cornflower by rabbits leads to convulsions, vomiting, muscle paralysis;
hemlock, negatively affecting the nervous system of animals (convulsions appear, paralysis of the hind legs).

The flora of fields and meadows is very diverse. It is not surprising that an ordinary summer resident does not understand the composition of herbs growing nearby. Therefore, it is better to use greens from your own garden.

Grass Requirements

Inexperienced owners of furry animals need to listen to the recommendations of breeders with many years of experience. Experienced specialists identify several nuances for harvesting green mass for animals:

only dry herbs or dried herbs are added to rabbit food;
you can not use the green mass of ornamental plants (poppy, jasmine, buttercups);
lawn greens do not differ in nutritional composition, therefore, they are rarely introduced into complementary foods;
when harvesting plant mass, it is necessary to control the presence of harmful plants;
when collecting plants on the site, make sure that there are no animal excrement (dogs, cats, rats) in the green mass.

If the number of animals is small, it is recommended to pluck the grass with your hands. This measure is necessary to avoid oxidation of greenery from contact with metal elements. If there are many rabbits, the plants are mowed or a sickle is used.

Properly collected herbs for the whole year will provide animals with useful elements. It is recommended to dry the greens in a well-ventilated attic. And they use a dry room to store hay.