Advantages of using feed when breeding rabbits. Calculation of the daily requirement of combined feeds

Livestock » Rabbits

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Kira Stoletova

Nowadays, one of the most popular pets, the breeding of which has recently been quite actively carried out, is the rabbit. In order for a rabbit to grow up healthy, it is necessary to take good care of it, including monitoring its daily nutrition. Anyone who is faced with raising this pet for the first time often wonders how much feed a rabbit eats per day. Let's consider how to feed this animal correctly and what the daily amount of food it should consume should be.

How much feed does a rabbit eat per day?

Water in the diet

Fresh fresh water should be provided daily and a constant supply of clean drinking water should be available to hydrate the digestive tract.
Without sufficient water level, the contents may become dry and stuck. This leads to life-threatening intestinal stagnation. Medical assistance must be provided urgently. Restriction in drinking water leads to pathological changes in the blood, impaired thermoregulation, and nephritis. When a female rabbit is thirsty during birth, she often eats her offspring. The daily drinking requirement of a pregnant female is up to a liter, and that of a lactating female is up to 2.4. Young animals aged 9 weeks require up to 2.5 liters of water.

Water has a positive effect on digestion and prevents intestinal stagnation

A heavy ceramic bowl is the most preferable option for drinking.

Water containers should be thoroughly washed with soap every two days.

In household plots, it is advisable to install automatic watering.

Interesting facts about Eared Ears

• They grow very quickly.
• The queen has a litter of 2 to 8 babies.
• Grown in a small space.
• Production costs are lower than for other large animals.
• The meat is tasty, nutritious and easily digestible. Even older people eat it without problems.
• Eating rabbit meat is not prohibited by any religion.
• Kitchen waste, grass, plant leaves are the favorite food for long-eared animals. You can breed for the needs of your family.
• Such farming requires less labor compared to other livestock farming businesses.
• Commercial farming can be a successful family business and does not require a large capital investment.
• You will probably get your investment back in a short time.
• This profitable business will be an excellent source of income and employment.
• By raising several individuals, it is possible to satisfy the needs of one family.

How to calculate feed rates

Daily feeding rates for rabbits are calculated in different ways. The most common are feed units. One feed unit corresponds to a kilogram of average quality oats. In rabbit farming, it is customary to denote feed units by grams. This means that 100 grams of feed units corresponds to one hundred grams of oats. Feed is also calculated by the amount of proteins contained in it and its energy value (kJ or kcal). Let's see what the daily ration per head should be, based on feed units (since this method is the most popular):

• Female and male that do not breed - 120 (summer), 160 (winter)
• When preparing rabbits for mating - 180 (summer), 215 (winter)
• Pregnant female – 195 (summer), 230 (winter)
• Lactating female with 6-7 rabbits on days 1-15 – 315 (summer), 350 (winter)
• Lactating female from 16 to 30 days – 450 (summer), 500 (winter)
• Lactating female 31-45 days – 650 (summer), 700 (winter)
• Rabbits 46-60 days – 100 (summer), 120 (winter)
• Rabbits 61-90 days – 140-160 feed units
• Young animals 91-120 days – 180-200 feed units
• Young animals 121-200 days old - 200-225 feed units.

In summer, the diet is based on green grass, root vegetables and concentrated food. In winter, instead of grass, they give hay and twigs. The diet, in addition to root crops, includes silage. The amount of grass, root vegetables and other succulent food in the summer is 50-65%, the rest is feed. In winter, the percentage of hay in the rabbit menu is 20-40%, succulent food - 10-30%, mixed feed - 50%. If grass and hay contain a lot of legumes, you can achieve a 10-15% reduction in concentrate consumption.

Compound feed for rabbits

Often, to simplify feeding eared animals, various combined feeds are used. Such food already includes most of the previously listed components. But, nevertheless, they feed compound feed to rabbits in combination with hay. This method involves several different compositions, which have a number of significant advantages.

Compound feed for feeding rabbits

Application benefits

Combined feeds are concentrated. Such food is produced in the form of a dry mass, which consists of components necessary for the animal’s body. Feeding rabbits with compound feed has its own advantages, including:

• each composition clearly corresponds to the physiological needs of the animal in terms of the amount of vitamins, minerals and nutrients;
• dry form simplifies transportation and storage of feed;
• food is served in an easy to digest form, which significantly increases its benefits;
• the use of feed helps strengthen the immune system of rabbits;
• With such feeding, it is much easier to adjust the diet and prevent obesity in animals.

It is worth noting that the purchase of these products involves certain expenses. But, if you have a minimum set of equipment and suitable components, compound feed can be produced at home.

Feed composition

There are several different recipes for preparing combined feeds. But, regardless of this, the basis of each composition has a similar appearance and includes:

• grain and products of its processing;
• fresh greens and hay;
• roots;
• branches and bark of trees.

The main composition is expanded with other ingredients depending on which group you plan to feed. Thus, compound feed for adults additionally includes at least 10% sunflower meal, and 1% is taken up by mineral supplements, which consists of table salt and chalk in equal proportions.

The compositions for rabbits include at least 30% grass meal. Fish and meat and bone meal, feed yeast, and salt are also added to their food.

When keeping rabbits to obtain high-quality fur, they are fed formulations in which almost the entire volume is occupied by concentrates. They are supplemented with salt and a small amount of chalk. If the livestock is planned to be slaughtered for meat, for better growth, the combined feed includes 40% grass meal, as well as peas. These products are distinguished by an increased amount of protein.

Varieties

In addition to the specific composition of feed, they also differ from each other based on the form in which they are produced. In this regard, there are two main types:

Loose feed

1. Loose. It consists of processed, but not compressed grain and other components. This food is served exclusively in feeders. It is not very popular among rabbit owners due to the presence of a large amount of dust. Getting into the respiratory organs of animals, it causes their disease.
2. Granulated. Granular combined food for rabbits, in addition to grinding and mixing, also involves pressing the fraction into unique granules. They are easier to store and do not contain dust. In addition, such products are better absorbed by the animal’s body, and the amount of food eaten is easier to control.

It is worth noting that both listed types of combined feed are given to animals exclusively with plenty of water.

Need for vitamins

Vitamin A is essential for normal growth, development and reproduction in rabbits. A lack of this vitamin in the body leads to a decrease in its resistance to diseases. At the same time, diseases of the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract develop, the fertility of females and the viability of offspring decreases. In summer, the main source of this vitamin in rabbits' diets is green food, and in winter - roughage and succulent food. Young animals receive vitamin A mainly from rabbits' milk. Green grass, carrots, cabbage leaves and grass meal are especially rich in vitamin A. In spring, the reserves of vitamin A in the body of rabbits sharply decrease, which may be the cause of A-vitaminosis. During this period, it is advisable to introduce high-quality bean hay, carrots, grass or hay flour into the diet.

Vitamin D is contained in feed in small quantities. Its active form (calciferol - vitamin D3) is already synthesized in the body of rabbits under the influence of the ultraviolet spectrum. The main function of this vitamin is to regulate the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus, and its insufficient amount leads to rickets in young rabbits and osteomalacia in adults. Most often, short-haired rabbits - rexes, as well as young animals of all breeds from numerous and late litters - suffer from rickets. As a rule, when rabbits are kept in open cages, there is no need for additional feeding of this vitamin, however, with intensive rabbit breeding (indoors), vitamin D in the diet should be in quantities of 20-25 IU per 1 kg of live weight.

Vitamin E is also called the reproduction vitamin. Its insufficient amount in the diets of rabbits negatively affects spermatogenesis and the process of fertilization of females, leading to the death and resorption of embryos. Vitamin E deficiency in rabbit diets causes muscular dystrophy and myocarditis (heart disease). Experts believe that the introduction of 0.2-0.5 mg of tocopherol per 1 kg of live weight into feed eliminates the consequences of E-vitaminosis.

Vitamins C and K. Unlike other animal species, rabbits do not require significant amounts of vitamin C in their diets for normal development. Research has found that rabbits grow normally on diets that cause scurvy in guinea pigs. A lack of vitamin K in rabbit feeds can lead to abortion, but the need for it is usually met through natural content in the feed.

B vitamins are synthesized in the body of rabbits. There are quite a lot of them in the soft feces eaten by rabbits (coprophagia). A number of experiments have established that adding 0.1-0.3 mg of nicotinic acid (vitamin B3) to the basic diet increases the growth rate of young rabbits. The need for choline (vitamin B4) for them is approximately 0.13% of the dry matter of the diet. Adult rabbits without satisfying their need for choline quickly lose weight and die from liver degeneration (cirrhosis) and muscular dystrophy.

What you can feed and what you can’t

When deciding what to feed your rabbit if you run out of food at home, you should not give the following foods:

• sweets;
• sausages;
• meat and dairy products;
• legumes;
• nuts;
• potato;
• flour products;
• poisonous plants.

Expert opinion

Dobryshev Sergey Anatolievich

Professional rabbit breeder with 30 years of experience

Note! When compiling a menu from the list of permitted products, you need to take into account that it will vary depending on the time of year

What and how to feed in winter

During the winter season, rabbits are deficient in nutrients. Therefore, food should contain many vitamins and minerals. Hay and fermented green food are ideal. It is also necessary to give fish oil in the following dosage:

• for young animals - 0.5 g;
• for rabbits during lactation - 3 g;
• pregnant females - 2 g;
• for other individuals - 1 g.

Expert opinion

Dobryshev Sergey Anatolievich

Professional rabbit breeder with 30 years of experience

Important! How many times a day should decorative rabbits be fed with fish oil - 1. Sprouted grains contain a lot of vitamin E, so it is recommended to include them in the diet of adults and young animals

Brewer's yeast is also useful. Over 5 days, one individual should be given approximately 6 g of the product, then take a break for 72 hours

Sprouted grains contain a lot of vitamin E, so they are recommended to be included in the diet of adults and young animals. Brewer's yeast is also useful. Over 5 days, one individual should be given approximately 6 g of the product, then take a break for 72 hours.

For the winter, you can ferment turnips, grass, and cabbage in a barrel. Add carrots and salt to this (1% of the total mass). How many times to feed a decorative rabbit at home with this mixture is up to the owners to decide on their own.

The main thing to consider is that there should be 300 g per adult, 100 g per rabbit. In winter, the amount of concentrated feed should be 50% of the total volume, the rest is silage and succulent food (for example, boiled root vegetables).

What and how to feed in summer

In the summer, decorative rabbits should be fed mainly with green food. It can also be varied with fruits, berries and vegetables, waste from them (cake, etc.). It is good to use root vegetables.

To improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, it is recommended to include the following plants in the menu:

• sagebrush;
• dill;
• yarrow;
• chicory.

To prevent dental problems, it is advisable to give dried garlic stalks. It is recommended to include plantain in the diet, because it has an antibacterial effect. If you give your rabbits nettle, it will enrich the body with a large amount of vitamins.

How many times a day to feed a decorative rabbit in an apartment, the owners decide for themselves

It is only important to take into account that the daily dosage for adults is 600 g. For pregnant females, the norm should be doubled

Give 150 g to young animals, increasing the dose as they grow older.

How long does it take to fatten rabbits?

The technology of breeding rabbits for meat provides for three types of fattening from birth to slaughter:

• long-term feeding (120 days);
• optimal fattening (90 days);
• early fattening (less than 70 days).

The first option is used for raising rabbits at home. A short-term approach has a bad effect on the quality of the product. Animals should be fed for 3 months.

From birth to 4 weeks, rabbits grow rapidly. Body weight increases from 40-80 g to 500-700 g. Starting from the 5th week and within 1.5-2 months, rabbits increase their weight.

After 50 days, the growth of the animals gradually slows down. The acceptable age of an animal for slaughter is 84-90 days.

Types of feed

Several types of feed are used to feed rabbits, and they are alternated with each other, which allows them to achieve the most balanced and nutritious diet.

A monotonous menu has a bad effect on the condition of rabbits

Table 1. Types of food for rabbits

Attention! Features of feeding rabbits in winter and summer differ from each other. During the cold season, animals must receive an increased amount of nutrients, since they are deprived of succulent feed.

Feed for rabbits: pros and cons

Compound feeds for feeding rabbits contain all the substances necessary for animal health in the correct ratio, which promotes rapid growth and weight gain. They are convenient to transport and store, and the use of such products saves the time and labor of the farmer, which is required to prepare feed mixtures for livestock. There are many options for mixed feed in different price categories, so choosing the best one will be very easy.

Compound feed contains all the components necessary for animals, but requires caution when using

However, the use of mixed feed has a number of significant disadvantages that should be taken into account:

• dry feed mixtures do not exclude the use of succulent feed, otherwise the rabbits will not receive enough moisture and nutrients;
• the granules quickly become soaked in the oral cavity, which disrupts the natural process of self-sharpening of the incisors and can cause dysfunction of the dental system;
• when using mixed feed, fine dust is formed, which becomes clogged in the respiratory tract of rabbits;
• The products contain synthetic vitamins and minerals - they are not as beneficial for animal health as “live” nutrients, and some contain sugar, which is addictive in rabbits.

Juicy food goes well with granulated food and provides rabbits with a complete diet

Considering the features and disadvantages of using mixed feed, we can conclude that they can be used to feed rabbits, but you should not rely solely on the manufacturers of such products. In order for the diet to be balanced, concentrated feeds must be mixed with rough and juicy feed, and also vitamins and microelements that are not included in ready-made mixtures must be added to the animals’ diet.

When using compound feed, it is important to give rabbits a sufficient amount of water, since concentrates do not contain moisture.

Important! Decorative dwarf rabbits cannot be fed with compound feed intended for industrial species of animals. They contain a high concentration of fats and proteins, which will cause obesity and health problems in individuals.

Feed composition

As the name suggests (mixed feed is an abbreviation for the phrase “combined feed”) it contains several types of food and is prepared according to different recipes.

The basis of compound feeds is usually vegetable raw materials or grass meal

The raw materials for the manufacture of products can be:

• dried plant mass, herbal, pine flour;
• animal components – fish or meat and bone meal;
• high carbohydrate cereals;
• vitamin and mineral supplements;
• food production waste – cake, bran.

When choosing feed, the breed, age and body characteristics of the individual are taken into account.

The proportions of ingredients depend on the purpose for which the food is intended, since different breeds of animals at different periods of life require a certain amount of nutrients, vitamins and microelements. The most common types of feed include:

• PC 90, 90-1 are intended for rabbits that have recently been separated from the female;
• K 91-1 is used for feeding young individuals;
• K 92-1, 92-2 are given to adult animals;
• K 93-1 is intended for meat breeds of rabbits, as it provides good weight gain.

The daily norm of finished feed also depends on the age, breed and body characteristics of rabbits, and on average is 60 g daily, but can be increased to 160 g.

Automation of feed accounting and ration calculations

Large farms have long been using specialized software for automating feeding accounting and calculating rations. The development of modern technologies and the reduction in the cost of computers and software have led to the fact that now even medium and small farms can also afford such automation.

As one example of software where you can conveniently and quickly keep track of feeding and calculate rations, as well as production accounting and reporting for rabbit breeding, you can cite the “MATRIX” program. Rabbit breeding”, developed by specialists from the MATRITSA company from Belgorod.

Conclusion

In organizing the technological process on a rabbit breeding farm, of particular importance is the creation of a system of adequate feeding for them, capable of ensuring high growth rates of young animals and good reproductive abilities of adult livestock. In this case, it is necessary to pay attention not only to providing rabbits’ diets with energy and protein, but also to take into account the content of different fractions of carbohydrates, fat, macro- and microelements, and vitamins of various groups. Only such an approach to rationing rabbit feeding with an economically sound choice of different types of feed can ensure sustainable and highly profitable development of the industry. It is almost impossible to do this without the introduction of automated systems for calculating rations and recording feeding in rabbit breeding.

How to feed rabbits with compound feed

Feeding dry food to animals is very easy. You just need to pour the required volume of mixture into the feeder. Don’t forget to check the availability of clean water in the sippy cups. If animals are fed with hay or grass, then the volume of concentrates is reduced by 25%.

With mixed feeding (concentrates and hay), half of the norm of concentrate is given in the morning, at lunch the rabbit should eat natural products, and in the evening - the second half of the norm of compound feed.

Daily intake of feed for rabbits

To select the required volume of dry mixture, the composition, type, gender, size and age of the rabbit, as well as the season, are taken into account.

Daily diet

DIY rabbit feed recipes

Preparing mixed feed with your own hands will allow you not only to control the composition of the mixture, but also to significantly reduce the cost of such nutrition.

Technology and required equipment

Equipment required for the production of compound feed:

• Scales (accurate to 0.1 g)
• Trimmer
• Grain crusher
• Mixer
• Dryer
• Feed granulator (gives the mixture the desired shape and consistency)

There are a number of requirements for ingredients:

1. The grain mixture must be dry, clean, free of debris.
2. The presence of mold on raw materials is not allowed.
3. Products must not be damaged by insects and their larvae.
4. The hay composition should be dominated by alfalfa and sainfoin.
5. Poisonous plants are not allowed.
6. Only fresh meat and bone meal is used.
7. Sunflower cake should give off the aroma of oil, not be bitter.

Storage recommendations:

• It is recommended to store homemade feed in a dry and cool place.
• Do not manufacture for more than 10 days.
• If you make a mixture only from grains and grass, then they can be stored longer, but additives that quickly spoil (cake, meat and bone meal) are added before feeding the animals.

Video Homemade extruded food for rabbits.

The ABCs of Feeding

Let's look at the main points that need to be taken into account when feeding rabbits.

What vitamins are needed

Animal foods must include the following vitamins:

• A, D, E (necessary for the musculoskeletal system);
• B1, B5, C (needed for the normal functioning of the digestive system);
• B2, B6, B12 (to speed up metabolism, better absorption of nutrients);
• K (necessary during the breeding season).

Expert opinion

Dobryshev Sergey Anatolievich

Professional rabbit breeder and hare breeder with 30 years of experience

Important! These substances are found in hay. Therefore, you don’t even need to think about how many times a day to feed your decorative rabbit with it. It must be in the cage at all times.

Types of feed

Before you figure out how many times a day you need to feed your rabbit, you need to find out what food is suitable for them.

Natural food

These include:

• Hay. As mentioned earlier, when giving such food, you don’t even need to think about how many times a day you need to feed decorative rabbits with it. Hay can be given in any quantity. Every day you need to fill the cage with something new. Hay improves the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. It contains many vitamins, as well as carotenoids, protein, and calcium. They need to feed both adult decorative rabbits and baby rabbits. Read our article about which hay is best for rabbits.
• Leaf and branch food. Such nutrition improves the process of digestion of main food. When deciding how many times to feed rabbits with this food, it is recommended to do this as often as possible, several times a day. These can be branches of fruit and coniferous trees, larch. It is advisable to produce shoots of young trees, because they contain more useful substances (proteins, carotene and others).
• Green food. This means various plants, for example, burdock, clover, dandelion and others. When deciding how often to feed decorative rabbits with them, you need to take into account that the herbs must be alternated. Such feeding saturates the animal’s body with a huge amount of vitamins, which has a positive effect on health. However, it should be borne in mind that there are also things that cannot be fed to decorative rabbits: wormwood, dope and other poisonous plants.
• Juicy feed. This list includes various vegetables, herbs and fruits. When determining how many times a day to feed a rabbit with regular or decorative food, you need to take into account that some products, although they contain many nutrients, have an adverse effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, they can be given rarely and in small quantities. These include beets and cabbage. They can cause flatulence and bloating. Rabbits are not allowed to be given lettuce, citrus fruits, watermelon and melon rinds. When deciding how often to feed your rabbits overly sweet berries and fruits, it is recommended to keep their consumption to a minimum.

Is it possible to feed rabbits cabbage, what kind of cabbage is allowed to be given, read our article.

Expert opinion

Dobryshev Sergey Anatolievich

Professional rabbit breeder and hare breeder with 30 years of experience

Note! Juicy food not only allows the rabbits to get enough, but also replenishes the water-alkaline balance.

Concentrated feed

These foods include:

• corn;
• oats;
• rye.

Whole grain cereals are given to adults. Cereal flakes are recommended for rabbits, weakened animals, pregnant and lactating females. You can also give your rabbits bran, silage, and unfried crackers.

The most important thing, when determining how many times a day to feed decorative rabbits at home with concentrated feed, is not to overdo it. There are daily norms, which will be discussed below.

Granulated combination feeds

These are store-bought feeds that are sold in granular form. They contain essential nutrients for animals. The food is in a sealed bag, so it can be stored for a long time.

Compound feeds are developed specifically according to the age of the rabbits and their physical condition. There are even special granules for sick and weakened animals. How many times a rabbit should be fed such food per day is usually indicated on the packaging.

Vitamins and minerals

Should be present in the diet of young animals, pregnant and lactating females. However, when determining how many times a day you need to feed a decorative rabbit at home with such additives, it is important to understand that this cannot be done too often. To avoid an overdose of vitamins and minerals, this food can be given no more than 1-2 times a day.

Vitamin and mineral supplements include brewer's yeast. Their components include vitamins, proteins, copper, zinc and other nutrients. Rabbits also need to be given iodized salt. It is recommended to give it to animals in the form of mineral stones. Chalk contains a lot of calcium; it is necessary to strengthen bones. Therefore, this product must be included in the menu.

Treats to keep your teeth in good condition

You can buy specialized grain sticks at the pet store. They contain useful substances and help the animal grind its teeth.

Types of feeding

Before deciding how often to feed your rabbits, you need to decide on the type of feeding. There are two options:

• Dry. The diet mainly consists of mixed feed and grains. The diet also includes hay, bone meal, and vitamin and mineral supplements. Grass should also be used, but in small quantities, exclusively in the summer. From succulent food, you can give some carrots and beets. That is, dry feeding implies nutrition without any excess.

• Mixed. This diet includes a lot of succulent and green food. When deciding how many times to feed rabbits per day with this feeding principle, it is important to ensure that the menu is balanced.

Expert opinion

Dobryshev Sergey Anatolievich

Professional rabbit breeder and hare breeder with 30 years of experience

Note! When choosing a dry type of feeding, it is important that the rabbits always have clean water in their cage.

Tips for feeding and watering rabbits

How to properly feed and water rabbits at home:

• products must always be fresh (not weathered, not affected by diseases);
• There should always be filtered or bottled water in the drinking bowl; it should be changed after each feeding;
• give food on a schedule, i.e. at the same time;
• regardless of what type of feeding is chosen, there should always be fresh hay and straw in the cage;
• New foods should be introduced into the diet gradually, the optimal time being once every 5-7 days;
• When purchasing young animals, you need to clarify what the animals were fed before; do not change the type of food;
• green food must be withered, wet grass must not be given, it is forbidden to pick it near highways and industrial enterprises;
• fruits, vegetables and berries must first be washed with running water and dried;
• the diet should be balanced and varied.

Expert opinion

Dobryshev Sergey Anatolievich

Professional rabbit breeder and hare breeder with 30 years of experience

Note! Plants cannot be collected near factories and roads, because they have absorbed various toxic substances that can not only adversely affect the health of rabbits, but also be fatal.

How to feed rabbits with compound feed

Feeding dry food to animals is very easy. You just need to pour the required volume of mixture into the feeder. Don’t forget to check the availability of clean water in the sippy cups. If animals are fed with hay or grass, then the volume of concentrates is reduced by 25%.

Adult animals are fed three times a day, and young animals - up to 6 times a day.

With mixed feeding (concentrates and hay), half of the norm of concentrate is given in the morning, at lunch the rabbit should eat natural products, and in the evening - the second half of the norm of compound feed.

Daily intake of feed for rabbits

To select the required volume of dry mixture, the composition, type, gender, size and age of the rabbit, as well as the season, are taken into account.

In winter, for the period of pregnancy and lactation, during puberty, the feed standards for rabbits are adjusted - they need to be increased.

It is recommended to give rabbits bran. They can be fed independently, as part of mixed feed or wet mash. The main thing is that they are fresh! In winter, for example, you can feed up to 50 g of bran to one adult rabbit per day.

Daily value for rabbits

DIY rabbit feed recipes

Preparing mixed feed with your own hands will allow you not only to control the composition of the mixture, but also to significantly reduce the cost of such nutrition.

Technology and required equipment

Equipment required for the production of compound feed:

• Scales (accurate to 0.1 g)
• Trimmer
• Grain crusher
• Mixer
• Dryer
• Feed granulator (gives the mixture the desired shape and consistency)

In addition to equipment, it is worth taking care of the raw materials from which dry food will be made.

There are a number of requirements for ingredients:

1. The grain mixture must be dry, clean, free of debris.
2. The presence of mold on raw materials is not allowed.
3. Products must not be damaged by insects and their larvae.
4. The hay composition should be dominated by alfalfa and sainfoin.
5. Poisonous plants are not allowed.
6. Only fresh meat and bone meal is used.
7. Sunflower cake should give off the aroma of oil, not be bitter.

Storage recommendations:

• It is recommended to store homemade feed in a dry and cool place.
• Do not manufacture for more than 10 days.
• If you make a mixture only from grains and grass, then they can be stored longer, but additives that quickly spoil (cake, meat and bone meal) are added before feeding the animals.

Video Homemade extruded food for rabbits.

Increasing the weight of rabbits using additional methods

Rabbit breeders with extensive experience use auxiliary methods to activate weight gain in their pets.

The basis of the winter diet of rabbits is roughage and concentrated feed.

Additional productive methods that ensure weight gain in animals include:

• Rational seating of rabbits. In a herd, animals are divided into stronger and weaker ones. All pets need to receive food in equal portions. To do this, you need to group rabbits taking into account their temperament.
• Limited space. The mobility of rabbits is limited by the small area. With minimal movement, rabbits can quickly gain weight.
• Monitoring the filling of the feeder. After each feeding (4-5 times a day), the food container is cleaned. Empty food boxes are filled again.

Breeders successfully take advantage of another feature of rodents - activity at night. Shielding the cage from daylight increases the rabbits' need for food. But regular exposure of animals in semi-darkness is contraindicated.

Composition of feed for rabbits

Specialized feed mixtures contain many components, the proportion of each of which depends on the age and physiological characteristics of the pets. For universal feed, the ratio is averaged. In all cases, manufacturers take into account the standards of elements determined based on the results of scientific research.

However, fiber is the main reason for the high price of feed mixtures. It comes in the form of wheat bran or alfalfa flour, which is time-consuming to make. Table of the ratio of ingredients in food for different categories of pets:

In universal feeds, the calculation is carried out in such a way as to ensure the healthy development of rabbits and the absence of problems with immunity. The average energy value of such options is about 237 kcal/100 g of feed.

Feed mixtures with a small proportion of antibiotics are offered. Manufacturers explain their inclusion by a positive effect on the intestinal microflora, the ability to increase food digestibility and accelerate growth. In fact, this measure helps to achieve minimal effect, and when diseases develop, treatment of rabbits consuming mixtures with antibiotics is delayed due to the developed resistance to the drugs.

Energy requirement

The energy requirement of rabbits, per unit of live weight, in comparison with other domestic animals, is significantly higher. When rationing the feeding of rabbits using a factorial method, energy costs for maintaining life and energy costs associated with various physiological states (lactation, pregnancy, growth, development, etc.) are distinguished. For example, during the mating period, the diet of males in terms of energy indicators must be increased, in comparison with the supporting feeding background, by 40%. The diets of females at the beginning of pregnancy according to this indicator are increased by 30%, and in the second half they are increased to two norms of maintenance energy. During lactation, the need for energy increases sharply. During 2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 weeks of lactation, the rabbits’ energy requirement is respectively 200, 300, 400 and 600% of the maintenance level of the diet.

According to foreign experts, the norm of maintenance energy for adult rabbits with a live weight of 3 kg is 280 kcal (1.15 MJ), 3.5 kg - 320 kcal (1.32 MJ), 4 kg - 350 kcal (1.44 MJ), 4.5 kg – 380 kcal (1.56 MJ). At the same time, 100 g of feed for adult rabbits should contain at least 250 kcal (1.05 MJ), but not more than 270 kcal (1.13 MJ) of metabolic energy, and for young animals - accordingly, at least 280 kcal (1.17 MJ) ), but not more than 320 kcal (1.34 MJ).

Benefits of feeding rabbits this type of food

The importance of complete, balanced feeding of rabbits cannot be overestimated. These animals do not naturally have good immunity, they can often get sick, and in order to resist various diseases, they must eat well, maintaining good health

Compound feed, as a product perfectly balanced in nutrients, can successfully cope with this task. It contains basic nutritional elements, that is, proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and biologically active substances, mineral elements.

Rabbits grow normally on it; there are usually no problems from a lack or excess of substances. Rabbit breeders notice that the fattening period is even reduced, the fertility of rabbits increases, the quality of the coat improves, the metabolism of rabbits is normalized, and they become more resistant to stress.

Another advantage of compound feed is that it is in dry form, so it lasts for a long time, does not spoil, it does not need to be prepared every time, like mash, for example, and there is no need to measure the volume of feed components. There is no need to harvest grass, hay, or a large volume of grains. All this saves time and labor for the rabbit breeder and is extremely convenient.

Protein requirement

During the period of sexual quiescence, adult rabbits need about 12% of digestible protein in the dry matter of their diets. Replacement young stock also have a similar need for digestible protein. For females during lactation, males during mating, and young animals for fattening, protein nutrition standards are increased by 30-35%.

When rationing protein for rabbits, special attention must be paid to their amino acid nutrition. The role of amino acids in rabbit nutrition is very important. Lysine is used for the synthesis of tissue proteins. Arginine promotes the synthesis of urea and takes part in the formation of sperm, muscle creatinine, and insulin. Histidine is needed for the formation of hemoglobin and red blood cells. Tyrosine – for the formation of thyroxine and adrenaline. Cystine activates insulin and methionine and takes part in fat metabolism processes. Tryptophan – in the renewal of blood plasma proteins. In the body of rabbits, essential amino acids are not synthesized, and therefore, for normal life, animals must receive them with food. This applies to the greatest extent to rabbits raised for meat.

What is feed and how much does a rabbit need?

If it is not possible to give the animal natural food, you can give preference to the most ordinary compound feed. This food contains a balanced amount of vitamins and minerals. It also contains carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the required quantities. In addition, it also contains protein necessary for the rabbit’s body. This type is absorbed by the body for quite a long time, so it should be introduced gradually and over a huge period of time. The most nutritious and useful elements of feed are:

• corn;
• oats;
• barley;
• wheat.

For feeding, these products are very suitable for the animal and give it an incredible amount of energy and strength. Naturally, the best feeding option both in winter and summer is compound feed, although it is quite expensive. It is worth highlighting the following types:

• full-featured;
• special feed additives;
• feed in the form of concentrate.

The complete version of compound feed contains the necessary vitamins and other useful substances in normal proportions, which will be sufficient for the normal functioning of such an animal. Among feed additives, a variety of minerals and vitamins should be highlighted. When introducing such elements into feeding, you should know some of the characteristics of the animal’s body. If there is no normal amount of vitamin A, the rabbit may develop problems with vision and the reproductive system. Vitamin B will help for the functioning of the digestive system. But to maintain immunity at a good level, a decorative rabbit urgently needs vitamin C.

Nutritional supplements for artificial weight gain

To improve appetite, breeders add vitamins to pet food. Beneficial substances of groups A and E are used together with fats, vitamin D is added to thick and porridge-like food. The drink is diluted with vitamin C.

After consultation with a veterinarian, animals are prescribed vitamin-mineral, as well as protein-vitamin-mineral supplements (PVMD).

They strengthen the animals’ bodies with useful microelements: manganese, calcium, phosphorus. Protein-containing options provide protein to the animal's muscles.

Vitamin and protein supplements have no contraindications. The correct dosage is calculated taking into account the body weight and age of the pet. The use of additives above the norm worsens the taste characteristics of rabbit meat.

Homemade feed

Mixed feed prepared by yourself is cheaper than purchased and allows you to change the recipe at your discretion. To make compound feed for rabbits with your own hands, you need an extruder. The device is not cheap, but you can always find a used one.

Manufacturing process

Some breeders make do with a mixer, a meat grinder and a feed granulator. Instead of a granulator, you can use a drill and an attachment for mixing cement. Pelleted food is higher in calories, which means rabbits gain weight faster.

The manufacturing process begins with grinding grain and other components, which are then mixed and placed in a granulator. The size of the granules depends on the size of the nozzle used. The extruder mixes, shapes and heat treats all ingredients. The granulator works like a press; the feed it produces is stored less than after heat treatment.

Animals receive higher quality food, which, moreover, is required in half. Another plus is that the high manufacturing temperature will free products from toxins and harmful microorganisms.

Complete mechanization of the feed creation process is impossible without a feed granulator or extruder, grain crusher, oil press, dryer or hay chopper and brush cutter. A walk-behind mower is relatively inexpensive and helps produce large quantities of hay with less physical effort. A dryer is needed for high-quality drying of hay, without mold or mustiness. Using a crusher, grain is processed into flour. A screw oil press crushes oily crops.

Complete mechanization of the feed creation process is impossible without a feed granulator or extruder, a grain crusher, an oil press, a hay dryer and chopper, and a brush cutter. A walk-behind mower is relatively inexpensive, but it helps produce a large amount of hay. A dryer helps avoid mishaps when drying herbs. The purpose of the grinder follows from the name: with its help, the grass is turned into a mixture. With the help of a crusher, grain is processed into flour. A screw oil press crushes oily crops.

Ingredients for feed

If you don’t have all the necessary equipment at hand, don’t despair, because in compound feed the main thing is not the shape of the granules, but the constituent components. With a large number of animals, it is better to mechanize the entire process of producing feed, but for small farms some of it can be replaced by manual labor.

The main advantage of making it yourself is the cheap price of the food, the ability to control the quality of the ingredients, change their proportions and recipe.

Excess feed can always be sold. This is a good additional source of income.

The feed includes:

• cereals;
• green feed;
• vitamin and animal impurities.

Cereals are an integral part of an animal’s complete diet. They are responsible for gaining and maintaining weight and providing animals with fiber and protein. Oats, barley, corn, wheat, sunflower seeds, soybeans, and legumes are suitable for rabbits. Plant stems, tops from the garden, straw, fresh grass, root crops and vegetables are used as green feed.

Green feed is necessary for the growth and development of animals; their use reduces the cost of the finished product. Vitamin and animal impurities include milk powder, soybean meal and sunflower cake, yeast and vitamin mixtures, fish and bone meal, chalk, premixes. These supplements are essential for animal immunity.

The composition of home-prepared food should depend not only on the available ingredients, but also on the age, sex and health status of the animals.

It is impossible to raise large rabbits without feed

According to rabbit breeders, the advantages of home-made feed are as follows:

• animals gain weight faster
• get sick less
• more balanced nutrition,
• optimization of feed supply.

What is compound feed, its advantages and disadvantages

Compound feed or combined feed is an essential component of the diet of farm animals. Including rabbits.

It is a mixture of grains and protein, enriched with vitamins and microelements. All its ingredients are well mixed and brought to homogeneity.

It is needed to maintain the balance of nutrients in the body and must be formulated with maximum benefit for a particular animal.

Combined food for rabbits consists of:

• grains - wheat, corn, oats, barley;
• sunflower or soybean cake,
• bran;
• meat and bone and fish meal;
• yeast;
• salt.

Advantages of using compound feed:

1. Significantly reduces the time and effort needed to feed animals.
2. It is easy to calculate the daily amount of feed for any age.
3. Its balance prevents health problems.
4. Vitamins and mineral supplements are good prevention of various diseases.
5. Guarantees timely weight gain during fattening.
6. Allows you to save on the procurement of hay and vegetables, which are also included in the diet of rabbits.
7. Easy to store and transport in the household.

1. High prices, which can be reduced by preparing them yourself.
2. Quality on which manufacturers save.

The advantages of combined feeds significantly outweigh their disadvantages. The latter can be eliminated by choosing the right supplier and monitoring quality. You can also make compound feed yourself by mixing the ingredients in the required proportions.

There are several factors to determine the amount of feed required.

Rabbits slaughter/skinning: Rabbit slaughter time

Rabbit slaughter time

To obtain high-quality skins, rabbits are slaughtered. usually in the autumn-winter period. Knowing the molting condition, good skins can be obtained at the end of summer. To do this, the animal’s fur is fanned out or parted with fingers in the area of ​​the hips, back and sides and the areas where shedding usually begins are examined.

Darkening of the skin in these areas indicates the beginning of molting and, therefore, that the rabbit should not be slaughtered. If the previous shedding ends, darkening of the skin is found only on the thighs. At the beginning of a new one, darkened areas are visible on both the neck and tail. Such a rabbit can also be slaughtered. If time is lost, they wait two to three months for the end of molting.

Rabbits slaughter/skinning

Before slaughter, rabbits are not fed for 12 hours.

To kill an animal, take it with your left hand by the skin closer to the neck, lift it, and apply it with your right hand.

hit with a stick on the head from the side of the nose. Then the carcass is hung upside down by the legs and the nostrils are pierced with a long awl to bleed it and the skin begins to be removed. To do this, an incision is made along the rump on the inside of the hind legs. The skin on the legs above the hocks is trimmed and pulled together with a tube towards the head.

The hind legs are left in the fur up to the hocks, without being cut off. When removing the skin from the head, the tendons and ears are cut, cuts are made around the eye sockets and nose, and the front legs are cut off.

The skin is pulled onto a wooden block and degreased by running the blunt part of the knife from the tail to the head.

Pieces of fat and mammary glands are carefully cut off, and ear cartilage is removed.

After degreasing, the skin is pulled onto a straightener with the fur facing inward. To prevent it from falling off, the edges are nailed to the rule with nails. When flattened, the skin is placed for 2-3 days in a dry, ventilated room at a temperature of 25-30 ° C, and dried until soft areas can be felt on it.

Rabbit meat is a dietary product recommended for children, the elderly, and those suffering from diseases of the stomach, liver and cardiovascular system. It is very juicy, low-fat and contains a large amount of complete protein, second only to turkey. Rabbit fat is easy to melt and is superior in quality not only to beef and lamb, but also to pork. Rabbit meat does not lose its nutritional value when smoked and canned.

You can prepare many tasty and nutritious dishes from rabbit meat: cold appetizers, jelly, soups, main courses. External and internal fat should be rendered and used for preparing potato dishes, cereals and for seasoning soups.

how much feed does a pig eat before slaughter?

Weaning is probably

Weaning is probably the most critical stage in a pig's life from birth to slaughter. During the weaning period, piglets are left without warm mother's milk with almost 100% digestibility and must survive on the feed that is offered to them. Feed for weaned piglets should be the best and freshest, containing milk protein or fish meal in combination with vegetable protein sources. The energy content must be at least 1.4 Feed. units per 1 kg of feed, and in the best case, more. The weight of the piglet at weaning should be at least 5 kg.

Carbohydrate needs

Carbohydrates are divided into two groups: fiber and nitrogen-free extractives (NFEs). In this case, fiber includes cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, and non-fuel materials include sugar, starch, part of hemicelluloses, organic acids, etc. These easily digestible carbohydrates (especially sugar and starch) are sources of energy and play an important role in regulating metabolism in rabbits. When they are deficient in rabbits’ diets, protein-fat metabolism is disrupted, and acidosis occurs due to an increase in the level of ketone bodies in the blood and a decrease in its reserve alkalinity.

Fiber is the main source of indigestible organic matter. Both low and high levels of its content in the dry matter of rabbit feeds negatively affect the nutritional value of diets. At a low content (<6%), rabbits experience gastrointestinal upset, and at a high content (>20%), the level of digestibility of the main nutrients of feed sharply decreases. Experts believe that the optimal level of fiber in the diets of females is 12-15% of the dry matter of feed, and in the diets of young animals for fattening - 8-10%.