Can I give nettles to rabbits? What kind of grass can I give to rabbits?

On the family council it was decided that domestic animals should live in the family. Rabbits can compete with dogs and cats, especially with hamsters and rats, and certainly with parrots and fish, the right to be close to you and become a joy to your children. Homemade rabbits are quite smart animals. They are amenable to training and training. They respond to the call by name, they can overcome barriers, play with the ball and amuse themselves making a stand on their hind legs. And the content of the domestic rabbit - the process is not difficult and does not take much time and effort.

House for a rabbit

Rabbits are unpretentious animals. Putting enough for them to feed and water, you can leave the animals at home alone. But leaving them for a long time without supervision outside the cell is unsafe. They can gnaw electrical appliance cables. It is best to buy a special cage, where the animal can move freely. The height of the side walls of the cage should be from fifty centimeters and above, so that the animal can sit on its feet without interference from above.

In the cage you need to place a stable trough and a drinking bowl. The bottom is best covered with wood filler, sawdust and hay. In warm seasons the animals will be happy to walk on the green lawn. In this context, the answer to the question whether rabbits can have fresh grass, only positive.

Lovers of cleanliness

Homemade rabbits are very clean. They are easy to accustom to the toilet tray. It is important to monitor its cleanliness and change the filler in time. Dirty tray your pet demonstratively will not use. Wash the cage better with organic detergents without foreign sharp odors. Remains of chemical detergents can harm cleanliness, and smells of kitchen cleaners rabbits can not stand. The animals take care of the purity of their fur. You can wash them only in emergency cases, because when bathing the protective layer of fat is washed off, and the hair becomes dull, it can fall out. It is enough to comb it with a special brush.

The health of the pet in your hands

It is worth remembering the proverb "cowardly as a hare" and not letting the children overdo with unlimited love. Small rabbits are afraid of sharp cries, noise. To the animal grew healthy, rather than fearful and nervous, you do not need to often pull it. A good friendly atmosphere in the family is important. A well-groomed, healthy rabbit is active, curious, enjoys contact and eats.

For the pet is important not only regular food and cleanliness of the content, but also a quiet, affectionate communication with the owner.

Feed costs

Home decorative rabbits are fed twice a day. In the morning, like the English aristocrats, they are better off giving oatmeal and other cereals. In the evening, fruits, vegetables and greens are better. Be sure to put hay during the day for snacks. Not eaten, but good remains of food to remove from the trough is not necessary. Rabbit is a nocturnal animal and will finish it all later. In general, the cost of eating a rabbit will pleasantly surprise by its insignificance. But it is important to think about the diet beforehand. It differs little from the diet of a wild relative and must satisfy all the animal's needs in minerals and vitamins.

Diet

In the wild, rabbits eat a variety of grass. They love stems, leaves, flowers, root crops, rootlets of very many plants. When feeding ornamental rabbits, you do not need to deviate from the usual natural menu. Only it is important from an early age to teach them to a varied herbal diet.

Necessity of herbal food

Such herbs as dandelion, clover, alfalfa, nettle, for rabbits Are necessary, first of all, for normal functioning of the stomach. It is a source of fiber and a green storehouse of vitamins and trace elements. Fiber is vital, because it pushes the lumps of wool, constantly falling into the stomach of your pet. And there are a lot of abrasive particles that help rabbits in time and in a natural way to grind the teeth. Many people ask whether it is possible to give nettles to rabbits. Allegedly, it can cause bloating and diarrhea. Such an intestinal reaction in rabbits is possible on any new grass in the diet. And to not doubt, whether it is possible to give nettles to rabbits, You need to know about this plant more.

Nettle in the diet of decorative rabbits

Nettle is a wild medicinal plant. The first shoots appear as soon as snow falls. Early in the spring nettle for rabbits serves as an irreplaceable source of vitamins. It has antibacterial properties - it is a natural medicine for animals and humans. Green shoots are rich in protein, accelerating the peristalsis of the intestine. For adult rabbits, leading a sedentary life and accustomed to herbal food, young shoots are simply necessary for normal operation of the intestine. Can I give nettles to small rabbits? From the age of three weeks - yes. But first in a very small amount and no more than three times a week. For food, it is better to grow nettles in your own garden, on the balcony or collect away from roads and industrial plants. Useful young shoots before flowering plants. To nettle does not burn, it is thoroughly washed and scalded with salted boiling water. Dried and finely cut with a knife for vegetables with a ceramic, non-oxidizing greens, blade. In this form, it can be added to dry food or mixed with hay. To ensure that in winter your pets have a nutritional vitamin supplement, be sure to prepare the nettle for the winter.

Nettles in farming

For a farmer or a rabbit breeder, the question of whether it is possible to give nettles to rabbits is definitely resolved positively. The reasons already listed are antibacterial properties, essential microelements, vitamins. Plus, this is a source of valuable vegetable protein, which is absorbed by rabbits better than any dietary supplement. And most importantly - it is a safe source of protein, especially necessary to increase the mass of animals.

Cereal bran, mixed with a nettle leaf, sprinkled with salted water, - a favorite delicacy of rabbits - on the farm is indispensable. Nettle must be added to the feed of rabbits feeding young cubs for better lactation. And this is important to remember always: rabbits should never give wet in the dew grass or just chamfered with a metal scythe. And such grass as dope, belladonna, lumbago, spurge, celandine, buttercups, chieher, black - for them poison in any quantity and in any form.

Eternal feed

In addition to grass, a very useful feed for rabbits. In the cage for ornamental rabbits it is possible to lay branches of ash, birch, linden, fruit trees of a pear and apple-tree. The bark of pine or juniper is very useful. This is again the source of the necessary trace elements and useful vitamins. And the bark of branches to rabbits is convenient to grind the incisors. For farms that specialize in the cultivation of breeds living in burrows, the veterinary food for rabbits is even more relevant. Only branches of hazel, oak, elm, alder, in the bark of which there are many tannins, rabbits will not fit to the table.