Is it possible to give rabbits a pumpkin? This question is often asked by the owners of these animals. This is directly related to the natural feature of the wards, which is gluttony. For this reason, owners of furry animals tend to feed them products that are not of high cost and have utility. And if the answer to the question whether it is possible to give rabbits pumpkin and zucchini is positive, this greatly simplifies the lives of their owners. However, we will understand everything in order.
Diet features
The immunity of furry pets is quite vulnerable, therefore, breeders should be very responsible for the selection of food. It is necessary to know in advance whether a particular product will harm the already fragile health of rabbits.
The basis of the diet of furry pets is plant food, since rabbits are herbivores. Their wild counterparts in nature feed on plant stems, vegetables, fruits, shrub shoots, bark and tree roots.
A farmer engaged in breeding rabbits should be imaginative when compiling a ration, because hay alone or purchased feed will not be enough. In a rabbit diet, juicy feed with solid food must be combined. The first will provide the animal with the necessary moisture, and "drying" will help to process everything.
The ratio of those and others should be as follows:
- 80% solid food;
- 20% - vegetable "green".
Plant mass includes fruits, vegetables, grass, leaves, tops, root crops. Among the vegetables include potatoes, carrots, beets, pumpkin, zucchini. Can rabbits be given pumpkins? Let's figure it out next.
Vegetable benefits
Pumpkin is an extremely healthy crop that contains a large amount of vitamins and other beneficial substances. Eating it will improve the hair of rabbits, making it more silky, improve the quality of meat, raise the reproductive performance of males and have a beneficial effect on the milk of lactating females.
Young growth consuming pumpkin becomes stronger and more active.
Among the benefits of pumpkin:
- a large number of substances necessary for the body;
- low fiber percentage
- the possibility of long-term storage (until the end of winter);
- preservation of useful properties throughout the entire storage period.
I must say that not all rabbits are happy to eat pumpkin. They like sweet carrots much more.
How to feed a vegetable?
Besides the question of whether it is possible to give pumpkins to rabbits, it is equally important to understand how to add the product to the diet. In what form should a vegetable be given? Can rabbits be given raw pumpkin?
To increase the consumption and assimilation of the vegetable, it is given in two versions:
- Raw - finely cut. A small shredder will allow you to chew the vegetable longer, which means that the animals will stay full longer.
- Boiled in the form of mashed potatoes. In this case, the pumpkin is baked in the oven, without adding spices, and given to the rabbits in the form of slurry, after cooling.
- As part of a compound feed, cut into cubes 0.5 by 0.5 cm or grated.
When feeding pumpkin, it should be borne in mind that it does not have a large amount of protein, so you should not focus on it in feeding. It is better to include it in food as a treat.
Pumpkin is harvested with the onset of autumn. You can start feeding rabbits at the age of 3 months.
How often to give?
It is advisable to feed the pumpkin no more than once a day. All cooked quantities are fed to animals for breakfast or lunch. In the evening, giving a vegetable is not recommended because of possible problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Can rabbits get pumpkin tops? In general, if rabbits consume too many of these foods, especially pumpkin gourds, they may experience severe indigestion. If such problems could not be avoided, the animals should be given a decoction of chamomile and oak bark, and the pumpkin should be excluded from the menu.
How to diversify the diet?
Zucchini is no less useful than pumpkins, so they can and should also be included in the diet of rabbits. You can add them to food, starting from 4 months of age. At this time, the digestive organs of the animal are sufficiently formed and will completely cope with the digestion of zucchini.
First, the vegetable is given in small quantities, not more than one teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume.
The benefits of zucchini as a product:
- B vitamins - thiamine and riboflavin, which help regulate lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, as well as improve the functioning of the heart muscle and endocrine system;
- Vitamin C - boosts immunity;
- useful minerals - magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and others;
- acids needed by the body - nicotinic, malic, folic.
So, the benefits of zucchini are obvious. Vegetable is necessary for the normal growth of the animal. Rabbits like zucchini because they are juicy and tasty. However, zucchini can also not be the basis of the ration. The rabbit's nutrition should be filled with a variety of vegetables: carrots, tomatoes, etc. The basis of the diet is cereals: corn, barley, oats.
That is, zucchini is an addition to the main menu, however, like pumpkin. Young fruits are a real treat for rabbits, they have soft peels and juicy flesh. Animals eat them with great pleasure. It is believed that such zucchini contain more nutrients than overripe specimens.
It should also be borne in mind that if the zucchini was torn from the garden in the spring, it may contain a certain amount of nitrates and other not useful substances. Before giving it to the rabbit for food, the fetus should be held in water for 2-3 hours.
How to feed raw vegetables?
If the owner of rabbits has excess pumpkin and zucchini on the farm, they can be given raw to animals. First, the fruits are cleaned of soil residues so as not to cause disturbances in the digestive organs. It can be washed under hot water.
Late zucchini and pumpkin have a fairly tough skin, so it is removed. If the fruit is young, the peel can be left. Seeds should be cleaned, pulp chopped, finely chopped or grated on a coarse grater. Ready slurry for adult rabbits is mixed with corn silage, young animals are given in the form of mashed potatoes. So, we figured out how pumpkin is useful for rabbits, how to give it.
Important points
Zucchini is given to rabbits in moderation. This is due to the presence of a large amount of fiber in vegetables. That is why zucchini should be fed in small portions - this way they will improve the functioning of the digestive organs.
Can rabbits be given pumpkin leaves? As for the tops and shoots, it is difficult for their rabbits to chew. Therefore, before feeding the animals, the tops should be cut and pour boiling water. After the shoots are softened, they can be added to bran or potatoes. In any case, both the tops and shoots are added to the diet gradually.
Collection and storage
As mentioned earlier, pumpkin is perfectly stored all winter. However, a number of rules should be followed:
- Choose a strong, healthy fruit with a medium-sized peduncle.
- Wipe its surface with a damp towel and leave it in a warm place until the stalk becomes gray. This means that it has dried.
- Under the fruit, you need to put a blanket, plywood, or you can pack a pumpkin in wooden boxes and store without covering.
- The optimal place for the fruit will be a dark basement with a constant temperature and humidity. In the apartment or on the balcony, the pumpkin lies much less than in the storage specially equipped for this purpose.
If short storage is necessary, then the sliced pumpkin with peel is wrapped with cling film and sent to the refrigerator. There it can be kept up to 10 days, portioned feeding animals.
So, we figured out whether it is possible to give a pumpkin to rabbits, and also how to do it right.