Feeding your rabbit your rabbit is a herbivore, which means he eats only plant material. The infoimation on feed nutrieut composition will be valuable to the student reader, ahhough it is unlikely to replace other sources used by the professional nutritionist. Correct nutrition is vital for rabbits and can help ensure that many common health problems are avoided throughout life. Feed a small amount of the new food on the first day, mixed into their normal food. It is extremely important to use a sound feeding program. Depending on your rabbits preferences or times of real hunger, you may want to put your rabbit on a feeding schedule with the majority of food given during these times. Fruits should be offered very minimally just as treats, or not at all if your rabbit is overweight. The house rabbit should have a diet high in fibre and fairly low in calories especially fats and starches. A complete handbook on backyard and commercial rabbit production acknowledgements a complete handbook on backyard and commercial rabbit production replaces an earlier publication of the same name that was produced by the peace corps in 1982.
The rabbit seen at the end of this page, a black flemish giant, ate one whole banana per day, aside hay, pelleted food, fresh vegetables and herbs. They add variation to the diet and are entertaining to eat. The feed formula for the rabbits and the feeding method can improve the farrowing rate of the rabbits, reduce incidence rate, and raise edible rabbits with dedicate skin quality and high nutritional value by adopting a natural feed and adding. Basic animal nutrition and feeding pdf free download. The majority of information found in that handbook was an adaptation and revision of commercial rabbit. Rabbits are generally considered middleaged at 3 or 4 years and geriatric at 5 years or more. Nutrition of rabbits exotic and laboratory animals merck. Focus is given on the nutrient requirements of pet rabbits and feeding management. Pellets should make up less of a rabbits diet as he or she grows older, and hay should be available. This page is applicable to all rabbit owners, breeders and managers. Rabbits need a balanced diet of unlimited grass hay timothy, orchard, oat, brome, limited pellets, and fresh greens. The nutrients that rabbits require in their diet are grouped in the following categories.
Introduction to animal nutrition introduction to animal nutrition student reference 104051s. Vegetables also contain many nutrients your rabbit need. The three key negative issues associated with dry food are. A rabbits ability to achieve high productivity is strongly influenced by the nutrition it receives. Anything beyond that is a treat and should be given in limited quantities. After passing the ceca, the undigested material moves through the large intestine to the cloaca and exits the body through the vent. Fruits and vegetables but because their water content is so high, hay is a better source of fiber. Nutritional recommendations and feeding management of angora rabbits. Care of the senior rabbit charlotte street animal hospital. The first 50 pages include a short discussion of the role of animals in meeting world food needs, and describe in outline the composition of feeds, methods for their chemical analysis. To reach its full functional capacity, the digestive system of the growing rabbit must. Based on the existing nutritional information, this nutrifax will take a look. Her articles on the care, health, nutrition, history, folklore, and mythology.
Additionally, the rabbit has developed a strategy of high feed intake 6580 g kg. Rabbit general care and husbandry diet fiber is crucial to your rabbits diet and keeps their digestive system functioning properly. Pdf nutrient requirements of rabbits kebutuhan nutrisi kelinci. Cn102090526a feed formula for rabbits and feeding method. Pen pals rabbit feeds are ideal for both growing your bunnies and for developing and maintaining your breeder does and bucks. The primary changes in this edition of rabbit nutrition and nutritional healing are in the chapters specifically about diet chapters 6 and 10, although there are minor changes and additions throughout the book.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading rabbit feeding and nutrition animal feeding and nutrition. Since this is individual to every rabbit, it is the task of the. A rabbit s ability to achieve high productivity is strongly influenced by the nutrition it receives. If you decide to feed pellets to your rabbit, make sure the pellets are. Lets make feeding your rabbits easy, effective and enjoyable. Rabbits need a balanced diet of unlimited grass hay timothy, orchard, oat. A rabbits diet should be made up of good quality pellets, fresh hay timothy, other grass hays, or oat hay, water and fresh vegetables. This chapter covers several aspects of pet rabbit feeding pet. The pen pals brand is supported by well over 100 years of feed formulation history.
Rabbits feeding and nutrition vetwest animal hospitals. Care of the senior rabbit with proper care, pet rabbits can live long, happy lives depending on the breed, the average domestic rabbit lives from 6 to 12 years. It is recommended that you feed 1 cup of veggies per 2 pounds of body weight per day. This project is organized to provide experience for young people in the selection, feeding, husbandry, and exhibiting of rabbits. This is a normal and important behavior for rabbits because the cecotropes provide essential nutrients that rabbits cannot otherwise produce and that are necessary for their health. The bulk of a rabbits diet must consist of quality rabbit pellets, fresh timothy hay alfalfa hay is often too rich for them, water and fresh vegetables. I have added topics to chapter six, and have rewritten chapter ten to be less technical. He was a founder of the oregon state university rabbit research center, and is coauthor of rabbit production prentice hall, 2000 and rabbit feeding and nutrition, academic press, 1987. Jun 22, 2012 the essential rabbit guide is a 5step programme to rabbit ownership with expert advice from the rabbit welfare associations alan wilson. Early solid additional feeding of suckling rabbits from 3. Pelleted rabbit feeds provide good nutrition at reasonable cost.
She is especially knowledgeable about weeds, grasses. Nutrition of the rabbit, second edition wabbitwiki. Watch to learn tips on feeding young and adult rabbits to maintain proper body conditions. However, in captivity, it is easy to feed rabbits in such a way as to deprive them of certain nutrients and the high fiber content they have evolved to require. Based on the existing nutritional information, this nutrifax will take a look at the general nutritional requirements of rabbits. The essential rabbit guide is a 5step programme to rabbit ownership with expert advice from the rabbit welfare associations alan wilson.
Introduction to animal nutrition intestine join are two ceca. Rabbit farming business is a very profitable business, and many people are making money all over the world by raising rabbits for meat. Oct 23, 2019 allaboutfeed is a multimedia brand bringing you the latest developments on animal nutrition and processing. A complete handbook on backy ard and commercial rabbit production. Low energy diets also cause an increase in caecotrophy production and ingestion jenkins, 1999. This is a basic text which will introduce to students the wide range of topics in, and m a n y facets of, animal nutrition and feeding. Cultural practices, environmental effects, soil fertility, soil moisture, plant pathogens, antiquality factors and cultivar influence forage quality. Comprehensive and uptodate, the book evaluates new information on such topics as protein digestion and requirements, nutrition disease interrelationships, feeding behavior, and nutrional factors. Most rabbit digest fruit well from a young age, while a handful will suffer watery fecal or gas production. Comprehensive and uptodate, the book evaluates new information on such topics as protein digestion and requirements, nutritiondisease interrelationships, feeding behavior, and nutrional factors. From the animals point of view 3 anr 8376 rabbit nutrition. Rabbit nutrition and nutritional healing evonnes art creations. Rabbit producers, feed manufacturers, animal nutritionists, and others interested in rabbit production will find this book to be the new authority.
Feeding an appropriate diet to a rabbit is probably the single most important factor in maintaining its health. Many brands of rabbit feed contain seeds, corn and other foods that are too high in calories to be the basis for a healthy rabbits diet. Grass hay should be the highfiber cornerstone of every rabbit s diet. Adjust your rabbits diet slowly over at least two to four weeks. The invention relates to the technical field of the breeding of rabbits, and particularly provides a feed formula for the rabbits and a feeding method.
Type of feed although many people use feeding systems that include green feeds, hay, or homemixed grains, the best feed is a commercially pelleted rabbit ration that meets all of the rabbits requirements. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Full text views reflects the number of pdf downloads, pdfs sent. He has worked with a variety of animal species, including ruminants, rabbits and poultry. Rabbit nutrition and nutritional healing evonnes art. Physiological and anatomical considerations in rabbit nutrition are discussed. The following links will take you to pages all related to feeding rabbits.
During the past few years, considerable reseach has been unde. Nutrition of rabbits exotic and laboratory animals. Ffeeeeedddiinngg t tth hhe ee hhooouuusssee rrraaabbbbbiiitt. When you feed rabbit pellets, do not give any other feed. Overall diet in pdf fromat house rabbit resource network. Rabbit feeding and nutrition animal feeding and nutrition kindle edition by peter r. Care and the first edition of rabbit nutrition and nutritional healing. Gradually increase how much of the new food you are feeding and reduce the old food daybyday until your rabbits have adjusted to their new diet. The raw materials used in the diet of pet rabbits are described. What do rabbits eat veterinary recommendations for feeding your pet and house rabbits rabbit nutrition the technical among us including me might like to know exactly what are some nutritional needs of rabbits. February 7, 2011 anna meredith discusses the importance feeding regimes have on pet rabbit health, from the choice of material to the introduction of new eating patterns feeding an appropriate diet to a rabbit is probably the single most important factor in. Guidelines for feeding pet rabbits are also provided. Since rabbit production makes up only a very small percentage of the total animal production in the world, there is little information available or research performed on the nutrition of the rabbit. Basics of good rabbit feeding purina animal nutrition.
Handling live animals, watching them grow, and learning how to care for them has value far beyond that of competition. It is also recommended to feed at least 3 different types of veggies per day to vary the nutrition. Rabbit feeding and nutrition animal feeding and nutrition 1. Influence of nutrition on intestinal health article pdf available february 2008 with 708 reads how we measure reads. The majority of your rabbits diet should consist of unlimited amounts of hay, which can consist of any of the following varieties. Care of the senior rabbit with proper care, pet rabbits can live long, happy lives. Role of rabbits and other livestock in world agriculture ii. The chapters have been written by distinguished research workers from around the world who are recognized specialists in their field.
Many brands of rabbit feed contain seeds, corn and other foods that are too high in calories to be the basis for a healthy rabbit s diet. The first 12 chapters discuss the digestive system of the rabbit, digestion of sugars and starch, protein, fat and fibre digestion, energy and protein metabolism and requirements, minerals, vitamins and additives, feed evaluation, influence of diet on rabbit meat quality, nutrition and feeding strategy and its interactions with pathology and. Rabbit pellets are specially formulated to provide the balanced nutrition your rabbit needs. In their natural wild habitat, rabbits are able to fend for themselves and eat meals that fulfill their dietary requirements. Alternative rabbit feeding links farming my backyard. Nutritional recommendations and feeding management of angora rabbits 297 f. What you feed your rabbit plays a part in determining whether you have a top show prospect, hearty litters, and a happy, healthy pet. During the past few years, considerable reseach has been undertaken on rabbit nutrition. It was prepared by the subcommittee on rabbit nutrition and replaces the. Prolonged intake of typical commercial diets containing alfalfa meal by laboratory or pet rabbits kept for extended periods under maintenance conditions may lead to kidney damage and calcium carbonate deposits in the urinary tract. Over time pellet diets have been sold as the mainstay of a rabbit s diet, but pellets were originally formulated for non household rabbits i. Rabbit feeding and nutrition info, plus different food needs for different breeds and ages. Rabbit farming manual available only direct from publisher at. Rabbit feeding and nutrition is intended to be useful to rabbit raisers, animal nutritionists, feed manufacturers, veterinarians.
Foreword preface 1 the nature of rabbit production i. However, to build a successful, sustainable commercial rabbit farming business, you require sufficient knowledge of how to efficiently raise the rabbits, good management skills, and a good rabbit farming business plan. Today many pet rabbits live to 9 or 10 years of age. Comprehensive and uptodate, the book evaluates new information on such topics as protein digestion and requirements, nutritiondisease interrelationships. Feed is the single biggest expense to a rabbit owner. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading rabbit. However, always be sure to feed only fresh pellets. Rabbits are crepuscular, or, most active at dawn and dusk. Rabbits that dont get a balanced diet will grow slowly, their coat will be. Nutritional requirements for rabbits semantic scholar.
Health problems in the geriatric rabbit as improved husbandry and nutrition have extended the lifespan of pet rabbits, aging can be associated with specific health problems. A rabbit s diet should be made up of good quality pellets, fresh hay timothy, other grass hays, or oat hay, water and fresh vegetables. Cheeke october 1987 during the past few years, considerable reseach has been undertaken on rabbit nutrition. A complete handbook on backy ard and commercial rabbit. Functions of the parts the parts of the mammalian monogastric digestive system can be divided into four sections based on their functions. Coprophagy allows the rabbit to get more nutrients out of its food by eating it twice. With proper nutrition and care, rabbits may live ten or more years. Rabbits will consume more feed if they are fed a low energy diet. Rabbit diet rabbit meal planner tips, advice, health.
536 391 1080 276 1132 594 248 1347 557 518 916 1031 948 1058 232 61 774 891 345 752 521 435 1186 1288 547 199 451 1064 366 1313 1166 1407 434 769 552 1269 1121 725 1305 60 671 316 559 275 1332