During the colder months, rabbits' diets change. A farmer must know what to properly feed rabbits in winter so that their health does not deteriorate. Pets' food during the winter should be high-calorie and balanced, allowing them to maintain fertility, fur quality and weight gain. Since fresh grass is not available in winter, food preparation for the cold period should be done in advance: in summer and autumn.
Features of feeding in winter
During the summer months, rabbits expend relatively little energy to maintain their body functions, so the extra calories turn into fat deposits, which increase the weight of giants and other meat breeds. But in winter, a significant part of the energy is spent on maintaining heat in the body in conditions of low ambient temperature.
During the winter months, rabbits sweat less and the body easily maintains water balance. Therefore, an increase in the amount of drinking is not required, but the calorie content of food should become higher so that fat accumulations are not depleted, but continue to accumulate. Therefore, in winter, pets eat high-calorie food rich in vitamins and nutrients.
Since fresh plant food is not available in winter, rabbits are given dry food, but it does not provide the body with enough vitamins and nutrients. To compensate for the lack of beneficial compounds, the rabbit diet includes mixed feed, succulent plant food, suitable for long-term storage.
Types of feed
Rabbits are sensitive to the quality of food; the diet prepared for them in any season of the year should be balanced and healthy.
Roughage
Roughage refers to dried plants that are a rich source of fiber:
- hay;
- herbal flour;
- tree and shrub branches.
Dry food gives you a feeling of fullness for a long time and has a positive effect on digestion. Daily portion in winter for an adult:
- 150-200 g of hay;
- 50-100 g of branches.
Hay is prepared taking into account the planned increase in the number of livestock. If the harvested hay was not enough for the winter, then the remaining amount is fed to pregnant and lactating rabbits and their young, and the remaining adults are switched to a diet of oat, buckwheat or pea straw.
Prepare hay for the winter like this:
- Mow the grass before it blooms.
- Lay out in the sun in a thin layer.
- After drying, transfer to a ventilated room.
- The finished hay is stored in a barn or under a canopy, covered with polyethylene.
Nettle, wormwood, red clover, tansy, alfalfa, and Sudanese sorghum are beneficial for the digestion and health of rabbits.
Branches of the following tree and shrub species are suitable for feeding rabbits in winter:
- apple trees;
- rowan;
- raspberries;
- linden;
- ash;
- hazel;
- alders;
- aspen;
- willows;
- poplars.
Branches up to 1 cm thick are harvested in mid-summer. They are combined into brooms and dried in a shaded place.
Juicy feed
Juicy food is food that contains 60-90% liquid. Healthy, well-digestible food rich in vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and fiber are vegetables, root vegetables, and silage.
It is recommended to give rabbits in winter:
- boiled potatoes;
- carrots;
- zucchini;
- pumpkin;
- turnip;
- cabbage (rarely and in small portions, so as not to provoke flatulence);
- fodder beet.
Food waste
Rabbits should not be given human food. But there are exceptions: it is acceptable to give your pets potato peelings, dried bread crusts, carrot tops, and radish leaves. The daily portion of food waste should not exceed 150 g per individual.
Concentrated feed
Concentrated feeds are sources of nutrients necessary for animals to gain weight. They are rich in proteins and carbohydrates and have a high calorie content.
In winter, rabbits are given:
- bran;
- cereal grains;
- cake;
- meal
Compound feed
Combined feed is a solid, balanced mixture of animal and plant products that supplies the body with substances necessary for full development and productivity. The component composition is determined by the purpose of raising animals: for meat or fur. In rabbits that consume compound feed in winter, productivity increases by 10-15%. Contains feed:
- cereal grains (oat, barley, wheat, corn) – 30-40%;
- broad beans;
- bran;
- sunflower or other oil-rich seeds;
- flaxseed, sunflower or hemp cake, meal – 10-15%;
- bone meal, yeast – about 2%;
- salt, chalk
Diet in winter
Rabbits easily survive frosts provided they have a high-quality diet that replenishes the calorie deficit. To ensure that the animals’ bodies have enough energy in winter, the daily portion is increased by 2 times, and on frosty days – by 3 times.
For adults
The basis of the diet of rabbits that remain outside for the winter is vegetables and hay. Vegetables harvested in the fall are the main supplier of vitamins and minerals to the body. They are given to rabbits 2 times a day. It is advisable that your pets’ daily diet include 4-5 different vegetable crops and root crops.
Approximate daily portion of food for an adult in the cold season:
- hay – 200 g;
- grain – 100 g;
- branches – 50-100 g;
- vegetables and root vegetables – 200 g;
- bran – 50 g;
- bone meal – 5 g;
- salt – 2 g.
For baby rabbits
The daily portion of food is determined by the age of the rabbits. Cubs up to 2 months old in winter are given:
- 50 g of roughage;
- 30-40 g concentrated;
- 150-180 g of vegetables and root vegetables;
- 0.5 g salt and bone meal.
Rabbits 3-4 months old should receive:
- 100 g of roughage;
- 50-60 g concentrated;
- 250-300 g juicy;
- 0.6-0.7 g of salt and bone meal.
In winter, actively growing rabbits six months old are given:
- 150 g of roughage;
- 60-70 g concentrated;
- 350-400 g juicy;
- 2 g salt and bone meal.
Recommendation for beginning farmers: succulent food should be introduced into the diet of young rabbits with extreme caution, starting with minimal portions, since the baby rabbit’s body may react to new food with digestive tract upset.
For pregnant and lactating rabbits
The rabbit’s body devotes a lot of energy to the development of embryos, so in winter the diet should include a sufficient amount of vitamins and bone meal. The percentage of roughage is reduced, the portion of concentrated feed is increased to 60%. The daily amount of bone meal is gradually increased from 5 to 20-30 g.
For good milk production, the rabbit is given more boiled potatoes, zucchini, carrots, and pumpkin. For the same purpose, natural whey made in the village is added to the mash. Sprouted wheat grains are given as a source of vitamins.
Decorative rabbits
The diet of rabbits living at home is different. Ornamental animals have a delicate digestive tract, so feeding the above food is unacceptable.
The basis of the diet in winter is meadow hay. At the pet store you can purchase wheat grain for germinating fodder grass.
The vegetable component should be small, otherwise the pet will have digestive problems. You can treat your rabbit to an apple, carrot, lettuce, parsley, Jerusalem artichoke, and banana peel.The decorative rabbit is not fed cabbage, fodder beets and potatoes. The first two vegetables cause digestive problems, and the third leads to obesity.
Approximate diet for a pet in winter:
- 200 g hay;
- 50-100 g of branches;
- 100 g of vegetables and root vegetables;
- 150 g of grass and leafy greens;
- 50 g concentrated food.
What not to feed
You cannot give treats to rabbits:
- bakery and pasta products;
- chocolate sweets, rich pastries;
- meat products;
- dairy products;
- nuts;
- citruses and other exotic fruits;
- peas, beans, hard seeds and grains;
- branches of stone fruit trees (cherry, apricot, plum, peach);
- bulbs of ornamental plants (may be poisonous);
- rhubarb (a plant extremely poisonous to rabbits);
- compound feed for livestock and poultry.
On hay and vegetables for rabbits there should be no mold, sand and dust, signs of decay and fermentation.
You should not give your pets plants of the Ranunculaceae family, elderberry branches, buckthorn, or bird cherry. These plants are poisonous to rabbits.
Expert advice
Beginners should use the advice of experienced farmers:
- To replenish vitamins A and D, rabbits are given fish oil. Daily portion – 1 g, for young animals – 0.5 g, for lactating females – 3 g.
- Bone meal is necessary so that rabbits do not suffer from calcium and phosphorus deficiency. And salt is a source of chlorine and sodium.
- Compound feed can be used as the basis of the diet, or can be added to food for balance. If rabbits are fed a full and high-quality diet of natural food, then the use of compound feed is not necessary.
- It is useful to periodically give rabbits in winter pine, spruce, and juniper needles. It contains carotene, tocopherol, and B-group vitamins. Coniferous branches are cut and dried.
- An excellent source of energy for maintaining body heat is sunflower seeds.
The transition from summer to winter diet should be smooth, spread over several days, so that the rabbit’s digestive tract has time to rebuild. Winter food is prepared in advance so that feeding pets during the cold period does not become a problem that reduces the productivity of the livestock.
