Rabbits are bred on many farms and are often kept as pets. As a rule, the diet is based on special food, vitamin supplements, vegetables, and herbs. You can treat animals with fruits as treats. Many owners have questions about whether it is possible to feed rabbits with crackers or bread, and what types of bakery products are suitable as food.
Can rabbits be given bread and crackers?
There is no clear opinion about the benefits of bread or the need to introduce it into the diet of animals.When compiling a diet, several factors are taken into account: rabbit breed, age, living conditions (home or on a farm). There is an opinion that when mass breeding animals, you need to add bread to food in order to fatten them faster and get a beautiful, strong skin.
It is not recommended to feed decorative pets bread. In apartment living conditions, animals move little, so excess carbohydrates will contribute to unnecessary weight gain and decreased activity.
Benefits of bread for rabbits
It makes sense to talk about the advisability of introducing it into the diet of animals only when raising meat breeds, since carbohydrates contribute to rapid weight gain. It should also be noted other positive aspects of animals eating small portions of bread:
- the quality of the skins improves;
- immunity increases;
- The activity of both the digestive system and the cardiovascular system is normalized.
Bread is an inexpensive and accessible type of food. Of course, you need to introduce bakery products into the rabbits’ diet gradually. It is important to monitor the condition of the animals.
Rules for introducing into the diet
Rabbits are not considered fussy animals when it comes to feeding. However, bread is recommended to be used primarily as an infrequent treat. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the digestive system of animals. A rabbit's weak stomach muscles are unable to digest large portions of food.
Advice! The rabbit is treated to baked goods 1-2 times a week at the rate of 10 g per 1 kg of animal weight.
Bread should be introduced into the diet gradually, carefully observing the condition of the rabbits and their behavior. It is not advisable for very small pets to add bread to their food. In children, eating baked goods can cause diarrhea or even lead to death.The optimal age of the animal is over one and a half months.
You need to start complementary feeding with small crusts soaked in milk and warm water. The portion is increased gradually - every 10-12 days. Since bread increases thirst, it is important to ensure a constant supply of water in the drinking bowl.
Cooking methods
The highest quality and harmless for rabbits will be baked goods specially prepared at home. A suitable option is cookies made with grated carrots. You will need oatmeal, flour, water and grated carrots. The cooking process is simple:
- Mix equal portions of flour, cereal, carrots and water (it is recommended to take half a glass of food).
- Roll out the dough into balls with a diameter of 2.5 cm or small sticks.
- The cookies are baked in the oven at 175° for 15 minutes. The finished product should cool for 30-45 minutes.
It is recommended to store cookies in a separate container, which is placed in the refrigerator. If you can’t make your own cookies, use store-bought baked goods. It is only important to pre-dry the skibs.
To do this, the loaf is cut into small slices and laid out on a wooden board. To allow the bread to dry naturally, the board is placed in a place well lit by the sun. The crackers are placed in a closed container, which is stored in a dry place.
What kind of bread can and cannot be fed to rabbits?
Among the wide variety of bakery products, you need to choose the right product that can be introduced into the diet of animals. What you should absolutely not feed rabbits:
- any types of buns, since baking provokes indigestion, bloating, and diarrhea. Also, soft buns can cause small intestinal blockage;
- baked goods containing all kinds of chemical additives, sugar, starch, fats. These substances weaken the health of rabbits;
- products with the slightest signs of mold can cause diarrhea, poisoning, and internal bleeding.
The best choice is homemade baked goods. As a treat, you can treat your fluffies with homemade crackers. In small quantities, you can use homemade oatmeal cookies (without sugar), containing vitamins and minerals.
Possible harm
Bread, like any product, has advantages and disadvantages. Negative consequences of feeding baked goods to rabbits:
- obesity of animals, leading to dangerous results: activity decreases, digestion problems appear, life expectancy decreases;
- the dental system is destroyed, since there is no need for prolonged chewing. In this case, the rabbit’s teeth do not grind down and begin to grow incorrectly;
- lack of vitamin D and low amounts of calcium. Regular consumption of bread weakens the muscle tissue of the jaws, which leads to loosening of the teeth.
You also need to take into account the likelihood of enteritis (inflammation of the small intestine). Animals refuse to eat and quickly lose weight. Rye breads or low-quality, moldy crusts can cause fermentation in the intestines and provoke excessive gas formation.
When keeping rabbits, you need to remember that the basis of the diet should be vegetables, herbs, and special feed. And bread is very useful when training pets, as an incentive treat. To keep animals healthy and active, it is recommended to prepare your own cookies or crackers.
