Is it possible to give barley to rabbits, and how to do it correctly, the benefits and harms of cereals

Proper nutrition is one of the main factors in raising rabbits in your own garden. For the health and active growth of pets, a thoughtful diet is necessary. After all, they have a very vulnerable and weak digestive system. Barley, like many other types of grains, can be given to rabbits. After all, it contains many useful substances. But this must be done correctly, without harming the animals.

Can rabbits have barley?

Barley should be included in the rabbits' menu. This is one of the healthiest foods due to its high fiber content.Therefore, with its help, meat breeds of rabbits can quickly gain weight. Decorative and skin breeds of pets require small volumes of barley. Otherwise, they will become obese. But you shouldn’t give up this cereal. It contains many useful substances.

Composition and beneficial properties

Barley is an excellent source of protein for rabbits. This cereal contains:

• folic acid;
• B vitamins;
• vitamin K;
• retinol;
• tocopherol;
• ascorbic acid;
• calcium;
• potassium;
• choline;
• lysine.

The benefit of barley also lies in the fact that 13 grams out of 100 is protein. Therefore, all individuals who need increased nutrition are recommended to increase the amount of this grain in the diet. These are nursing rabbits, young animals, as well as pets that are recovering from an illness.

How to feed correctly and in what quantities?

Rabbits are ready to eat barley in any form. But grain will be digested much better if:

• mix it with other cereals;
• prepare using one of the convenient methods: yeasting, steaming, sprouting.

On average, it is recommended to give one rabbit 30% of all dry food barley per day. For meat breeds this figure may be higher. 2 large handfuls of cereal per day are enough.

Steaming

The preparation of barley for rabbits using the steaming method is as follows:

1. The grain is poured into a bucket. There should be 10-15 centimeters of empty space left to the edge.
2. Boiling water is poured over the cereal. It should cover the grain.
3. You need to add a large spoonful of salt to the bucket.
4. Everything is mixed.
5. Cover with a lid.
6. Let it brew for 6 hours.

Now you can offer food to rabbits.

Yeasting

The benefits of yeast mash are undeniable for meat breeds of rabbits.If you want to get results faster, you should feed barley prepared according to this recipe.

Whatever method is used, certain rules must be followed:

• use warm water;
• the mixture will have to be stirred constantly (every 10-20 minutes);
• the layer of feed should not be higher than 35 centimeters;
• Yeasting is carried out in wooden boxes.

Less labor-intensive and relatively quick is the non-steam option. The duration of food preparation is 9 hours. To do this you will need:

• cereal (1 part);
• baker's yeast (0.1 part);
• warm water (2 parts).

All ingredients are carefully combined in one container. Every 20 minutes the product must be thoroughly mixed until the process is complete.

Germination

Rabbits love sprouted barley. Moreover, they eat not only the grain itself, but also the green part of the plant. To germinate a cereal, you need:

1. Rinse the grain. This should be done with running water.
2. Soak the cereal in water.
3. Place in a warm place for 24 hours.
4. If after a day grains appear that float to the surface of the water, they should be removed.
5. The remaining grains are laid out on flat surfaces in one layer.
6. The top of the grains is covered with gauze soaked in water.
7. In this form they are put away in a warm place.
8. After a couple of days, the food can be given to the rabbits.

There is no need to immediately prepare a lot of sprouted barley. It may go bad. In addition, the larger the stems grow, the less useful such food becomes.

Possible harm

When preparing food for your rabbits, you need to choose it correctly. Otherwise, there is a risk of purchasing grain that is unsuitable for feeding animals. You need to pay attention to what the barley should be like:

• no dirty seeds;
• all particles are ripe;
• without stones and other debris;
• absence of rotten, pest- or fungal-infested grains;
• not raw;
• not overdried.

Feeding bad barley can lead to disastrous consequences. Poisoning, illness - an undesirable result. Excessive feeding of barley to animals can also be dangerous. This will cause obesity, which is an obstacle to normal reproduction. The male will not be able to cover the female. But a fat rabbit carries and gives birth to much fewer offspring. However, childbirth can be difficult.

Definitely, you can give barley to rabbits, but you must follow the rules for preparing it. You shouldn’t neglect the amount of it in your diet. Then the pets will always be well-fed and healthy.