Before introducing new products to the rabbits menu, you need to make sure of their benefits. Beets are no exception. You should find out whether sugar beets can be given to rabbits and how to do it correctly.
Is it possible to give beets and its tops to rabbits
The diet of rabbits must be complete and balanced, so that they actively gain muscle mass, and also have a stable immunity to various diseases. Diversifying food is easy, especially if the farmer has his own garden where vegetables and herbs are grown. But you should know that not all food will be beneficial for animals.
What beets will be useful for rabbits
Some farmers often share the bitter experience of introducing different root crops into the daily menu of rabbits. According to them, you need to carefully feed vegetables and their leaves. Very often from such products, animals experience digestive problems, and sometimes even die. Sugar beets for rabbits have the same effect. But still, most farm owners have the opposite opinion about this vegetable. The fact is that rabbits need to be fed sugar beets or other root crops at strictly calculated doses. Feeding farm rabbits with beets should be supervised by the breeder. If the pet normally responds to such a product, you can offer him a beetroot diet 2 times a week.
The necessary beneficial effect can be obtained only by starting feeding from 30-50 g of the product, gradually increasing the dose. In addition, not all types of root vegetables can be given to rabbits. In domestic gardens, 3 species of this vegetable are grown, and only 2 are suitable for feeding, so the answer to the question of whether rabbits can be fed red beetroot depends on the variety of the root crop itself.
The most common and beneficial sugar beet. It contains little fiber, and this indicates its rapid digestibility by the body.
Many breeders recommend giving sugar beets to rabbits because it is rich in vitamins and minerals. Such a product strengthens the immune system, as well as the cardiovascular system of the eared. You can also feed animals with fodder beets. This product has a higher energy value compared to other vegetables and herbs. But, nevertheless, such beets are less useful than sugar. Eating beets is forbidden to be eared: it is rich in fiber, which adversely affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract of animals. This beet for farm rabbits is a slow-acting poison, animals can die from diarrhea or gastric (intestinal) bleeding.
What beets to plant
The animal body has a strong sensitivity to the quality of food consumed. Pets eat everything that a person gives, but it is his mistakes that can lead to digestive diseases in rabbits, as well as to their death, therefore, deciding to devote a place on the land for planting beets, you need to know which product will be most valuable and useful for eared . Experienced rabbit breeders are advised to give preference to sugar or fodder beets. These root crops include a large number of useful trace elements. The most valuable for immunity are:
- B vitamins;
- vitamin C;
- pectin;
- betaine;
- iron.
If you feed rabbits with such root crops, their immunity will get stronger and the work of the cardiovascular system will improve. A healthy animal is rapidly gaining muscle mass, which is one of the main goals of keeping eared. In addition, many farmers say that if you give sugar to beets to rabbits, their fertility will increase.
Any soil is suitable for planting a vegetable. He is not whimsical to the conditions of cultivation and care. Such a root crop is a real find for a rabbit breeder. At the farm, which contains at least 20 animals, it is necessary to allocate about 2 acres of land for planting. Such an area will allow you to get the proper effect from the crop of the product, especially if you need to stock it for the winter. The main thing for the farmer is not to mix up the varieties of root crops. It is contraindicated to give table beets to rabbits.
Not only the roots, but also the tops
Having given preference to sugar or fodder beets rich in vitamins, iron and other microelements, one should know that feeding itself will be even more complete if the rabbits are provided with leaves of these plants. But the new product, the root crop itself, is introduced gradually, after the eared ones have no problems eating “tops”. Animals eat the tops both fresh and in the form of silage.
It is necessary to feed the leaves of fodder or sugar beets in fresh form carefully, adding them to the mash with other herbs and vegetables. But before that, the tops should be washed well and dried. This procedure has its own characteristics:
- tops are dried in the fresh air under the sun;
- for the period of precipitation, the leaves are hidden under a canopy or lowered to dry in the basement;
- after drying, the tops are again sorted and washed.
Such a product is known for its antiseptic effect. Decorative rabbits like tops, they willingly eat them and this affects their immunity. In addition, the farmer can use the leaves of fodder or sugar beets as a silo. Together with the root crop, it is finely chopped and put into a large container with other types of herbs, as well as vegetable waste. Wood sawdust is poured over all the ingredients. The resulting mass undergoes a fermentation process, after which it is used for its intended purpose.
It is equally important to understand what feeding the tops will be the safest for animals, because these leaves have a laxative effect and can cause digestive upsets in rabbits. That's why tops are advised to be added to the daily menu in minimal quantities. It is best to use such a product no more than once a day.
Features of feeding beets to rabbits
You can give red beets to rabbits from 1 month. A new product should not replace one feeding. It should be added to the already prepared mash in the amount of 25-30 g. Forage with root crops will be enjoyed by young eared and will not affect the functioning of their digestion. The very next day, animals can eat more beets - up to 50 g. Give the rabbits red sugar or fodder beets, gradually increasing the dose by 10-15 g daily. If there are no problems, then animals can consume:
- by 2 months, up to 100 g per day;
- from 3 months to 150 g of product per day;
- from 4-5 months to 300 g per day.
It is equally important to divide the daily weight of the root crop into several receptions. In the first 2 months of life, rabbits eat only boiled food. Raw eared beets are also introduced gradually, adding it to the mixes. Adult individuals are able to digest root crops in large quantities equal to one full serving. This transition is necessary, because boiled beets are a product that has lost some of the useful trace elements during cooking. Raw root crops are more useful and nutritious for animals.
It is also important to monitor the purity of the product. There should be no dirt, rot, etc. on beets. Before feeding the animals, the root crop must be washed and finely chopped (if given raw). If you need boiled beets, the product is thoroughly washed and cooked whole. After cooking, it should be finely chopped or grated.
What else to know
The answer to the question of whether red beets can be given to rabbits depends largely on the age of the animal, as well as on the characteristics of its immunity. Young rabbits cannot be fed only one product. Beets for an unprepared body are dangerous and lead to bloating, as well as diarrhea. In addition, it is most appropriate for the farmer to use the root crop as a useful supplement to the livestock diet. The minimum consumption of the product allows you to accumulate it for the winter, when animals especially need vitamins and other useful substances.
Some farmers are often interested in whether beets can be added to pregnant rabbits on the menu. Experienced rabbit breeders are confident that beets are completely safe for the female and her fetus only if she previously consumed it.
It is not recommended to introduce root crops during pregnancy, as well as other foods new to the animal. You also need to know about the safe dosage of the root crop. The rabbit will receive the greatest benefit from the product when consumed 450 g of vegetable. In addition, beets cause lactation, which is most useful for newborn animals.
Diversity in the diet is only the first step towards a healthy, productive rabbit population. It is equally important to alternate meals. In winter, juicy foods should be preferred, and in summer green. So when feeding beets. In summer, animals can consume this product up to 450 g per day, but in winter it is better to use it only as a vitamin-containing supplement.
