Can rabbits be given grass quinoa?
The diet of rabbits should be varied: cereals, garden crops and herbs are its basic components. Seasonal plants are a storehouse of trace elements. Many rabbit breeders have a question, which of the herbs can be given to pets, in particular, is it possible to use quinoa as feed for rabbits.
Can rabbits be given grass quinoa
This plant is found everywhere: in the field, in the meadow, in the garden. In the latter case, it is often perceived as a weed, however, it can also be used in the diet of rabbits. For safe consumption by eared quinoa, you need to understand its nature and collect grass at a time when it can bring maximum health benefits to your pets.
Benefit
The leaves of the quinoa contain a lot of useful substances:
- protein;
- carbohydrates;
- fats
- mineral salts of calcium and iron;
- vitamins C and PP, comparable in strength to pharmaceuticals.
Did you know? It is very simple to check how optimal the temperature of the environment is for rabbits: animals are susceptible to external factors and sweat when they are hot with pads on their paws.
Harm
Fresh juicy shoots of quinoa can be harmful to the health of pets if they are over-consumed.
There is a likelihood of digestive upset, in particular:
- bloating;
- constipation
- diarrhea.
An allergic reaction, extremely dangerous for a weak stomach of eared ears, is not excluded.
Important! The period of active flowering of the quinoa is August and September. At this time, it can cause allergic reactions, as the plant flowers contain many toxins.
How to feed swan rabbits
Quinoa grows from late spring to mid-autumn, which means that fresh tops for rabbit food are provided for two seasons.
The main thing is that in proportion to other herbs, quinoa should not exceed 15% of the total amount of greenery consumed. With a competent approach, it is permissible to add quinoa to the diet of rabbits, not only dried, but also fresh.
Fresh
Freshly picked quinoa stems should be washed well and dried in the sun for about three hours. If your rabbits have not eaten quinoa before, as a test you can mix a small amount of it with the usual grass pets, and observe the reaction of the eared.
If there are no visible changes in the activity of rabbits, you can gradually introduce it into the diet of animals, no more than two to three times a week. Here, as in everything, the main thing is measure.
In dried form
Making grass preparations for the winter, in addition to the usual plants, you can use for drying and quinoa.
Important! Forbs of hay, which is extremely important in the diet of rabbits, should retain their color and aroma, therefore, in the process of harvesting food for the winter, leave the tops for drying in the shade. Under direct sunlight, the plants will dry out, and the diet of pets in the cold season will be depleted in vitamins.
It is not recommended to give it as an independent product, since quinoa is difficult for sensitive rabbit stomachs. It is dried along with other herbs, for example, with dandelion and nettle, under cover from direct sunlight, in a place with good ventilation.
How to collect and store the plant
It is no secret that the grass near highways and near industrial zones is not only devoid of useful qualities, but also, on the contrary , contains a lot of toxins that can cause various diseases in large and small cattle.
If you decide to diversify the food of your wards with quinoa, collect shoots in ecologically clean territories: in the field, along paths or directly from the garden. Thus, you will get rid of weeds and pamper the eared ears with “healthy” forbs.
The leaves of the quinoa are harvested exclusively, since the dried stems of the grass harden and become unusable. The optimal period for harvesting is spring and the first half of summer, while the shoots of grass are bright green and juicy.
After selecting whole, intact leaves, they need to be washed and laid out in a row for drying in the shade with good air permeability. After drying, the size of the leaves should be reduced by half. Do not allow crumbling of their structure, because overdried leaves lose their nutritional properties.
Store blanks for up to a year in dry, ventilated rooms with low humidity to prevent mold on plants.
Feeding rabbits with other herbs
Rabbits are herbivores, respectively, greens in their diet should be more than other feeds. It contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals, the need for the ratio of which changes throughout the life of the eared. This is especially true for females.
Did you know? The rabbit’s uterus has a bifurcated shape; in this regard, it can carry two litters from different males at the same time.
Which can be given
As a rule, combined herbs grow nearby, and the shoots of these plants are suitable as forbs for living creatures.
It is useful to spoil rabbits:
- nettle
- wormwood
- dandelion
- burdock
- plantain
- clover
- yarrow
- wheat grass
- coltsfoot
- alfalfa
- Siberian hogweed.
Each species has certain properties, which means that the ratio of plants in the diet of eared ears needs to be adjusted to achieve a specific goal (reduce / gain weight / heal health).
Prohibited Views
Among the most common herbs that can be found in the same places where safe shoots are worth mentioning:
- celandine;
- colchicum;
- hemlock;
- buttercup;
- fighter;
- lumbago;
- chemeritsa.
They can not be used as food for rabbits due to the high content of toxic substances in the stems and leaves of these plants. Even in small quantities, they cause various diseases in living creatures, up to the rapid death.
Thus, the use of various seasonal herbs, in particular, quinoa, in rodent food will help to qualitatively balance their nutrition. However, caution should be exercised in this matter: not only at the stage of collection, processing and storage of shoots, but also in the process of feeding various plant species.
