For rabbits to grow healthy and develop well, they need to be provided with adequate nutrition. Therefore, it is very important to properly plan their diet. So, many novice farmers have a question, can rabbits be given wheat? Experts recommend including it in the diet. It is prudent to give rabbits feed grains, but only as a mono-feed, otherwise you can provoke bloating. Also, the wheat stalk should not contain pests, as this will negatively affect the health of eared pets.

Wheat benefits for rabbits

Wheat is good for domestic rabbits for several reasons:

  • Animals are happy to enjoy such a product.
  • Culture helps meat breeds gain weight faster.
  • It is a valuable source of vitamins, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It is especially important to give it in winter, when there are no fresh vegetables in the diet and the body has nowhere to get the required amount of nutrients. Grain during this period is a real salvation for animals.
  • The culture contains abrasive particles that grind the teeth of rabbits. This not only prevents their overgrowth, but also prevents the appearance of a disease such as malocclusion. And this disease can provoke serious health problems, as well as lead to death of the rabbit.

Wheat

How to feed it to animals

Feeding pets only with regular whole grains is not worth it, although it helps to grind teeth, it is still difficult enough to digest and can lead to serious health problems.

So what grain to feed rabbits? Before buying wheat, you should inquire about its origin. You cannot buy cereals for feeding without checking the documents for them. Make sure they are not treated with harmful chemicals that could harm the animal's health. Also, rabbit grain should be carefully inspected so that it is not dirty or covered with an oily crust.

Important! No matter how clean the wheat may seem, it is still better to rinse and dry it before giving it to pets. You should also pay attention to the conditions in which the grain is stored. In no case should it be left outdoors in the street where it is raining. It will definitely deteriorate and become unsuitable for feeding.

Also, novice rabbit breeders often ask themselves the question: which grain is better for rabbits? Today there are many species that will be acceptable to feed eared pets. Just don't abuse rye bran, it is better to replace them with wheat varieties.

And, having decided on what kind of grain can be given to rabbits, this does not mean to solve the problem. The health of animals also depends on the form in which the wheat was given. And the methods of preparing a grain crop should be different. It should be given to pets raw, sprouted and steamed. By alternating food in this way, it is possible to establish digestion processes for the animal and provide the body with the necessary vitamins.

Animal health also depends on the form in which the wheat was given.

Feeding rules

In order for pets to feel good and grow up healthy, you need to adhere to certain rules when feeding.

In its raw form, grain feed should not exceed 30% of the diet of an adult rabbit. If we are talking about rabbits that have got babies, then during lactation the amount of grain in the menu can be slightly increased. The planted rabbits, which are just beginning to feed on their own, are given raw wheat either crushed or in the form of bran. This grain is usually added to grass or potato mixture.

Important! Raw wheat should not make up half of the serving, as animals may experience flatulence and tympanism due to the high gluten content.

Steamed grain is well digested by animals. It can be used both whole and crushed. The steaming process is quite simple. You need to take the following components in this proportion: 1 part water and 2 parts boiling water, adding 1 tbsp. a spoonful of salt. Then the grain is covered with a lid and infused for 5 hours.

During the fattening period, enzymes and vitamins of group B are added to the steamed grain. For this, 1-2% of baker's yeast is added to the steamed grain and insisted for about 8 hours. It is better to cook this mixture in the evening, and in the morning it is already fed to the rabbits. As a rule, grain steamed with yeast is added to dry cereals for about 3 tbsp. spoons per serving.

Note! The main condition for feeding animals with a yeast mixture is their age. Such food is allowed to feed only those pets who are already 4 months old. In addition, you need to add yeast to wheat feed for several days, otherwise the animal can be harmed.

Sprouted wheat will be beneficial for the pregnant uterus or the male or female that is preparing to mate. Thanks to the enzymes and vitamins that it contains, metabolic processes, as well as the physical condition of future parents, are significantly improved, which will give great chances of getting healthy offspring.

Sprouted wheat will be beneficial for the pregnant uterus or the male or female preparing to mate

Sprouted grain will also be useful for those animals that are preparing for the delivery of skins. Thanks to this food, the rabbit fur will become silky and thick. It can be safely sold at the highest price.

Often, rabbits that will soon go to slaughter are rapidly overfed, and they begin to suffer from obesity. In such a situation, the appetite often disappears, and the animals begin to lose weight again. This is where you can use sprouted grain, which, thanks to the content of vitamins, normalizes the rabbit's condition, and also restores its vitality, and the desire to refresh itself will arise again.

Sprouted grain is also very useful in terms of preventing such a dangerous disease as rickets. Since due to this disease, the animal's skin deteriorates, it develops poorly and is devoid of any vitality. To avoid such an unpleasant situation, the rabbits begin to feed from the moment when all their digestive processes are established, and this will happen in babies at about 1.5 months.

Important! It is not recommended to grind sprouted grains in a meat grinder or add to hot food. Simply, upon contact with metal knives, it will react and oxidize, as a result of which it will lose its useful substances. Also, many nutrients will break down when they get into the hot mixture.

How to germinate wheat for rabbits

There are several technologies for germinating grain, which boil down to the fact that the wheat needs to be soaked so that it swells, and put in a dark, warm place with a temperature of about 25 ° C. The main thing is not to overdo it and prevent the processes from being more than 1.5 cm. If their height reaches 2 cm, then they will practically lose their value for the body. When they become even larger, they may generally accumulate toxins that are very dangerous for the life of animals.

Sprouted wheat

It is a little more difficult to germinate wheat in large quantities, so you have to master a new technology.To get several kilograms of grain, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

  • The grain is poured into a large saucepan and poured over with water so that it is covered 2 cm from the top.
  • Wheat until it swells, should stand in a room with a temperature regime of about 15 ° C.
  • After 12 hours, the grain is poured into a warm place in plastic bags with holes. This is necessary to remove excess moisture.
  • It is important to prevent the grain from overheating, so it is spread in a bag in a layer no thicker than 8 cm.

Note! For germination, use only clean dishes and high-quality wheat. If the grain darkens and does not germinate for a long time, it means that it is pickled and cannot be used as animal feed.

What else can you feed rabbits from grain

In order for rabbits to develop fully, experts recommend including different types of cereals in their diet. The most popular and useful among them, in addition to wheat, are barley, oats, corn, and a variety of cereals.

  • Barley. Despite the fact that this cereal is well digested and absorbed by the stomach, it should still not exceed more than 30% of the daily diet. This is due to the fact that rabbits will gain excess weight and cease to fully reproduce, and for females there is a threat of difficult upcoming birth. Therefore, barley is useful for rabbits, but in moderation.
  • Oats. This food, on the contrary, will relieve the animals of excess weight, will help to increase growth and offspring.
  • Corn. The culture is rich in carbohydrates, fats and a variety of vitamins. It also promotes weight gain. Corn should be combined with food that contains protein and amino acids. For example, it can be clover, peas and cake.
  • Groats. Many cereals are beneficial for animals. The most popular among them are oatmeal, millet, rice, flakes, rolled oats. Such food can be cooked or given whole. But millet is mainly cooked for kids. The main thing is to cook the porridge, otherwise the animals will have health problems.

Corn

Very often, rabbit breeders have a question whether it is possible to feed animals with oatmeal. Of course you can, because it is obtained through the heat treatment of oats. Oatmeal lunch is very nutritious, so it is often included in the diet of young individuals that grow slowly and develop poorly. But with a decorative rabbit in this case, you need to be careful, since such food can provoke obesity. He will become too passive and lazy, not at all as mischievous as he was in the past.

Hercules are steamed for 5 minutes. or give dry. But it is not recommended to cook it. This food is ideal for animals under 6 months of age. For adult rabbits, groats are mixed with finely chopped carrots.

Important! Oatmeal, like any other porridge, needs to be introduced into the diet gradually so that the body has time to get used to it.

Barley will also be useful for the body of animals. It is a source of protein, fat, carbohydrates, ash, water and dietary fiber. Also, this cereal contains potassium, calcium, manganese, iron and various vitamins. Thanks to this composition, barley makes rabbit meat nutritious and tasty, and also has a positive effect on the skin of the animal. It becomes silky and smooth.

The diet of adults should consist of no more than 40% of this cereal, and in babies who have not reached 5 months of age, barley should take no more than 20%. This means that adult rabbits can eat no more than 80 g of cereal per day. The only exceptions are pregnant females - they are given 10 g more.

Important! The serving size of pearl barley should be changed every day. The dose should fluctuate between 60-85 g.

Rabbit feeding methods

Experts do not recommend choosing only one type of feed. For the full development of animals, the diet must be varied. To date, many schemes have been developed, following which you can get a good and healthy offspring.

For the full development of animals, the diet must be varied.

One of the most popular methods that will help both a beginner and an experienced rabbit breeder are the Zolotukhin and Yukhnov method.

  • The essence of the Zolotukhin method is that males and females need to be given different types of grain at certain stages of life. So, adult males are fed a mixture that consists of corn, barley and oats. Rabbit oats are especially beneficial during pregnancy and childbirth. Therefore, females must add it to the diet in a crushed form. Babies who have not yet reached 4 months of age need to be fed with steamed oats and barley. To cook the grain, it is worth pouring boiling water over it and keeping it under a closed lid for about 5 hours. When the rabbits grow up, they include chopped corn in their diet.
  • The second method - Yukhnova provides for the independent preparation of the necessary grain mixtures for rabbits. They usually include wheat ears, barley, bran, oats, chalk, corn, cake, salt and grass flour. As for how much of which feed to use, it depends on the age and sex of the animals.

If it is not possible to independently prepare the special feed necessary for feeding, you can buy it on the market. Now it is sold in a huge amount, so you can choose for every taste.

Now, after reading this article, breeders will not have a question whether it is possible to feed rabbits with wheat. These animals need a healthy and nutritious diet. It is necessary to plan their diet well so that the animals receive all the vitamins useful for their body. But at the same time, it is recommended to feel the edge, so as not to overfeed them and not provoke obesity. After all, only healthy rabbits will have good offspring, tasty meat and a beautiful skin.