Is it possible to give seeds to rabbits, the nuances of feeding and contraindications
Novice rabbit breeders do not know whether it is possible to give pumpkin or sunflower seeds to rabbits. This valuable food is allowed to be introduced into the diet of pets. Seeds are given no more than once a week and no more than a handful. Feeding this food too often can lead to obesity and liver problems. Safer and healthier for animals, meal or cake.
Can rabbits give seeds
You can diversify the diet of rabbits with foods such as seeds. Usually, these animals are fed with grain or compound feed, dried grass, vegetables and fruits. Sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for rabbits are a treat, not a must. They should be introduced into the diet of animals gradually, taking into account the dosage - no more than a handful per week.
Sunflower
Sunflower seeds are rich in amino acids, vitamins and minerals, proteins and carbohydrates, but most of them are fat. It is for this reason that their frequent use can lead to obesity and eating disorders. The animals are given raw and slightly dried seeds, but by no means fried or salted.
Animals adore sunflower kernels, but this food provokes the outflow of bile, loading the liver and gallbladder. You can feed animals with seeds, but be careful. The sheer amounts of vegetable oils contained in the kernels can lead to indigestion, diarrhea, and serious liver problems.
Sunflower is good for animals, but only in minimal doses. This is a delicacy that animals are unlikely to refuse. However, the body's response to sunflower seeds can be unpredictable.
Sometimes, after eating several kernels, animals begin to have diarrhea, cough, swelling, and foam from the mouth. Some animals are intolerant to this product. If rabbits are allergic to sunflower seeds, then this food is recommended to be excluded from their diet.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin seeds are rich in fats and proteins, and they also contain many different vitamins and minerals, as well as amino acids. This healthy food can be given to animals, but only in minimal doses. The seeds should be slightly dry, but not roasted or salted.
Pumpkin kernels improve the appearance of rabbits: the fur becomes fluffy and shiny. Animals gain weight better, their bones become stronger. The use of this food strengthens the immunity of animals, normalizes the digestive system, and helps to remove worms from the body.
Oilcake and sunflower meal
A product such as cake can be sunflower, soy, flaxseed and rapeseed. It is used in feed for many pets.The cake is formed by pressing, squeezing and multiple crushing of seeds. This product is low in fat (5-10 percent).
Oilcake is a part of many feed mixtures and is an excellent protein supplement. This product contains fiber to help improve digestion. It is recommended to give cake (flaxseed or sunflower) to the animals as dry food every day.
Sunflower meal is obtained by extracting fat from seeds. This product is in the form of granules or flakes. The meal consists of only 2 percent fat, but it contains a lot of proteins and fiber. The product has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of animals. It is a part of animal feed. Meal is a useful supplement for daily feeding.
The nuances of feeding
Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are introduced into the diet of rabbits gradually. This food can be fed to young animals removed from the mother once a week. Meal and cake are components of many feed mixtures. The animals are fed with compound feed daily.
At what age can
Sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds can be given to domestic and decorative rabbits from the second month of life. If young rabbits live in the same cage with their mother, it is impossible to accustom them to new food. It is better to isolate the young from the rabbit first, and then introduce various new products into their diet.
Important! It is forbidden to feed old and fat rabbits with pumpkin or sunflower seeds. For such animals, meal or cake in small quantities is more useful.
How to give
It is customary to feed rabbits 3 times a day. Dry food (seeds, cake, meal) is given to animals in the morning and evening. It is better to feed the animals in the first half of the day, and then observe their condition. You need to gradually accustom animals to new food. At the very beginning, the animals are treated with 5-10 pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Over time, the dose is increased to a handful (50 grams), but not more. Pumpkin or sunflower seeds are given to animals only once a week, not more often. Pets can eat meal or cake daily, but not more than 30-50 grams. When feeding with dry food, it is advisable to put a container with drinking water in the cage.
Contraindications and harm
Care must be taken when introducing any new feed into the diet of young rabbits. Usually, animals respond normally to foods such as pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. Some rabbits may experience allergic reactions after eating kernels. Animals often vilify when they first try something new. In this case, it is better to stop feeding the animals with this food for a while. After a month, the attempt can be repeated, but only in a minimal dosage. For the first time - no more than 5-10 cores.
Important! The seeds do not need to be peeled. The main thing is that they are slightly dried. It should always be remembered that eating sunflower or pumpkin seeds too often can lead to obesity and liver problems.
Meal or cake can be given to young and old animals daily, but no more than 30-50 grams per day. Such food will not lead to obesity, but it can cause stomach upset in animals. The fact is that the cake (meal) is often of poor quality. With poorly organized storage, such a product quickly deteriorates, it can lead to a deterioration in well-being and even death of rabbits. Before feeding animals with this food, it must be carefully examined. It is forbidden to eat a low-quality product.
