There are three key points to keep in mind when feeding vegetables to rabbits.

Rabbit

People often mistakenly think that rabbits like to eat vegetables, and many farmers also feed rabbits with vegetables, but they do not realize that this is an unscientific feeding method, and there are many disadvantages in feeding rabbits with vegetables.

Feeding one or more kinds of vegetables to rabbits for a long time will cause nutrition deficiency in some aspects and affect the growth and development of young rabbits, but the production performance of adult rabbits can not be brought into full play.

Chinese cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cowhide, mustard, lettuce, radish, spinach, cabbage, magnolia and other vegetables are widely planted, but because of the limited species, rabbits are fed with one or more kinds of vegetable leaves for a long time. Rabbits can cause some aspects of nutrition deficiency (lack of protein, energy, crude fiber, etc.), the growth and development of young rabbits is affected, and the production performance of adult rabbits can not be brought into full play. The average water content of vegetable leaves (tastes) is as high as 75% Mui 85%, the content of crude fiber is low, the palatability is good, and the rabbits are gluttonous, causing gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea.

According to relevant data, diarrhea will occur in only a few days when young rabbits within 90 days of age are fed with vegetables. Cabbage, cabbage, radish tassel, amaranth, lettuce leaves, cabbage and so on, contain a large amount of nitrate. The nitrate content of vegetables will increase in the case of fertile soil, heavy application of nitrogen fertilizer or certain herbicides, diseases and insect pests or drought. Rabbits often eat more nitrate because of greedy vegetables, which will cause gastroenteritis and reduce appetite and diarrhea. After pest, trample, frost, stacking and transportation of vegetables, especially in muggy weather, it is very easy to turn nitrate into toxic nitrite. Rabbits only eat about 200 grams of such vegetables will cause poisoning and even death.

Rabbit

Therefore, vegetables to feed rabbits, first of all to be fresh, without sediment and dew. When feeding, at least not a single vegetable leaf (tassel) should be continuously used to feed rabbits, and when mixed with other forage grasses, the dosage should be as small as possible, and at the same time, some feeds with low water content and high crude fiber content, such as bran, green hay and dried leaves, should be fed. Vegetables need to be temporarily stored, must not be stacked, should be spread out; when feeding a large amount, take 0.2 grams of chlortetracycline per rabbit to inhibit the growth and reproduction of reducing bacteria and prevent gastroenteritis and nitrite poisoning.

When diarrhea occurs when rabbits are fed with vegetable leaves, they should stop feeding vegetables and feed some green hay and dried leaves instead, and add 2% charcoal powder or 1% medical charcoal or 3% zeolite powder to the mixed feed or formula feed of rabbits. When gastroenteritis occurs when rabbits are fed with vegetables, they should be treated with antibiotics or sulfonamides in time. If 1% methylene blue is used in rabbits with nitrite poisoning, 1 mg / kg body weight, or 5% toluidine blue, 2 mg / kg body weight, is injected intravenously or intramuscularly and intraperitoneally. Vitamin C can also reduce methemoglobin to hemoglobin, so it is often used in combination with the above two antidotes, 0.5-2g intramuscular injection or dissolved in 25% glucose 20-30ml intravenous injection. At the same time, we should also take activated carbon to absorb nitrate and nitrite in the gastrointestinal tract, strengthen the heart and replenish fluid to improve body condition and promote nitrite excretion, comprehensive treatment, the cure rate is high.

Rabbit

There are three taboos about feeding vegetables to rabbits.

First, do not pile up stuffy yellowing vegetables to feed rabbits

The content of nitrite in fresh vegetables is 0.1 mg / kg. When the vegetables are stuffy and yellowed, the content of nitrite will increase to 2.4 mg / kg. If you use stuffy yellowed vegetables to feed rabbits, rabbits can cause nitrite poisoning after feeding, and serious ones can lead to death. Therefore, when feeding rabbits with green vegetables, be sure to ensure freshness, and do not feed too much each time, and should be fed with other feeds.

Do not feed rabbits with cruciferous vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables are mainly mustard, rape, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, radish and so on, which contain a substance called myroside, which is a kind of glycoside under the action of myrosinase. It can produce thiocyanate, isothiocyanate and other goiter promoting toxins, which will directly damage the liver and kidney of rabbits and affect the healthy growth of rabbits. Therefore, rabbits fed with cruciferous vegetables should be fed as little or not as possible.

Third, do not feed rabbits with vegetables that have been attacked by insects

Feeding rabbits with vegetables invaded by aphids and cabbage insects can cause conjunctivitis, stomatitis, gastroenteritis, rhinitis, vaginitis, abdominal pain, dysentery and other diseases. At this time, antibiotics should be injected in time for symptomatic treatment, so it should be avoided to feed rabbits with vegetables that have been attacked by insects.