Bran is often used for feeding farm animals, because with the low material costs of acquiring them they well saturate the wards. In fact, these are waste products of the milling industry, which are a hard shell of grains of crops such as barley, wheat, buckwheat, rye, etc. Can all this be introduced into the diet of rabbits, and what standards should be followed - read the article.
Can rabbits give bran
Some breeders advise not to use bran for regular feeding eared, or to introduce into the diet only a small amount. However, following certain rules of issue, such a product is not only possible, but also should be used when feeding, which is explained by the positive effect of all its species on the animal's body.
Rabbitheads advise you to consider all the details of feeding rabbits at home.
Wheat
The calorie content of this type of bran is 296 kcal per 100 g of product, which provides a feeling of satiety for a long time. In the composition of the product there is a huge amount of useful fiber, in addition to which are not less valuable phosphorus and vitamins of group B. This type of bran is used mainly for feeding fattening rabbits; it is not recommended to give it to young females to avoid obesity. 
The form of issue is the most diverse:
- as a standalone product;
- in combination with silage, pulp, pulp.
Important! When steaming the mash with bran, it is very important to follow the calculation of the required amount. After standing for a while, such food may deteriorate, and after eating, the eared ones will have problems with digestion.
Barley
The caloric content of barley bran is even higher than that of wheat, making up 337 kcal per 100 g. In the composition of the product there is also a large amount of cellulose easily soluble in the body - there is more of it here than in all other types of bran. Of course, to avoid obesity in pets, it is necessary to dose the amount of bran used, adding the product to the usual mash or mixing with succulent feeds. 
In addition to fiber, there is a considerable amount of manganese, zinc, cobalt, iron, as well as starch, which significantly affects the caloric content.
You will probably find it useful to know whether it is possible to give nettle rabbits, burdocks and wormwood, as well as what grass to feed the rabbits.
Rye
This option can be called a relatively dietary, since 100 g of rye bran accounts for only 200 kcal. However, rabbit breeders are advised to use it only in the absence of more nutritious species, and then in small quantities.
In combination with other foods, rye bran helps to prevent dysbiosis, liver problems and digestive disorders of the animal, while not allowing it to gain excessive weight. 
As part of the product there are such useful components:
- fiber (about 40%);
- mineral substances, in particular calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iodine, selenium and chromium;
- vitamins of group B, A and E;
- enzymes;
- fatty and organic acids, amino acids.
Did you know? Rabbits chew food so quickly that their jaws shrink twice a second.
Buckwheat
Another quite high-calorie product, because 100 g contains as much as 365 kcal. However, this does not mean that the animals will gain weight, because gluten is much less. At the same time, buckwheat husk contains a lot of fiber (34-48%), but the problem is that it is poorly digested, and rabbits may have problems with its digestibility. 
Of the positive characteristics is to highlight a large number of amino acids and protein, so in the absence of wheat and barley bran, you can enter into the diet a small amount of the product of this type.
We advise you to get acquainted with the list of plants that can not be fed rabbits.
All the above-mentioned types of bran play an important role in the general state of health of the animal, since with the correct calculation of the dosage and compliance with the standards of issue, the following results can be achieved:
- improve metabolic processes in the body;
- normalize the activity of the digestive, nervous, cardiovascular and muscular systems;
- improve the appearance of the skin and coat of rabbits, tissue regeneration;
- increase the protective functions of the body.
In addition, with regular use of a moderate amount of such a food additive, the likelihood of oncological problems in the intestine and colon decreases.Did you know? If the summer is too hot, a large offspring of rabbits can not wait. Often in such conditions, males lose their ability to fertilize females successfully, and it returns only with the onset of cold weather.
Feeding rules
In different periods of life, rabbits require different amounts of nutrients, so it is not surprising that there is no single rate of bran production. Consider intake doses for young animals, adults, pregnant and lactating females.
From what age can
There is no consensus on this score, but many farmers talk about the possibility of feeding the bran young, starting from the second month of life. Of course, we are not talking about large doses, but the same wheat product mixed with succulent feeds can be quite useful. 
How to give
As we have already mentioned, bran can be issued both as a separate form and as part of wet mash, the main thing is to monitor their freshness and timely consumption by animals. For example, in the winter, up to 50 g of various bran mixed with boiled potatoes or other mashes may be consumed per adult rabbit (the product is soaked in warm water before serving).
Important! Never feed poisonous grasses to rabbits: euphorbia, foxglove, hellebore, milestones poisonous, hemlock, autumn crocus. If you are not sure about the safety of a particular herb, it is better to consider it dangerous.
Small rabbits aged 1-3 months are given 15-25 g of feed, pregnant females 60 g, and lactating rabbits are brought up to 100 g per day.
It is strongly not recommended to exceed these values, because an excess of nutrients in the body can be no less dangerous than their lack.
Read also about what breeds of rabbits belong to the decorative, meat, fur and down.
Contraindications
In both humans and rabbits, the main contraindication to bran consumption is problems with the digestive system, in particular diarrhea. In addition, they are not recommended to give rabbits with a high content of salts in the body and gallbladder ailments. 
Long-term feeding of bran pet can also lead to a weakening of the digestive organs, so you should not give out this product continuously.
We advise you to find out what preferences rabbits have in terms of fluid selection.
What else can feed the rabbits
Rabbits are not too capricious animals, so there should be no problems with the selection of their diet. The basis of the eared menu is:
- Feed mixtures. The favorite products of rabbits from this group are oats, barley and corn, although they also rather willingly eat wheat and millet. Forage legumes and peas are used only for feeding adults, and then in crushed form, usually in combination with boiled potatoes and bran. Practically any compound feed mixtures are suitable for feeding rabbits, with the exception of products designed specifically for poultry. Compound feed quickly saturates the body and quenches the feeling of hunger, at the same time replenishing nutrient reserves.
- Succulent feed. Usually in the eared diet, such food is represented by potatoes and fodder beet, although they are often fed carrots. All these vegetables are very rich in vitamins and minerals, and can be eared both in raw and cooked form - however, the latter is more concerned with potatoes.
- Silage feed. The most popular variant of such feeds is a carrot-cabbage mixture from a feed cabbage and carrot tops in the 1: 1 ratio. The main thing is to chop the green mass well and carefully tamp it down when laying. If the harvesting is carried out correctly, the silage should have a fruit smell and a rich green color. Silage feed is a good way to somehow diversify the eared menu, especially in winter, when there are no fresh sources of vitamins.
- Roughage. These include hay, dry branches, hay flour and haylage. Often this food is very rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, but their quantity will depend on the correctness of the workpiece: it is desirable to dry the hay as soon as possible, placing it on the goats, pyramids or hangers. For example, 1 kg of clover hay will contain 35 mg of carotene, vitamin B1 - 2.5 mg, B2 - 19 mg, PP - 41 mg, while in poor meadow hay the amount of carotene will not exceed 8 mg, B1 - 1.1 mg, B2 - 9 mg, PP - 38 mg. In dry branches of deciduous trees, nutrients are smaller than those of hay, so their share in the diet should not exceed 30–40%.
- Food waste. With the help of leftovers from the home table, you can well fill the eared, replacing a significant proportion of the remaining feed. For these purposes, bread rinds, cereals, potato peels, and even the first courses are often used. With regard to the type of feed, the animals perfectly consume both raw and cooked or dried food; the main thing is that it should be without signs of souring and mold. If desired, compound feed can be added to liquid food residues. The frequency of delivery of food waste to rabbits should not exceed several times a week.
- Green feed (clover, alfalfa, sweet clover, peas, oats, rye, kale, dandelion, plantain, nettle, and even artificially sown herbs). All the nutrients and vitamins contained in them are absorbed in full, while improving digestive processes. In the summer, the grass is fed in almost unlimited quantities, often using vegetable waste in the diet (for example, beet and carrot tops). To avoid indigestion, the proportion of such food in the diet should not exceed 1/3 of the total amount of feed used.
As you can see, bran in the diet of rabbits can only be considered as an additional source of nutrients and, if necessary, they can easily be replaced with other types of food. In any case, the breeder is required to control the quality of all products, because only in this case it can be guaranteed that it is harmless to the health of the eared animals.
