UN SDG
Livestock Studies 1986, Vol 26, Num, 1-4     (Pages: 033-041)
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Rabbit Nutrition

Sabiha ÜNAL 1

1 Dr. Vet. Hek. Lalahan Zootekni Araştırma Enstitüsü - Rabbit are herbivourous animals and hava a caecum which is more important for them than is the stomach. The rabbit's caecum vesembles the livestock's rumen as to the function, of digestion. Feed which stays in caecum for a long time are covered with a mucons membrane. These soft faeces are then smallowed by the other rabbits (coprophagie). These faeces have a high nutritional value. Faeces which are ingested by other rabbits pass directly thourgh the lange intestine become solid and are excreted to the ontside.

In a presions study about rabbits coprophagia, concentrate soft pellets enriched with vitamin B were ted avernight.

Under these conditions, rabbits ate only the soft pellets not feaces. The ration for pregnant rabbits should contain 15 -20 % crude protein. Rabbits milk has a high nutritional value which is 3 times more than that of cows milk. In rabbits breeding if a diet containing 18 -22 % crude protein is used optimal results are obtainet. It is essential the food container should have a minimum of 2-3 days food reguirement for breeding rabbits. Keywords :