In modern agriculture, household farms oriented to raising rabbits are becoming more and more popular. Not less often in recent times you can see these animals in the role of pets.
In this article we will talk in detail about whether a variety of seeds can be used to form their diets, as well as their potential harm to the body of these animals.
Is it possible to give rabbits seeds
According to the studies of modern zoologists, as well as the experience of many farmers and owners of ornamental rabbits, various seeds can be easily included in the diet of these furry animals. However, it must be remembered that many dwarf breeds can tolerate such a product rather poorly, due to the tender and imperfect digestive system.
Did you know? Rabbits are great jumpers. The height of the most impressive jump made by this animal and recorded with this man was about three meters.An important aspect of the inclusion in the diet of a product such as seeds is also the degree and availability of their preliminary heat treatment. In the event that you give your pets roasted sunflower seeds, the potential harm from their use in the long term can significantly exceed the immediate benefit. This also applies to the salty subspecies of this food. More details about these aspects you can read below.
Sunflower
Sunflower seeds are a source of large amounts of fatty acids, cholesterol and fats. Each of these components is vital for the normal functioning of the lipid metabolism of any living organism. However, in the event that the amount of any of these components in the blood of an animal rises, this can lead to a variety of negative consequences.
Important! Remember that any day menu, absolutely for any animal, must contain a balanced amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, otherwise it will not be able to develop normally.
For example, too much cholesterol in the blood is a direct cause of the development of a variety of atherosclerotic vascular lesions, including strokes and heart attacks. A glut of blood with fatty acids and fats negatively affects lipid metabolism, which leads to disruption of the synthesis of various hormones and other biologically active substances that play a crucial role in the normal functioning of rabbit organisms. 
In connection with all the above, a rational conclusion suggests itself that sunflower seeds should be given to rabbits in strictly limited quantities. It is important to correctly calculate the need for your wards in fats, and already based on it - to calculate the number of possible to one-time use eared sunflower seeds. It must be said that the taste of this delicacy was always quite warmly perceived by rabbits, so you will not have to force them to eat the seeds.
Pumpkins
Pumpkin seeds are, first of all, a natural detoxification product, with which you can very actively cleanse the liver and intestines from various toxins. Like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds also carry a fairly good charge of various substances of a greasy nature, but their number is significantly smaller compared to the first one. That is why it is more difficult for them to harm the body of an animal.
Did you know? The maximum length of a rabbit's ears, ever recorded by a man, was about 80 cm.
Pumpkin seeds very well help to cure obesity in domestic rabbits, who lead a sedentary lifestyle. This usually applies to decorative pets with a rather phlegmatic character, such as the Angora rabbits or the germelins. Moderate portions of fat contained in these seeds, affect the organisms of these animals invigorating and toning. 
It is also important to note the excellent antihelminthic (antiparasitic) properties of these seeds, which are largely due to the presence of a specific biologically active substance in their composition - cucurbitin. With its help, this product is able to have the most effective effect on virtually any type of intestinal parasites, including chain beads, ascaris, pinworms and hookworm.
Roasted pumpkin seeds are far less dangerous and harmful than sunflower. Nevertheless, many experienced farmers and owners of indoor rabbits do not recommend roasting pumpkin seeds with which you will feed your pets, since this greatly reduces the effectiveness of their antiparasitic action and rather significantly reduces the amount of various nutrients contained in them.
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Feeding rules
Introduction to the diet of the animal of any new dish or even part of the usual food requires a very careful host attitude and willingness to act with the slightest sign of incorrectness of the situation.
It is important to see and feel the changes in the behavior of their wards and to interpret them correctly in order to understand exactly how well the new variety of their menu fit your rabbits. Below we have collected the most important aspects concerning the introduction of a product such as seeds into the rabbit's diet. 
From what age can
In fact, feeding the rabbits with the help of seeds is better to start as early as possible, especially if in the future you intend to give them this product for food on an ongoing basis.
This is necessary so that they become accustomed to a new taste for themselves since childhood, and also learn how to properly gnaw their skin. It will also increase the chances that their gentle digestive tracts will, from the very beginning, take in a new kind of food.
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All recommendations of this section, first of all, relate to pumpkin seeds, since sunflower seeds are already very popular with rabbits. If young rabbits refuse to eat seeds, placed in a common feeder as part of the usual feed, then you can cheat a little by hiding the seeds in some wet, green and finely chopped feed.
It is necessary to understand that during the period of dairy feeding of young stock by the female, the process of training it to seeds is impossible for technical reasons. It is necessary to start the introduction of seeds into the diet immediately after weaning the young from the female and start feeding them with a variety of feed. The optimal time for the start of this process is considered to be the age of the little rabbits at two months. 
How to give
Rabbits are traditionally fed three times a day, while morning and evening feeds are usually carried out using a variety of compound feeds - the so-called dry type, and lunchtime meals - according to the mixed type, when a semi-liquid mixture of various components or a juicy green food is fed into the feeder.
Seeds are recommended to be given as part of feedings according to the dry type, since it is in this form that they are absorbed in the best possible way and the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract is the least irritating.
Important! You can not put the feeder, completely clogged with seeds only - pets will inevitably move them, which will almost certainly cause health problems, and, possibly, even death.The number of seeds required for each rabbit is purely individual and depends on many factors, for example, the age of the animal, its metabolic rate and the current blood lipid spectrum.
It is recommended not to fill in the feed more than 5-7% of sunflower seeds of the total weight of the entire daily portion of feed. At the same time try to ensure that your pets always have a balanced diet and do not lean excessively only on any one component of the feed.
It is extremely important for rabbits, whose menu contains a variety of seeds, to provide them with the necessary amount of cool, fresh water. Seeds have a rather specific effect on the oral mucosa of animals, causing it to dry and wrinkle, which in the absence of water can lead to a variety of injuries in the palate and gums.
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Contraindications and harm
Among the most common contraindications to the use of seeds in the first place are a variety of allergic reactions and inadequate reactions of the immediate type.
If you suddenly saw that after eating the seeds of your rabbit, foam started to go out of your mouth, it became difficult for him to breathe (he coughed, began to sneeze, wheeze, etc.) or massive edemas appeared on his body - then sunflower seeds are contraindicated.
In general, it is quite difficult to identify common groups of contraindications for all types of seeds. For example, a contraindication to the use of sunflower seeds is an obesity animal, whereas for pumpkin seeds is, on the contrary, an indication. 
Sunflower can also not be eaten in rabbits whose age has jumped over 5-7 years old, who have been ill with atherosclerosis or have / had high cholesterol.
Pumpkin kernels are not recommended for those rabbits that have digestive disorders, have recently suffered acute infectious diseases, as well as during the developed clinical picture of any disease.
Pumpkin seeds are also not worth eating to those furry animals that have problems with the work of the sense organs: hearing, sight and smell, as this can negatively affect them.
Important! If any of the symptoms mentioned in this section occurs, we recommend immediately contacting a professional veterinarian for help.Among other possible harm from eating seeds, one should also expect the development of appendicitis, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea (roasted sunflower), constipation (pumpkin), vomiting, various changes in the lipid spectrum of the blood, obesity (sunflower), loss of hair and claws, the appearance of irritations on the skin.
What else can feed the rabbits
These fluffies are extremely unpretentious in the diet and can often eat almost everything that you put in their feeders. Here is a small list of products that are suitable for use as indoor and decorative animals, and those who live in farm conditions:
- juicy food: silage, melons, carrots, potatoes, turnips, turnips, beets, cabbage;
- roughage: hay from a variety of cereals and legumes, straw, twigs and needles of various conifers, birch bark;
- green food: field dandelions, young nettle, alfalfa, knotweed, shcheritsa;
- concentrated feed: crushed and moistened corn grain, oats, various legumes, oilcake (not sunflower), various feed (except for those intended for birds);
- animal feed: bone meal, fish oil, skimmed milk, whey, buttermilk;
- human food waste: dry bread (not just moldy), pasta, remnants of cereals and soups, peeling and rind of potatoes (only not green).
Learn how to feed the rabbits, how to feed the rabbits with granulated food, branch feed, what additives should be given to rabbits, what vitamins are necessary for rabbits.So, we hope that this article has answered all your questions regarding the use of rabbit seeds in food. Watch carefully for your wards and, most likely, you yourself will eventually understand whether they need the introduction of such an additive, and if you have already introduced it into the diet, how useful and tasty it turned out to be for them.
Can rabbits seeds: video
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