值得參考的一篇文章,分類介紹了兔子對不同營養的消化利用生理,請讀者仔細查閱,這里列出幾條關鍵詞句:
When compared with other herbivores,actual fiber digestion capability for rabbits is relatively low (14% for alfalfa hay in rabbits compared with 44% in cattle, 41% in horses, and 22% in hogs) (McNitt et al., 1996).
In rabbits, dietary fiber has a critical role in maintaining gut health, stimulating gut motility (insoluble fiber only), reducing fur chewing, and preventing enteritis (McNitt, et al., 1996; Brooks, 1997).
對兔子而言,纖維應用的典型原則是保持腸道健康,刺激腸道蠕動(只有不溶性纖維才具有這個功能),減少食毛癥(這里提一句:肉雞的啄羽情況也類似于和纖維的缺乏有關), 和防止腸炎.
Gut microflora of rabbits are sensitive to most antibiotics (McNitt et al., 1996). If antibiotics are fed, the microbe
population is altered, favoring E. coli and Clostridia organisms that produce toxins harming the gut lining,
causing diarrhea and enterotoxemia (Cheeke, 1994;Stein and Walshaw, 1996; Brooks, 1997).
維持兔子的腸道微生物區系平衡很重要,微生物區系很敏感,如果飼喂抗生素,將打破有益菌的區系平衡,幫助大腸桿菌和梭菌分泌毒素,破壞腸道,造成腹瀉,腸毒血癥.(唉~不只是兔子了,濫用抗生素的后果,繼發問題一堆)
Care should be taken when feeding high levels of dietary protein because excess protein may increase cecal ammonia levels, causing an increase in cecal pH (Cheeke, 1994). This rise in pH may allow pathogens to flourish and may increase the potential for enteritis.
蛋白部分,前文提及兔子不能使用菌體蛋白,但能很好的使用如苜蓿草粗料蛋白 ,比豬用的好,同時盲腸的微生物也能利用少量的尿素,但若過量產生的氨會有毒副作用, 這里說:使用高水平蛋白原料需要慎重,因為過量的蛋白會增加盲腸的氨含量,提高PH,為致病菌的抬頭創造條件.
because rabbits prefer not to eat the fines. If an animal does eat too many fines or if the particle size is too small, there will be an increase in retention time in the gut, reduced gut motility, and enteritis. Large indigestible fiber particles are needed for normal cecal-colonic motility (Cheeke,1994)
兔子飼料不宜過于精細,太精細,太小的營養顆粒,將減少腸道蠕動,同時引起腸炎,對此,大的難消化的纖維對于兔子腸道蠕動功能是必須的.