Beans?

[sjlattimore88]

Is it ok to give your rabbits uncooked soaked in water to soften beans as a protien supplement if so what type of beans

 

[eco2pia]

I hope someone more knowlegeable will pipe up, but I seem to remember there is a problem with rabbits digesting beans. I know soybeanmeal is in pellets sometimes though I think. I suspect the fine grind and mixing with other ingredients is what makes the difference in that case.

 

[hoodat]

Is it ok to give your rabbits uncooked soaked in water to soften beans as a protien supplement if so what type of beans

If you mean dry beans absolutely not. Beans in the dry raw state are quite toxic and soaking them does not remove the toxicity.
Dry soy beans are also toxic.
Green beans are quite a good rabbit food in moderation and most rabbits eat them eagerly.

 

[MaggieJ]

Dry beans are not safe for rabbits. When you feed a green bean, most of what they get is pod, not bean, so that is acceptable in moderation, particularly if the bean is not developed. Soybeans in rabbit food are generally roasted (occasionally steamed) which does destroy the harmful component. Even then, soybeans should form only a small percentage of the feed as they are hard to digest.

What are you feeding, sjlattimore88, that you feel the need to boost the protein?

 

[sjlattimore88]

IIm using the, purina complete formula comes in a green bag

 

[MaggieJ]

If you are feeding a complete formula there is no need - and no benefit - to boosting the protein. Too much protein will make your rabbits fat and may result in kidney damage. Most "complete" feeds are between 16 and 18% protein... and that is plenty.

 

[hoodat]

I found something interesting in a University study (Sorry I lost track of the link).
It seems that excessive protein and calcium both can go into suspension in the urine inside the bladder, making bladder infections far more likely. In suspension they are an ideal environment for bacteria.

 

[sjlattimore88]

Wow ok thanks guys so all I need is to treat once in a while whit hay i dont need to give them hay every day right and other veggies

 

[MaggieJ]

Feeding style is a matter of personal preference. In theory, a "complete" pelleted feed is exactly that. The reason many of us supplement with hay and greens is not to boost protein, but to provide fibre (grass hay) or extra vitamins and interest (weeds etc.) We feel these things benefit our rabbits, but not everyone agrees and many feed only pellets and water.

Some of us have taken things a step further and feed our rabbits without pellets. This is not for the inexperienced. It takes a lot of time and effort to make it work well and you need plenty of land from which to gather greens. In winter it is even more of a challenge. When feeding without pellets, protein does become more of an issue. Most of us who do this use alfalfa hay to provide the backbone of the natural diet. We have a whole separate forum for discussing natural feeding, so you can turn to it for more information.

 

[sjlattimore88]

Ook thank you

 

[hoodat]

Your rabbits will let you know when they don't neeed the pellets. They'll just lay off them. I always keep a few available but my rabbits hardly touch them.