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Ash
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Ash leaves are suitable for feeding to rabbits as part of a mixture of plants. Young shoots (as in picture) are palatable.
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FORAGING
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FAVOURITE PLANTS TO LOOK FOR
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Almost empty bowl
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This bowl shows the components of muesli mixes that rabbits seldom eat. Close inspection shows that pellets, whole grains, and husks are left behind. Most owners discard this food and replenish the bowl, so the rabbit never eats pellets and whole grains. The pellets often contain the vitamin and mineral supplement that is used to balance out the deficiencies (calcium, vitamins A and D) in other ingredients in the mixture. The husks of the grains contribute to the fibre content. Rejecting these food items mean that the rabbit is eating an unbalanced, fibre deficient diet despite the analysis on the side of the packet.
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COMMERCIAL DIETS
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MUESLI MIXES
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Nuggets
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'Nuggets' is the name that some manufacturers give to uniform pieces of extruded rabbit food. Food extrusion is a manufacturing technique during which a mixture of ingredients is pushed through a die and cooked to produce pieces that store well.
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DIET
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COMMERCIAL DIETS
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Extrusions
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Like nuggets, 'extrusions' are a cooked mixture of ingredients. The ingredients and analysis of these vary between brands of muesli mix. The pieces can be different sizes and shapes because the mixture is squeezed through a special die. Some companies add food colourings, so the pieces are brightly coloured, which may increase the visual appeal of the mix to owners but will make little difference to the rabbit.
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COMMERCIAL DIETS
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MUESLI MIXES
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Pellets
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Most muesli mixes contain pellets. These are composed of ingredients that have been ground down and compressed. Like extrusions, the exact composition of the pellets in muesli mixes is not given although the ingredients and analysis of the whole muesli mix is stated. The pellets are often a variety of sizes and colours. Pellets are cheaper to produce than extrusions. A vitamin and mineral supplement is necessary for muesli mixes in order to balance out the deficiencies in the ingredients. As the supplement is a powder, it may be incorporated into the pellets because vitamins in extrusions can be denatured by the cooking process. The pellets are the least palatable part of the mixture and are often left with whole grains in the bottom of the bowl, complete with the vitamin and mineral supplement that the pellets contain.
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COMMERCIAL DIETS
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MUESLI MIXES
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Puffed wheat
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This component of one brand of muesli mix looks like (and probably is) breakfast cereal.
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COMMERCIAL DIETS
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MUESLI MIXES
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Locust bean seeds
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The seeds that are inside locust bean pods are dry and hard. They can be large enough to obstruct the small intestine of any rabbit that swallows them, sometimes with fatal consequences. Although the seeds should not be in muesli mixes, they can make their way into the mixes if they are still in pieces of locust bean pods.
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COMMERCIAL DIETS
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MUESLI MIXES
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Locust beans
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Locust beans are the pods of the Mediterranean carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). The pod is several inches long, hard, and dry and contains several seeds that are used in the food industry. Crushed pieces of the pod used to be a common component of muesli mixes, but the seeds sometimes made their way into the mixture as well. The leading manufacturers of muesli mixes withdrew locust beans from their mixtures as the result of several fatalities in rabbits that swallowed the seeds and died from intestinal obstruction. Ground pods are included in some pellets and nuggets.
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COMMERCIAL DIETS
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MUESLI MIXES
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Locust bean pieces
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Locust beans are the pods of the Mediterranean carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). The pods are hard, fibrous, and taste sweet with a chocolate flavour. They are palatable for rabbits and pieces of crushed pods are sometimes used in muesli mixtures. The pods are not harmful, but their seeds might be as they can be the right size to cause a fatal intestinal obstruction.
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COMMERCIAL DIETS
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MUESLI MIXES
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Dried carrot
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Dried pieces of carrot can be found in some brands of muesli mix. It is hard to understand why it is preferable to give rabbits dried carrot when fresh carrot is cheap and widely available. Some people worry that the sugar content of carrots may cause digestive upsets. This does not happen although carrots are low in calcium and high in soluble fibre so they are fattening.
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COMMERCIAL DIETS
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MUESLI MIXES