Rabbits Coprophagy | Why Rabbits Eat Their Own Poop?

Rabbits Coprophagy is the consumption of feces by animals. Many species practice coprophagy as a matter of course. Other species do not normally consume feces but can do it under unusual conditions. In coprophagy, many kinds of feces eating are included.

The animals eating feces of other species are called heterospecifics. While eating feces of animals of the same species is known as coprophagy, animals eating species of its own is known as autocoprophagy. The feces are eaten after deposition or directly from the anus. Here you will find information on coprophagy in rabbits.

Rabbits Coprophagy

Rabbits do not have a complex ruminant digestive system. They extract excess amounts of nutrition from grass by giving their food a second pass through the gut. Soft fecal pellets or partially digested food are excreted and consumed immediately; this is known as coprophagy in rabbits. Consuming this matter is important for the adequate nutritional intake of vitamin B12.

Rabbits are herbivores animals, meaning they eat only vegetarian food. They do well on high fiber diets. Rabbits possess a cecum, which is involved in digestion. During the night, the cecal contents move rapidly through the large bowel. These contents are excreted from the anus. These cecotropes are known as soft feces. These soft feces are then consumed by the rabbit, usually directly from the anus. rabbits Coprophagy in begins from the second to the third week of age.

The normal healthy rabbit forms two kinds of fecal pellets. On a dry matter basis, the chordophones contain 3 times as much crude protein as do the normal pellets, but only a third of the fiber. In addition, the coronarius pellets contain considerable amounts of Complex vitamins.

There is little doubt, therefore, that part at least of the explanation of this process lies in the increased efficiency of digestion and the production of some at least of the animal’s vitamin requirements. It should again perhaps be stressed that the habit is perfectly normal, and indeed can be observed at many periods of the day.

Normal fecal pellets are hard, round and are excreted during the day. The cecotropes are produced in the early morning hours. These rabbits cecotropes are small and soft. They are sweet-smelling and are of pea-size. They contain a high level of B vitamins and vitamins K. They possess twice the protein content and half the fiber of standard faced. It helps them to provide more essential nutrients and make them fit and healthy. The habit of coprophagy was first reported by Morot in 1882.

An experiment was conducted for the prevention of coprophagy in a rabbit. However, food intake had increased to a certain extent. This proved that coprophagy is essential in rabbits. rabbits Coprophagy is considered normal behavior.