目前，国内饲养方式，在被极度的扭曲与误导：
Alfalfa苜蓿草，像其他豆科植物一样，富含大量的蛋白质、钙质，蕴藏着大量的能量；
Timothy提摩西，则是相反，富含大量纤维素、低蛋白、低钙质；拥有维持生存运动的足够的能量；
在国外网站，知名品牌的咨询中，有如下一段文章，很鲜明的将Alfalfa苜蓿草与Timothy提摩西作为比对：
Alfalfa vs. Timothy
Alfalfa Hay is a high-fiber legume hay with the same long-strand fiber found in grass hays, but with more protein, energy and calcium. This hay is perfect for young or lactating animals that need concentrated nutrition. The succulent taste stimulates the appetite of ill or post-surgical animals. Once an animal reaches adulthood or completes recovery, this nutritious forage should be replaced with a grass hay. Alfalfa Hay, mixed with any other Oxbow grass hay, creates a rich, flavorful and nutritious treat.
Western Timothy Hay is the ideal long-strand fiber source for keeping small animal digestive tracts functioning properly. With high fiber, low protein and low calcium content- timothy is widely recommended by veterinarians. Oxbow Animal Health was the first pet food company to introduce timothy hay as a staple in the small animal diet. It is now an industry standard.
原文网址：www.oxbowhay.com/link.sp?page=academy_article&id=40773
从这样的比对，不难看出，目前国内以苜蓿草作为主粮牧草，是极其扭曲与误导的产物。
而Oxbow在另外一篇文章中，特意的指出牧草与草食性动物的关系，其文以兔子为代表，但并不特指兔子。
A Picky Bunny is a Smart One
Learn about the most important keys to caring for a healthy rabbit.
Rabbits and other selective browsers are smarter than you think. There is good reason why they delightfully eat the soft supple Oxbow Timothy leaves from the hay, and wait for the stems to go out with the rubbish. Likewise, why do we buy a whole head of broccoli, and place only the top quarter in the casserole? Because not all plant parts are created equal. People and pets know which foods, and which parts of foods, are the most quickly satisfying – those which are the most calorie dense. It would take a bowl full of popcorn, and a lot of time chewing, to receive the same initial caloric reward with a few spoonfuls of ice cream. Food is merely nature’s way of packaging energy for us. Mammals, including us, are pre-wired to prepare for times of feast and famine, and to seek foods which are the least amount of work for the greatest amount of potential energy. As all plant parts are not created equal, your rabbit, too, seeks to eat the most energy-dense foods. If you were to put a bowl full of seeds next to a handful of hay, any smart rabbit would scurry for the high-fat meal.
For these reasons, rabbit owners must make healthy decisions for their pet. Hay is given for its high-fiber, low-protein content. As fiber yields the least amount of calories, it adds bulk and mastication time to the meal. Rabbits that are fed a limited amount of pellets feed on proper amounts of hay, which serves a multitude of purposes. Grass hay keeps the stomach constantly full and moving, and supplies some energy throughout the day. Grinding the hay also properly maintains rabbit teeth, which continuously grow and can easily become problematic during the adult years. Unlike carbohydrates, hay is fermented in the hind-gut of rabbits. High-fiber forage helps maintain the intestinal balance, preventing digestive problems common among small herbivores.
Alfalfa苜蓿草，像其他豆科植物一样，富含大量的蛋白质、钙质，蕴藏着大量的能量；
Timothy提摩西，则是相反，富含大量纤维素、低蛋白、低钙质；拥有维持生存运动的足够的能量；
在国外网站，知名品牌的咨询中，有如下一段文章，很鲜明的将Alfalfa苜蓿草与Timothy提摩西作为比对：
Alfalfa vs. Timothy
Alfalfa Hay is a high-fiber legume hay with the same long-strand fiber found in grass hays, but with more protein, energy and calcium. This hay is perfect for young or lactating animals that need concentrated nutrition. The succulent taste stimulates the appetite of ill or post-surgical animals. Once an animal reaches adulthood or completes recovery, this nutritious forage should be replaced with a grass hay. Alfalfa Hay, mixed with any other Oxbow grass hay, creates a rich, flavorful and nutritious treat.
Western Timothy Hay is the ideal long-strand fiber source for keeping small animal digestive tracts functioning properly. With high fiber, low protein and low calcium content- timothy is widely recommended by veterinarians. Oxbow Animal Health was the first pet food company to introduce timothy hay as a staple in the small animal diet. It is now an industry standard.
原文网址：www.oxbowhay.com/link.sp?page=academy_article&id=40773
从这样的比对，不难看出，目前国内以苜蓿草作为主粮牧草，是极其扭曲与误导的产物。
而Oxbow在另外一篇文章中，特意的指出牧草与草食性动物的关系，其文以兔子为代表，但并不特指兔子。
A Picky Bunny is a Smart One
Learn about the most important keys to caring for a healthy rabbit.
Rabbits and other selective browsers are smarter than you think. There is good reason why they delightfully eat the soft supple Oxbow Timothy leaves from the hay, and wait for the stems to go out with the rubbish. Likewise, why do we buy a whole head of broccoli, and place only the top quarter in the casserole? Because not all plant parts are created equal. People and pets know which foods, and which parts of foods, are the most quickly satisfying – those which are the most calorie dense. It would take a bowl full of popcorn, and a lot of time chewing, to receive the same initial caloric reward with a few spoonfuls of ice cream. Food is merely nature’s way of packaging energy for us. Mammals, including us, are pre-wired to prepare for times of feast and famine, and to seek foods which are the least amount of work for the greatest amount of potential energy. As all plant parts are not created equal, your rabbit, too, seeks to eat the most energy-dense foods. If you were to put a bowl full of seeds next to a handful of hay, any smart rabbit would scurry for the high-fat meal.
For these reasons, rabbit owners must make healthy decisions for their pet. Hay is given for its high-fiber, low-protein content. As fiber yields the least amount of calories, it adds bulk and mastication time to the meal. Rabbits that are fed a limited amount of pellets feed on proper amounts of hay, which serves a multitude of purposes. Grass hay keeps the stomach constantly full and moving, and supplies some energy throughout the day. Grinding the hay also properly maintains rabbit teeth, which continuously grow and can easily become problematic during the adult years. Unlike carbohydrates, hay is fermented in the hind-gut of rabbits. High-fiber forage helps maintain the intestinal balance, preventing digestive problems common among small herbivores.
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