Direct-fed microbials (probiotics) are dietary supplements that contain live bacteria, which aim to increase the populations of good bacteria in the intestinal tract of the animal. Direct-fed microbials are beneficial in that they have competitive exclusion properties — “good” bacteria compete with “bad” bacteria for binding sites and nutrients in the gut, theoretically always keeping the balance in favor of the beneficial bacteria. Many probiotic species are also capable of secreting substances that are harmful to many pathogenic bacteria and/or altering the environment in such a way that the pathogenic bacteria are unable to survive. Direct-fed microbials are great additions to a daily diet, but are especially helpful early in an animal’s life, during times of stress, and following any medical treatments.

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Not too many people raise rabbits for meat, and it’s sort of a shame. There are many upsides to raising rabbits, and one of our favorites is certainly the nutritional benefits. Better than beef and better than chicken in many ways, rabbit is both nutritious and delicious. Lots of people overlook the upsides of eating rabbit because there is stigma around the animal; many people keep them as pets. This, however, doesn’t change the fact that they are easy to raise and harvest ethically.

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