Fresh Foods For House Rabbits

In the interest of finding enough fresh green foods for our bunny friends, we've been researching what local & wild plants are good for bunnies and luckily there is a wealth of information on the web.

Check out this link from www.wisconsinhrs.org to "Gardening for Bunnies" by Karla Ortman
"One thing I enjoyed most about the garden were the fresh and varied salads I picked each day for our bunnies, Speck and Gilligan. And they made it clear that eating the salad was even more wonderful! If you don’t already do some gardening for your rabbits, I hope this article will inspire you to give it a try."

Here is "Suggested Vegetables" from the House Rabbit Society.
"Select at least three kinds of vegetables daily. A variety is necessary in order to obtain the necessary nutrients, with one each day that contains Vitamin A, indicated by an *. Add one vegetable to the diet at a time. Eliminate if it causes soft stools or diarrhea.

Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts
Basil
Beet greens (tops)*
Bok choy
Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)*
Brussels sprouts
Carrot & carrot tops*
Celery
Cilantro
Clover
Collard greens*
Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)*
Endive*
Escarole
Green peppers
Kale (!)*
Mint
Mustard greens*
Parsley*
Pea pods (the flat edible kind)*
Peppermint leaves
Raddichio
Radish tops
Raspberry leaves
Romaine lettuce (no iceberg or light colored leaf)*
Spinach (!)*
Watercress*
Wheat grass

(!)=Use sparingly. High in either oxalates or goitrogens and may be toxic in accumulated quantities over a period of time."

More Helpful Rabbit Care Links:

"Please Don't Eat The Daisies!" by Carolina James, found on The Rabbit Charity website, gives lists of safe plants as well as ones to avoid.

And a partial list of Poisonous Plants, Compiled by the University of Illinois' College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, and posted on the website of the San Diego chapter of House Rabbit Society.

For more house rabbit references, see the "Rabbit Super-Hero Links" page of our website at www.RabbitHouses.net