Natural Feed

This page is a work in progress. I am searching for whole food items to feed my buns other than garden scraps. To start my information gathering I have visited a very interesting thread on the homesteadingtoday.com forum.

Disclaimer "I will in no way be responsible for any negative results from feeding your rabbit the items on this list. Each individual needs to familiarize himself with a plant before feeding it to rabbits."

"All plants should be fed fresh or thoroughly dried – never in a wilted or frosted state. This list is by no means complete, but I hope it will serve as a draft for discussion and a useful resource for those who prefer to feed their rabbits as naturally as possible. "

Alfalfa - "Alfalfa has the root nodules common to many legumes, allowing it to fix nitrogen in the soil. This makes it a high-protein feed. It's also high in calcium, making it an excellent feed for nursing moms and growing kits. It can be used as pasture, and I do feed alfalfa fresh to my rabbits, but in fairly small quantities. They are still getting pellets. Too much fresh alfalfa has been known to cause bloat in ruminants, so I've been a little cautious about it with the rabbits. They do get some alfalfa hay, also, and really appreciate it both fresh and as hay. Since the main ingredient in rabbit pellets is usually alfalfa, there shouldn't be any down-side to feeding them alfalfa hay!"

Apple - (Malus domestica) Leaves, branches, fruit, exc. seeds

Basil - (Ocimum basilicum) Above ground parts

Blackberries and Raspberries - "Both raspberry and blackberry leaves are high in tannins which can relieve acute diarrhea. This makes them an excellent choice for any rabbit new to greens or with digestive upset. I have personally fed blackberry leaves to my 3 week old kits with no ill effects. Another benefit to raspberry leaves is they are known for their reproductive benefits. Raspberry leaves are believed to strengthen the uterus and thereby to help ease labor. They also support lactation. Raspberry leaves have an extremely high calcium level and a very high Ca:P ratio. Raspberry leaves also contain high levels of vitamins A and C. Most forages contain manganese but raspberry leaves contain more manganese than any other herb at 14.6mg per 100gm dried herb. Manganese deficiency can lead to bone abnormalities and retarded growth because manganese is required for the formation of the mucopolysacchride which forms the organic matrix of bone."

Borage - (Borago officinalis) Above ground parts

Cat-tail - (Typha latifolia) Leaf stalks

Chickweed - (Stellaria media) Above ground parts

Chicory - (Cichorium intybus) "Contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, vitamins A and C, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. With that long taproot growing down into the subsoil, it probably brings up a lot of other unnamed elements in trace amounts. The root of Chicory contains volatile oils which are effective at eliminating internal parasites in all animals. The oils are present in all parts of the plant but the roots have the highest concentration. Chicory can also be planted as a forage crop and if managed properly its leafy growth is as nutritious as Alfalfa and is highly palatable to all livestock."

Clover, red - (Trifolium pretense) Above ground parts

Clover, white - (Trifolium repens) Above ground parts

Comfrey, common - (Symphytum officinale) Leaves, best dried

Dandelion - (Taraxacum officinale) Above ground parts. Images available here.

Grape - (Vitus labrusca) Leaves and vines

Green Amaranth - (Amaranthus hybridus) Above ground parts

Lamb’s-quarters - (Chenopodium album) Above ground parts.  Images available here.

Lemon balm - (Melissa officianalis) Above ground parts

Maple, silver - (Acer saccharinum) Leaves and branches

Maple, sugar - (Acer saccharum) Leaves and branches

Mint - (Mentha piperita) Above ground parts

Mulberry - "Rabbits eat leaves, bark, and tender twigs. Since this is my first season feeding Mulberry I have no information about the storage and use of dried leaves. The twigs and leaves I have used to date were produced in late spring and early summer. The leaves and young twigs were consumed quickly. Bark was eaten off larger branches by some of the rabbits but not all. Even young babies were fed Mulberry with no problems. Can be a valuable supplement for rabbits. A study was done in Nigeria comparing commercially prepared feeds compared to plain mulberry and diets supplemented with mulberry leaves. There was no loss of weight or growth reduction in rabbits with diets of up to 50% mulberry leaves. http://www.pjbs.org/pjnonline/fin312.pdf"

Pear - (Pyrus communis) Leaves, branches, fruit, exc. seeds

Pine Cones - Dried pine cones are good for chewing but have little food value. To kill bugs in them you can roast them at 200 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Plantain - (Plantago major) "Rabbits will eat plantain fresh and dried. I usually just brush or knock the dirt off the roots when feeding fresh. When drying the dirt should be washed off. Plantain can be harvested from the time it emerges in mid-spring until it goes dormant in late fall. Rabbits will eat the entire plant including roots and flower/seed stalks."

Poplar and Willow - (of all types) "... may be fed with confidence to rabbits as a good source of protein and other valuable nutrients. In addition to their nutritive qualities, there is considerable evidence that willow acts as a natural wormer and coccidiostat. Given the ease of propagation and the ubiquitous nature of these trees, establishment of a stand can only be a good thing for the smallholder and homesteader."

Purslane - (Portulaca oleracea) Above ground parts

Queen Anne's Lace (Dacus carota) - "The whole of this plant is edible to rabbits. My rabbits love to chow down on the stalks and will happily consume the small, wiry taproots as well just like a normal carrot. They are edible to people as well, but are very woody in the root. This woodiness will help keep your rabbit's teeth worn down. This plant bears a close resemblance to hemlock so be careful when harvesting it. The key features are a fuzzy stem and a very carroty smell from broken stems and roots. Poison hemlock has smooth stems, often with purple dots on them. The leaves are bitter and gross smelling, a bit like parsnips. THIS PLANT IS DEADLY AND WILL KILL ANY ANIMAL THAT EATS EVEN A LITTLE OF IT. It's death by paralysis of the lungs, an awful way to go! Be careful! The wild carrot, properly identified, is perfectly safe, the tops grow in huge abundance so the rabbits get more of the healthy carrot tops than the relatively sugar-filled root. The nutritional value is very similar to the domestic carrot which was bred from these plants. I feed these to all my rabbits frequently and they love them. Just a note that the seeds of Queen Anne's lace have contraceptive and medicinal properties and I recommend cutting off any flower heads that have turned to the "bird's nest" shape as they set seed." Images available here.

Raspberry - (Rubus strigosus) Above ground parts

Redroot pigweed - (Amaranthus retroflexus) Above ground parts

"Members of the Rosaceae family are safe: rose leaves and flowers, apples branches, leaves and fruit, ditto pear. The seeds of apple and perhaps pear are considered toxic, but the amounts needed to cause a problem far exceed what a rabbit would normally be given. Cutting the apple "around the equator" makes it easy to knock out the seeds."

Round-leafed mallow - (Malva rotundifolia) Above ground parts

Shepherd’s purse - (Capsella bursta-pastoris) Above ground parts

Sow Thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) - Flowers like a dandelion. Do not confuse with poisonous Groundsel. "All varieties of sow thistle are among the best and safest green feed you can give your rabbits: very nutritious and without the concerns that accompany alfalfa." Images available here.

Sprouts - Red Wheat, Barley, Clover, Alfalfa and Black Oil Sunflower Seeds have all been found to be good as sprouted fodder for feeding adult rabbits. Make sure and feed with plenty of hay. Some believe that fodder can replace dry pellets.

Squash - Leaves of summer and winter squash have been found to be ok for consumption by rabbits as well as people. They can also be dried and used for winter feed.

Strawberry - (Fragaria vesca) Above ground parts

Sunflower - (Helianthus annuus) Above ground parts

Sycamore Tree (Platanus occidentalis) - "I have been feeding sycamore to my rabbits for 11 years. Green leaves are trimmed as the branches droop down into our way and given to the rabbits. Both leaves and green twigs are eaten. Bark is eaten off large mature branches. Green leaves that drop through the late summer and early fall are fed immediately. We gather the large pieces of shed bark for our rabbits. They can be stored in feed sacks for winter use as a hay substitute. A shed full of rabbits crunching on dry bark sounds quite similar to a group of teenagers eating potato chips. The dried autumn leaves are a feed that is a bit more difficult to store. The leaves usually come down with heavy rains and their large size makes them hard to dry. If you can dry the leaves thoroughly they can be stored and fed all winter and into early spring when other green foods become available. Do not store the leaves in plastic bags. Large open bins, paper bags, cloth bags, and unused wire cages are the best storage containers."

Willow - (Salix nigra) Leaves and branches

Yarrow - (Achillea millefolium) Above ground parts