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Author: C King
Rabbits enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables and ideally they
should be fed as part of a balanced diet.
The mainstay of a rabbit's diet should be large unlimited
amounts of fresh hay (preferable Timothy or Meadow Hay) with
ad lib clean water available. Large amounts of grass, if available,
provide good
balanced nutrients for your rabbit. Rabbits, like humans are
individuals and as such some may be unable to tolerate certain
foods.
When introducing any new food, always do so slowly to avoid
digestive upsets. We also recommend you introduce one new
food at a time, so if it does upset the rabbit it can be removed
from the diet. Only give a small amount and wait for 24 hours,
if it isn't well tolerated (i.e. soft stools are produced)
withdraw it and try with something else after everything has
settled back to normal. Allow 5-7 days before making any other
additions.
The exact quantities given often depend upon the rabbit,
so you may need to test your buns individual limits, as a
rule an average 2.5kg rabbit should get 1.5-2.5 cups of fresh
vegetables per day.
The following list is divided into sub-sections of vegetables,
herbs, fruits and wild garden herbs/flowers that are deemed
safe to feed rabbits, but this list is not a conclusive list
and other fresh foods may also be suitable to feed to rabbits:
Vegetables: Artichoke leaves Asparagus Baby Sweetcorns (but
not full size ones) Beetroot (care with leafy tops as high
levels of oxalic acid) Broccoli (and its leaves, including
purple sprouting varieties) Brussel Sprouts (leaves and sprouts)
Cabbage (can sometimes cause digestive upsets) Carrots (and
carrot tops) - the roots should be limited as they are high
in sugars Cauliflower (and the leaves) Celeriac Celery (and
its leaves) Chicory Courgette (and flowers) Cucumber Curly
Kale
Fennel Green beans Kohl rabi Parsnip Peas (including the leaves
and pods) Peppers (red, green and yellow) Pumpkin Radish Tops
Rocket Romaine lettuce (not Iceberg or light coloured leaf)
Spinach (only occasional) Spring Greens Squash (e.g. Butternut)
Swede Turnip (only occasional) Watercress Herbs (often powerful
tastes so may take some getting used to): Basil Coriander
Dill
Mint (peppermint) Parsley Oregano Rosemary Sage Thyme
Fruits (should be fed in moderation, due to sugar content
- up to 2 tablespoons worth per day): Apple Apricot Banana
(high in potassium) Blackberries (and leaves - excellent astringent
properties) Blueberries Cherries Grapes Kiwi Fruit Mango Melon
Nectarines Oranges (not the peel) Papaya Peaches Pears Pineapple
Plums Raspberries (and leaves - excellent astringent properties)
Strawberries (and leaves) Tomatoes (not the leaves)
Wild Garden Herbs/Weeds/Flowers: Borage Calendula Camomile
Chickweed (astringent) Clover (leaves and flowers) Coltsfoot
Comfrey Dandelion (diuretic properties) Goosegrass (cleavers)
but may stick to coat! Lavender Mallow Nettle Nasturtium (leaves
and flowers) Shepherd's purse Sow Thistle Plantain Yarrow
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About the author:
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