What do your bunnies daily veggies look like?

[Bassetluv]

It's been a few years since I've had rabbits, but when I did, their main staple was hay (always have hay available, it assists in digestion as well as wearing down those notoriously fast-growing bunny teeth), followed up with a good quality pellet. For greens, they were treated as more of a 'side dish', if you will. Mine were fed mostly parsley, cilantro (blech, I hate cilantro!) and carrot tops, but also got to indulge in (limited quantities) of kale and romaine lettuce. A slice of carrot was a sweet treat, as were blueberries, strawberries, etc. Since I had an apple tree out back they also got to chew on apple tree branches from time to time.

But I wholeheartedly agree with whoever said to take it slow when introducing new foods; this is extremely important. Introduce one new item at a time, over the period of a week or so, in very small amounts. That way if the bunny cannot tolerate a specific food, you'll know which one it is. Yofi, for instance, couldn't handle anything with a high sugar content, other than in very small portions (he experienced GI stasis once on an overload of berries) so his fruit and berry intake was very limited. My other rabbit Anna, could handle a lot more than Yofi. Best thing is to test the bunny on a very gradual basis, and even then, high-sugar content foods such as fruits should still be limited. They might seem okay for a while, and then you've suddenly got a sick bunny on your hands.

 

[A & B]

I didn't even think to include photos!

This week their salads include romaine, red leaf, green leaf, spring mix (introduced last week and is one of my new favorites), cilantro, and bell pepper. I might take the bell peppers out though because they're high in sugar and my bunnies are a bit on the heavier side recently.

 

[Butterscotch]

I'm in the beginning stages of introducing veggies to my young bunnies and so far all they've tried is cilantro, romaine, and green leaf lettuce. Has anyone (or could anyone) make a list of veggies in order of best to worst? Worst as in feed sparingly - like kale - but still ok to feed.

Also @SableSteel, what brand of pellets do you feed? I feed Oxbow but I'm definitely open to finding something better, if it's out there.

 

[A & B]

@Butterscotch I have nothing better to do so I'm going to make you a list! I didn't include veggies I've never heard of but if you want a more extensive list do let me know. All veggies in the first part of the list are "best" but where I'm from, it's cheaper for a bundle of cilantro than is for something like mint.

Can be fed daily with no issues:
Cilantro
Romaine
Red/green leaf
Spring mix (without added spinach, some mixes include it)
Kale (some bunnies can be fed kale daily with no issues but some buns are the opposite. Kale upsets Bugs.)
Turnip greens
Dandelion greens
Mint
Basil
Chicory
Bok choy
Bell peppers (any color, high in sugar but adds a different taste that bunnies enjoy)


Should be fed every few days/sparingly:
Parsley (both kinds)
Spinach
Mustard greens
Swiss chard

Causes gas and/or may upset some bunnies:
Kale
Broccoli
Safe flowers
Celery

 

[SableSteel]

I'm in the beginning stages of introducing veggies to my young bunnies and so far all they've tried is cilantro, romaine, and green leaf lettuce. Has anyone (or could anyone) make a list of veggies in order of best to worst? Worst as in feed sparingly - like kale - but still ok to feed.

Also @SableSteel, what brand of pellets do you feed? I feed Oxbow but I'm definitely open to finding something better, if it's out there.

I feed Purina @Butterscotch
Honestly I would not entirely recommend it, though (I would still recommend it over Oxbow, imo, at least for intact rabbits. Neutered rabbits need less energy so Purina's 15-16% protein feeds are a bit high in energy for them. I don't keep neutered rabbits so I wouldn't know what pellet brand to recommend for those). The mill near me seems to be good (I'm in Arizona) but because it's such a widespread brand of feed the quality varies a lot from location to location and I've heard that it's not so great in other parts of the country. Because of this variation, talking to local people around you is really the best way to find a good, reliable pellet (which is even more important if it's a major part of their diet)

 

[Butterscotch]

I feed Purina @Butterscotch
Honestly I would not entirely recommend it, though (I would still recommend it over Oxbow, imo, at least for intact rabbits. Neutered rabbits need less energy so Purina's 15-16% protein feeds are a bit high in energy for them. I don't keep neutered rabbits so I wouldn't know what pellet brand to recommend for those). The mill near me seems to be good (I'm in Arizona) but because it's such a widespread brand of feed the quality varies a lot from location to location and I've heard that it's not so great in other parts of the country. Because of this variation, talking to local people around you is really the best way to find a good, reliable pellet (which is even more important if it's a major part of their diet)

Makes sense, thank you!

 

[Butterscotch]

@Butterscotch I have nothing better to do so I'm going to make you a list! I didn't include veggies I've never heard of but if you want a more extensive list do let me know. All veggies in the first part of the list are "best" but where I'm from, it's cheaper for a bundle of cilantro than is for something like mint.

Can be fed daily with no issues:
Cilantro
Romaine
Red/green leaf
Spring mix (without added spinach, some mixes include it)
Kale (some bunnies can be fed kale daily with no issues but some buns are the opposite. Kale upsets Bugs.)
Turnip greens
Dandelion greens
Mint
Basil
Chicory
Bok choy
Bell peppers (any color, high in sugar but adds a different taste that bunnies enjoy)


Should be fed every few days/sparingly:
Parsley (both kinds)
Spinach
Mustard greens
Swiss chard

Causes gas and/or may upset some bunnies:
Kale
Broccoli
Safe flowers
Celery

Perfect! That IS EXACTLY what my buns and I needed. Thank you!!! I'm so happy to see cilantro can be fed daily, it is Butterscotch's favorite and she comes running up to me when she thinks I have some. And it's so cheap. Thank you, Alyssa!!!