Why can't baby bunnies have veggies?

[1357bunnylover]

Ok, I have never given any of my bunnies veggies till at least 5 months old, I know your not supposed to give them veggies until 4-6 months old, but why is this? I ask, because I am on this rabbit page on Facebook and most of the people on it always disagree with me and say that from the first day baby bunnies eat solids they can have veggies, I always tell them they are not supposed to and they are like 'why?' And I don't really know why so I pretend I don't see there comment lol!

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Most babies are not exposed to veggies until they come to a new home. Babies are more sensitive to diet changes and new foods. Their GI tract is changing from being able to digest milk to only having solid foods. The added stress of moving to a new home, changing pellets and other things make it so that introducing veggies early on after getting a rabbit is not recommended.
Rabbits who have had access to veggies from a very early age can keep having them. If the mother has been fed veggies as well, that can be even better. If the babies have been eating veggies since they were a couple weeks old, their system is more adapted and used to eating them.

 

[tamsin]

Babies can have veggies but if a babies just left its mum, swapped home and you're not sure what foods they've previously been exposed to it's not a good idea to introduce them too quick. Also many babies are bought by people who don't bother with research and veggies are most likely to cause trouble if the wrong types/amounts are given suddenly and a blanket ban is easy to explain/remember.

Some are better than others too, Scamp's first solids where blackberry leaves which is much better than carrots and lettuce!

 

[LakeCondo]

Their digestive systems aren't ready to handle veggies yet.

 

[JBun]

Yeah, I've kind of wondered this too. Things I've read have said it's cause the bunnies digestive system isn't developed enough and can't handle the veggies as well as a mature rabbit. I can't see how things like green leafy veggies are all that different than giving bunnies hay. I mean hay is just dried grass and alfalfa, and they're all just green plants. I got a young bunny that I was only able to feed green leafy veggies to for the first week and a half. It's what she was used to, she was healthy and did just fine, and I never had any digestive issues with her at all. I think maybe it's for new inexperienced rabbit owners, just cause it's easy to cause problems by feeding a new bunny the wrong thing and introducing too much of a new food, too quickly.

 

[MarilynBUNNroe]

I must admit, this is something I did in the beginning when I didn't know the baby's shouldn't have greens. They were probably around 6-8 weeks old. I gave them Italian Parsley. It gave them diarrhea. I took it away from them immediately and they were fine after that. I had to give them bottom washes to get it out of their fur. Poor babies

 

[woahlookitsme]

Weanlings are pretty sensitive to diet change. Especially from 4-6weeks of age. The diet change from milk to feed can be hard on them already. Stress also plays a part in diarrhea in young rabbits.

I dont think it's really just veggies exclusively but just a change in diet in general. Unless there are studies that someone has?

Here are some common intestinal diseases that can occur in young rabbits from the merck vet manual
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171319.htm

 

[1357bunnylover]

Thank you everyone

 

[irishbunny]

I don't think it's necessary to wait till they are 5 or 6 months old to give veggies. I think waiting a month after you get them to settle in and get used to the brand of commercial food and hay you are giving them is enough time. As long as introduce very small amounts, one at a time, they should be fine. If you knew whether or not their Mother was getting veggies while nursing them, whether or not they had eaten veggies before, and what kind of veggies they were been fed, then you can continue to give them those veggies.

 

[Watermelons]

I don't think it's necessary to wait till they are 5 or 6 months old to give veggies. I think waiting a month after you get them to settle in and get used to the brand of commercial food and hay you are giving them is enough time. As long as introduce very small amounts, one at a time, they should be fine. If you knew whether or not their Mother was getting veggies while nursing them, whether or not they had eaten veggies before, and what kind of veggies they were been fed, then you can continue to give them those veggies.

Well said.

Young bunnies CAN have veggies.

 

[ladysown]

what you need to do with baby bunnies (that is any rabbit you get that is 12 weeks or younger).

1. make sure you get a sample of the feed they are used to.
2. feed that EXCLUSIVELY for at least two days.
3. day three mix in some of what you plan to feed them
4. if you are going to give them veggies use really really safe veggies. AKA parsley, dandelion. DO NOT feed more than a leaf. The next day check for poopie bum. if they have poopie bum wait a bit before giving it again. OR feed with hay.
5. one of my standbys with a new rabbit is to give copious amounts of hay and ONE piece of whatever greens I"m choosing to feed.

ALWAYS remember that rabbits are HERBIVORES not Vegetarians. It does make a difference in how you approach giving them greens.

 

[Madeline&Mabel]

I am a new bunny owner, this is actually my first pet bunny but I did lots of research before I bought one. I got my bunny about 2 weeks ago, she is anywhere between 6-10 weeks (I’m not exactly sure) and she has definitely made herself at home. She is already litter box trained, and she is free range whenever I am home with her. She follows me everywhere, circles my feet, licks me, and loves to snuggle. She is also extremely playful and loves to run around and binky when she’s awake. I fed her strictly hay, pellets, and water for the first week but it seemed like she got bored and I wanted to try something new. So I gave her a little bit of some organic spinach and the next morning, nothing was wrong. If anything she had more energy and seemed happier. I do not force her to eat veggies. I just simply leave it there for her as an option. She still has her hay, her pellets and her water (of course) readily available as well. She just decided to pick the veggies and she was fine. Her poop was normal too. She only had a little runny poop earlier when she was a little scared of the vacuum but that was it. I don’t understand why she shouldn’t be aloud to eat veggies? She seems happier when she gets all of the different variety’s instead of the same old same old every day. The last thing I want to do is harm her though so please tell me if I should stop and wait until she is older. I will feel bad taking it away from her however since she seems to really love her spinach lol

 

[Leo the Lop]

Many people disagree that babies can’t have veggies and I am one of them. I feed my 10 week olds veggies and they are perfectly healthy. Bunnies who live free outside don’t wait until they are 4 months old to start eating veggies! Seems so wrong to me for us to restrict them from eating healthy veggies.

 

[Spectacles]

Ye that confuses me because rabbits naturally start eating greens before they are weaned, if they did wait what are they supposed to eat for four months? Domestic rabbits arnt that different that it would cause a problem, my babies love to nibble on the greens we give their mum now that they are weaned along with lots of hey and grass.

 

[John Wick]

Stomachs break down food using bacteria/enzymes that flourish in the organ (which is why lots of humans drink probiotic stuff; it maintains that diverse gut biome so food is easily digested). I believe the concern with feeding young rabbits veggies is that you cannot really tell when their gut biome has developed enough to handle it, in which case gas develops due to the indigestion and the gut biome being thrown off kilter. I think the waiting is eering on the side of caution, ensuring that the gut biome is definitely equipped to break down fresh veggies.