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Brambles/blackberry leaves

WillowAndBiscuit

WillowAndBiscuit

Mama Doe
Hey :) I have a blackberry plant growing in my back garden and want to pick the leaves for my little bunnykins but wanted to know how you feed them to your bunnies. As they have thorns on them I am concerned about them cutting their mouths so wasn't sure whether to cut each leave off individually or whether to just give a big branch with all the leaves on and let them pick them all off themselves? Thank you in advance! :)
 
I do both actually. I sometimes just cut the leaves and give them a big pile. Other times I give them the whole branch and they pick the leaves off themselves. I find their mouths seem to cope fine with the thorns. My only concern with giving the whole branch is for their hocks (mine are Rexes) and so if I give the whole branch I put it up somewhere so they don't tread on it.
 
Omi said:
I do both actually. I sometimes just cut the leaves and give them a big pile. Other times I give them the whole branch and they pick the leaves off themselves. I find their mouths seem to cope fine with the thorns. My only concern with giving the whole branch is for their hocks (mine are Rexes) and so if I give the whole branch I put it up somewhere so they don't tread on it.
Click to expand...
OK thank you :) I will attach it near the top of their run or something like that so they don't tread on it :)
 
I actually do snip each leaf off! The reason being last year I brought in a huge long bramble (also from my garden). It was a shocking specimen, with hooky like thorns. My sweetheart Boo ran past it & it attached itself to her fur. It was a struggle to calm her & detach the thing.I actually have it in for brambles just on that basis. Their mouths seem to cope well with thorns though
 
I pick each leaf off and as my rabbits are pansys compared to everyone else's I use small scissors to cut the thorns off the back of the leaves.

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I just pick the leaves - more for the benefit of my fingers than for the rabbits. They cope with the thorny leaves fine. Some plants are more vicious than others. I don't like it when I rip my fingers open by accident when I am clearing up the runs. Sometimes it is easier to cut off a length of stem and then remove the leaves, rather than struggle with getting snagged up in the whole plant. You won't harm the plant - they grow quickly. At the moment, the ones round here are starting to fruit - so you may want to pick that for yourself.
 
WillowAndBiscuit said:
Hey :) I have a blackberry plant growing in my back garden and want to pick the leaves for my little bunnykins but wanted to know how you feed them to your bunnies. As they have thorns on them I am concerned about them cutting their mouths so wasn't sure whether to cut each leave off individually or whether to just give a big branch with all the leaves on and let them pick them all off themselves? Thank you in advance! :)
Click to expand...

I snip the leaves off, as most of my buns are dental buns and wouldn't cope with a string of thorniness :shock:
 
joey&boo said:
I actually do snip each leaf off! The reason being last year I brought in a huge long bramble (also from my garden). It was a shocking specimen, with hooky like thorns. My sweetheart Boo ran past it & it attached itself to her fur. It was a struggle to calm her & detach the thing.I actually have it in for brambles just on that basis. Their mouths seem to cope well with thorns though
Click to expand...
Oh goodness! Was he OK afterwards?
 
WillowAndBiscuit said:
OK thank you all, I think I might just snip the whole branch off and then cut the leaves off individually and give them to them :)
Click to expand...

I suppose you could decorate the house with them, stringing them across your furniture, and let them pick a leaf when they're peckish? It would make sitting on the sofa and watching TV a whole new experience :lol:
 
We feed whole branches :thumb: Never had any injuries, though sometimes they forget and get a shock! They've usually chewed all the thorns off before too long though: they're not THAT stupid (sometimes!). I can take you some pictures of a before and after if you like, show you the evidence?

Having said that, they are dangerous to humans: by which I mean you really need to wear gloves as the little darlings will try and yank it off you and impale your hands! There was no lasting damage (and I haven't learnt: OH always wears gloves and I rarely do!) :D
 
MightyMax said:
I suppose you could decorate the house with them, stringing them across your furniture, and let them pick a leaf when they're peckish? It would make sitting on the sofa and watching TV a whole new experience [emoji38]
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I have a couple of 'washing lines' hanging up for them already that I can hang them on [emoji38] It is super entertaining to watch them pull them off though [emoji38]
 
keletkezes said:
We feed whole branches :thumb: Never had any injuries, though sometimes they forget and get a shock! They've usually chewed all the thorns off before too long though: they're not THAT stupid (sometimes!). I can take you some pictures of a before and after if you like, show you the evidence?

Having said that, they are dangerous to humans: by which I mean you really need to wear gloves as the little darlings will try and yank it off you and impale your hands! There was no lasting damage (and I haven't learnt: OH always wears gloves and I rarely do!) :D
Click to expand...
It would be good if you could get some before and after pictures, I'm quite intrigued to see! [emoji38]

I know what you mean, I never learn when it comes to things like that either hahaha.
 
Here's how we hang them over the run ('forested'):

1796661_10101316771228698_2863202386916982694_n.jpg


They can reach up and grab them: we call it 'the bramble dance' XD

Lopsy (from when he was indoors) with 'grounded' bramble:

10980721_10101466388080328_6737253144259312880_n.jpg


Both with hawthorn and stripped bramble: the two whitish twigs are bramble branches, or what's left!

12106812_10101766220897958_4660935482818184102_n.jpg
 
keletkezes said:
Here's how we hang them over the run ('forested'):

1796661_10101316771228698_2863202386916982694_n.jpg


They can reach up and grab them: we call it 'the bramble dance' XD

Lopsy (from when he was indoors) with 'grounded' bramble:

10980721_10101466388080328_6737253144259312880_n.jpg


Both with hawthorn and stripped bramble: the two whitish twigs are bramble branches, or what's left!

12106812_10101766220897958_4660935482818184102_n.jpg
Click to expand...
Ahh OK, Willow and Biscuit's run is 5ft tall so I wouldn't quite be able to do it the same, but I could attach it to the sides instead. It makes me so nervous seeing all of those thorns around your beautiful bunnies little paws [emoji23]
 
Can I ask a seemingly dumb question?
Do they actually eat the thorns off the branches too?

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