Getting used to food

[a reader of books]

I have two related questions, and I thought someone might be able to tell me the answer...

1. If a bunny is used to a food but hasn't had it in, say, 6 months or a year, do they need to slowly get used to it again before they can have it?

2. If a bunny is used to the dried version of a plant, are they okay with the fresh plant as well, or do you still need to start with only a small amount of the fresh plant?

 

[Omi]

I have two related questions, and I thought someone might be able to tell me the answer...

1. If a bunny is used to a food but hasn't had it in, say, 6 months or a year, do they need to slowly get used to it again before they can have it?

2. If a bunny is used to the dried version of a plant, are they okay with the fresh plant as well, or do you still need to start with only a small amount of the fresh plant?

Oh what interesting questions Is question 1 relating to plant-type food or pellet food? I don't know what the correct answers are and don't think I've ever read about these issues anywhere.

I have to admit that with the advice about making sure they slowly get used to a new food, I have always considered this to be the case with pellets. But I think to restrict it is clearly wrong. The reason why I'm now thinking that, is because the difference between one pellet and another is small, but the difference between different plants can be massive. However, whilst I have just come to that conclusion, I don't think I will change how I have always played this.

Obviously seasonal plants, which I use for forage will be available at different times of the year. Take Cow Parsley for example. We get fresh growth of Cow Parsley around March time. I have never limited the amount I have fed even though their previous meals of Cow Parsley will have been late Autumn the previous year. This is the case for all plants that I regularly feed as forage. However, if I found a brand new plant in the garden, which I knew they had never had before, I would feed a very small amount to start with to make sure they didn't have any bad reactions.

I rarely feed dried plants here, but if I did I would consider the dried and fresh versions to be the same in respect of this issue. So I would not feed just a small amount of either to start with.

All of this made me think of another related issue, which is about new Spring grass. The advice is to feed this sparingly as it is rich and would possibly cause a digestive upset. I have always followed this advice, but thinking about it I wonder why grass is different. Grass is a plant like any other. So why is there not considered to be an issue with fresh new Spring growth of any plant?

I will be interested in the comments of others

So after all that rambling my answers to your questions are (1) No and (2) Yes they would be OK.

 

[a reader of books]

Thank you for your answers, Omi! For question 1 I was thinking more about plants, like the thing you talked about, where they get a certain plant for a season, and then they don't get it for a long time because it doesn't grow in winter. I was wondering whether, once all the plants start growing again in spring, the bunnies will have to slowly get used to everything again. So, I find it interesting that you don't limit the amount you start with again in spring. I'm assuming you've never had issues with this, or you wouldn't do it that way, so that does suggest that it's not necessary. I was also thinking of vegetables, though, as sometimes I feed them a certain vegetable for a while, but then they don't get it for a long time because I forget about it. I've always wondered if, when they haven't had it in a couple of months or longer, they need to slowly get used to it again. That's what I always do, just in case; just start with small amounts again.

That's interesting that you think dried and fresh versions of a plant would be the same in this case. That's what I'm leaning towards, too, but I wasn't sure.

About your own question, I do find that odd, too. Maybe you remember, but this past spring both Sophie and Casper were ill because they'd had spring dandelions and they'd been too full of sugar, upsetting their bellies. The vet at the time said there were a lot of horses being ill from the spring dandelions, too, so it does seem to be an issue that doesn't just apply to grass, but, yes, mostly we only hear the warning about grass, don't we?

 

[Omi]

I've never limited quantities of forage or vegetables for the reason that they haven't had it for a long time. Only when they've never had it and that's because a reaction to a new food could be important. And no I've never had any problems.

I guess that fresh new growth of any plant material has more nutrients in it and perhaps this is the issue with grass and, as you've experienced, spring dandelions. We are told that microgreens are more nutritious than mature greens, which agrees with this concept https://risingrootsmicrogreens.org/what-are-microgreens-why-are-they-so-healthy/

 

[a reader of books]

I've never limited quantities of forage or vegetables for the reason that they haven't had it for a long time. Only when they've never had it and that's because a reaction to a new food could be important. And no I've never had any problems.

I guess that fresh new growth of any plant material has more nutrients in it and perhaps this is the issue with grass and, as you've experienced, spring dandelions. We are told that microgreens are more nutritious than mature greens, which agrees with this concept https://risingrootsmicrogreens.org/what-are-microgreens-why-are-they-so-healthy/

That's good to know! I guess I don't have to be so careful, then.

Ah, yes, new grass and other new growth does seem comparable to microgreens! Which is interesting, because I have seen places recommend feeding microgreens to bunnies, so wouldn't they then have the same problems as with spring grass...?

 

[Shimmer]

For very young rabbits, I would try to introduce new things more gradually. My adult rabbits are used to seasonal forage. They get fresh forage nearly all year round, but it does drastically change at times. I try to keep some constant items (ie grass), but the rest depends on what is readily available. They don't seem to have an issue with it. There are a few months that there is very little fresh forage and I rely on dry forage from the garden & allotment (willow, apple, currant bushes, herbs) and fresh cabbage-based plants (bought or grown). Hay is constant all year. Brambles are available all year if you know where to find them.

 

[joey&boo]

once i know something is liked and agrees with them I consider it "introduced" in a forever sense for that rabbit. Applies to fresh forage but also applies to spring greens etc I don't buy for them over Spring & Summer. I like not to feed massive quantities of any one thing though & reckon variety is key & the best way to achieve balance

I remember asking on here years ago if I could dry any plant it was ok for them to eat fresh

So yeah, I agree with others. Thought provoking stuff about new plants - I recognised by Mouseys poo watch they are worse for fibre

 

[bunny momma]

With an entirely new plant, limiting makes sense because some bunnies may be sensitive to certain plants.
With a plant they did have in the past, it seems less likely they would be sensitive, yet it may be wise to start with a smaller quantity to be safe because digestion changes that happen with time/age/medication and then increase at faster rate than you would for an entirely new plant.

 

[a reader of books]

Thank you all for your replies, too, Shimmer and J&B and bunny momma. I really appreciate hearing your thoughts on it. I always thought that introducing new plants slowly to a rabbit was not only to check if they're sensitive to it, but also because their gut bacteria needed to get used/adjust to the new plant in order to digest it properly; that's why I thought it might need to be re-introduced after they hadn't had something for a while. But it seems like none of your bunnies have issues with this kind of thing, so I've probably been misunderstanding this all this time!

Also, that's good to know that brambles are available all year if you know where to find them, Shimmer. We have some around here, so I'll ask my mum to take a look and see if she can find something for Sophie and Casper.

And I think that variety is key, too, J&B. A little bit of everything seems better than a lot of just one or two things.

I hadn't considered how age and medictation could play a part in this, bunny momma, but I think you're right that it might be a good idea to be careful in case those things have changed anything in their digestion.

 

[joey&boo]

whatever your method has been with all things bunny, its got you 2 wonderful bunnies who have made it to 12 years - a massive achievement I'm assuming you haven't got much wrong over your years of caretaking bunnies

 

[a reader of books]

Aw, thank you for saying that. They're actually not twelve yet, though! Sophie's 12 next April, and Casper's imaginary 11th birthday is next month.

 

[joey&boo]

Aw, thank you for saying that. They're actually not twelve yet, though! Sophie's 12 next April, and Casper's imaginary 11th birthday is next month.

Still stands though, they are doing really well. Yes I remember now, Joey & Sophie were a very similar age.

I bet you've already lined up presents for Caspers special birthday? (all bunny birthdays being special of course)

 

[a reader of books]

Still stands though, they are doing really well. Yes I remember now, Joey & Sophie were a very similar age.

I bet you've already lined up presents for Caspers special birthday? (all bunny birthdays being special of course)

Aw, thank you. That's so kind of you. And, yes, I remember that Joey was a similar age to Sophie.

I haven't, actually. I didn't realise until I posted that yesterday that his birthday is so soon. How is it already almost October... After thinking about it today, I do have some ideas, though! There are some toys I've been thinking of getting them.