Opinions/Advice - HAY ONLY DIET?

My vet is against rabbits eating pellets/muesli etc. She has told me several times to wean them off. She says they should have a diet of hay, grass and small amount of veg. Cookie now doesn't eat them anyway but Charlie loves SS. He only has a few twice a day. I always feel so guilty when I go that I still feed them.

Apple leaves (from Fluffers on here) *
Basil (grown at home from seed)
Bramble leaves (allotments) *
Borage (grown at home and also picked from allotments)
Calendula (grown at home)
Carrot tops (grown on allotments) *
Chamomile (grown at home)
Clover (they eat that when on the lawn)
Coriander (grown at home from seed)
Cornflower (tried to grow this last year without success so they haven't actually had this yet other than in a dried mix)
Dandelions (grown and picked from garden/allotments) *
Dead nettle (garden/allotments) *
Dill (grown at home from seed)
Echinachea (grown at home)
Fenugreek (grown at home from seed)
Florence fennel (I attempt to grow this on the allotment and they get the tops)
Goosegrass (home/allotments)
Jerusalem Artichoke leaves (grown at home) *
Lavender (grown at home and on allotments)
Lemon balm (grown at home) *
Marjoram (grown at home)
Marshmallow (grown at home - i've also seen wild mallow in the hedgerows by the allotments)
Muskmallow (grown at home from seed)
Mint (grown at home - several kinds!) *
Nasturtium (grown at home from seed - great success last year!) *
Oregano (grown at home)
Parsley (grown at home from seed)
Peapods (from our peas grown on allotments) * (had a glut which I dried as occasional treats for winter - high in sugar)
Plantain (grown at home and picked from garden/allotments) *
Rose petals (from our rose bush at home) *
Rosemary (grown at home and on allotments)
Sage (grown at home and on allotments) *
Strawberry leaves (grown on allotments)
Sunflower leaves (grown on allotment from seed)
Thyme (grown at home)
Viola (grown at home from seed (another one that didn't do well last year )
Willow (from parsnipbun on the forum)
Yarrow (another new one I attempted last year that didn't do great so they haven't tried it yet - you can forage for it but it looks similar to other poisonous things so I don't)

As you can see it's possible to get a great variety. Some things they only got a small amount of as the plants weren't very established. I've put a star next to things that I got a large amount from. This is a typical summer meal...

Elena said:

Apple leaves (from Fluffers on here) *
Basil (grown at home from seed)
Bramble leaves (allotments) *
Borage (grown at home and also picked from allotments)
Calendula (grown at home)
Carrot tops (grown on allotments) *
Chamomile (grown at home)
Clover (they eat that when on the lawn)
Coriander (grown at home from seed)
Cornflower (tried to grow this last year without success so they haven't actually had this yet other than in a dried mix)
Dandelions (grown and picked from garden/allotments) *
Dead nettle (garden/allotments) *
Dill (grown at home from seed)
Echinachea (grown at home)
Fenugreek (grown at home from seed)
Florence fennel (I attempt to grow this on the allotment and they get the tops)
Goosegrass (home/allotments)
Jerusalem Artichoke leaves (grown at home) *
Lavender (grown at home and on allotments)
Lemon balm (grown at home) *
Marjoram (grown at home)
Marshmallow (grown at home - i've also seen wild mallow in the hedgerows by the allotments)
Muskmallow (grown at home from seed)
Mint (grown at home - several kinds!) *
Nasturtium (grown at home from seed - great success last year!) *
Oregano (grown at home)
Parsley (grown at home from seed)
Peapods (from our peas grown on allotments) * (had a glut which I dried as occasional treats for winter - high in sugar)
Plantain (grown at home and picked from garden/allotments) *
Rose petals (from our rose bush at home) *
Rosemary (grown at home and on allotments)
Sage (grown at home and on allotments) *
Strawberry leaves (grown on allotments)
Sunflower leaves (grown on allotment from seed)
Thyme (grown at home)
Viola (grown at home from seed (another one that didn't do well last year )
Willow (from parsnipbun on the forum)
Yarrow (another new one I attempted last year that didn't do great so they haven't tried it yet - you can forage for it but it looks similar to other poisonous things so I don't)

As you can see it's possible to get a great variety. Some things they only got a small amount of as the plants weren't very established. I've put a star next to things that I got a large amount from. This is a typical summer meal...

Click to expand...

Very impressive indeed! I must try harder for Spenser next year. He had sunflower leaves and leaves from the green bean plants in our garden last year. Also leaves from the strawberry plants.

susie bun said:

Very impressive indeed! I must try harder for Spenser next year. He had sunflower leaves and leaves from the green bean plants in our garden last year. Also leaves from the strawberry plants.

Click to expand...

I kept telling dad to give me the bean leaves when they'd finished. They're still out there :roll: dying from the frost :lol: i have thought about growing some myself this year but I'm trying to only do a few things but get a good crop from them and I don't really have the room

I didn't realise buns could eat bean leaves...does that include runner bean leafs, and can they also eat the runner beans/dwarf french beans themselves, or just leaves?

My buns won't eat sunflower or Jerusalem artichoke leaves!

Elena said:

I kept telling dad to give me the bean leaves when they'd finished. They're still out there :roll: dying from the frost :lol: i have thought about growing some myself this year but I'm trying to only do a few things but get a good crop from them and I don't really have the room

Click to expand...

I tried growing green beans in pots last night but they didn't do nearly so well as Dad's usual ones in the ground. :roll: We also grew parsley for his lordship. Probably our garden has other things he could eat. Dad tends to use a lot of slug pellets around the flowers, which makes me wary.

fruitandnutcake said:

I didn't realise buns could eat bean leaves...does that include runner bean leafs, and can they also eat the runner beans/dwarf french beans themselves, or just leaves?

My buns won't eat sunflower or Jerusalem artichoke leaves!

Click to expand...

Yes to the leaves. I don't often give Spenser actual runner beans to eat. In the winter he has a few bought beans daily, but the finer the better. He doesn't care for them as much thick and tough, and I think I've read somewhere that beans really have too much protein. :?

I am sorry i didn't see this till now. I have a few different types of pellets due to the varying diets of boarders and you are welcome to them to try. I will be coming home at the weekend and if you are free next week we could meet for a walk and I can show you some forage that's available at the moment. We can then go again in spring when there is a much bigger variety.

fruitandnutcake said:

I didn't realise buns could eat bean leaves...does that include runner bean leafs, and can they also eat the runner beans/dwarf french beans themselves, or just leaves?

My buns won't eat sunflower or Jerusalem artichoke leaves!

Click to expand...

Really? Mine love them!!

My last video of Mischa is him devouring an artichoke leaf.

susie bun said:

I tried growing green beans in pots last night but they didn't do nearly so well as Dad's usual ones in the ground. :roll: We also grew parsley for his lordship. Probably our garden has other things he could eat. Dad tends to use a lot of slug pellets around the flowers, which makes me wary.

Click to expand...

My dad uses slug pellets too. But not on bunny things i'm pretty sure though that they only put a small amount of the harmful thing in them because they say to scatter them so if an animal eats them they only eat a few. Apparently though slugs are cannibalistic so if they smell a dying slug more appear. Bit disgusting.

THanks All for this. This thread has been very useful indeed. List is fab Elena.....!!!!!!!!!

Ali , a wee walk to forage, that sounds good fun..i am back at work on Monday

Thank you
Have lots to try now

Do you want me to send you a few SS pellets to see if she likes them?

I'm changing Doughnut onto the vetcare digestion formula ones too. She's not as keen on them but they are better for her. She eats them now if I put them down without the original SS ones. I could send you a few of them too!

thanks...... I have ordered some SS myself and they'll be coming tomorrow.. So that's sorted but thank you so much for the offer......

her poops are now golden after 2 days without pellets.. I have given her 4 pellets, scattered about and will watch her poo like a hawk until the SS arrives.

cheers
fee x