My buns diet - where am I going wrong? - New questions on post #20 (sorry!)

As mentioned in my thread under the health section I've had six out of my nine buns go into stasis since November last year. I lost Maple to it (thouh I suspect she may also have had EC). Yesterday I very nearly lost Snowflake but she appears to be recoving so hopefully she'll keep picking up.
I was hoping to review their diet with some of you as you're more experienced than me . Perhaps I can determine where I'm going wrong?
They have:

-Hay: obivously a constant supply, all the time. They're all good hay eaters so no problems there
- Fibafirst: usually two sticks each in the morning, though up until this week my brother has been sneaking them extra sticks as treats (and I've been guilty of it too). That's stopping now and we're sticking to the two they get daily. Lunar is currently on weight management Fibafirst as she's a big greedy and is having a little trouble in that area
- SS/Excel pellets: Used as a treat only. I thought it was a healthier option than commercial treats with sugar etc and they absolutely love them. They occasionally also get Timothy Bites treats from P@H or the odd raisin
- Hay Cookies: I used to give these only when I could afford them but recently bought two large 6.5kg boxes of them so they've had them a little more the past two weeks. As far as I'm aware these are just compressed hay so shouldn't be anything in there to upset them?

With vegetables they have:

- Spring Greens: Pretty much daily. Rarely will a day go by without greens and that's only ever because I'm out of them.
- Cavolo Nero: Up until now they probably had this anything from 3-5 times a week which I'm thinking might be too much
- Parsley: Once to twice a week
- Coriander: Once to twice a week
- Basil: Once or twice a week but I don't get it every week as it's not always available
- Mint: Once a week but again, not every week. Just when available
- Taragon: Same as above
- Dill: Once or twice a week. Sometimes I'm not able to get it as fresh as I'd like so I leave it
- Rocket: Once or twice a week
- Romaine Lettuce: I usually buy a twin pack which they'll have in a week, usually on two seperate days, sometimes broken into three days
- Curly Kale: As with Cavolo Nero, I've increased this lately and I'm wondering if that could be the cause. Up until now it's been around three times a week
- Broccoli: A recent addition about three weeks ago as we were given some. Everyone seemed fine on it and I kept it to small amounts every two to three days. They haven't had any for over a week so can't be the cause of Snowflake's stasis.
- Carrot: Kept to a very small amount at the most once a week, but not every week. If I can get it with tops they have those very quickly, usually all of it between them in a day
- Savoy Cabbage: Like broccoli, this is a recent addition from about 4 weeks ago. Very small amounts and at the most twice a week. They haven't had any in over a week.

That's all I can think of. Certainly if there is anything else it's not something they get regularly. I haven't mentioned fruit because it's very rare that they get it and only ever in very small amounts (a single grape, a small chunk of apple etc) and they haven't had any for a couple of weeks now

So, if you say they have for instance Kale once or twice a week does that mean they get no other veg on that day? I think you mean they get many different veg each day, not sure. And what size are the portions? I think you are probably over doing the veg, but we need more info.

Well first of all I would say that I think your rabbits' diet sounds perfectly OK. However, I think from various threads on here it's evident that what is OK for one rabbit is not for another. To find out what, if anything, is causing a problem will require some trial and error and it might take some time to establish what the issue is and of course it might not have anything to do with diet. I think it's always worth doing though with rabbits who have episodes of stasis.

If it were me, I would obviously give them masses of hay, probably different types to maintain their interest. I think the Fibafirst "should" be OK and so I would continue with them at a rate of 2 per day and omit the other pellets. I would cut out the Timothy Bite treats, as looking at their website, they are not just hay and the other ingredients might be an issue. I would check the ingredients of the hay cookies and make sure that they are just hay. I suspect they are, but if not I would not feed them. I would cut out raisins. I would just feed an increased amount of herbs, rather than the other vegetables. Some rabbits are known not to be able to tolerate kale/cabbage/broccoli etc and I think it would be interesting to see if just herbs might be kinder on their digestion. Any forage, fresh or dried could also supplement the herbs. Also apple/pear/willow/hawthorn/hazel twigs would be beneficial for them to nibble on. Later in the year the leaves from these trees would also be good for them.

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

As mentioned in my thread under the health section I've had six out of my nine buns go into stasis since November last year. I lost Maple to it (thouh I suspect she may also have had EC). Yesterday I very nearly lost Snowflake but she appears to be recoving so hopefully she'll keep picking up.
I was hoping to review their diet with some of you as you're more experienced than me . Perhaps I can determine where I'm going wrong?
They have:

-Hay: obivously a constant supply, all the time. They're all good hay eaters so no problems there
- Fibafirst: usually two sticks each in the morning, though up until this week my brother has been sneaking them extra sticks as treats (and I've been guilty of it too). That's stopping now and we're sticking to the two they get daily. Lunar is currently on weight management Fibafirst as she's a big greedy and is having a little trouble in that area
- SS/Excel pellets: Used as a treat only. I thought it was a healthier option than commercial treats with sugar etc and they absolutely love them. They occasionally also get Timothy Bites treats from P@H or the odd raisin
- Hay Cookies: I used to give these only when I could afford them but recently bought two large 6.5kg boxes of them so they've had them a little more the past two weeks. As far as I'm aware these are just compressed hay so shouldn't be anything in there to upset them?

With vegetables they have:

- Spring Greens: Pretty much daily. Rarely will a day go by without greens and that's only ever because I'm out of them.
- Cavolo Nero: Up until now they probably had this anything from 3-5 times a week which I'm thinking might be too much
- Parsley: Once to twice a week
- Coriander: Once to twice a week
- Basil: Once or twice a week but I don't get it every week as it's not always available
- Mint: Once a week but again, not every week. Just when available
- Taragon: Same as above
- Dill: Once or twice a week. Sometimes I'm not able to get it as fresh as I'd like so I leave it
- Rocket: Once or twice a week
- Romaine Lettuce: I usually buy a twin pack which they'll have in a week, usually on two seperate days, sometimes broken into three days
- Curly Kale: As with Cavolo Nero, I've increased this lately and I'm wondering if that could be the cause. Up until now it's been around three times a week
- Broccoli: A recent addition about three weeks ago as we were given some. Everyone seemed fine on it and I kept it to small amounts every two to three days. They haven't had any for over a week so can't be the cause of Snowflake's stasis.
- Carrot: Kept to a very small amount at the most once a week, but not every week. If I can get it with tops they have those very quickly, usually all of it between them in a day
- Savoy Cabbage: Like broccoli, this is a recent addition from about 4 weeks ago. Very small amounts and at the most twice a week. They haven't had any in over a week.

That's all I can think of. Certainly if there is anything else it's not something they get regularly. I haven't mentioned fruit because it's very rare that they get it and only ever in very small amounts (a single grape, a small chunk of apple etc) and they haven't had any for a couple of weeks now

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Have you tried them on forage? Particularly bramble leaves? I find they are a godsend for rabbits' digestions and usually available all year round and grow freely.

There's some info on foraging here:

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/free-food-for-rabbits/foraging

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/free-food-for-rabbits

A small book on 'Foraging for Rabbits' by Twigs Way is available from the RWF shop. The benefits of forage over supermarket veg (and I have and do feed both) apart from forage being free, it has more fibre content. Sometimes that's all a rabbit's digestion needs. However, with the incidences of stasis yours have, to believe it's just down to diet would be a great coincidence.

Elimination would see to be the only way to go. I know in some cases I've had to eliminate certain veg altogether - not for stasis but just for tummy upset reasons.

Oh goodness, sorry Tonibun! I didn't make it clear. Yes, they get a minimum of 3 different types of veg each day (I try to make it more when I can). In terms of portion size, I'm not sure the best way to measure that. I suppose a handful each? That's a pretty rough guide I know.. I always break the veg up by hand to make sure everyone gets a bit of everything and wash it all together. I feel I am probably giving them too much kale (especially as I only recently found out cavolo nero is a type of kale.. I always thought it was cabbage ) and perhaps they need more variety?

Omi: Yes, that is of course the other problem, different rabbits can tolerate different things. I know Willow was sensitive to brocolli, it often sent her into stasis. It took us a while to figure out the cause but when we eliminated brocolli she stopped having problems so we figured that was the problem. Hence why I'm nervous now of feeding brocolli.
I have already stopped the other pellets for now so I'll see how they go with that. They love the timothy bites but maybe I'll leave those as well for a while. They sell some lovely dried herbs and flowers in that range - they're a bit expensive but I think I'll stick to those as treats instead.
According to the ingredients the hay cookies just contain dried grass. Nothing else is mentioned. I use Rosewood's ones.
Raisins are a very rare treat but I agree probably a good idea to cut them out too.
I will try more herbs, the only reason I cut back a little was that I read something about parsley (not sure about other herbs now but I remember parsley being on the list) containing something (can't remember what.. wow I have a bad memory) that isn't good for buns to have too much of as it can cause urinary problems.
Unfortunately I have nothing edible in the garden anymore except grass. We're moving house sometime after March and when we do I plan to plan a lot of bunny safe plants, veg and herbs (will ask advice here on what to plant when the time comes ). I also don't have access to any of the trees etc mentioned but I do sometimes buy willow balls and recently bought some 'carrot' shaped woven willow (looked more like an upside down rocket than a carrot to be honest )

Thank you so much for that. I might be able to grow some herbs in pots in the meantime as they can come with us. Would help as they're expensive at the supermarket lol. Only problem is I have a reputation of killing any plant I come in contact with so I don't know how well growing things is going to go for me :roll:

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

Oh goodness, sorry Tonibun! I didn't make it clear. Yes, they get a minimum of 3 different types of veg each day (I try to make it more when I can). In terms of portion size, I'm not sure the best way to measure that. I suppose a handful each? That's a pretty rough guide I know.. I always break the veg up by hand to make sure everyone gets a bit of everything and wash it all together. I feel I am probably giving them too much kale (especially as I only recently found out cavolo nero is a type of kale.. I always thought it was cabbage ) and perhaps they need more variety?

Omi: Yes, that is of course the other problem, different rabbits can tolerate different things. I know Willow was sensitive to brocolli, it often sent her into stasis. It took us a while to figure out the cause but when we eliminated brocolli she stopped having problems so we figured that was the problem. Hence why I'm nervous now of feeding brocolli.
I have already stopped the other pellets for now so I'll see how they go with that. They love the timothy bites but maybe I'll leave those as well for a while. They sell some lovely dried herbs and flowers in that range - they're a bit expensive but I think I'll stick to those as treats instead.
According to the ingredients the hay cookies just contain dried grass. Nothing else is mentioned. I use Rosewood's ones.
Raisins are a very rare treat but I agree probably a good idea to cut them out too.
I will try more herbs, the only reason I cut back a little was that I read something about parsley (not sure about other herbs now but I remember parsley being on the list) containing something (can't remember what.. wow I have a bad memory) that isn't good for buns to have too much of as it can cause urinary problems.
Unfortunately I have nothing edible in the garden anymore except grass. We're moving house sometime after March and when we do I plan to plan a lot of bunny safe plants, veg and herbs (will ask advice here on what to plant when the time comes ). I also don't have access to any of the trees etc mentioned but I do sometimes buy willow balls and recently bought some 'carrot' shaped woven willow (looked more like an upside down rocket than a carrot to be honest )

Thank you so much for that. I might be able to grow some herbs in pots in the meantime as they can come with us. Would help as they're expensive at the supermarket lol. Only problem is I have a reputation of killing any plant I come in contact with so I don't know how well growing things is going to go for me :roll:

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Ha, that's me to a tee !! :lol: I just have to look at a plant and it wilts :? I try not to take it personally though

For dried Forages it is often cheaper to by online. Zooplus is a site I use on a regular basis

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/snacks_supplements/natural_plant_snacks

The hay cookies aren't just hay. They contain:

Tall oat grass, orchard grass, downy alpine oat grass, smooth stalk meadow grass, velvet grass, soft broom grass, sorrel, dandelion, plantain, wild chervil, red clover and tufted vetch.

They've also changed recently, and become a lot more tightly compressed. I don't know whether that's significant or not.

Personally, I'd be inclined to remove all veg. Some bunnies don't seem to be able to tolerate it. Also some bunnies can't tolerate pellet food. So, worth trying a few things out, I think.

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

Oh goodness, sorry Tonibun! I didn't make it clear. Yes, they get a minimum of 3 different types of veg each day (I try to make it more when I can). In terms of portion size, I'm not sure the best way to measure that. I suppose a handful each? That's a pretty rough guide I know.. I always break the veg up by hand to make sure everyone gets a bit of everything and wash it all together. I feel I am probably giving them too much kale (especially as I only recently found out cavolo nero is a type of kale.. I always thought it was cabbage ) and perhaps they need more variety?

Omi: Yes, that is of course the other problem, different rabbits can tolerate different things. I know Willow was sensitive to brocolli, it often sent her into stasis. It took us a while to figure out the cause but when we eliminated brocolli she stopped having problems so we figured that was the problem. Hence why I'm nervous now of feeding brocolli.
I have already stopped the other pellets for now so I'll see how they go with that. They love the timothy bites but maybe I'll leave those as well for a while. They sell some lovely dried herbs and flowers in that range - they're a bit expensive but I think I'll stick to those as treats instead.
According to the ingredients the hay cookies just contain dried grass. Nothing else is mentioned. I use Rosewood's ones.
Raisins are a very rare treat but I agree probably a good idea to cut them out too.
I will try more herbs, the only reason I cut back a little was that I read something about parsley (not sure about other herbs now but I remember parsley being on the list) containing something (can't remember what.. wow I have a bad memory) that isn't good for buns to have too much of as it can cause urinary problems.
Unfortunately I have nothing edible in the garden anymore except grass. We're moving house sometime after March and when we do I plan to plan a lot of bunny safe plants, veg and herbs (will ask advice here on what to plant when the time comes ). I also don't have access to any of the trees etc mentioned but I do sometimes buy willow balls and recently bought some 'carrot' shaped woven willow (looked more like an upside down rocket than a carrot to be honest )

Thank you so much for that. I might be able to grow some herbs in pots in the meantime as they can come with us. Would help as they're expensive at the supermarket lol. Only problem is I have a reputation of killing any plant I come in contact with so I don't know how well growing things is going to go for me :roll:

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You can perhaps find a little green patch and look for some dandelions or other forage? I don't have this stuff in my garden, I go on a little hunting/foraging expedition. Took me a while to identify some of them, but as I said, brambles are worth their weight in gold to buns with digestive upsets

I believe in all things in moderation, apart from hay :thumb:

I agree with MightyMax re:brambles, I alternate giving these with veg now although my rabbits don't have super sensitive tums. Do you have a park/wooded area/fields nearby? I got out with some gloves, secateurs and a Sainsbury's bag and fill it with brambles. Dog walkers look at you a bit oddly sometimes but it's a small price to pay for some free bunny food :lol:

I hope you get to the bottom of it! On paper it sounds like they have a great diet but I think you're right to question it given the stasis episodes.

SarahP said:

The hay cookies aren't just hay. They contain:

Tall oat grass, orchard grass, downy alpine oat grass, smooth stalk meadow grass, velvet grass, soft broom grass, sorrel, dandelion, plantain, wild chervil, red clover and tufted vetch.

They've also changed recently, and become a lot more tightly compressed. I don't know whether that's significant or not.

Personally, I'd be inclined to remove all veg. Some bunnies don't seem to be able to tolerate it. Also some bunnies can't tolerate pellet food. So, worth trying a few things out, I think.

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I agree with this - I think herbs are fine but some buns don't do well on veggies.

Hmm.. I want to say mine have always been fine with any veg I've given them but then we go back to the stasis episodes.. If they were sensitive to them though surely it would happen again? The six stasis episodes have all been in six different rabbits and they've all been fine since despite remaining on the same diet. None have ever had it twice.
I think what I'll try then is cutting the veg right down as I don't think I'd be forgiven for removing it entirely and increase herbs instead and see how they go with that. If I can plant some things or find a way to forage for plants then I'll put those in place of the veg. I suppose I'd better buy some pots and kill some plants-eh-I mean grow stuff. I've been dying to plant a load of dandelions for them, just been waiting to get this house move over with!

MightyMax: I've always been scared to forage as I'm not good with plants and I'm scared of picking the wrong thing. I know some things (like brambles) are obvious but a lot of plants just look the same to me . Where can you go to do it? I don't have any places nearby like parks etc except for a wood, but my Mum doesn't like me going there alone as there have been several incidents there. I think someone was killed there a while back too. I used to take my dog sometimes but obviously I don't have him anymore
Where are you legally allowed to forage? I know you obviously can't just go into someone's front garden and pick things but is it legal to just pick things from parks etc? Sorry, probably sounds stupid
I didn't know that about brambles - we had loads in the back garden but my dad pulled it all up so there's nothing at all out there now
This is going to sound really stupid but... What part of the bramble can they eat? I assume just the leaves? I know they can have the blackberries off of them as a treat (mine loved that last summer) but again that's going back to fruit.
I'd heard bunnies can have nettles too and that they apparently don't get stung but I've always been put off the idea as I can't stand the thought of them getting stung by them. Again, we had loads of those but they're all gone. They always come back again though so if it's safe to feed to them I'm sure there will be some later in the year.
Dandelions my buns love. We usually have lots in the front garden and I always pick them when they're there but there aren't any around at the moment.


Jack's Jane: Ah, I seem to remember reading a thread you posted some time back about using mixed dried forages? If I recal correctly didn't you make a mix from different things? I may be remembering that wrong lol, but I'm sure I recal reading something you posted.. Oh, the stuff on Zooplus looks really good. I was buying their hay until a while ago when we had trouble with mites and I thought they might have come in on the hay. But then I'm sure that can happen with any hay so I will order some more eventually as it was lovely hay. When I've got some money together I'll make a big order

SarahP: Ah, is that the Rosewood ones? I thought they were just hay! I don't have the box anymore so I can't check but online TheHayExperts site it said it was just meadow grass.
Do you think that's bad for them? They seem to love them. I don't give them all the time but they make a great treat and keep them busy for hours. Snowflake's the only one that isn't too keen on them but she was having a little this morning when I offered her one

Yes, it's the Rosewood ones. I think all they mean by all the different weeds is that they are within the grass that's been cut to make the hay cookies. So no-one has lied, strictly. But it does explain why they are so popular, with all the plantain, dandelion etc!

I definitely think it's worth reducing the veg right down.

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

Hmm.. I want to say mine have always been fine with any veg I've given them but then we go back to the stasis episodes.. If they were sensitive to them though surely it would happen again? The six stasis episodes have all been in six different rabbits and they've all been fine since despite remaining on the same diet. None have ever had it twice.
I think what I'll try then is cutting the veg right down as I don't think I'd be forgiven for removing it entirely and increase herbs instead and see how they go with that. If I can plant some things or find a way to forage for plants then I'll put those in place of the veg. I suppose I'd better buy some pots and kill some plants-eh-I mean grow stuff. I've been dying to plant a load of dandelions for them, just been waiting to get this house move over with!

MightyMax: I've always been scared to forage as I'm not good with plants and I'm scared of picking the wrong thing. I know some things (like brambles) are obvious but a lot of plants just look the same to me . Where can you go to do it? I don't have any places nearby like parks etc except for a wood, but my Mum doesn't like me going there alone as there have been several incidents there. I think someone was killed there a while back too. I used to take my dog sometimes but obviously I don't have him anymore
Where are you legally allowed to forage? I know you obviously can't just go into someone's front garden and pick things but is it legal to just pick things from parks etc? Sorry, probably sounds stupid
I didn't know that about brambles - we had loads in the back garden but my dad pulled it all up so there's nothing at all out there now
This is going to sound really stupid but... What part of the bramble can they eat? I assume just the leaves? I know they can have the blackberries off of them as a treat (mine loved that last summer) but again that's going back to fruit.
I'd heard bunnies can have nettles too and that they apparently don't get stung but I've always been put off the idea as I can't stand the thought of them getting stung by them. Again, we had loads of those but they're all gone. They always come back again though so if it's safe to feed to them I'm sure there will be some later in the year.
Dandelions my buns love. We usually have lots in the front garden and I always pick them when they're there but there aren't any around at the moment.


Jack's Jane: Ah, I seem to remember reading a thread you posted some time back about using mixed dried forages? If I recal correctly didn't you make a mix from different things? I may be remembering that wrong lol, but I'm sure I recal reading something you posted.. Oh, the stuff on Zooplus looks really good. I was buying their hay until a while ago when we had trouble with mites and I thought they might have come in on the hay. But then I'm sure that can happen with any hay so I will order some more eventually as it was lovely hay. When I've got some money together I'll make a big order

SarahP: Ah, is that the Rosewood ones? I thought they were just hay! I don't have the box anymore so I can't check but online TheHayExperts site it said it was just meadow grass.
Do you think that's bad for them? They seem to love them. I don't give them all the time but they make a great treat and keep them busy for hours. Snowflake's the only one that isn't too keen on them but she was having a little this morning when I offered her one

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Brambles would certainly make a good starting point!

I forage on public land, and you can look up the rules for your local area - go to your council website. I am allowed to pick anything so long as I don't decimate the bush and don't uproot it. It's good to feel confident should anyone challenge you

I was rubbish at picking forage, but gradually, and with the help of some people on here, I grew in knowledge. I have hardly anywhere to pick around here but it's surprising what you can find! Fresh forage, in my opinion, always trumps dried (though I feed both) because it has the moisture and therefore better for the rabbits' gut. For that reason I like to feed fresh grass as well

Regarding nettles - put some marigolds on and when you've picked them, you can string them upside down and hang them to dry for a couple of days. Then they won't prickle you.

Rabbits can eat all of the brambles - thorns and all! But if you feel like treating them and giving yourself extra work, just cut the leaves off the thorns. I don't know what it is about bunny mouths - they ulcerate when there's a dental spur but thorny food doesn't seem to be an issue. Another of their great mysteries :lol:

MightyMax said:

Brambles would certainly make a good starting point!

I forage on public land, and you can look up the rules for your local area - go to your council website. I am allowed to pick anything so long as I don't decimate the bush and don't uproot it. It's good to feel confident should anyone challenge you

I was rubbish at picking forage, but gradually, and with the help of some people on here, I grew in knowledge. I have hardly anywhere to pick around here but it's surprising what you can find! Fresh forage, in my opinion, always trumps dried (though I feed both) because it has the moisture and therefore better for the rabbits' gut. For that reason I like to feed fresh grass as well

Regarding nettles - put some marigolds on and when you've picked them, you can string them upside down and hang them to dry for a couple of days. Then they won't prickle you.

Rabbits can eat all of the brambles - thorns and all! But if you feel like treating them and giving yourself extra work, just cut the leaves off the thorns. I don't know what it is about bunny mouths - they ulcerate when there's a dental spur but thorny food doesn't seem to be an issue. Another of their great mysteries :lol:

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I also learned to forage on here - I went the Foraging for Rabbits day in 2015 and it revolutionised my rabbit's diet. I wonder if there's going to be another one this spring? I prefer giving fresh forage too but I do give dried (my own and, just recently, some from Galens Garden).

ILMB - have you seen Twigs Way's foraging book:

https://shop.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/product/foraging-for-rabbits-by-twigs-way/

orangediva said:

I also learned to forage on here - I went the Foraging for Rabbits day in 2015 and it revolutionised my rabbit's diet. I wonder if there's going to be another one this spring? I prefer giving fresh forage too but I do give dried (my own and, just recently, some from Galens Garden).

ILMB - have you seen Twigs Way's foraging book:

https://shop.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/product/foraging-for-rabbits-by-twigs-way/

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Yes I mentioned it in post #4

MightyMax said:

Brambles would certainly make a good starting point!

I forage on public land, and you can look up the rules for your local area - go to your council website. I am allowed to pick anything so long as I don't decimate the bush and don't uproot it. It's good to feel confident should anyone challenge you

I was rubbish at picking forage, but gradually, and with the help of some people on here, I grew in knowledge. I have hardly anywhere to pick around here but it's surprising what you can find! Fresh forage, in my opinion, always trumps dried (though I feed both) because it has the moisture and therefore better for the rabbits' gut. For that reason I like to feed fresh grass as well

Regarding nettles - put some marigolds on and when you've picked them, you can string them upside down and hang them to dry for a couple of days. Then they won't prickle you.

Rabbits can eat all of the brambles - thorns and all! But if you feel like treating them and giving yourself extra work, just cut the leaves off the thorns. I don't know what it is about bunny mouths - they ulcerate when there's a dental spur but thorny food doesn't seem to be an issue. Another of their great mysteries :lol:

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:shock: They can eat the thorns too?! Wow, they never cease to amaze me! I always wonder how they manage with the barbs on grass, sharp pointy sticks etc when their tongues are so soft and their mouth seems so fragile. I'm pretty sure if we tried it (not that we'd want to!) we'd end up with a painful mouth! Call me paranoid but I think I'll cut the thorns off anyway But that's quite amazing to know! I'll go out tomorrow and just in case there are any left that I didn't see.
I know people can eat nettles too, at least when they're cooked. I suppose I just hate the thought of giving them something that I know can sting! Are they particularly good for them, or something you should limit a bit more? I know they'll come back again, they always do. They usually get very tall. So that's one thing that I might be able to obtain fairly soon, depending on when it grows.
I'll definitely look into foraging, though I'm not sure how possible it's going to be. But nothing to stop me (attempting) to grow it myself, so a garden full of weeds it is :lol: If nothing else it can at least go along with some veg/herbs. And I'll put that book on my list of things to buy
I'm rubbish with plants but I can't wait to move and start planting some things that the buns will enjoy. I'm hoping to build a nice run with a tunnel system for them too so they can go out sometimes in the summer and enjoy some fresh grass.

orangediva said:

I went the Foraging for Rabbits day in 2015 and it revolutionised my rabbit's diet. I wonder if there's going to be another one this spring?

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Where was that?

Edit: Oh, one other thing - what do you do in winter? Do you just dry some out and store it? Or are there things that are still available in winter?
I'm just imagining trying to collect and dry enough plants to keep 8 rabbits over the winter... :lol:

SarahP said:

Yes, it's the Rosewood ones. I think all they mean by all the different weeds is that they are within the grass that's been cut to make the hay cookies. So no-one has lied, strictly. But it does explain why they are so popular, with all the plantain, dandelion etc!

I definitely think it's worth reducing the veg right down.

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Ah, that makes sense. I think I'll limit them a little more then but they don't seem to coincide with the stasis episodes (except Snowflake but since she barely touched hers I doubt it was related), so I don't think it was down to them. But that's good to know!

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

:shock: They can eat the thorns too?! Wow, they never cease to amaze me! I always wonder how they manage with the barbs on grass, sharp pointy sticks etc when their tongues are so soft and their mouth seems so fragile. I'm pretty sure if we tried it (not that we'd want to!) we'd end up with a painful mouth! Call me paranoid but I think I'll cut the thorns off anyway But that's quite amazing to know! I'll go out tomorrow and just in case there are any left that I didn't see.
I know people can eat nettles too, at least when they're cooked. I suppose I just hate the thought of giving them something that I know can sting! Are they particularly good for them, or something you should limit a bit more? I know they'll come back again, they always do. They usually get very tall. So that's one thing that I might be able to obtain fairly soon, depending on when it grows.
I'll definitely look into foraging, though I'm not sure how possible it's going to be. But nothing to stop me (attempting) to grow it myself, so a garden full of weeds it is :lol: If nothing else it can at least go along with some veg/herbs. And I'll put that book on my list of things to buy
I'm rubbish with plants but I can't wait to move and start planting some things that the buns will enjoy. I'm hoping to build a nice run with a tunnel system for them too so they can go out sometimes in the summer and enjoy some fresh grass.
Where was that?

Edit: Oh, one other thing - what do you do in winter? Do you just dry some out and store it? Or are there things that are still available in winter?
I'm just imagining trying to collect and dry enough plants to keep 8 rabbits over the winter... :lol:


Ah, that makes sense. I think I'll limit them a little more then but they don't seem to coincide with the stasis episodes (except Snowflake but since she barely touched hers I doubt it was related), so I don't think it was down to them. But that's good to know!

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Nettles - very nutritious:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8692782.stm

I've often made nettle soup and it's delicious A garden full of weeds - well weed is just another name for a plant!

Regarding winter, I have been able to get nettles, cow parsley, brambles, cleavers, chickweed and dandelions throughout winter. Otherwise I dry some. A brilliant RU member sent me a box of dried forage and my buns are still going strong on that - I am so grateful

The foraging course was run by Twigs Way - aka parsnipbun (a member on here) at her home. She wrote the book, and held a couple of courses per year to help people identify forage. So useful, and a wonderful day out

MightyMax said:

The foraging course was run by Twigs Way - aka parsnipbun (a member on here) at her home. She wrote the book, and held a couple of courses per year to help people identify forage. So useful, and a wonderful day out

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I would go again if there was another one :wave:

MightyMax said:

Nettles - very nutritious:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8692782.stm

I've often made nettle soup and it's delicious A garden full of weeds - well weed is just another name for a plant!

Regarding winter, I have been able to get nettles, cow parsley, brambles, cleavers, chickweed and dandelions throughout winter. Otherwise I dry some. A brilliant RU member sent me a box of dried forage and my buns are still going strong on that - I am so grateful

The foraging course was run by Twigs Way - aka parsnipbun (a member on here) at her home. She wrote the book, and held a couple of courses per year to help people identify forage. So useful, and a wonderful day out

Click to expand...

Ah, I see. Sounds like a great idea!
I'm going to have to start making a list of these plants! :lol: I can identify brambles and nettles.. But I think that's where that ends


Okay, one more post of questions and then I'll try to stop bothering you all
So I've been looking into the forage idea a little more and I really like the idea of it. Thinking about it it's far more natural for them as it's what a wild rabbit would eat - they wouldn't have access to greens, kale, cabbage etc. At least not as a rule. I did a similar thing with Max in taking him off of store bough kibble etc and putting him on a BARF diet (bones and raw food) along with a brand of dehydrated raw food called Pure. It made a huge difference to him as it was a more natural diet and the change was unbelievable - he lost his 'doggy' smell, his coat was shiny and his skin problems disappeared. He also had more energy. As a vegetarian myself I didn't exactly enjoy preparing it - actually I found it very difficult - but it was good for him so I stuck with it.
I'm guessing it would be a similar thing with rabbits to feed them something more natural. Maybe not eliminate the veg entirely but dramatically reduce it.
Now obviously growing things is my ultimate goal but I can't do a lot on that until we move. I can't really plant things here unless they're in pots so that's going to limit how much I can do, though I will start getting some seeds and pots so I can grow some things. Foraging from woods, parks etc *might* be a possibility from time to time but not something I could do every day.
So what about dried forage? Would it work to cut fibafirst, pellets etc out completely and instead have a mix of dried forage, supplemented with a bit of fresh from the garden when availablie and a small amount of veg/herbs in the evening? How would I go about balancing nutrition? Obviously different types of hay still being available at all times.
Sorry for all the questions. I really like the idea of this but have no idea how to go about it and I don't want them to end up with a deficiency in one thing or too much of another. Are there any guides I could read? Or would that be covered in the book MightyMax mentioned? It's definitely on my list of things to buy now.
In terms of cost, I'm guessing it's cheaper to buy in bulk wherever possible bearing in mind there are eight hungry mouths to feed Is there somewhere anyone can suggest to buy at least some of it in larger bags (for example something inteded for horses etc). The one's Jane linked to on Zooplus look lovely but they're in small 500g bags. Is that the only way to buy them?
Sorry for all the questions I promise I'll try not to post anything after this
I'd really like to give this a try and see how the buns respond to it. If it would work it would be great if I could get the ingredients and mix up a couple of different batches with different plants in so they've got some variety throughout the week. But I'm way out of my depth here and I don't want to do more damage by rushing in without doing the proper research first. If anyone knows of a guide or a book that can help me work out the nutritional requirements and what I should be looking for and in what quantities, that would be incredibly helpful. Then I'll try to leave you alone :lol:

Thank you all so much for your help. You've all been absolutely wonderful and I really do appreciate all the time you've taken over the past few days answering my thread about Snowflake and this one as well xx