I bought Brussel sprouts on the stalk yesterday, and am wondering if feeding the stalk to the buns would be okay? I know cabbage can make them gassy, so I assume since they are in the same family the same applies to the B. sprouts... I'd probably give everybody a 1/3" slice or so.

What signs do they give if they are gassy? Bloated belly? Anything natural I can give them to counter that if it happens? I don't trust pharmaceuticals much (okay- ya got me... at all.) so we don't have Gas-x or anything. I have some really old kaopectate though.

I've never fed Brussel sprout stems, but I've occasionally fed broccoli stems and I often feed cabbage in winter. I think it is all what they are used to... I phase the cabbage in slowly as the wild greens diminish. I doubt if a small slice would harm the rabbits if they are accustomed to fresh foods in general.

A rabbit with bloat will hunch up in a corner of the cage and look very unhappy. It's abdomen will typically be distended and it may grind its teeth in pain.

Here is a quote from a thread on Homesteading Today, written by Danaus29:

Thank you, Miss Maggie! The brussel sprout stem looks a lot like a broccoli stem, except it is uniformly round and tapering, unlike the branching broccoli... I love broccoli stems myself, and looking at it I was wondering how it would be steamed, so the bunnies may lose out to me anyway! I'm gonna steam a little chunk and try it!

I'll look into the Simethicone. Has anyone tried Hyland's colic drops? They offer homeopathic remedies for all kinds of ailments. My babies never had colic, so I've never used it.

Mint will help clear out gas just not as effectively. It helps more with absorbing it out of the intestines instead of moving it along like the simethicone. You can get herbal tablets based around peppermint with other things added for digestive issues. I used them for awhile but it turned out the ones I found locally had fructose added as a sweetener which is exactly what causes gas problems in my own digestive tract. I can't digest certain sugars like fructose and lactose. I haven't gone hunting for another brand online so I can't recommend anything specific. I have found my rabbits readily eat things peppermint flavored like horse treats.

Personally I don't give mammals cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower... It just isn't worth it. Even an animal used to fresh greens and even if you get used to those types of vegetables they create some gas. Parts of the vegetable aren't digestible except by bacteria that are gas producing. If you or an animal is sensitive to gas it will cause discomfort no matter what you do. Birds are another story since their short digestive tract and extreme differences in elimination of waste make gas a non issue. The chickens and parrots get those vegetables when I have some instead of the mammals.

Thanks, akane. You sure seem to know a lot about nutrition in general, and how certain foods affect different species. Passion or profession?

My buns have eaten sprouts or stalks with no issues. Does not mean yours will not. The boys got the stalks and they only ate a little each day. I have to imagine that type of 'self-regulating' helps.