Couple questions: Can you feed your rabbit this?

[Easy Ears]

My friend has a asparagus that just went to seed and it has nice leafy fern looking leaves she thought would be great to feed her bunnies but was wondering if it was safe, she said she googled it but couldn't find anything...I have no clue so I thought I'd ask if anyone here has.

As for my second question: I picked up some pallet boards and wanted to make some wooden boxes out of them for my rabbits. (They've been on a side street so I plan on washing them well first) Some of it looks like pine wood. Rabbits can chew on pine without a problem, right? And while we are on the subject of pine, I have 2 pine trees in my back yard and just hacked a few branches off them....could I give them to the bunnies? ...hmm the sap might be a problem.

 

[Rainey]

I have understood that asparagus was safe to feed and have offered it to our rabbits in spring when we have seedlings sprouting in the asparagus bed. (The fatter stalks are ours--no sharing with buns) But the rabbits have never shown much interest, preferring the fresh grass, dandelions, etc. This time of year the ferny parts are pretty but I wouldn't think they'd have much nutritional value at the end of the year. Just my thoughts, don't really know or have a study to back me up.

 

[FourRingCircus]

I would use the pallets with caution... some of them have been treated with chemicals. I know the ones with blue paint aren't safe to use, but not sure about the plain ones. I know at DH's work they had to start using ones with some kind of mold inhibitor sprayed on them...

 

[Preitler]

Here every pallet has a branding, with a number and a code how it ist treated - look out for HT (heat treated), these are safe.
Imho it's not that others will likely cause problems, it's shelter not food, and even if the rabbits gnaw on it they don't actually eat the wood, or very little. I would think a good scrubbing will remove most of whatever would get easily off.

All I could find about Asparagus densiflorus was that the berrys some plants can grow are somewhat toxic.

 

[Easy Ears]

Thanks guys.

I have understood that asparagus was safe to feed and have offered it to our rabbits in spring when we have seedlings sprouting in the asparagus bed. (The fatter stalks are ours--no sharing with buns) But the rabbits have never shown much interest, preferring the fresh grass, dandelions, etc. This time of year the ferny parts are pretty but I wouldn't think they'd have much nutritional value at the end of the year. Just my thoughts, don't really know or have a study to back me up.

Have you tried feeding the ferny parts?

I would use the pallets with caution... some of them have been treated with chemicals. I know the ones with blue paint aren't safe to use, but not sure about the plain ones. I know at DH's work they had to start using ones with some kind of mold inhibitor sprayed on them...

I've not seen the blue paint ones...they look pretty natural with no ink or anything on them. There is just a local alley where they always have free pallets anyone can just take. I found it on craigslist and have been their twice. I think most people just tear them apart for fire wood lol.

Here every pallet has a branding, with a number and a code how it ist treated - look out for HT (heat treated), these are safe.
Imho it's not that others will likely cause problems, it's shelter not food, and even if the rabbits gnaw on it they don't actually eat the wood, or very little. I would think a good scrubbing will remove most of whatever would get easily off.

All I could find about Asparagus densiflorus was that the berrys some plants can grow are somewhat toxic.

Well that's nice. We don't have branded pallets lol. I'll build one box and see if one of my bucks does okay with it. Oh and if it is pine is that okay for them to chew?

 

[Rainey]

Thanks guys.
Have you tried feeding the ferny parts?

No, I didn't try the ferns--just didn't seem to have much feed value and I figured if they wouldn't eat the young sprouts they weren't apt to go for the drier ferns at the end of the growing season.

 

[MaggieJ]

I've never fed asparagus to the buns, but the vegetable (ie. the stalk) shows up in pet rabbit sites as safe. As with any new food, to be introduced gradually. I don't see any reason why the ferny parts of edible asparagus should be toxic, but I would definitely avoid feeding the berries/seeds. No actual reference for this, but I have an idea they may be toxic or at least undesirable -- and I see Preitler agrees with me.

Pine wood (from the pallets) should not harm them as long as it isn't treated. I'm not sure about giving them branches as feed. I wouldn't, although I know porcupines eat large quantities of evergreen in winter: pine, white cedar and so forth.