putting up winter feed for rabbits : Natural Feeding for Rabbits

[Rainey]

Even here in 'the north country' the growing season is in full swing. Not much rain--less than 3 inches in the past 5-6 weeks. But we got in the hay we need for our goats and rabbits a week or so ago. And today (with some help from a wwoofer who's with us for a couple weeks) we bundled and hung over half of the willow we'll want for the winter. Already had cut stinging nettle and dried it last month and want to get in burdock leaves and cattails to dry before the end of this month.
Picked our first peas today and the rabbits will get the pods with their evening feed. Lots of strawberries, asparagus, shiitake, greens and radishes for us. Radish tops, kale and bolting lettuce gets fed along with other forage--clover, grass, dandelions etc.
What are you feeding rabbits now? drying for winter? enjoying from your garden on your own table?

[Preitler]

Oh my, weather was tropical the last weeks, impossible to make hay with rain every single day. It's better now, but no time since I have to work. Actually, I have a huge plastic sheet at work where I dry nettles, morning glory and clover, when it starts to rain I pull the sheet into the factory workshop.

I do small amounts at a time, since it gets spoiled by rain sometimes.

Now I feed forage, everything that doesn't look worth being dried for winter, lots of waste, doesn't matter since there's ample supply to pick the good stuff out and spoil the rest. Keeps my bunnies busy.

Not much on my table this year, stingy nettles as spinach, young dandelion as addition to potato salad, and now red current with yoghurt, rolled oats and sugar. Well, and lovage for soups, my rabbits somehow failed to destroy that.

[michaels4gardens]

wonderful, congrats Rainey

[Nymphadora]

That looks wonderful, Rainey!

I don't think we'll be able to afford feeding naturally any time soon (there's not much to forage in the scrubby brush that dots the hills around here, and water is expensive), but it looks like a dream! Lots of hard work, I'm sure, but I quite enjoy the little garden that I do keep and I can imagine the pride of growing so much food!

You're doing a great job, and I love seeing the updates!

[Zass]

Lemon balm and comfrey are my two most prolific go-tos for drying for the rabbits this time of year. For myself, the mint, oregano, basil, and rosemary are doing great. There are a few peppers already showing up in the garden, along with fresh lettuces and green onions. I also have plentiful catnip for the first time ever

[michaels4gardens]

Lemon balm and comfrey are my two most prolific go-tos for drying for the rabbits this time of year. For myself, the mint, oregano, basil, and rosemary are doing great. There are a few peppers already showing up in the garden, along with fresh lettuces and green onions. I also have plentiful catnip for the first time ever

Zass, / Rainey - how well do your rabbits eat dried comfrey?? I have had mixed results feeding fresh comfrey.

[Zass]

Lemon balm and comfrey are my two most prolific go-tos for drying for the rabbits this time of year. For myself, the mint, oregano, basil, and rosemary are doing great. There are a few peppers already showing up in the garden, along with fresh lettuces and green onions. I also have plentiful catnip for the first time ever

Zass, / Rainey - how well do your rabbits eat dried comfrey?? I have had mixed results feeding fresh comfrey.

I've had very good results with dried. I don't know if it's my comfrey, or my rabbits, but I've also had very good results with fresh.

[Rainey]

Zass, / Rainey - how well do your rabbits eat dried comfrey?? I have had mixed results feeding fresh comfrey.

Sometimes our goats and chickens will eat comfrey fresh but none of our animals eat it dried. We still find it useful, adding it to our compost piles and putting in some fresh leaves around the potatoes when we hill them.