So my rabbitry is under a cedar tree...I have never tried feeding the branch tips to the rabbits, just because it didn't seem appetizing to me. I, of course, am not a rabbit. A neighbor kid was by and picked up a twig of fresh cedar and offered it to coax a bunny to the front of the cage and as I was opening my mouth to say that that wasn't bunny food, the rabbits inhaled it. With gusto.

Has anyone ever fed Western Red Cedar? I have snooped around online and seen that deer apparently love it. What do you think?

Here is the wikipedia entry for identification...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuja_plicata

I know there is some concern with cedar shavings being toxic (or at least irritating to lungs and skin), so I am a little leery of feeding the growing branch tips, but the rabbits sure seemed to enjoy it.

Lots of info available. Try googling Thuja plicata toxicity rabbits. I'd spend longer on it, but short of time just now.

many members of the pine/cedat family do have some medicinal and nutritional uses HOWEVER-- these are some of the LAST plants eaten by wild animals, and the animals usually choose the newest, tenderest portions. The problem with cedar as a bedding, for animals that are in it constantly, is the release of volatile oils which can irritate lungs. AS something to nibble on, the twigs and leaves are not going to have the concentration of vapors taht bedding would...

This is the trouble I had in tracking down toxicity for rabbits--they were talking more often about the dry shavings. I did find that deer apparently favor it...I suppose since I can't find anything really conclusive about feeding the green parts to rabbits, I will skip it in favor of the many forages I have available that I KNOW are good for them.

I think that is a wise choice, Eco... At least until we can find some more conclusive evidence that it is safe. I suspect most of the problem is with the wood and volatile oils contained in the wood rather than the foliage, but why take chances?

It would just be available when not much else is...

Find out if the wild rabbits eat it in winter.

Wild rabbits often eat plants that would normally be considered toxic for medicinal purposes. Unfortunately domestic rabbits just don't usually have the right plants available at the right time. They are pretty much dependent on what we bring them.

Yes, and it is because they are dependent on what we bring them that I include a good variety of plants. They may get a lot of a certain plant one one day because it is readily available (chicory or Queen Anne's lace, prickly lettuce or willow are good examples) but they also get a bucketful of mixed weeds to try to approximate the nibbling habits of wild rabbits. I've always felt that a good variety is very important, both nutritionally and medicinally.

Just released about 20 meat rabbits in a 40'x70' colony, with about 10 trees in it. These trees are rocky mountain juniper and/or western red cedar.(even experts can struggle to tell the difference). These rabbits have plenty to eat, the various grasses are short to a couple feet tall, the feed box is full, and I have noticed they are nibbling a little on the trees, mostly the looser bark.
I have witnessed a couple varieties of deer munching on the leaves, as well as cattle, horses, wild rabbits, and goats. Though I haven't seen them eat large amounts at any one time.
It's too early to tell if these trees will cause problems, but I am leaning in the direction that they won't.

Hi there in Western Washington from the land of Twilight and the former logging capital of the world, Forks where we are fairly familiar with red cedar.

Ever notice how it outlasts even pressure treated fir around here? Don't put it into a compost pile because it will hang around forever. I've also noticed that the various fungi such as chicken of the woods and the conks and so on will hit the alder and the fir and cottonwoods.. but never onto the cedar.

I've fed my rabbits alder leaves and goats can live on something close to 1/4 of their diet being alder CHIPS. I'd give cedar a wide berth.

Also plum leaves can really mess up rabbits.