Speaking of vegetation farther south...
Here's a list put together a recently of forage plants I feed my rabs, for my own records and to share locally with people interested in rabbits. I wanted to put this out there, since it could be useful to anyone else from the tropics or subtropics trying to puzzle out what to feed.
Cheers!
:bunnyhop:
Some Local Cut-And-Carry Forage Plants for Rabbits
(Note: the primary part of the plant consumed may be assumed to be the green leaves and tender stems of the plant, unless otherwise specified in the entry)
Legume-family plants (cultivated and wild, including trees)
-Ha’ole Koa (Leucaena leucocephala, nutritious and abundant weed tree, but limit amounts because of toxicity) Pal. good
-Orchid Tree (Bauhinia variegata, fed to livestock in S. Asia), Pal good
-Hitchhiker Plant (I believe this to be Alysicarpus vaginalis aka Alyce Clover) Pal ok
-Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata, all cultivars, harvest at flower stage for highest protein) Pal very good
-Pidgeon Pea (Cajanus cajan, referenced as a good tropical substitute for alfalfa) Pal good
-Partridge Pea (Chamaechrista nictitans) Pal good
Other wild, weed, or landscaping plants
-Guinea Grass (tender younger leaves, not the fully mature ones) Pal. Good
-Buffalo Grass, pal. ok
-Hibiscus (H. rosa-senensis, growing tips and leaves) Pal. low
-Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) Pal good
-Honohono Grass (Commelina diffusa) Pal ok
-Ti Plant (Cordyline spp.) Pal very good
Other cultivated plants, including agricultural and horticultural
-Kale (introduce carefully to rabbits unaccustomed to green food) Pal. Very good
-Cilantro, Pal very good
-Basil (common culinary and also lemon basil varieties) Pal very good
-Tulsi (Indian Holy Basil) Pal very good
-Lettuce (limited amounts, contains virtually no fiber) Pal very good
-Lemongrass, Pal ok
-Nasturtium (leaves and flowers), Pal good
-Sugarcane (leaves, also chopped stem portion can be used as an energy supplement) pal good
-Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas, leaves and vines, also roots can be used as an energy supplement) pal good
-Buckwheat, pal very good
-Arugula (rabbit forage is a good use for older plants past their harvesting prime) pal good
-Carrot (greens, also root can be used as an energy supplement) Pal good
-Beet (root only, can be used in moderation as an energy supplement) Pal ok
-Mulberry (Morus spp., scientifically verified as very nutritious) Pal good
Notes about this list:
This list is by no means exhaustive; I may well have forgotten to include a couple of things, and also there are many more plants grown and growing locally that are suitable for rabbits. I have included in this list only those forages that I have personally fed successfully at least once, and in most cases many times on a regular basis--nothing here is recommended on hearsay or secondary reference. There are also other forages with promising potential, such as Moringa oleifera and Wing Bean, which are reportedly used elsewhere and will grow well here, and which I hope to incorporate into feedings in the future, but which I have not included here since I have no personal experience with them yet. I have also seen comfrey recommended as rabbit food in many sources, but while it grows very lushly and abundantly here, my rabbits will not eat it, fresh or wilted.
At the end of each entry is my own rough observation of the palatability of each forage (represented by the abbreviation “Pal.”). I thought this might be useful or interesting to impart, but please keep in mind that this is a very subjective evaluation based solely on my own casual observation of which greens my rabbits, in general, consume most eagerly. And while I tried to be consistent, it wasn’t always easy. Preferences may vary from rabbit to rabbit. In general, the young weaned bunnies are much less picky about their forages, and will often eagerly consume things that their parents usually find uninteresting, such as hibiscus and orchid tree leaves. Part of it surely has to do with what the rabbits become accustomed to, so others may find their own rabbits to have completely different preferences. Furthermore, high palatability should not necessarily be assumed to be indicative of superior nutritional value in a forage.
I have listed plants by their most common local names, but have included Latin names where I was able or where I thought it helpful for clarity.
