What to plant for bunny health?

trinityoaks · May 6, 2012

What are your top ten plants to grow for bunnies for various medicinal purposes (and how do you use them)? I realize that not everything everyone suggests will grow well in all climates, but I want to get a reasonably comprehensive list.

ladysown · May 6, 2012

prickly lettuce (entropathic gut stabilizer). I used to rely on wild growth until i realized a rather important fact....people build and plow and mow and otherwise destroy lovely weed fields.

I also grow queen anne's lace (taste tempter) and lavender (labour issues).

I have mint growing to dry up does and to tempt stubborn bucks into eating. (and of course to torment the cats).

MaggieJ · May 6, 2012

Dandelions (preferably soaked with water) to fight GI stasis.

Plantain and shepherd's purse as well as blackberry, raspberry and strawberry leaves to combat diarrhea.

Willow for pain and as a preventative for coccidiosis.

Lamb's quarters (young plants) are also a preventative for coccidiosis.

Lavender to expel the contents of the uterus in difficult labours.

Mint or sage to dry up a doe.

General tonics bouquet: yarrow, mint, sage, plantain, clover.

Botanical names for all of these can be found in the Safe Plants List.

trinityoaks · May 7, 2012

I have mint, sage, and lavender covered, and I will look for a small willow sapling that I can keep in a container until we get our own place. I also have a couple of strawberry plants, and may get a couple of blackberry and/or raspberry plants as well. However, I have NO idea where to get seeds/plants for the others. I guess I can watch for dandelions to start seeding, but the rest, I don't know. I've seen Queen Anne's Lace growing along the roads, but don't know how to collect seeds. I'm not sure it's ok to dig up a whole plant.

MaggieJ · May 7, 2012

A bit of information here:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/688/

There are lots of sources for medicinal weed seeds. You can't google just using weed seeds, however, or all you'll get is marijuana!

Try searches using the common or botanical name plus seeds buy.

MamaSheepdog · May 7, 2012

MaggieJ":2jw5og16 said:
You can't google just using weed seeds, however, or all you'll get is marijuana!

"But officer... I planted it for my bunnies. It stimulates their appetites!"

:bunnyhop:

opcorn: :bunnyhop:

"Sometimes it makes them wear silly things on their heads too."

ancake:

MaggieJ · May 7, 2012

MamaSheepdog, you can imagine what I got when (new to chickens and raising day-olds in a brooder) I googled chick anatomy! :shock:

:? :lol: :roll: :mrgreen:

trinityoaks · May 7, 2012

MaggieJ":3ihn0ub5 said:
A bit of information here:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/688/

CRUD! Now I don't know whether what I see along the roadsides is Queen Anne's Lace or Beggar's Lice! Those Beggar's Lice seeds are NASTY!! My kids have gotten those seeds in their clothes and on their socks while out hiking or camping. I've literally thrown socks away because there were so many seeds stuck in them (and they're not easy to get out!). The price of a pair of socks was far less than the value of hours spent pulling those seeds off!

There are lots of sources for medicinal weed seeds. You can't google just using weed seeds, however, or all you'll get is marijuana![/quote}
LOL!! :lol:

Try searches using the common or botanical name plus seeds buy.

Click to expand...

Will do. Thanks! I wasn't sure anyone would actually sell seeds for plants that would be considered weeds.

MamaSheepdog · May 7, 2012

MaggieJ":1q18unnk said:
MamaSheepdog, you can imagine what I got when I googled chick anatomy! :shock: :? :lol: :roll: :mrgreen:

I bet you saw more than you had bargained for!!! :lol:

I can just picture it... your Hubs comes into the room... "MaggieJ, just what are you researching now?" before you can quickly press "Esc", he is behind your shoulder... "Oh!... :shock: ... well, ahem! That's different from your usual, dear...

opcorn: "

MaggieJ · May 7, 2012

Oh, Brian and I had a good laugh over it. :lol: All I was trying to find out was if that bulge on the chicks' necks was the crop.

skysthelimit · May 7, 2012

trinityoaks":2wu7ubt3 said:
MaggieJ":2wu7ubt3 said:

A bit of information here:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/688/

Click to expand...

CRUD! Now I don't know whether what I see along the roadsides is Queen Anne's Lace or Beggar's Lice! Those Beggar's Lice seeds are NASTY!! My kids have gotten those seeds in their clothes and on their socks while out hiking or camping. I've literally thrown socks away because there were so many seeds stuck in them (and they're not easy to get out!). The price of a pair of socks was far less than the value of hours spent pulling those seeds off!

There are lots of sources for medicinal weed seeds. You can't google just using weed seeds, however, or all you'll get is marijuana![/quote}
LOL!! :lol:

Try searches using the common or botanical name plus seeds buy.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Will do. Thanks! I wasn't sure anyone would actually sell seeds for plants that would be considered weeds.

Yes, I bought clover seeds from ebay, hairy veche, chicory and there are some people selling dandelion seeds too, but I seem to have come across a field of ripe dandelions so I no longer need to order them. Someone on ebay is selling cover crop seeds too, timothy/alfalfa/clover mix seeds.

MaggieJ · May 7, 2012

It is perfectly possible to gather weed seeds from roadsides etc. and scatter them on your own land. Some people prefer to buy them for convenience or because they are hesitant about identification of certain weeds.

Queen Anne's lace is easy to identify. The plant smells strongly of carrot tops... It is the wild ancestor of our domestic carrot and the foliage smells distinctively carroty when bruised.

WildWolf · May 14, 2012

MaggieJ":1qirqrpw said:
Dandelions (preferably soaked with water) to fight GI stasis.

Plantain and shepherd's purse as well as blackberry, raspberry and strawberry leaves to combat diarrhea.

Willow for pain and as a preventative for coccidiosis.

Lamb's quarters (young plants) are also a preventative for coccidiosis.

Lavender to expel the contents of the uterus in difficult labours.

Mint or sage to dry up a doe.

General tonics bouquet: yarrow, mint, sage, plantain, clover.

How much do you feed of each? How often? Right now I'm getting my rabbits' tummies used to green food by giving them 2 handfulls of cuttings from our lawn- its mostly white clover- about every other day.

MaggieJ · May 14, 2012

If you feed a good mix of greens (I usually gather no less than 5-6 species) it can make up the largest part of their diet, once they are accustomed to it. I also offer hay, small amounts of grain (about 1/4 c. per rabbit, more for nursing does and growing kits), a trace mineral salt block and, of course, fresh water.

5dognightfarm · May 14, 2012

Plantain, for sure.

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