Best lawn grass for rabbits?

[Wolfeh]

So I have been reading a lot and have found nothing on a grass that makes for a good lawn and also good rabbit forage. We currently live on a lot with no lawn but are within city limits. I would like to sell this place as a city home (since we can't have livestock, besides fowl and rabbits, within city limits, a pasture is not a good idea anyway) but while we're here, a rabbit friendly lawn sounds nice to me.

I live in hardiness zone 6b and was thinking perennial ryegrass would be a good option but have read that lawn strains have toxic levels of endophytes. Annual does not but it has to be reseeded every year.

Does anyone have experience with grazing rabbits on lawns? Any grasses I should absolutely avoid? In your opinion is there a best lawn grass?

Thanks!

 

[dragonladyleanne]

I know a hay which is good for rabbits comes from Coastal Bermuda grass, and here it is also from Pensacola Bahia. In more northern/western climes, I have seen Winter Rye mentioned (I assume that's the annual version). Personally, I have a lot of centipede and the rabbits eat it without any ill effect that I have seen. In your zone, I'd think Kentucky Bluegrass might do well, and as it's fine for horses, I imagine it's ok for rabbits, too.

 

[Demamma]

A friend of mine grows Italian rye and keeps it mowed low in the summer. It looks nice just not lush. He is going to grow it out for me to harvest for hay. I don't know anything about toxic levels

 

[Miss M]

We had St. Augustine and a little centipede at my uncle's house, and the rabbits ate it with no problems. St. Augustine is mediocre as a forage nutritionally, though.

You can get livestock forage grasses at Tractor Supply Company, if you have one nearby. They had some that was just grass, and some that was mixed forage (grass and clover). What they sell for livestock would be good for the buns.