Can rabbit eat sweet corn leaves and husk?

[Krank]

Hello.
I've been giving my rabbits corn leaves (still green and fresh leaves, notthe ones from mature plant) because i grew it in garden last year but it was normal field corn.
This year im growing sweet corn. I've planted them too tightly and I'm wondering if I can give them to rabbits because corn is grass technically and the plants are little now but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Is sweet corn leave different than field corn one? And btw could I dry still green sweet and field corn leaves after harvesting corn for my rabbits just like hay is dried?

 

[Preitler]

I wouldn't know why not, it's essentially the same plant as normal corn, only difference is how the starch in the kernels is formed and stored.

 

[MaggieJ]

If you are certain that the plants were never sprayed for anything, it should be just fine -- either fresh or dried. Be careful there is no mould or powdery mildew on them, as you would with any other kind of forage.

 

[ladysown]

They certainly can. I grow spilled corn all the time... whether from field or sweet.

 

[hotzcatz]

The buns here get the whole cornstalk when we harvest the ears. Well, I cut the roots off but the rest is bunny food. Pretty much any grass is good for buns, as far as I know.

Here's what 'Feedipedia' has to say on the matter of corn leaves and rabbits:

Rabbits
Green maize leaves have been used for a long time as a forage in rabbit feeding in addition to a concentrate, in Europe (Kubrakova et al., 1979; Schlolaut, 1987), in Africa (Mutetikka et al., 1990; Lukefahr, 1998), and more generally in tropical countries (Raharjo et al., 1988; Lebas et al., 1997). However, when compared to other green forages, maize leaves are considered as a poorly palatable forage for growing rabbits and breeding does (Harris et al., 1983; Adehan et al., 1994). Growth of rabbits fed ad libitum with green maize leaves, in addition to a limited quantity of concentrate, is higher (20.0 g/d) than with Rhodes grass hay (Chloris gayana) (15.7 g/d), but lower than with fresh sweet potato vines (23.7 g/d). This ranking was probably related to the protein content of the 3 forages: 2.7, 12.5 and 15.3% of DM, respectively (Mutetikka et al., 1990). In another trial with rabbits, protein digestibility of maize green leaves was low (44%), but digestible energy was relatively high (8.3 MJ/kg DM) for a forage (Raharjo et al., 1988). Green maize leaves are suitable for rabbit feeding, mainly as a forage with a moderate energy content, but with a low digestible protein content (about 5-6% of DM). It must be used together with a concentrate and is not suitable as a sole feed (Mutetikka et al., 1990).

They're a pretty good site for finding out about what to feed rabbits: Maize green forage | Feedipedia They did note that a lot of corn crops are grown with a lot of chemicals and to use leaves from corn fields that aren't sprayed.

 

[Zee-Man]

There are certain grass plants that should have caution with rabbits. One that comes to mind is foxtail (Setaria pumila) whose awns have barbs and thus can cause mouth blistering. I read this from a dog safety article, but am sure it can apply to rabbits.
"

• Coat: When left in the coat, foxtails can migrate to other parts of the body, be ingested by the animal, or become embedded in the skin.
• Feet: Spikelets can easily get embedded in between toes and pads.
• Ears: Once in the ear canal, they can puncture the eardrum and enter the middle ear, causing hearing loss.
• Eyes: Foxtails can cause redness, discharge, swelling, and squinting. They can even lodge in the mucous membrane under the eyelid.
• Nose: When they are embedded in the nostrils, they can cause intense distress by migrating into the nasal cavity, the lungs, and, in rare cases, the brain.
• Genitals: Even their reproductive and urinary orifices are at risk, especially if you have larger dogs who like to walk through or go to the bathroom in tall grasses."

The leaves are fine, but the seed head should be removed.

Good to learn about corn plants since field corn is coming up now and it was making me think. The whole plant @hotzcatz ! I would not have thought to feed the stalk. Great info!

Feedipedia also has a separate sheet for Maize Stover

 

[hotzcatz]

Buns love the chewy bits. When they get tree leaves, most times it's with the branch as well. Some folks bring me trimmings when they prune their orchards (organic farmers who are death on chemical use) and the buns get so much leaves to eat that they are hard to see under the pile. They routinely get ti leaf with the woody stems. (cordyline terminalis, "Hawaiian" green ti used for plates and grass skirts, not the camellia sinensis of black tea). Mulberry branches are another favorite and when the tree is pruned, it comes back thicker than before and makes more berries, too.