Celery?

[Anntann]

I seem to have a LOT of celery tops...the parts that are leafy. How do we feel about feeding those?

hmm...and alfalfa sprouts? I can sprout alfalfa daily, but is it too rich? or even good for them?

 

[MaggieJ]

I've heard that celery is sometimes problematic for rabbits. It's not toxic, I don't think, but seems hard for them to digest. What you can do with the celery leaves is wash them well and air dry them (onion bag works great for this) then crumble and add to soups, stews or stuffing as a seasoning. Much better than celery salt.

Alfalfa sprouts should be just fine for the buns... but phase them in slowly just in case.

 

[avdpas77]

Ann, Ann. You always leave yourself open.

Check with your frog.

 

[Anntann]

 

[ladysown]

hmm...I've never had a problem feeding celery. granted...one celery plant (the tops)...21 cages....think anyone gets very much?

 

[Backfourty Mi.]

I have fed celery tops to mine a couple of times & they seem to like it. Haven't done it but a couple times though. Usually I save them & use them in soup's, etc. like Maggie said.

 

[MaggieJ]

I should clarify that while I have heard of rabbits having problems with celery, I have never actually fed it. I don't grow it in my garden and bought celery is just too expensive to feed to the buns.

 

[Marian]

I feed the celery tops to the rabbits and this summer I grew it so I gave them stalks every now and then. From what I read, the basic issues with celery are 1)not a nutritious food so I use it only to add a little variety. (The rabbits keep me guessing all the time so this is just a little payback, they never know what they're getting in the veggie bucket.) 2) The 'strings' in the celery can cause tummy problems if they are too long. As recommended the stalks are always cut into 1 inch peices.

I don't know a thing about alfalfa sprouts.

Marian

 

[Pony!]

I grow celery (wow! it is WAY easier than I thought it would be), and I feed some to the rabbits. Not much, and not every day.

As far as nutrition goes, the stuff I grow myself is LOTS greener and tastier than the stuff at the grocery store. I can only assume that greener = better, at least it TASTES better.

They seem to like it, and (knock wood) no problems here.

But you know that the buns like to play with our heads.

 

[Anntann]

easy? oho my....Going to have to put some in the ground this year!! WOOHOO!!!

 

[mommaebear]

Celery was alway left for last at our place.

 

[curlysue]

I sometimes feed the celery leaves.

 

[MaggieJ]

My rabbits can't have the celery leaves! Oh, no!!! I want them all to dry for seasoning soups and stews.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

the issue with celery has been the long strings in the stems-- Celery stalks, is akin to iceberg lettuce-- more water than anything else in it. Maggie, share the leaves with your buns-- that is the nutritious part. Of course, parsley is even better...
Alfalfa sprouts are super concentrated in nutrition-- most sprouts are-- they pack all the seed's nutrition, plus that of any food they have manufactured when exposed to light...
Well, off to see the wizard-- what mazing things will todays travels have in storefor me?

 

[arachyd]

It seems strange that an animal used to eating plants of all kinds would have a problem with celery strings. Has anyone ever experienced issues with them?

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Only with a guinea pig-- poor thing got constipated!!!
Realize, the celery 'strings' are the support framework for a VERY heavy plant! Kind of like 'stays' in old fashioned corsets, or that darn uncomfortable wire in a support bra-- The strings of celery contain much higher levels of cellulose, what one could call 'wood' IN the wild, grazers generally do not eat plants that contain high levels of silica (wetland plants like Spike rush, nut sedge, horsetail), nor do they eat 'Old' twigs or branches -- yes, they will debark, eat the soft cambium layers, but not the mature xylem and phloem of a plants support structure.