deer fern for rabbits?

[shazza]

i have a lot of deer fern i'm clearing out on my new property and from what i've read online, it's a food source for deer, elk, etc and i was just wondering if anyone here knew if i could feed these to my rabbits. i'm cutting them out anyway, it would be great if i could use them as food for something rather than toss em on the burn pile.

 

[MaggieJ]

Do you have a Latin name for deer fern?

 

[shazza]

oh, of course. completely forgot. google is telling me it's Blechnum spicant

 

[MaggieJ]

I took a look (not, I admit, a thorough search) but couldn't find much about it. Apparently humans can eat it as an emergency food, so it is unlikely to be highly toxic to rabbits. This is a separate question to determining if it is a good forage for your rabbits. I always consider three qualities when recommending greens for rabbits, First safety, then nutritional value and palatability.

 

[Preitler]

I think it wouldn't hurt in moderation, served with enough other stuff, but I wouldn't use it as staple feed.

A german website says it's rather high on bitters and tanins - which is responsible for its medical properties - and Thiaminase, which destroys vitamin B1 and can lead to a shortage of that, it gets destroyed when cooked. Young sprouts and the roots were used as food.