Growing Herbs for Rabbits

[Mini Lop Fan]

So I have been wanting to try my hand at gardening, which I have never really done before, and I thought I would start with some potted herbs for my rabbits and for cooking.
What would be y'alls recommendations for a first timer? And what are the best herbs with medicinal and/or health benefits for rabbits?

 

[Ghost]

What about sow thistle and Johnson's grass?

 

[Zass]

Perennials such as mint, oregano and lemon balm are nice and easy to grow. They come back year after year, so you only need to plant them once.

Annuals I like to grow for rabbits include parsley, cilantro, fennel and basil.

Each herb has it's own uses, and most have more than one.
Oregano is a natural antiseptic, lemon balm is relaxing and good for digestion. Mint can help dry up a lactating doe, fennel can increase milk production, and basil is said to be useful in starting the flow of milk.

Basil is said to be good for reducing gas and treating worm infections. (Something I intend to research further.)

Parsley is said to help ease gas as well.

Any of those can help encourage a reluctant rabbit to eat.

There are more properties to each herb. It's definitely worth it to research each one individually.

 

[Rainey]

Not sure from the original post if you have space to grow herbs in the ground or if you will only be growing what you can in pots.
I had an herb garden before we started raising rabbits. Because we don't feed pellets, we gather a lot of fresh forage through the growing season and trimmings from herbs are often in the mix. Perennials--oregano, lemon balm, thyme. We let dill self seed in the garden so we always have plenty to use and to share and it is a host plant for parasitic wasps that have eliminated potato beetles in our garden. So that goes in the bucket when collecting rabbit forage. Also grow borage and let it self seed--heard here on RT that it was good for rabbits and it seems to be a favorite which goes first to nursing does. Parsley is a biennial, slow to germinate, but we let some of the second year plants go to seed and pull them up and lay them down where we want parsley the next year once the seeds have matured. Again it's a favorite with our rabbits.
I've also given lavender from the herb garden to a doe past her due date and she did kindle in a couple hours. And feed sage and mint to does when the kits are being weaned to inhibit milk production.

 

[CanineWild]

I've heard good things about comfrey for rabbits- not sure if you'd quite call it a herb, but it's apparently very healthy. Has health benefits for humans too!

 

[Rainey]

I've heard good things about comfrey for rabbits- not sure if you'd quite call it a herb, but it's apparently very healthy. Has health benefits for humans too!

I've heard both positives and warnings about comfrey. Our rabbits will sometimes eat a little of it when it first starts growing in spring, while the leaves are still small. Not a favorite though like the other herbs I've mentioned that we feed. We do use comfrey leaves when planting and hilling potatoes and put plants we've cut off onto the compost piles. The goats will eat a little and some pigs will eat it where it grows in the area where their pen moves through the summer.

 

[michaels4gardens]

in addition to what has been mentioned, Garlic chives, easy to grow, and help with a variety of common ailments --coccidiosis, and EC - being foremost.
jerusalem artichoke ,- root, stem/leaves. -- and sunflower plants.
Mangles, and especially sugar beet, provide energy equivalent to grain. [in rabbits fed "what you can grow"] and... corn stalks are wonderful feed...

 

[Homer]

Red Russian Kale and Cilantro take up a good bit of space in my garden. The rabbits and the ducks love it. :bunnyhop: :feed-ducks:

If you cut them above the ground with a serrated knife it grows back in a few weeks just like spinach.

 

[sarai]

i am starting a rabbit garden too and need some advice

 

[mountainrabbits]

i am starting a rabbit garden too and need some advice

Do you know what gardening zone you are in? Most of the above mentioned plants can be started from seed and now is a good time to start gathering seed starting supplies if that is what you want to do.

 

[hotzcatz]

Plant what you like to eat and check to make sure it's good for bunnies before giving it to them.

I get most of my seeds from Baker Creek seeds: https://www.rareseeds.com/ Although what with increased demand for seeds due to the virus, their website is down at the moment. So it might be best to cruise the seed racks of your local shops while you can, you may be limited to what seeds you can get.

Bunnies shouldn't eat tomato vines or potato vines. I'd suspect since tomatoes and potatoes are both part of the 'nightshade' family, then probably green peppers and eggplants shouldn't be fed to bunnies, either.

Bunny berries are good fertilizer, so it's a nice circle. The garden feeds the bunny, the bunny manure feeds the garden.