Oak and Acorns

[Scooter1A]

We just dropped two oak trees into the front yard. I know my buns will eat some of the leaves when I turn them out. Is that OK?

 

[ladysown]

um.... I'd do some research on that first. I have vague warning bells in my head about oak leaves..... but I can't remember what.

 

[ladysown]

I did some very minor research and pulled up this: https://www.ourlovelyrabbits.com/can-rabbits-eat-oak-leaves/ but since it talks about rabbit vomiting I have to wonder about it's value.

I also found this one: https://yourcoolhome.com/can-rabbits-eat-oak-leaves/ this article is positive towards the idea.

Yet again, this article says "be careful, some rabbits don't handle oak leaves well (as did a number of other articles I saw)"

https://askmyrabbit.com/can-rabbits-eat-oak-leaves/

 

[tambayo]

I don't feed oakleaves, but if i can get a good source 1 ripe, so brown and ready to grow a new tree acorn per day per rabbit. They see it as candy.

 

[MsTemeraire]

Very high in tannin (tannic acid). This will almost certainly cause digestive upset in some rabbits. But a couple of leaves every now & then may help to keep internal parasites at bay such as coccidia.

 

[Scooter1A]

my doe wants out but I will make her stay in until we get this all cleaned up so I can control the amount they will get. Plus she might hide underneath the limbs. It sounds as if it's probably not a great idea to feed them the leaves. If they get a nut here and there it's up to them.

 

[Scooter1A]

Very high in tannin (tannic acid). This will almost certainly cause digestive upset in some rabbits. But a couple of leaves every now & then may help to keep internal parasites at bay such as coccidia.

that's interesting since I was going to put corrid in her water today. She is bony feeling and not eating alot. She is 7.8 lbs but has had the wobbles for quite a while and rests alot. OK I will lay off the oak.

 

[MsTemeraire]

that's interesting since I was going to put corrid in her water today. She is bony feeling and not eating alot. She is 7.8 lbs but has had the wobbles for quite a while and rests alot. OK I will lay off the oak.

Wild European rabbits will eat bark and dead leaves, especially in winter when there's not much else around. But they know how much is safe to eat - domestics probably wouldn't.

 

[Preitler]

Domestics can know what and how much they can stomach - when they had the chance to learn it. Rabbits were domesticated rather recently, the instincts are still there. Mine are free range outside during the day, grow up that way, start to venture outside the hutches at about 6 weeks, and they get forage with everything that grows on the meadow. Also tree leaves and branches.

Stuff like ivy disappeared gradually from my garden, some leafs at a time, and there is other stuff they ignore completly (not much though), they ignore the toxic lists on the internet and don't have issues.

There is a tiny oak sapling just outside my fence that took ten years to grow to knee height, every time a rabbit got out (I let them out on meadow and wood when I'm around, they always come back) it got stripped of it's leafs. Don't think they care about acorns though, imo they don't have the right teeth for nuts so this isn't really part of their diet, don't know if they would need leaching after unshelling them.

Anyway, with rabbits I only care about abundant or continous food sources, they need time to get used to new stuff and if it's not sure if they eat it or not I don't bother exploiting limited short term opportunities.

 

[Scooter1A]

Domestics can know what and how much they can stomach - when they had the chance to learn it. Rabbits were domesticated rather recently, the instincts are still there. Mine are free range outside during the day, grow up that way, start to venture outside the hutches at about 6 weeks, and they get forage with everything that grows on the meadow. Also tree leaves and branches.

Stuff like ivy disappeared gradually from my garden, some leafs at a time, and there is other stuff they ignore completly (not much though), they ignore the toxic lists on the internet and don't have issues.

There is a tiny oak sapling just outside my fence that took ten years to grow to knee height, every time a rabbit got out (I let them out on meadow and wood when I'm around, they always come back) it got stripped of it's leafs. Don't think they care about acorns though, imo they don't have the right teeth for nuts so this isn't really part of their diet, don't know if they would need leaching after unshelling them.

Anyway, with rabbits I only care about abundant or continous food sources, they need time to get used to new stuff and if it's not sure if they eat it or not I don't bother exploiting limited short term opportunities.

those are some happy bunnies. I do like letting mine out to graze but it makes me very nervous. One stays close, one ventures but always comes back, one is just learning but is so happy when out. My doe hates her pellets, she wants to graze.

 

[Skai]

Oak bark is excellent for a rabbit that has diarrhea, humans too - a personal experience , and for the prevention and treatment of coccidia. Oak bark is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant. The inner bark is especially medicinal so feeding small whole, dried branches is beneficial.

For every opinion that acorns are bad there are others saying the opposite. I have read that dried oak leaves (not fresh) are OK for rabbits. When I have offered them to my rabbits they wouldn't touch them. My rabbits are opinionated. I have one whose only acceptable snack is parsley.

Personally, I think there is a big difference between making available something that is questionable for a free range rabbit and a rabbit that is in a cage. A well-fed rabbit with a choice of food is more discerning about what they will eat. A hungry rabbit is more likely to eat something that is harmful.