Unsafe plants

WildWolf · Jun 21, 2012

I know there is a sticky for safe plants, and I have seen a few posts about plants to avoid. But are there any common weeds that are bad for bunnies? It seems like they can eat everything but nuts and legumes. Is that right? Or, is there anything that can harm the bunnies if they get too much of it? Thanks!

Secuono · Jun 21, 2012

I think ornamental grasses are a no-no.

MaggieJ · Jun 21, 2012

Many plants are toxic, including such things as lily of the valley, monkshood (aconite), tomato, potato and eggplant foliage, etc. etc. etc. Poison plant lists abound, but really it is far easier to learn what is safe and feed that. Most toxic plant lists do not specify what animals they pertain to, nor do they supply the botanical names so that people can be certain they are talking about the right plant. At best, they are a place to start researching.

WildWolf · Jun 21, 2012

OK, thanks. I didn't know about tomatoes and potatoes and eggplants. Do you know of any other veggie they can't have?

MaggieJ · Jun 21, 2012

It's the plants of those veggies they shouldn't have... the leaves, stems, roots. Tomatoes themselves are an acceptable occasional treat. Not sure about eggplant. Potatoes can be fed on occasion in place of grain, but they should be cooked.

Vegetables in general are not the best foods for rabbits. They are herbivores, not vegetarians, and do best on the kinds of weeds listed in the Safe Plants List, along with alfalfa and grass hay and a small amount of grain and seeds.

WildWolf · Jun 24, 2012

Oh, OK, that helps a lot! Thanks! One more question: are members of the brassica family- like kale- and Claytonia/ miner's lettuce safe for rabbits? I keep reading different opinions on whether or not they are safe.

MaggieJ · Jun 24, 2012

I've heard that miner's lettuce is NOT safe, but can't remember the details. the brassicas can be fed in moderation, but they must be introduced very slowly, to give the rabbits' GI tracts a chance to adjust to the gassiness. Watch very closely for any sign of a problem: bloating, lethargy, diarrhea etc. Some rabbits, it seems, tolerate the brassicas better than others. There was a time that I would not feed them at all to my rabbits, but now I do feed cabbage in winter. It is just too good a fresh food to pass up... But each fall I phase it in while the wild greens are still plentiful. So far, this has worked very well for me.