Well growing season officially over

[Jack]

2nd frost, first hard one
SO, now it's time to compost the garden through the rabbit shed

See I believe in composting, and from what I can tell, feeding the garden to the rabbits is about the most efficient way to do it.
I start with my tender plants and work my way to the hardiest, right now the bunnies are snacking on corn stalks, Nostrums and squash and pea plants.

 

[sommrluv]

Can you feed any pea/bean plants?

 

[Jack]

yeah, but not the fruit/pods

 

[Miss M]

You can't feed bean pods?

 

[akane]

Depends on the bean. I often feed green/pole/snap beans whole in the pod. In fact last year we had many many ziplock bags full of them that we were just dumping in the animal pens because there were so many. We didn't have to buy snap or snow peas for the sugar gliders who love to strip things out of the pods for about 8months. Other beans are toxic. Kidney, lima, and soy tend to get special mention on toxicity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_bean

 

[Jack]

Peas have chemicals know to taste bad and to be toxic at high enough levels, but OTH wild rabbits eat them...
Sides that, I only got a small box of peas, so don't expect me to share.

 

[MaggieJ]

Dried, ground field peas are an ingredient in organic rabbit feed here, so I think they must be okay. Soybeans, on the other hand, must be steamed or roasted before using for rabbits. You can feed the foliage of peas and beans, however, and also dry them as hay, but watch out for mould or mildew on the plants, especially toward the end of the season.

 

[sommrluv]

I should say that I knew this. One of my bucks got out the second day or so after we got him and I found him happy happy in my marigold box eating the stalks of all my purple pole beans. They are shade and snacks for the chickens so I was MAD. LOL

__________ Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:39 am __________

I should say I "fogot" to say I knew this. Ugh<br /><br />__________ Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:40 am __________<br /><br />That's still not what I meant to say. I give up. haha

 

[Jack]

Grinding causes enough heat to destroy the saffophins (SP) which are the bitter part of the 'green' (undercooked or raw) bean/pea taste

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

So, the stuff that makes soaps 'bubble' is what makes beans taste bad....

 

[Jack]

no thats surficants

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Then what do saphonins do for soap-- smooth it out?,

 

[sommrluv]

Saponin is something different entirely.

Beans are poisonous (not green beans/peas) because of a lectin called PHA. Kidney beans are highest in this concentration.


Saponin is what coats a quinoa seed in order to naturally protect itself against animals (birds) from eating it. That's why you rinse quinoa before cooking...it will taste bitter and soaplike. They even sudze when you rinse them off.

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

"Soap" IS a surfactant and saponin is the Latin term for the ingredient that is used in "soap" Soap is basically a generic term for something that uses surfactants to remove "dirt".

 

[hoodat]

I use green beans for a rabbit treat but I'm careful not to do it when I can see the bean bulging the pod. I'm pretty sure they have too much sugar for more than an occasional treat.
Field peas have relatively low toxicity. That's why many people can tolerate them who get stomach upsets from dried beans. We had trouble in Oklahoma keeping deer and rabbits from mowing the vines to the ground.

 

[sommrluv]

I have to assume those baby green beans from the vine (I feed them as well, when they are smaller, no real 'beans') must be something special. My girl who was not very friendly when she first arrived, now will literally climb all over me if I have some. She's climbed up my chest to my shoulder...wacky rabbit!