Littlesea Lops

Fruits and Vegetables suitable for Rabbits

The mainstay of a rabbit’s diet should be large unlimited amounts of fresh hay (preferable Timothy or Meadow Hay) with ad lib clean water available. Large amounts of grass, if available, provide good balanced nutrients for your rabbit. Let your rabbit choose when outside in the run if it wishes to eat the grass.

Rabbits enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables and ideally they should be fed as part of a balanced diet.

Rabbits, like humans are individuals and as such some may be unable to tolerate certain foods.

When introducing any new food, always do so slowly to avoid digestive upsets. I recommend you introduce one new food at a time, so if it does upset the rabbit it can be removed from the diet. Only give a small amount and wait for 24 hours, if it isn’t well tolerated (i.e. soft stools are produced) withdraw it and try with something else after everything has settled back to normal. Allow 5-7 days before making any other additions.

The exact quantities given often depend upon the rabbit, so you may need to test your buns individual limits, as a rule an average 2.5kg rabbit should get 1.5-2.5 cups of fresh vegetables per day.

The following list is divided into sub-sections of vegetables, herbs, fruits and wild garden herbs/flowers that are deemed safe to feed rabbits, but this list is not a conclusive list and other fresh foods may also be suitable to feed to rabbits:

Vegetables

Artichoke leaves : Rabbits always enjoy the green leaves and you need never be afraid of scours when using them as food.

Asparagus

Baby Sweetcorns (but not full size ones)

Beetroot: (care with leafy tops as high levels of oxalic acid) When using beets as food for your rabbit it is always advisable to feed liberally with hay at the same time.

Broccoli (and its leaves, including purple sprouting varieties)

Brussel Sprouts: (leaves and sprouts) It supplies a very nutritious green food for rabbits. The stalks can be split into four parts with a knife, and they give your rabbit something to occupy their time when nibbling at them, as well as supplying them with a useful and nutritious food.

Cabbage: (can sometimes cause digestive upsets)

Carrots: (and carrot tops) – the roots should be limited as they are high in sugars. They are wholesome and easily digested the tops can be given ad lib.

Cauliflower: (and the leaves) make a welcome change in your rabbit's diet.

Celeriac

Celery: (and its leaves) a good deal of what is considered waste, so far as human consumption is concerned, can be fed to your rabbit. They should be well rinsed off first.

Chicory

Courgette (and flowers)

Cucumber

Curly Kale

Fennel

Green beans

Kohl rabi

Parsnip

Peas (including the leaves and pods)

Peppers (red, green and yellow)

Pumpkin

Radish Tops

Rocket

Spinach (only occasional)

Spring Greens

Squash (e.g. Butternut)

Swede

Turnip (only occasional)

Watercress: A rabbit "off colour" can often be tempted to east this well-known green when all others fail. The whole plant is a useful stimulant for the stomach, being depurgatory and anti-scorbutic.

Herbs

Herbs (often powerful tastes so may take some getting used to):

Basil

Coriander

Dill

Mint (peppermint)

Parsley : Many rabbit owners have a very high opinion of parsley as a food for rabbits, and I can safely recommend its use, only, like many other stimulating greens, it should be used sparingly and with discretion at all times. It is an excellent stimulant for stud bucks or does backward at coming into season.

Oregano

Rosemary

Sage

Thyme

Weeds

Wild Garden Herbs/Weeds/Flowers:

Borage

Bramble: The leaves of the common bramble are a most useful antidote to scours.

Camomile

Chickweed: (astringent) This weed cannot be termed a valuable green food, but it is safe to use.

Clover (leaves and flowers)

Coltsfoot

Comfrey: This plant will never cause scours if given to the most delicate rabbit owing to its astringent properties. It is nutritious.

Dandelion: (diuretic properties) It is a valuable green food that has a tonic effect, a little mixed with other greens can be used daily when available. Dandelion used in large quantities and not mixed with other greens may eventually prove to be a laxative as well as diuretic, and thus cause irritation to the kidneys. Yet when used in moderation it proves a most valuable green food to rabbits of all ages.

Goosegrass (cleavers) but may stick to coat!

Lavender

Mallow

Nettle

Nasturtium (leaves and flowers)

Shepherd’s purse

Sow Thistle

Plantain

Yarrow

Borage Leaves