We don’t generally buy vegetables for the rabbits. That doesn’t mean they don’t get veg, they get what we eat, or more specifically what we don’t eat – vegetable scraps.

I’m sure some people will read this in horror… many rabbit owners buy more veg for their rabbits than themselves. I’m not suggesting that you should feed your rabbit anything that has gone bad. However, many of the parts of vegetables that people routinely throw away are perfectly fit for consumption and are often the best bits for rabbits to eat. For example carrots tops are much better for rabbits than the carrot itself.

We sort all leftovers from fruit and vegetables in to two categories, anything in good condition and safe for rabbits goes in the ‘rabbit bowl’ ready for dinner time and anything unsuitable, either because it’s unsafe or has gone bad, goes in the compost box. Once your in the habit, it’s no hassle and you’d be surprised how much there is that your rabbit can eat. Here are seven ‘vegetable scrap’ dinners (each bowl full is split between my two rabbits):

Left: celeriac, carrot peel, butternut squash, parsnip, leek leaves (not bulb).
Right: sweet pepper, strawberry leaves, apple core, carrot peel



Left: swede, parsnip, carrot peel, butternut squash.
Right:Pear peel & core (yum stewed pears!), carrot peel.



Left: carrot peel, cabbage, apple peel.
Right: carrot peel, parsnip, sweet pepper, butternut squash, sweet potato (only small amounts – some people don’t feed this), apple core


Left: broccoli stalk, kiwi peel, carrot top, mango, pear, apple, melon rind
Right: same plus Scamp.

It was interesting to record what we and they eat. I didn’t realise we ate so many carrots! We did eat other things that didn’t provide anything for the rabbits like peas, sweetcorn, runner beans, stoned fruit, etc. It also made me think a little more leafy veg would be good (I wish shops didn’t chop off all the leaves before sale). Their diet is quite seasonal; this time of year we are eating a lot of winter veg like squash and root crops. As spring comes around there will be more leafy veg plus weeds and grass. I’ll have to have a think next autumn about what we can grow over winter in the greenhouse to add to that, maybe the trays of grass could move inside.

The above is, of course, fed alongside lots of tasty hay.

The rabbit’s favourite thing about Christmas has to be the big pile of veg. Although even Scamp isn’t that keen on brussel sprouts!

That’s carrot, sprouts and parsnip, then there is broccoli today to add to that. The parsnips are home-grown, my first try at parsnips, so we saved them for Christmas. It dig take a bit of work to get them out of the frozen ground but they tasted great. Here’s a piccy, yummm….

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope your having a good time

With all the different dry foods, fancy types of hays and treats available for discerning rabbit owner to chose from sometimes the simplest diet options get overlooked. Grass is the most natural of foods for a rabbit to eat and is often readily available at very low (if any) cost.

It is tasty, if you are a rabbit, and will often tempt rabbits who turn their noses up in disgust at hay. It is also high in fibre, great for wearing down teeth and the rabbit digestion system has been perfected to digest it.

So why do many rabbits never get to eat it? (more…)

Considering at least 80% of a rabbit’s diet should be hay (or grass) there is a worrying number of rabbits owners that report their bunny eats little or no hay. The high fibre content of hay is essential for maintaining a healthy gut and teeth, as well as providing a boredom busting activity for your rabbit.

Many common and potentially serious health problems are caused or exacerbated by the lack it of, including:

• Gut Stasis
• Excess Cecotropes (sticky poop) which can lead to fly strike
• Overgrown teeth which can result in tooth abscesses and gut stasis

So, below are my top 5 tips for turning your rabbit in to a hay eater.
(more…)