grass for house bun

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Apebull

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I would like to let Twigs dig, lay in and eat real grass, but he will not go outside. He won't even go near the sliding glass door if it's open. He's too funny. So I've thought about getting a large baking pan and growing grass in it for him to both dig in and eat. Does it matter what kind of grass I grow? Can I just go to Home Depot and buy any bag of grass seeds (Fescue, Blue Grass, etc.) or are there grasses they shouldn't eat. I've thought about getting wheat grass but I can't find that anywhere and well I don't want to spend a lot in case he doesn't like it. So advice and pics if you done this yourself.
 
I've wondered that myself about lawn grass seeds. I suspect that it's all fine, as I've always heard that lawn grass is totally safe as long as it hasn't been treated with pesticides/fertilizer and I've never heard *anything* about specific breeds of grass... but like you, I just have an inexplicable paranoia about it, lol. One BIG downside to lawn grass, though, is the slow growth rate relative to bunns' appetites.

Any hay-sounding grass seed (rye, wheat, oat, etc.) can be used to grow that kind of grass; I've seen rye grass seeds in the bulk bins at numerous feed stores. Wheat grass tends to be a huge rip-off if you're buying a small amount... the only affordable way I've found to keep a bunny supplied with it is to buy a 10 lb bag of it off of Amazon (which is what I do).

If you'd be comfortable PMing me your address, I can send you a sample of wheat grass seeds so you can do a "taste test" grow :).

Edit: I just noticed the request for pics... I'm being lazy right now, but if you decide to give wheat grass a try, I actually have a ridiculous amount of pics waiting to be organized and turned into a tutorial article on wheat grass growing for my website :p.
 
You know, I saw something interesting online called Redigrass that is freeze dried grass that is only available in England now. I sent them an email and they said they are out of grass and might have some more back in in April. That being said, I was talking with Jennifer about grass for bunnies today since my bunnies are terrified of the great out doors and just about broke their noses from jumping a mile high from the wildlifeout in the yard when I tried to put them outside last summer. They both - Chico and Chica were scared crapless over crickets, ants, bugs, birds, you name it, it scared the crap out of them. I thought they died in the rabbit house because they did not move for 2 days.

I've bought wheat grass locally from health food stores and then online from Ebay and Amazon in various kits. I posted photos of Chico muching on it and loving it since he hates hay. I also grew alfalfa and they loved it also. I also bought some of the regular grasses that they had already grown in pots from Home Depot and Lowes and put in their play areas and they ate those down to the roots. Another things to try is the grasses they sell in kits at Petco and Petsmart and also the grass they sell in pots in Petco and Petsmart..

Just an idea!

Vanessa

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Vanessa, that's exactly what I'm looking to do but I really don't what to spend a ton on the seeds. That's why I was thinking that regular grass seed would work because once it's started it should just keep growing unlike hays that you can only get a couple of cuttings from.
 
I pay around $20 (including shipping) for 10 lbs of wheat seeds when ordering off of Amazon... and 10 lbs of seeds gets you a ridiculous amount of wheat grass!
 
Vanessa, that's exactly what I'm looking to do but I really don't what to spend a ton on the seeds. That's why I was thinking that regular grass seed would work because once it's started it should just keep growing unlike hays that you can only get a couple of cuttings from.

Also on Ebay you can find dealers that will sell you as little or as much as you want for various grass seeds. I saw some that will sell 1/2 pound of seeds with bids/buy it now as low as $1.00. If you look there and also on Amazon you can find some really cheap prices for seeds. That is where I have bought some of mine from.

Good luck and let us know how it works out.

Vanessa
 
Ok I'm an idiot when it comes to stuff like that. I went to the dollar store and got potting soil that was like a buck. Jennifer was telling me about something else with a long fancy name that she said worked really well... Our grandma got a damned shovel out and was getting dirt out of the ground originally!

Vanessa
 
Don't buy grass seed from Home Depot. It's all GMO stuff from Monsanto, which will give your rabs cancer. Might want to check with nurseries and find some natural grass, or even grow your own timothy.
 
Ok so my next question is do I use plan dirt or potting mix or a combo of both???

I've grown it just fine in $1 bags of topsoil from Dollar Tree (you can get MUCH larger bags of topsoil at hardware stores and Walmart for like 50c more, but those always seem to have more wood chips, sticks and other crap than they do dirt)... however, I've recently discovered the awesomeness of vermiculite. You have to buy a huge bag to get a good deal (which is a bit over $20 but will last you for AGES if you only use about an inch of growing medium for wheat grass) but my grass seems to grow in healthier and thicker, plus the vermiculite makes it so you can get away with watering less often. I was going to send you a little bit of it to try out when I sent the seeds ;).
 
I am currently growing oat grass in 9x14 flood trays. I separate the oats out of my oat hay. It is about 3 cups of seed for every tray. When my first tray started to germinate, I started another tray every 2 weeks and rotate 4 trays.

It's big enough to where they are able to stand on it while eating, but often leads them to use it as a litter box if left with the rabbits too long. Then you have to dump the tray and start over if it gets too soiled. I usually put a tray out on a towel during their active times, and they graze the grass down to where you can put it out in the sun and regrow the grass. Having different stages of growth allows you to provide fresh healthy grass year round. Oat seeds to not need much light to produce grass and is easy to grow indoors.
 
I'm in the process of growing the sample of wheat grass that Jennifer sent me. I just put the germinated seeds on the soil today. I can't wait to see if he likes it. IF he does I'll probably do that so he always has some fresh grass.

Do you still feed them greens (cilantro & lettuce not iceburg) when they get fresh grass???
 
I do feed my rabbits a large variety of veggies. I have four bunnies, so a tray usually only last a few hours and they get grass once maybe twice a week. I think a varied diet is important and they all like and dislike different things I had to start a spreadsheet to keep it all together in one place.

If you would like a sample of oat seeds, I would gladly send you a sample. I believe the grass does taste different. You can see what your bun likes more. Please private message me your address if you would like a sample
 
I do feed my rabbits a large variety of veggies. I have four bunnies, so a tray usually only last a few hours and they get grass once maybe twice a week. I think a varied diet is important and they all like and dislike different things I had to start a spreadsheet to keep it all together in one place.

If you would like a sample of oat seeds, I would gladly send you a sample. I believe the grass does taste different. You can see what your bun likes more. Please private message me your address if you would like a sample

I sent you a PM thank you!!!

So if you let some of the wheat or oat grass get long enough will it go to seed so you don't have to keep buy seeds. AND how many cuttings or eatings in this case can you get before it doesn't grow back. Or can you just keep the same grass forever. As long as it's not full of bun poop lol.
 
I have never taken my grass to seed, but with proper care mine usually last 3-4 months. Its about 4 maybe 5 regrows before I would throw it out. They pull the grass out all the way to the root, so my the 4th or 5th there isn't much left.

You can buy the seeds in bulk with always helps.
 

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