Grass Grazing?

[treasuresandstuff]

Ok it has been a long time for me since I had rabbits so I am having to relearn a lot here. I keep seeing photos of rabbits in pens in the yards of their homes grazing grass.

Is this OK? My lawn is a mix of some kind of grass, lots of clover, dandelions, and broad leaf plants I think are called plantain? We never use chemicals on the lawn and I "mow" with an electric weedwacker. I rarely see any animals in my yard and the ones I do see are usually birds getting worms or other bugs.

Is it really OK to take your rabbit outside and let them graze your lawn? I would love to do this if it really is OK.

 

[whaleyk98]

My sister does this all the time with her bun and he LOVES it. You have to becareful though cause if your bun isnt used to it he can get an upset belly. Better to do it slowly at first.

 

[MikeScone]

treasuresandstuff wrote:

Is it really OK to take your rabbit outside and let them graze your lawn? I would love to do this if it really is OK.

Given the facts you've stated, it should be fine - grass is, after all, just hay-before-it's-cut-and-dried and hay is essential to the rabbit diet. As with any other new food, you want to let the bunny get used to it in small quantities, and the particular bunny may not actually like the sort of grass you have on your lawn.

The principal concerns of letting a bunny graze on the lawn are, as you recognized, (a) chemicals and (b) other animals - especially raccoons (which carry raccoon roundworm). If you don't spray and you have minimal wild animal populations in your area (with the proviso that many animals are nocturnal), it should be good for the bunny to get a little sunshine and fresh food.

That said, Scone MacBunny is terrified of the out-of-doors and doesn't like the grass I've got on my lawn (basically, mown cow pasture forty years after the departure of the cows), so he doesn't graze. Your Mileage May Vary.

 

[treasuresandstuff]

Thanks I was thinking of pulling small bits each day for a week or so to get them used to getting some before actually putting them in an outdoor pen to graze while I work in my chemical free garden in a section of my yard. I really hate chemicals in my yard and on my food.

 

[Spot]

I have a new baby bunny and I put her harness on her and set here down.She immediately started to eat grass!I would assume that it is ok because my bunny eats the grass and acts happy and healthy!

 

[LV426]

Mine loves to go outside. I grow all kinds of weeds and grazing pasture in my yard for my critters to eat.

 

[missyscove]

Based on your description, I'd say it's absolutely safe, but I agree that you'd want to introduce it slowly rather than just letting them go to town on it.

Dandelions are a bunny favorite, so you might also consider picking some of them to feed.

 

[dixonsrabbitry1]

Yes those are all ok. Just watch out for plants with pretty flowers(some are toxic), and milkweed.

 

[treasuresandstuff]

I will be sure they do not get near any milkweed (haven't seen any around here yet (been here 2 years) or other toxic plants. I will only put their pen where I am sure it is just the grass, clover, dandelions, and plantain.