Pinecones

[PaGal]

I remember seeing some of you talk about giving pinecones to your bun to chew on. The girls and I took a walk on a neighboring property. It is many acres of unused land, well other than the hunt club leases it so it's only used during deer season. We picked up a bunch of large pine cones from the ground. Can we give these to Thumper or should they be ones picked off the tree?
Also, I remember it being said to dry them out. How is that accomplished? Do you just let them lay for a while? If so how long? Or do you maybe put them in the oven on a low setting?

Are any pine cones safe or just ones from a particular tree?

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

Here is a website that might help: http://www.ehow.com/how_7347086_give-pine-cones-rabbits.html

 

[woahlookitsme]

When I give pine cones to the tans I literally grabbed them off our neighbors lawn (from his pine tree) and put them in the cages right before we packed up to leave for a show. My tans chewed em up into little balls within the first day. They love them

I never dried them? All tans were fine

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

^ Did you wash them?

 

[PaGal]

No, I did not wash them. We did not even bring them in yet. They are outside. I figured I would wait to check in here first.

 

[Watermelons]

You could soak/bake them prior to giving them to your bunny, but thats more of a paranoia of mine for killing creepy crawlys, bleh! Their probably just fine to toss right in if they look clean.

 

[woahlookitsme]

I didn't. Just picked them off the ground an stuck em in

My mom said they are already dried when they fall off the tree aka their dead

 

[whitelop]

I like to make sure they're open and dry. They close when they get wet.
I just bring them in and toss them to Ellie. She loves them!

 

[PaGal]

Thank you all! Thumper gives his approval. I gave him one just a little while ago. He didn't chew it all up immediately but he did like it. We have about 20 more. You must be careful when telling little girls to collect something from the wild, hey will get as many as they can carry.

 

[woahlookitsme]

haha so cute! I have proof of that. I took a picture of my friends twins collecting pinecones and they certainly had a collection going LOL

 

[kmaben]

do they eat them or just chew them up?

 

[Thumperina]

Yup. washing would make them no good for chewing. I just give pine cones that look good to my bunnies. Don't know how right that is.

 

[JBun]

They eat them, chew them, toss them around. One of my rabbits likes trying to flip them over her head.

You just want to make sure they are nice and dry, and opened up, and not sappy or green at all anymore. Also make sure that if they have been sitting out in a moist area, that they aren't moldy at all.

 

[Imbrium]

I don't have any pine trees around here

when I went to get Lemmy, the male glider for my breeding pair, it involved a trip to Houston. the house next door to the breeder had a pine tree, but all I could find in the grass on the tree/street side of their fence was ONE measly little pinecone... very clean and dry and opened up. I brought it home for the girls and they seemed to enjoy it.

 

[Watermelons]

A quick dunk in water so they dont burn in the oven doesnt wreck them been there done that.
Im just irky about creepy crawlies lol

I would be more then happy to ship out pinecones to people. Heck even arbutus twigs to chew but i bet someone in the states would be eaaier to send you some jennifer

 

[Imbrium]

yeah, importing pine cones from canada seems a bit silly my bunnies still like their wicker ball and **** chew log better than the pine cone anyway.

 

[Watermelons]

Not to mention probably illegal lol.
I should gather some for my guys and the parrots.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

I've never given pine cones to my bunnies, but the Bull Mastiff eats any that fall into our yard. Every thread we've read say they're alright to give to your buns. Figure if they are open and dry enough to fall out of tree, they should be okay.