Veggi question

[bummblebee]

Im finding so much diffrent info on the net I want to know WHAT IS THE BEST VEGGI TO FEED BY BUN not to gassy not to much of a treat ........ I want something healthy for them. Please help.

I have been giving Spinich and collard greens but then I found this and am thinking this could be harmfull

Foods that contain oxalates that can produce bladder sludge:
The following are some examples of the most common sources of oxalates, arranged by food group. It is important to note that the leaves of a plant almost always contain higher oxalate levels than the roots, stems, and stalks.

• Fruits
  • blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, kiwi fruit, concord (purple) grapes, figs, tangerines, and plums
• Vegetables
  • spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, collards, okra, parsley, and leeks are among the most oxlate-dense vegetables
  • celery, green beans, rutabagas, and summer squash would be considered moderately dense in oxalates
• Nuts and seeds
  • almonds, cashews, and peanuts
• Legumes
  • soybeans, tofu

 

[pamnock]

Veggies should be fed in moderation. Unless your rabbit has a predisposition to bladder sludge, I wouldn't worry about feeding any of those vegetables in moderation because the health benefits far outweigh possible risks (which are generally due to overfeeding).

 

[bummblebee]

ok I got ya so I should and can give spinich and collard greens. Is there something u would recomend?

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Like Pam said, most things are OK in moderation. The problems arise when the rabbit is eating too much of a good thing, as with any food and any species of animals. Just like our diet wouldn't be balanced and healthy by eating romaine lettuce all the time, for every meal- a rabbit's wouldn't either.

Rabbits need either a nutritionally balanced, high quality pellet feed. Or a highly varied diet of vegetables and fibers. There is not one particular vegetable that is better than others.

 

[bummblebee]

Well thanx I feel better about giving spinich and collard greens!

 

[Runestonez]

Even if you have a bunn with blader sludge there are ways to control feeding without removing all of a particular type of veg!

Calcium stills plays a part in any bunns diet!
We have a girl who is more prone to bladder sludge than our other kids...we still feed her parsley and spinach...and god forbid she NOT have her carrot tops in the summer! :biggrin:

We feed ALOT of greens to our kids...(about 7 cups per feeding, per bunn)so what we have done is to builda diet that includes 5 types of greens a day...and eachfeeding we will change one type of greens...for example:

One night their greens will be:
-parsley
-romaine
-dandelion
-watercress
-dill

Then the next time we feed greens:
-romaine
-dandelion
-watercress
-dill
-spinach

We cycle through the list. With Peppers..when make up her dinner we will give her more of the veg lower in oxalates, but still give her some of the ones that bare watching. Its really only when you feed the same type of veg over and over or if your bunn has a fav they tend to pig out on!

In the summer, even though we know carrot tops are high in oxalates...we will let Peppers have a bit of a pig out on them. They are her favorite treat!

It helps feeding alot of greens too! In our case when we were beginner bunn parents we only fed two or three types of greens...and our kids learned to expect THOSE greens...so if the grocery store had icky looking veg or were out...:rollseyes...the amount of thumping and dish throwing was stunning!
In fact it was the day I got beaned with one of their ceramic dishes we A) switched to plastic dog bowls and B) added a whole bunch of greens to their menu...so that way the menu is constantly changing. It takes them a while to get used to the different types...but getting pelted with veg hurt less than the dishes! :biggrin2:

Danielle

 

[jcottonl02]

In my opinion, all rabbits (unless have medical reasons why they shouldn't) should get a lovely variety of fresh greens every day . My rabbits LOVE them so much, and I love to see them eating such a lot of fresh, natural food.

Hahahaha Danielle your post made me laugh!!!!

My buns get 3-4 cups of fresh veggies a day, including pak choy, curly kale, romaine lettuce, carrot, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage etc. although some of these aren't given every day due to high sugar content (carrot)and some have been known to give gas when given in high quantities (broccoli, cabbage etc.) but that's why moderationa and variety is so important .
Also they get a variety of herbs (basil, parsley etc), and dandelions, and as much fresh grass as they want to eat a day.

Fruit occasionally is nice for the buns too (although not too much too often) like apple (no pips), strawberries, banana (quite high fat content) etc.

Try and mix it up, like Danielle said- try to give at least 3 different types of veggy a day, and mix it up from day to day.

Jen

 

[tonyshuman]

I agree that variety is key. I wouldn't feed just spinach and collards, but add some low-calcium veggies to the mix as well. Calcium metabolism in the rabbit is a really interesting issue that I've been looking into a lot since we have a lot of bunnies on the board with long-term calcium excretion issues (in the urine). Some low-Ca veggies to add to the mix are green and red lettuce and romaine. Peppers are good too but they're pretty pricey unless your garden is overflowing with them (like mine was last year).

 

[bummblebee]

O thanx u guys helped alot and now I feel more confident in feeding my buns