Vegetables

Fresh vegetables should usually make up approximately 10% of your adult rabbit's diet. Hay should consist of 80% of your rabbit's diet. Vegetables provide additional nutrients and different textures and tastes -- an enriching experience for your rabbit. Wet vegetables are also a good source of water if your bunny does not drink very much from his water bowl or bottle.

Amount to Feed
A good rule of thumb is approximately one cup of packed greens for every five pounds of rabbit. You may decide to feed more or less but keep an eye out for any change in litter habits and behavior. Some vegetables will cause diarrhea or gas. If you are introducing new greens to a rabbit, introduce only one type one day. This way you can easily tell if the food will not agree with your bun. Wait 24 hours to make sure there are no soft stools or gas problems before adding another vegetable to your rabbit's diet. If the droppings are soft or the rabbits are gassy, discontinue the vegetable.

Be aware that every rabbit is different, and it is up to you to find the right balance for a healthy bunny. Some rabbits may not react well with greens at all and can thrive on a pellet/hay only diet.

Serve your vegetables wet to increase your rabbit's intake of liquid. It will help keep his GI contents moving.

Do not serve your bunny spoiled vegetables. If you wouldn't eat it yourself, don't feed it to your rabbit. Rabbits can be even more sensitive to spoiled food than humans.

Acceptable Vegetables
Care should be taken when feeding some of these as some vegetables may cause gas or other issues in some rabbits. Vegetables with a high water content can cause diarrhea and runny stool. Other vegetables contain higher amounts of sugar and so should be fed in moderation and best as a treat.

There are vegetables and flowers that a bunny should not eat and are covered in Vegetables to Avoid. Detailed nutrition for rabbit-safe vegetables can be found at Fruit and Vegetable Nutrient Data.

Leafy Greens
Leafy greens should make up approximately 75% of the fresh vegetables fed daily.

The following list contains leafy greens known to be safe to for rabbits to eat.
 * Arugula (Eruca sativa)
 * Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
 * Beets tops/greens (Beta vulgaris)
 * Bok choy / Pak choi / Pak choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis)
 * Borage leaves (Borago officinalis)
 * Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) - may cause gas. Too much can cause enlargement of the thyroid and digestive problems.
 * Red cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra)
 * Savoy cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar. capitata var. sabauda L.)
 * Carrot tops (Daucus carota)
 * Chicory greens (Cichorium intybus)
 * Witloof / French endive / Belgian endive
 * Collard greens (Brassica oleracea var. Acephala)
 * Coriander / cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
 * Cucumber leaves (Cucumis sativus)
 * Dandelion greens (Taraxacum officinale)
 * Dill leaves (Anethum graveolens)
 * Endive (Cichorium endivia) - may cause gas.
 * Escarole (''Cichorium endivia var. latifolia)
 * Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) - leafy tops and base
 * Gai choy (Brassica juncea)
 * Goutweed (Aegodopium podograria)
 * Kai lan / Gai lan (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra)
 * Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) - may cause gas.
 * Komatsuna / Mustard spinach (Brassica rapa var. perviridis or komatsuna)
 * Lamb's quarters / White goosefoot (Chenopodium album)
 * Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
 * Butterhead lettuce
 * Cos lettuce
 * Frisee lettuce
 * Green leaf lettuce
 * Red leaf lettuce
 * Romaine lettuce
 * Lollo rosso lettuce
 * Lollo lettuce
 * Mache / corn salad (Valerianella locusta)
 * Mint - some varieties may be toxic
 * Mustard greens (Brassica juncea)
 * Napa cabbage / Pe tsai (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis)
 * New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides)
 * Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
 * Peppermint leaves (Mentha × piperita)
 * Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
 * Raspberry leaves (Rubus spp.)
 * Radicchio (Cichorium intybus)
 * Radish tops and sprouts (Raphanus sativus)
 * Oriental radish / Daikon (Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus)
 * Rucola / Rucculo salad (Eruca sativa)
 * Rutabaga greens (Brassica napobrassica)
 * Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
 * Spring greens
 * Sprouts
 * Alfalfa sprouts (Medicago sativa)
 * Lentil sprouts
 * Pea sprouts (Pisum sativum)
 * Mung bean sprouts (Vigna radiata)
 * Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris cicla)
 * Thistles [bull, milk, sow]
 * Turnip greens (Brassica rapa rapifera) - may cause gas.
 * Watercress
 * Wheatgrass (Poa spp.)
 * Yu Choy

Non-Leafy Greens
The remaining 25% of your rabbits vegetable intake may come from non-leafy greens, around 1 tbsp per 2 lb of bun.

The following are some known rabbit-safe foods in this category.


 * Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
 * Beets (Beta vulgaris) - high in sugars.
 * Banana peppers
 * Bell peppers / Sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum) - high in sugars.
 * Broccoflower - may cause gas.
 * Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) - may cause gas.
 * Broccolini (Brassica oleracea var. italica x alboglabra) - may cause gas.
 * Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) - may cause gas.
 * Caraway
 * Carrots (Daucus carota) - high in sugars.
 * Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) - may cause gas.
 * Celery (Apium graveolens) - cut in 1" pieces due to concern about choking on the strings or having them wrap around teeth; high in water content.
 * Celeriac (Apium graveolens) - celery root.
 * Chinese pea pods (the flat kind without large peas)
 * Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) - high in water content.
 * Fresh legumes - high in protein and calcium.
 * Fresh peas - may cause gas.
 * Garden pea pods (Pisum sativum)
 * Globe artichoke / French artichoke (Cynara scolymus)
 * Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)
 * Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) - high in water content; may cause gas.
 * Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)
 * Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) - high in sugars.
 * Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo)
 * Radish (Raphanus sativus)
 * Squash (Cucurbita pepo) [summer or winter: acorn, yellow summer / straightneck, crookneck, zucchini] - high in sugars.
 * Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) - high in water content; ripe fruit only, unripe and greens are toxic.
 * Turnip (Brassica rapa rapifera) - may cause gas.

Herbs
You can also try adding some herbs to spice up your rabbit's vegetable diet. Rabbits have more taste buds than humans and will appreciate food that actually tastes strong. These herbs can be picked from outdoors but should not have come in contact with cat, dog, or fox feces or treated with pesticides and chemicals.

Below is a list of known rabbit-safe herbs.


 * Basil
 * Borage (Borago officinalis)
 * Caraway
 * Chamomile
 * Chervil
 * Clover
 * Comfrey
 * Coriander / cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
 * Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
 * Dill (Anethum graveolens)
 * Garden cress
 * Lady's smock
 * Lavender
 * Lemon balm
 * Lovage
 * Mustard Greens
 * Nettle
 * Oregano
 * Parsley
 * Peppermint
 * Rosemary
 * Sage
 * Salad burnet / Small burnet
 * Tarragon
 * Thyme

Below are some links with information about the medicinal uses of herbs.
 * HealthyPetCorner.com, Most Common Herbs Used for Rabbits
 * HealthyPetCorner.com, Harvesting Herbs for Rabbits
 * Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Highly nutritious herbs for small pets
 * Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Fragrant herbs for small pets
 * Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Healthy herbs for small pets
 * Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Calming herbs for small pets
 * Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Perennial herbs for small pets

Edible Flowers and Plants
These plants and flowers can also be used to spice up a rabbit's veggies. You can also grow them fresh indoors in a pot if you'd like. If you pick them from outdoors, make sure that they have not been exposed to road pollution or pesticides.

Below is a list of known rabbit-safe flowers and plants.


 * Apple (Malus spp.)
 * Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
 * Borage (Borago officinalis)
 * Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
 * Clover (Trifolium pratense)
 * Cockscomb (Celosia argenta cristata)
 * Common chicory (Cichorium intybus)
 * Common snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)
 * Common zinnia (Zinnia elegans)
 * Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)
 * Coriander / cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
 * Cornflower / Bachelors button (Centaurea cyanus)
 * Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
 * Daisy (Bellis perennis)
 * Dame's rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
 * Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
 * Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)
 * Dill (Anethum graveolens)
 * Fennel (Foeniculum vulgaris)
 * Fireweed / Rosebay willowherb / Great willow-herb (Chamerion angustifolium)
 * Garden nasturtium / Indian cress (Tropaeolum majus)
 * Garden Verbena (Verbena x hybrida)
 * Gladiolus (Gladiolus spp.)
 * Greater plantain / Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major)
 * Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria)
 * Hibiscus (Malvaceae spp.)
 * Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
 * Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)
 * Irish moss (Sagina subulata)
 * Jasmine (Jasminum sambac)
 * Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)
 * Lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
 * Lavender (Lavendula spp.)
 * Lily (Hemerocallis spp.)
 * Mallow (Malva spp.)
 * Moss-rose (Portulaca grandiflora)
 * Mustard (Sinapis spp.)
 * Nasturtium (Tropaeolum spp.)
 * Nettle (Urtica spp.) - feed dried to reduce sting.
 * New England aster (Aster novae-angliae)
 * Orchid (Phalenopsis, Sophrontitis, Oncidium, Cattleya spp.)
 * Oxeye daisy / Marguerite (Leucanthemum vulgare)
 * Pansy (Viola × wittrockiana)
 * Petunia (Petunia x hybrida)
 * Pot marigold (Calendula) (Calendula officinalis)
 * Ribbon plant / Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
 * Rose (Rosa spp.)
 * Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
 * Sage (Salvia spp.)
 * Salad burnet / Small burnet (Sanguisorba minor)
 * Snow / Sugarsnap peas (Pisum sativum)
 * Sunflower (Helianthus annuun)
 * Tall morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) - seeds are toxic
 * Thyme (Thymus spp.)
 * Treasure flower (Gazania rigens)
 * Viola (Violaceae spp.)
 * Vetch (Vicia spp.)
 * Wild pansy / Heartsease (Viola tricolor)
 * Wishbone flower (Torenia spp.)
 * Wood cranesbill / Woodland geranium (Geranium sylvaticum)
 * Woodland Goosefoot (Chenopodium standleyanum)

See Homeopathy for Rabbits for some more flowers you may feed in small amounts as well as the nutritional values of flowers.

Vegetables to Avoid
Like any other animal, rabbits should not eat certain plants. Our main Toxic Plants article will address the plants that should be kept out of a rabbit's reach. Always check that list first before feeding your rabbit anything new.

The ones listed below should be avoided for various reasons.


 * Bamboo shoots - contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
 * Cassava (Yuca) - contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
 * Chocolate - poisonous to most pets.
 * Coffee plants - contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
 * Corn - rabbits cannot digest corn hulls.
 * Diatomaceous earth - made from finely ground shells, and when ingested or breathed in, can act like razor blades; do not use in litter or food.
 * Iceberg lettuce - safe for rabbits to eat, but low in nutrients and extremely high in water content.
 * Maize - contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
 * Millet - contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
 * Nuts
 * Garlic and onions - See Can my rabbit eat onion and garlic? for details.
 * Potatoes
 * Raw anasazi, broad, common, lima, black, fava, horse, runner, garden, pinto, navy, kidney, soy beans and sprouts - contains high amounts of lectins which can damage intestinal walls and reduce nutrient absorption, but are destroyed by cooking and reduced by soaking, sprouting, or fermenting.

Storage
Vegetables tend to spoil easily and can be a hassle to prepare everyday. Some products that may help you include the following:


 * Progressive Collapsible Produce Keeper
 * Progressive International Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Keeper