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.

How much vegetables should I feed my rabbit?

For baby rabbits, vegetables should only be fed to after 12 weeks of age and introduced one at a time in quantities under 1/2 oz. Exceptions may apply if the baby rabbit has already been introduced to those specific vegetables while living and weaning from their mother as their digestive system is already used to the food. The age minimum is important as baby rabbit digestive systems do not finish developing until around 8 weeks of age, and an upset stomach can easily cause diarrhea or fatal enteritis that requires emergency veterinary care in a baby rabbit.

For adult rabbits, a good rule of thumb is approximately one cup of packed greens for every two pounds of rabbit. You may decide to feed more or less but keep an eye out for any change in litter habits and behavior. We would recommend regularly feeding at least three (3) types of vegetables per meal and rotate the choices weekly to keep their diet interesting and vary their nutrition.

A lionlop rabbit eating some parsley and lettuce.

Generally, rabbits are good at self-regulating when given a giant pile of fresh dark greens, and no lasting harm will be done if you offer more than the recommended amount. Too many vegetables for some rabbits may cause runny stools, diarrhea, or even stasis, especially for rabbits with megacolon. These rabbits should have their greens portioned strictly. Smaller dark poops can also indicate that the rabbit should eat more hay for more fiber in their diet. Remember that you should not feed too many sugar-loaded vegetables like carrots, and these should be strictly rationed as treats.

Some types of vegetables may cause diarrhea or stomach upset for specific rabbits. 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 culprit vegetable for that particular rabbit to prevent more serious stasis issues.

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, especially rabbits that may suffer from megacolon, 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 their 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.

Rabbit-safe vegetables

Care should be taken when feeding some of these as some vegetables may cause 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.

Should I avoid feeding vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage to my rabbit?

Some vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage can cause issues in humans -- however, this concern does not extend to rabbits. As the House Rabbit Society writes,

A rabbit’s GI tract is not the same as a human’s and many of the foods that may cause gas in a human do not cause gas in a rabbit...

There has also been discussion about feeding vegetables that are goitrogenic in humans (causing a goiter) more notoriously those in the broccoli/cabbage family. One study done on rabbits indicated that it would take several weeks of exclusively feeding huge quantities of these foods to see any abnormalities in the blood. This is so far removed from normal feeding instructions for rabbits that there is no cause for concern in feeding these nutritious foods.

Should I avoid feeding higher calcium vegetables like kale and dandelions to rabbits?

A Flemish Giant rabbit eating a piece of kale.

When fed in moderation, rabbits will not get a significant amount of calcium from fresh vegetables compared to pellets.

As Dr. Frances Harcourt-Brown writes,

Kale sometimes has a bad reputation for rabbits because of its calcium content (approximately 1.3%). However it is 85% water, which means that a rabbit can eat a lot of it without eating a lot of calcium. This picture shows 265g kale, which is the amount that would provide 500mg. It is more than most rabbits would eat in a day.

256g of kale with 500mg of calcium

Dr. Leah Postman writes,

The other potentially significant source of calcium in rabbits' diets is fresh greens. Although many people worry about the greens noted for high calcium content -- kale, spinach, collards -- I do not. All fresh greens are about 70% to 85% water, which greatly dilutes all nutrients. To eliminate the potential to misrepresent nutrient content due to variability in water content, it is essential to compare calcium content on a dry matter basis, which is how the nutrient requirements are expressed on labels and in tables.

For example, kale, which many recommend avoiding by virtue of its calcium content, has 1.6% calcium on a dry weight basis. In other words, dehydrated kale has roughly three times the NRC recommended calcium content. However, the fresh bunch of kale is mostly water, so the calcium content drops dramatically, to 0.24% when fed fresh. If you were to feed a medium-sized (5 pound) bunny 1/4 cup (about 60 grams) of a pellet meeting NRC recommendations, he would consume about 0.30 grams of calcium. To obtain a similar quantity of calcium from kale, the bun would have to eat over 4 ounces (130 grams) of kale. That is a sizable pile of kale -- about as much as you could stuff in a half gallon milk carton.

Similarly, dandelion greens, have a calcium level of 1.6% on a dry matter basis. But since our bunnies eat them fresh, they are only getting 0.20% calcium. Again, we see that even for greens with a relatively high calcium content, the calcium level of the leaves the bun is munching is actually quite low.

Should I avoid feeding vegetables with higher amounts of oxalic acid like parsley, mustard greens and spinach to rabbits?

When fed in moderation, these vegetables are not a concern as a regular part of a healthy rabbit's diet.

From Dr. Susan Brown,

The amount of oxalic acid within each plant can vary significantly due to several factors including the composition of the soil the plant grew in, the time of year and the age of the plant. Most of the fresh vegetables we feed rabbits have a low to zero level of oxalic acid, but a few - most notably parsley, mustard greens and spinach - have relatively high levels. (Note that kale, which is often implicated as a high oxalate food, is actually low in oxalates.) The toxicity of oxalic acid comes with feeding large quantities of foods high in this chemical and can result in tingling of the skin and mouth, and over time damage to the kidneys. These foods are nutritious and do not need to be excluded from the diet if you feed them appropriately.

However, rabbits with established urinary tract disease will want to avoid these vegetables as it may play a part in the development of stones in the urinary tract. Excess oxalates in the diet can coalesce and form calcium oxalate stones in the kidneys and urinary bladder.

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) - 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)
• Cassava greens (Manihot esculenta) - has a high protein content like alfalfa; feed sparingly.
• 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)
  • Escarole (Cichorium endivia var. latifolia)
• Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) - leafy tops and base
• Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
• Gai choy / Gai choi / Mustard greens / Kai choi (Brassica juncea)
• Goutweed (Aegodopium podograria)
• Kai lan / Gai lan (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra)
• Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
• 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 (Mentha spp.) - some plants in the mint family Lamiaceae may be toxic
  • Apple mint (Mentha suaveolens)
  • Chocolate mint (Mentha × piperita)
  • Orange mint (Mentha citrata)
  • Peppermint leaves (Mentha × piperita)
  • Pineapple mint (Mentha suaveolens)
  • Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
• Mustard greens (Brassica juncea)
• Napa cabbage / Pe tsai (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis)
• New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides)
• On choy / Water spinach / Kangkong / Kangkung / River spinach / Water morning glory / Water convolvulus (Ipomoea aquatica)
• Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
• 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)
• Sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas) - Not regular potato greens! Regular potato greens are in the nightshade family and toxic.
• Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris cicla)
• Thistles [bull, milk, sow]
• Turnip greens (Brassica rapa rapifera)
• Watercress
• Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica)
• 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.

• Artichoke leaves
• Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
• Baby sweetcorns - not the full size ones
• Beets (Beta vulgaris) - high in sugars.
• Banana peppers
• Bell peppers / Sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum) - high in sugars.
• Broccoflower
• Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica)
• Broccolini (Brassica oleracea var. italica x alboglabra)
• Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera)
• Caraway
• Carrots (Daucus carota) - high in sugars.
• Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis)
• 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)
• Courgette
• Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) - high in water content.
• Garden pea pods (Pisum sativum) - high in protein.
• Globe artichoke / French artichoke (Cynara scolymus)
• Green beans - high in protein.
• Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)
• Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) - high in water content.
• Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)
• Peas / Mangetout - high in protein. Not the decorative sweet pea.
  • Green peas - Do not feed dried peas as they may cause a digestive blockage.
  • Snow peas
  • Sugar snap peas
• 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)

Edible flowers and plants

These plants and flowers can also be used to spice up a rabbit's veggies. Rabbits have more taste buds than humans and will appreciate food that actually tastes strong. You can also grow them fresh indoors in a pot if you'd like. If you pick them from outdoors, make sure they have not come in contact with cat, dog, or fox feces or treated with pesticides and chemicals.

An upside down hanging basket used to protect the base of a plantain plant in a garden from over-consumption by the bunny. You can also use tent pegs to hold down the basket if the rabbit will move it around.

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

• Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
• Apple (Malus spp.)
• Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
• Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
• Borage (Borago officinalis)
• Buchan weed (Hirschfeldia incana)
• Burdock (Articum minus)
• Brambles (Rubus spp.) - includes raspberries and blackberries.
• Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius)
• Caraway (Carum carvi)
• Cat's Ear (Hypochoeris glabra)
• Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
• Chickweeds / starweeds / starworts (Stellaria media)
• Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
• Clover / trefoil (Trifolium spp.) - specifically, white clover (Trifolium repens) and red clover (Trifolium pratense)
• Cockscomb (Celosia argenta cristata)
• Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
• 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)
• Cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)
• Curled dock (Rumex cripus)
• Daisy / Common daisy / English daisy (Bellis perennis)
• Dame's rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
• Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)
• Dead Nettle (Lamium album)
• Dill (Anethum graveolens)
• Dock (Rumex obtusifolius)
• Fennel (Foeniculum vulgaris)
• Field maple (Acer campestre)
• Flatweed (Hypochoeris radicata)
• Fireweed / Rosebay willowherb / Great willow-herb (Chamerion angustifolium)
• Garden cress (Lepidium sativum)
• Garden nasturtium / Indian cress (Tropaeolum majus)
• Garden Verbena (Verbena x hybrida)
• Geum / Avens (Geum spp.)
• Gillyflower / stock (Matthiola incana)
• Gladiolus (Gladiolus spp.)
• Goat willow (Salix caprea)
• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
• Greater plantain / Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major)
• Ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria)
• Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
• Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria)
• Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
• Hazel (Corylus avellana)
• Hibiscus (Malvaceae spp.)
• Hogweed (Heracleum spondyleum)
• Hollyhock (Alcea spp.)
• Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
• Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)
• Irish moss (Sagina subulata)
• Jasmine (Jasminum sambac)
• Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)
• Knotweed / smartweek / hogweed / wireweed / lady's thumb (Polygonum aviculare)
• Lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
• Lady's smock (Cardamine pratensis)
• Lamb's quarter / fat hen / goosefoot (Chenopodium album)
• Lavender (Lavendula spp.)
• Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
• Lovage (Levisticum officianle)
• Mallow (Malva spp.) - specifically, common mallow (Malva sylvestris)
• Milk thistle / lady's thistle / holy thistle / St. Mary's thistle (Caduus marianus L.)
• Moss-rose (Portulaca grandiflora)
• Mustard (Sinapis spp.)
• Mustard greens / Kai choi / Gai choy / Gai choi (Brassica juncea)
• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum spp.)
• Nettle (Urtica urens) - feed dried or wilted to reduce sting, but rabbits generally have no trouble eating fresh either.
• New England aster (Aster novae-angliae)
• Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
• Orchid (Phalenopsis, Sophrontitis, Oncidium, Cattleya spp.)
• Oxeye daisy / Marguerite (Leucanthemum vulgare)
• Pansy (Viola × wittrockiana)
• Peppermint (Mentha × piperita)
• Petunia (Petunia x hybrida)
• Plantain / ribwort (Plantago spp.) - specifically, broad-leafed plantains (P. major) and narrow-leafed plantains (P. lanceolata)
• Pot marigold (Calendula) (Calendula officinalis)
• Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola)
• Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
• Ribbon plant / Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
• Ribwort / Narrow-leaved plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
• Rose (Rosa spp.)
• Rosebay willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium)
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
• Sage (Salvia spp.)
• Salad burnet / Small burnet (Sanguisorba minor)
• Sand rocket / Lincon weed (Diplotaxis tenuifolia)
• Shepherd's purse / caseweed / shovelweed (Capsella bursapastoris)
• Snow / Sugarsnap peas (Pisum sativum)
• Sow thistle / milk thistle (Sonchus oleraceus)
• Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
• Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)
• Tall morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) - seeds are toxic
• Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
• Thyme (Thymus spp.)
• Turnip weed (Rapistrum rugosum)
• Treasure flower (Gazania rigens)
• Viola (Violaceae spp.)
• Vetch (Vicia spp.)
• Wallflower (Erysimum spp.)
• Weeping willow
• Wild lettuce (Lactuca satigna)
• Wild pansy / Heartsease (Viola tricolor)
• Wild strawberries (Fragaria spp.)
• Wild turnip (Brassica tournefortii)
• Wishbone flower (Torenia spp.)
• Wood cranesbill / Woodland geranium (Geranium sylvaticum)
• Woodland Goosefoot (Chenopodium standleyanum)
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Vegetables to avoid

Main article: Toxic plants

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 - many species contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
• Chocolate - poisonous to most pets.
• Coffee plants - contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
• Corn - rabbits cannot digest corn hulls, and they are just the right size to block the small intestine if not chewed properly.
• 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 higher in water content than other darker lettuces. Large amounts can cause diarrhea.
• Garlic and onions - immunosuppressive, see Can my rabbit eat onion and garlic? for details.
• 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.
• Raw potatoes - high in starches and contain a toxic alkaloid called solanine before being cooked.

How should I store my bunny vegetables?

Vegetables tend to spoil easily and can be a hassle to prepare everyday. There are several products on the market that can help you store prepped vegetables for your rabbit in the fridge for longer periods of time than a normal food container or plastic produce bags.

Some storage products that may help you include the following:

• Prepworks by Progressive Lettuce Keeper - 4.7 Quart
• Prepworks by Progressive Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Keeper - 1.9 Quart
• Progressive Collapsible Produce Keeper
• OXO Good Grips GreenSaver Produce Keeper - Large (4.7 Quart)
• Rubbermaid FreshWorks 17.3 Cup Large Produce Saver, Green
• Rubbermaid Produce Saver Food Storage Container, 14-Cup

Further reading

• RabbitsOnline.net. QUICK LIST: Rabbit-Safe Foods
• bunloaf. Foraging & Gardening for Rabbits - Safe herbs, garden plants, and wildflowers for bunnies
• Indiana House Rabbit Society. Greens and Vegetables
• House Rabbit Society. Natural Nutrition Part II: Pellets and Veggies (bottom half)
• Ontario Rabbit Education Organization. Vegetables
• Rabbit Welfare Fund. Going Green - Healthy Eating for Your Rabbit
• Bunny Vault. (2022). What do you feed a Rabbit.

See also

• Diet
• Treats