Eating bark and wood

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 4sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 7 months ago by LongEaredLions.

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- 08/14/2014 at 5:34 AM
  Brandywine
  Participant
  36 posts
  Are there any problems with my 16 week old rabbits eating wood and bark?
  
  They really love it, and it means they leave the skirting boards alone
  
  It’s winter here and I have a wood fire so there is a huge supply of lumps of pine and gum, they gnaw at the wood and eat the bark. Hugh also has large lumps of punga that he loves to chew and tear apart. Punga is the stem of a tree fern, it is a really loosely put together stringy wood. When it’s old and a bit rotten you can rip it into pieces.
  
  As a treat I will hold a big of bark for Jess and she nibbles away at one end. They eat quite a bit of it….
  
  Should I be limiting the amount of bark-y things they are eating?
- 08/15/2014 at 2:07 PM
  RabbitPam
  Moderator
  11002 posts
  First, when it comes to pine and gum I’m not sure, but I know that pine shavings are harmful, though pine pellets for litter are OK. But bunnies do not eat the litter.
  Apple tree sticks and bark are safe, but my philosophy is “when in doubt, don’t”. The biggest offender for any tree branch or bark is actually the chemical sprays that are used to ward off bugs and pests being toxic. So few of us live in places now that are not effected by pesticides, even airborne from neighbors, that is make it potentially hazardous.
  
  My suggestion would be to get some willow twigs (chew toys), or apple twigs, and put them with your pile. Give those to the bunnies, but steer them away from the rest. Fibers are also very hard to digest, and ferns may be a hazardous natural plant, so I am concerned without someone stating they are safe. (I just looked on the HRS website but didn’t find it on their list of OK or bad edibles.)
- 08/16/2014 at 4:27 AM
  Brandywine
  Participant
  36 posts
  My firewood comes from the forests in New Zealand and there’s no chemicals used, so I’m confident it’s as pesticide-free as any purchased items.
  I thought the shavings were dangerous because of the dustiness and risk of lung problems, not the actual type of wood? Hmmmm.
  
  Thanks for the thought about the fibres in the tree fern being hard to digest. I will look it up!
- 08/16/2014 at 4:45 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17030 posts
  I got this from HRS about pine:
  “The phenols in the softwood (pine and cedar) shavings causes changes in the liver’s enzymes. Your rabbit’s liver tries to remove the phenols by producing more of certain enzymes that destroy these chemicals; this is a natural part of you and your rabbit’s defense against enviromental toxins. Our bodies always produces a low constant level of these protective agents; the problem occurs when constant exposure to pine phenols causes the rabbits to produce substantially larger quantities”
  http://www.rabbit.org/care/shavings.html
  
  This is from breathing in the fumes, I don’t know about eating it. Pine and spruce needles are supposed to be ok in moderate amounts but my bunnies don’t go for it.
- 08/17/2014 at 2:42 AM
  LongEaredLions
  Participant
  4482 posts
  I know that pine wood is safe to chew/eat a bit. I am not sure about the bark though.
  I agree with Pam that it might be a good idea to make the buns their own “wood pile” with safe sticks and bark.
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