Backyard Buffet Safety?

[KytKattin]

Eclipse will be coming back to live with me next weekend, and I plan on having her in the backyard with me (in a pen) while I work in the pathetic plot of soil I call a garden. The yard should in theory be a perfect bunny sanctuary as I don’t use pesticides. My concern is then with what is growing. I have a nectarine and plum tree that would be the perfect shady spot to set up her pen. Near them is a pomegranate tree. I pick up any fallen fruit, but this is my first year in this house and it was obvious when I moved in that the previous owners/renters did not. There are a lot of sprouts from either the plum or pomegranate tree (maybe both?). They are mowed over and I weed whack them down, but they are then just the same height as the lawn, not gone. Are these safe to nibble on should she choose to do so?

Other concerns are just my weedy lawn. While I know that clover and dandelion are safe, my lawn is mostly crab grass, rye, and a cornucopia of other weeds that you would probably find throughout most of California (central valley, in the middle of nowhere).

On top of all of that, because I let the lawn get a little high (it is my boyfriend’s job and he is a busy grad student), it is often pretty damp. Would this be a concern? I mean, she would only be outside for maybe two hours tops, and I’m sure that bunnies are pretty well equipped for living in the grass, tall or short, wet or not. Plus her short Rex fur seems to be pretty water tight. Later in the day it would just be too hot for both of us!

Thank you!

[tobyluv]

Is this pen totally enclosed on all sides, including the top?  I have known of predators who attacked rabbits outside, even when a person was standing very close to it. Even if it is totally predator proof, your rabbit could still get very frightened and possibly injure itself if a predator suddenly appeared.  The other problem with letting a rabbit graze outdoors is that it can get worms if it eats vegetation that other animals have used the bathroom on.

[KytKattin]

Thank you for your input. I am well aware of the risks and am fine with them, my only real concern is with the plum/pomegranate saplings. From what I have found the plum is a low toxicity and should be avoided, though some people report success feeding them after they are dried. Oh well, not worth it. Though the HRS says that I can feed the fruit. Apparently most people don’t have mature pomegranate trees so there is just not a lot of information one way or the other. Which is a shame as that tree does get trimmed a lot. Again, just not worth it. I will just set up her pen where there aren’t any saplings. I’m sure after a few years of diligently picking up the fallen fruit and mowing over the saplings they will just not come up anymore!

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