food size

[Timber]

It sounds like some people chop up their leafy greens and veggies before giving them to their bunnies. Is this necessary? I’ve been giving him whole leaves, which can sometimes be rather big. My thought is that, since he doesn’t chew on much of anything besides his hay and other food (yay!), it’s good to have him chewing something for the sake of the health of his teeth. He seems to have no problem with them.

I was watching him eat a couple leaves of lacinato kale from my vegetable garden last night. He would devour the leafy part and leave the stem/rib that runs down the leaf. For other leaf types, especially kohlrabi leaves, he chomps down the whole thing without skipping a beat. I think maybe the kale stems are a little tougher.

Watching him eat his greens sure showed me why my landscaping plants hold no chance unprotected from the many wild cottontail bunnies around our house!  I’ve cursed them many, many times!

[LittlePuffyTail]

I don’t see a problem with leaving the leaves whole. Those little mouth fingers are quite amazing with how they can conquer a huge lettuce leaf!

I personally rip them into chunks to put in their bowl. As for kale, I’ve read that buns can choke on the step and thick rib parts so I remove those. Same with collards.

[Ajax the Bunny]

I’ve given my bun whole leaves before, but I usually cut them up because it’s easier to measure them like that and fit into his ‘greens’ bowl better if I do. Although, it is very amusing watching them slowly chew up a huge leaf, like a little slow-moving vacuum

[Bam]

The only green I chop up is celery sticks. They have long threads which potentially could cause trouble according to Dana Krempels, so I cut the sticks into 1/2 inch pieces.

Ajax, I so agree, it’s really amusing to see how a giant leave just disappear gradually and seemingly effortlessly into their mouths =) Like a very silent and very small compost-grinder! (And then actual compost all fertilized and ready to use comes out the other end in nicely pelleted form!)

[Timber]

Yes! A slow-moving vacuum! It’s fascinating to watch.

I usually spread the leaves around his pen, on the higher levels and in a cardboard tube, for example. He seems to like searching for them and it gives him some movement when we’re gone and he can’t roam around the house like he’d prefer to do.

[Timber]

Chopping celery sticks make sense. It’s easier when humans eat it, too So far, he hasn’t taken to celery sticks. However, it seems like he’s becoming more open to new things, so I’ll probably try it again later. If my daughter doesn’t eat it all first. (I swear she’s a human bunny!)

[tobyluv]

I tear up my large greens (kale, romaine lettuce, etc.) because I have 2 bunnies and that way there won’t be such a tug of war if they can each eat however many smaller pieces they want. Although, when it gets down to the last piece, it usually ends up getting yanked out of the bunny’s mouth that got to it first. But at least they can eat peacefully until that happens.

[Author]

Messages