no more veggies/ light hut.

[mocha200]

My parents told me yestureday that they wont buy veggies any more. they said it is getting to expencive, wich is true! our hores only cost about $0.50 a day and my rabbits are costing about twice as much! i need help on how to lower the cost of veggies but still give them. i might have to pay for them myself if i can’t lower the cost and i only get $10.00 a week for alowence. i know thats a lot for alowence but the thing is veggies are expencive and i am trying to save emergency money incase somthing happens and i would have to take them to the vet. my mom says i should just not feed the any veggies at all she says they don’t need them. We are going to the store today and she might pay for a little. i am going to see the prices of the veggies and then post them here to see if you guys can help me figure out the cheepest but still helthy veggies. Is posting prices not alowed though?

[osprey]

Greens do get expensive, particularly in the winter months.  Some things to consider:

– Get stuff in bulk when possible.  Costco here sells 5 packs of romaine lettuce and 3 pound boxes of spring mix, which is much less expensive per unit than the stuff in stores.

– Do you have access to a garden?  Parsley, lettuces, mint, kale, chard, and cilantro are all pretty easy to grow and most bunnies love them.  You can also grow your own grasses like wheat grass and oat grass, and harvest them green rather than drying them for hay.

– Are you in a suburban/urban area?  If so, are there farmer’s markets nearby?  You can get carrot top, beet tops, fennel greens, etc., usually for free, if you ask nicely.

– Are you in a rural area?  Any farms and/or farm stands nearby?  Offer to trade your bunny droppings (great organic fertilizer) for greens that might not be sellable because of blemishes, but are still fine to eat.

– Local supermarkets will sometimes allow you to take unsold produce for animals and/or composting.  Some stores will, some won’t.

– Are there any kind of organic produce coops in your area?  We have a few of those springing up around here.  You might be able to work out a fertilizer for greens deal with them too.

 

[Deleted User]

mocha, it is expensive at times to provide the veggies but you can figure out something. You could use a little bit of your allowance money to buy seeds and learn how to grow little things on your own in pots even. I know you won’t be able to grow 4 cups of veggies per day but believe me even a smaller amount of vegetable/greens/herbs would do your rabbits’ health a world of good because it would be right fresh from the soil as opposed to sitting and wilting in a store deli section. You could grow parsley for sure. Carrots are relatively cheap to buy. Ask your mom if she will keep buying carrots if you do something for her in exchange (some chore). Where does your horse graze? you could collect dandelions there, it would not be treated, just wash them well. Ask in the store if they have carrot tops that they throw out (many people don’t want them when they buy carrots by the bunch).
During the winter months I sometimes get low on vegetables, too. I offer different hay types to my rabbits then. — Where do you get your hay, what kind?
I like your emergency fund for the vet, this is very important.
I think money iis tight for everybody right now

[mocha200]

we have planted a garden this year and it is going to be pretty big but it hasn’t come up yet.

this is what we planted in the garden.
cucumbers
2 kinds of leaf lettuce

romain letuce
spring mix
corn
beans
carrots
radishes
giant pumpkins
tomatoes
peas ( sugar snap)
we are going to plant some more that are already a little bit grown but i don’t remember what they were.
i think cilantro was one.

in pots we planted:
parsley
basil
spearmint
gourds

Edit: i forgot to ask, out of the things we planted what are the things they can’t eat?

[mocha200]

so you just go to a store like walmart or aldi and ask for spoiled veggies?

[kralspace]

I talk to the produce guys and tell them I have house rabbits and ask if they have any tops, etc. they’re not going to sell. Some stores pick the outer leaves off before they put them out and some don’t. If you notice what days and times they tend to refresh the displays you might catch them throwing some out that’s still pretty fresh.

Offering to trade with gardeners is a great idea. If you have a local gardener’s group you might find someone who’d love some poo and whose veggies might be further along than yours are right now. (some folk start their gardens really early)

I don’t know what part of  the country you’re in, but they’re starting to bale coastal hay here in central Texas and I just got a bale that’s really fresh and green and the bunnies love it. 40 lbs for $8 is cheap.

[Dee]

hi Mocha,
It’s great to see such a dedicated young rabbit owner . Here are the things in your garden that the bunnies can eat (as far as I know- other pple have more knowledge then me here)…
Romaine (be careful cuz it gives some buns messy poops)
Carrot greens
Radish greens i THINK- doublecheck that one to be safe!
Cilantro
Parsley
Basil
Spearmint

As for the Spring Mix, it depends what it is. Buns can eat escarole, green/red leaf lettuce, chicory and small amounts of kale and spinach. Two other great foods that grow wild most places are dandelion greens and clover! Just make SURE that what you pick is dandelion or clover and not a look-alike, and that it is not growing near poison ivy or near a road where exhaust fumes would contaminate it- and don’t pick from anyplace that may have been treated with pesticides (lots of town parks, lawns, are sprayed with pesticides). You may want to dig a few dandelion plants up, roots and all, and plant them in your garden. They are a weed so I bet they would grow and spread nicely like most weeds do! You could try it with clover too.
For the colder months, you can have a little greenhouse inside, and grow the smaller stuff like parsley, dandelions, basil, and most other herbs.
Good luck with everything!

[Deleted User]

Ditto Dee and radish tops are safe indeed, mine eat those lots. Also, sugar snap peas are safe.

[mocha200]

yes i knew radish tops were safe i just wasn’t sure about sugar snap peas. i don’t think the spring mix comes with clover but i might be wrong. i found a patch of clover by our shed ( we don’t put weed killer that far away from our house) could i dig that up and but it in a plant with some bunny poo? would it keep growing after it was picked?

[mocha200]

so are the leaves of the radishes ok? we just got thinning the garden, so i have a whole bunch of little tiny leaf lettuce leaves, radish leaves, and spring mix leaves! and if the radish leaves are ok then i am going to feed them some of them. Are any of you guys interested in growing herbs in the house? or in a garage? cuz there is a way that grows them twice as fast!

[bunnyluvr]

yes the leaves of the radishes are okay – mine love them. And yes I am interested in growing herbs in my kitchen. Please let me know how to grow them twice as fast cuz my buns are very impatient!

[mocha200]

well i am not sure if you have herd of it before but it was one of my projects for science. its called a light box. when i get my book i will tell you the supplies.

[DJ2Silent]

I would cut the bulky part of the collards greens, kale greens, and ________ greens to make it cheaper.

[Author]

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