I created a topic last year asking if Birch wood is safe. I found out that it was but I was still left a little confused. Can you feed it freshly picked off a tree? Or just dried? Can you feed it if it has been cut for a few months? Do I have to make sure the tree was alive when it was cut? We recently cut down some birch trees and have a TON of bark that had fallen off. Can they have the bark? Also can I just give them a log that has been chopped for fire wood to chew on?

Thanks!

Mocha200

ps. Here is the link to where it says birch is ok. Quote: Safe trees: Willow, spruce, ash, birch, maple, juniper, poplar, apple, pear, hazel and hawthorn.  http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Food/feeding_en.pdf

I would say to be safe, dry the wood out really well. It never hurts to be too careful. =] I'm not sure about the bark though. Maybe someone will come by and put in what they think.

Hmmm I just checked the old thread and Jerseygirl says fresh birch as is -is safe. Trust me, if Jersey says it's safe-it is. That girl knows how to research and she really plays it on the safe side.

To back it up, I think the only woods that must be dried are fruit trees with pitted fruit. The reason is pits have arsenic in them, and it's in the wood; when it's dry it's inert or inactive or gone-yikes I studied chemistry lol! But it's fine when perfectly dried. Otherwise not fine. So I think drying only plays a role in pitted fruit woods; the other woods to worry about are hardwoods, birch is not one of them.

Play it safe, try a small amount.