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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE how much fresh grass should you feed your bunny?

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    • shareen
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        i know you shouldnt over feed a bunny with fresh food, but how much fresh grass should you feed? it is from my yard and no chemicals or pesticides have been used at all, i have an area that i dont have mowed so i can cut the grass for the bunny, ive been feeding it a small amount daily, should i feed more? can you overfeed grass? he gets plenty of timothy hay and alfalfa but my bunny loves fresh grass too.


      • MirBear
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          mine get unlimited (because i dont have hay atm)


        • shareen
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            ok thankyou


          • jerseygirl
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              You can over feed it but if your bunny is coping ok with it then you can probably increase the amount. Just do it gradually.


            • BinkyBunny
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                I just recently discussed this with my rabbit-savvy vet  and she discourages grass clippings in large amount.   Moderate amounts INCLUDED  in the diet (not the main part of it though), should be okay.   She said that the reason for this is that excessive fresh, new grass can cause some muscular weakness in cows and horses — called “grass staggers”.  Though it’s not fully clear if rabbits get this, there is no reason to think at this time that rabbits would also not be suspectible.  


              • bunnnnnnie!
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                  Posted By BinkyBunny on 07/31/2010 11:43 PM

                  I just recently discussed this with my rabbit-savvy vet  and she discourages grass clippings in large amount.   Moderate amounts INCLUDED  in the diet (not the main part of it though), should be okay.   She said that the reason for this is that excessive fresh, new grass can cause some muscular weakness in cows and horses — called “grass staggers”.  Though it’s not fully clear if rabbits get this, there is no reason to think at this time that rabbits would also not be suspectible.  

                  For what it’s worth, grass staggers is only caused by 2 specific species of grass, rye and paspalum.  So if you’re not feeding either of those, grass staggers is not an issue.  It’s caused by a fungus that grows on those two types of grass, that becomes toxic.  I’ve never actually even seen grass staggers in person, basic pasture management (avoiding those grasses in your pastures) eliminates that risk entirely.  In buns, it would be simply not giving them those types of grass.

                  In horses, the bigger issue with grass clippings is that grass clippings, due to their high water content, ferment VERY quickly, especially when exposed to heat.  Feeding the fermented grass can cause serious digestive problems like colic.  If the horse consumes ALL of the clippings within a short period of time, then you’re okay.  But if the clippings are allowed to sit, fermentation is a very high risk.

                   


                • Deleted User
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                    Interesting.
                    At any rate, never give fresh grass that sat, and grass clippings are really not suitable for rabbits at all. Fresh grass, if introduced gradually, and free from chemicals and noxious weeds can be fed but you should always be able to identify the grass species you are using to look up about issues such as the staggers or other phenomena.


                  • Deleted User
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                      I see your question really was how much to give: you can feed it like hay, unlimited, but only once your rabbit has gone through a gradual switch from hay to grass over a period of a few weeks. Do you know what kind of grass it is? It can be hard to tell sometimes if the grass has not grown seed pods yet.


                    • shareen
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                        im not sure what kind it is…im in florida and its just grass from my lawn that grows naturally, so i guess it would be the most common kind in fl…i just fenced off a small area, so that i can let the grass grow and not mow it, so the bunny can have it

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                    Forum DIET & CARE how much fresh grass should you feed your bunny?