Safe, Edible Weeds for Domestic Rabbits

 Throughout our homesteading journey we have always sought ways to do things outside of the current system. Typically, the current system for homesteaders when they have to feed their critters is to run to the local feed store and buy some sort of pre-made, commercial feed in a bag. When we started this journey back in 2007 our thought process was .....what if there was no store to go to. Well, then that was definitely something to think about. It was really a guiding force into which livestock we planned to have. If there were no store to buy feed from, which animals could we feed and house. Definitely rabbits.  In order to do that we had to learn not only what weeds rabbits could safely eat and what weeds were easily available to us in the southeastern United States. We also had to learn to identify safe weeds. The list truly is vast. There are so many safe weeds for rabbits to eat that you could easily pick a variety for every meal in just minutes a day. In fact, we do just that. We buy feed for our rabbits because our grow out rabbits grow quicker with the addition of a commercial feed. We also feel like our does benefit from the extra calories to keep their condition during breeding season. The grow out bunnies get commercial feed daily, while the breeding does get feed every other day alternated with a large bucket of weeds.  In the winter they get a small amount of feed daily with a good helping of quality hay. Here is a small list of some of my favorite spring weeds for our rabbits. 

Chickweed

Purple Dead Nettle/ Henbit

Clover

creeping charlie

Happy Foraging!

Rabbits in a colony

 Rabbits are very social animals. In the wild they live in a group called a colony and their home is a serious of tunnels with "rooms" called a warren. Rabbits in the wild don't live alone in a cage. So our rabbits don't live alone separated in cages. There are some good things about colony keeping and there are some bad things. We have been raising our rabbits in colonies for about 10 years (give or take). The 2 biggest drawbacks we have are trying to feed them without stepping on rabbits. They love to see us come in the colony and instead of running away they run circles around our feet. This makes walking difficult. The second drawback to colony raising rabbits is moving the little ones off to themselves to grow out. They do get moved to a cage but the whole litter goes together in one large cage to grow out and get bigger. In all fairness we did try at one time to raise rabbits in cages. It simply did not work well for us. We just couldn't get the timing right or something. We had very few litters and does that really didn't like us very much. Now our rabbits are happy to see us, happy with their lives and really have it pretty good. Many blessings, Kat

Rabbit update

 Our rabbits are doing well in the barn colony. We have replaced a couple of bucks over the last couple of years to keep our genetics fresh. They truly are meat mutts. We have had Dutch, New Zealand, Chinchilla, and Silver Fox blood in there. They are healthy and breeding like...well...rabbits. For anyone who doesn't know we keep our rabbits in a colony. When the babies are weaned by their mothers and eating well on their own we put them up in cages to grow out. If we need to keep a replacement doe, then my daughter will pick her favorite girl and she will stay on the floor with the adults. My youngest daughter, Little Britches, is the rabbit whisperer. The moms will actually take her to their nest to show off their babies and they do not get upset when she handles them. She starts handling them before their eyes even open and so when she walks into the colony they all run to see her and get their daily scratches. She has been able to keep one as a pet in the house ever since she was little. Rabbits actually live quite a few years as domestic pets as long as they are taken good care of. Little Britches had to learn all about rabbit care before she was able to choose her first pet rabbit. His name was Fuzzy Bunny and she was about 6.  I chose him for her because he was so friendly as a baby and just determined to love someone. He was the best pet rabbit and the two of them adored each other. She taught him how to sit still so that she could groom him and he taught her the proper way to pet and address a rabbit. Lagomorphs are definitely a bit particular about how they are handled. She learned quickly. When he died  of old age a couple of years ago, she chose another rabbit....Peter. Where Fuzzy Bunny was sweet and loving to everyone in the family, Peter is the opposite. He loves Little Britches and only Little Britches. He charges and growls at everyone else. The dogs are even afraid of him. He is about 12 pounds of the devil incarnate. Those are not ears I assure you....they are horns. However, he worships and adores Little Britches. He even sleeps on her bed at night to guard her. And since rabbits are nocturnal it is the only way she can get any sleep. If she locks him up at night she rattles the cage so hard that the whole house can hear him. He learned how to use a litter box for her, he guards her, she can do anything to him and hold him in any such way (including upside down). The only thing he does not like is to go outside on his leash (yes he is leash trained).  He has decided the outside is not a good place to be. Inside is much nicer and he is convinced that there are things outside that will eat him and he doesn't like that. In the house he is large and in charge, outside...his instincts tell him that there are much larger critters than him. However, he loves her and she loves him and wants him to get some fresh air and exercise. So off they go for a walk around the house in the grass while she monitors every plant he is near so that he cannot chew on the wrong one or so that he doesn't each too much of a good thing (like the clover patches). Peter is always thrilled to get back in the house at the end of his journey. Little Britches loves her bunnies and she says that her house will have a whole bedroom dedicated to pet rabbits. It will be a romper room for bunnies and her husband will just have to deal with it. If it is a room full of "Peters" then I feel terribly sorry for the rest of the household.  As for the bunnies in the colony, she knows their fate but loves on them while she can. They never get names, but she knows each mom and which babies belong to which mom. I think they live a good life and that is always my goal for my livestock....that they have a good life full of love and kindness before they become dinner. I think that is why I have always had a hard time selling any of them, because I don't trust anyone else to be kind and loving to them and I don't ever want them to suffer or be afraid. I guess it is the least I can do because they sacrifice so much for us.  I suppose even Peter deserves our love and kindness. Have a blessed day all!