Rule of Five Forages - when feeding no pellets

Do you like to eat the same food all the time? Niether do rabbits. Like humans, sometimes rabbits eat small amounts of certain plants that in small quantity make them feel good but can be damaging if too much is ingested. Maybe it's for added spice or for medicinal benefits. You'll notice some plants are:

• Completely uneaten no matter how often you introduce it. I might still try during other seasons if my research show it should be a good feed.
• Only small amounts eaten. So, only give small amounts. Maple leaves & ornamental pear.
• Only certain parts are eaten such as the leaves. My rabbits will eat Linden leaves but won't touch the bark.
• Seasonal changes in palatability. Cottonwood & poplar leaves and bark are usually only lightly eaten but in winter they eat more of the bark. It may have more protein stored during the winter months. Cottonwood bark was the main source of winter fodder for Native American horses.
• They love it but too much can cause diarrhea. Cabbage and other brassica, clover and alfalfa.
• Eat it until they get their fill; corn stalks, sprouted grain, various grasses, elm, russian olive, alfalfa. Some feed is high in protein and some is high in carbohydrates.
• Poisonous. I do lots or research to avoid these. I've found my rabbits sense something isn't good and they don't eat it. Be careful there are probably exceptions.

Google is your friend. Identify plants that live in your area. Especially look for agricultural college studies on livestock palatability. If some kind of livestock or wildlife likes to feed on the plant, then there is a good chance it could be a good feed to try. However, always introduce slowly. Every animal digests their food a little different and has different tastes.

I feed forage at least twice a day, morning and evening. Making sure there is always water in front of them.  For good growth I start with highly palatable feed; one item that is high in protein, others high in carbs and then provide a mix of at least 3 others.  When feeding no pellets I like to give at least 5 different feeds simultaneously and only introduce small amounts of anything new. The new feed I give over a few days and gradually increase amounts. I always take note of what's been left from the previous feeding and cut back a bit on items consistently left uneaten and look for new items to add to the rotation. Root crops are convenient for staying fresh and available longer in front of your stock. Sometimes what you think is a large pile of vegetation can be gone in one hour. Rabbits can eat a large volume of feed so don't scrimp and always give a minimum of 5 different forages so you're not forcing them to eat something that may not be good.

Feeding forage can be a lot of work but much of what you feed can come right from your garden. Pellets are convenient but it's good to know your rabbits are able to thrive on natural feed and from plants with deeper roots than anything in a feed bag, you are collecting valuable nutrients into your food chain. It takes practice and experience to learn to identify the plants, find where they are and get your sources, then learn to feed it without lots of waste and in appropriate quantities. Remember the rule of 5 and give them all they can eat.