Last Updated on March 17, 2023 by Marjon Ramos
Chickweed (Stellaria media) is safe and nutritious for rabbits to eat. Just make sure that your rabbit is eating enough hay. Even though chickweed is nutritious, it cannot meet the required fiber a rabbit would need per day.
While chickweed is safe to be eaten by rabbits, you should still avoid making it a part of your rabbit’s regular diet.
There is better, more nutritious food out there that’s better for rabbits.
Now that I’ve given you the gist of the article, read on as I explain the topic in more detail:
Table of Contents
Would rabbits intentionally eat chickweed?
Yes, rabbits would intentionally and gladly eat chickweed.
Chickweed is actually one of the most common and safest weeds that can be fed to rabbits.
Here’s a rabbit eating a bunch of chickweed:
We’ve interviewed several rabbit owners who have chickweed or from where they’re from.
Most of them reported giving their rabbits some amount.
Risk of overfeeding chickweed to rabbits.
While chickweed itself is not poisonous to rabbits, overfeeding it to your rabbits, on the other hand, could lead to the following conditions:
- GI stasis – Gastrointestinal stasis is possible when your rabbit is eating chickweed in lieu of hay. Make sure that you’re not replacing your rabbit’s main diet (hay, veggies, and pellets) with chickweed.
- Diarrhea – Diarrhea is also possible when you feed your rabbits too much chickweed in one meal. Diarrhea in rabbits often happens when new food is introduced too fast and too much.
- Soft uneaten cecotropes – Feeding too much unnecessary food like chickweed to your rabbits could also lead to uneaten cecotropes due to the lack of fiber in your rabbit’s diet. This can be fixed by feeding large amounts of fiber (hay) for several weeks to a month.
Healthy alternative to chickweed.
Here are some alternatives to chickweed that are safe to give to rabbits:
- Roses
- Marigolds
- Dandelion
- Nettles
- Daisies
- Clover
- Sunflowers
- Pot
- Nasturtiums
- Pansies
Conclusion
Giving chickweed to your rabbits is safe as long as they’re not eating it in lieu of hay.
If it’s the first time you’re feeding chickweed to your rabbits, take it slow and feed it in small amounts.
Introducing new food into your rabbit’s diet too fast could trigger diarrhea and other digestive distress.
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