Can Rabbits Eat Chicory?

Last Updated on March 6, 2023 by Marjon Ramos

Every part of chicory (leaves, stems, flowers, and roots) can be eaten by rabbits in moderation. Just remember that vegetables like chicory should only account for 10% of your rabbits diet.

You should also wait until your rabbit is at least 12 weeks old before you give them one. Young rabbits (< 12 weeks old) should only be fed hay because they are the most susceptible to digestive problems.

Finally, if it’s the first time you’re giving chicory to your rabbit, make sure that you do it in small portions. This is to make it easier to know if your rabbit would have any negative reactions when eating chicory.

Now that I’ve given you the gist of the article, read on as I explain in more detail why rabbits can eat chicory:

Do rabbits like to eat chicory?

Yes, rabbits like eating chicory. In fact, several people from rabbit communities have reported that their rabbits loves eating chicory.

Here’s quotes from a rabbit owner that fed chicory to their rabbits:

As you can see, chicory are loved by rabbits. I’ve also personally fed chicory to my rabbit (leaves), they devoured them.

Is chicory safe to be eaten by rabbits?

As long as your rabbit is still eating their regular diet and your rabbit is > 12 weeks old, then chicory is perfectly safe to be eaten by rabbits.

Chicory is not poisonous to rabbits so the only way it could harm them is if they are eating it in lieu of hay. The lack of fiber would eventually result in some kind of digestive problem like diarrhea or GI stasis.

Its also a good idea to only feed small portions of chicory if its the first time your giving it to your rabbit. This would allow their gut flora to get used to the new food.

Finally, if your planning on feeding the roots of chicory, only give them in small amounts. The roots of chicory is not really useful when it comes to the health of your rabbit and should be considered an occasional treats.

What are the benefits of feeding chicory to rabbits?

To properly understand the benefits of feeding chicory to your rabbits, you can use the nutrient constrain calculator below, which shows the different nutrients your rabbits are getting whenever you feed them chicory.

It also shows if the amount you’re giving is within the safe nutritional range:

As you can see from the nutrient constrain calculator for rabbits above, 100 grams of chicory contain large amounts of vitamin A.

Is chicory good for rabbits?

Chicory contain large amounts of vitamin A. It also contains trace amounts of vitamin E, B6, copper, niacin, pantothenic acid, protein, choline, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium.

All of which would benefit your rabbit’s health if fed in reasonable amounts.

How much chicory can a rabbit eat?

The amount of chicory you should feed your rabbits depends on your rabbit’s current weight and age.

You can use the diet portion calculator below to see how much chicory (vegetables) you should feed your rabbits per day:

If you don’t have a weighing scale, here’s the estimated weight of rabbits based on their breed and how much chicory to give per day:

When can rabbits start eating chicory?

The table above assumes that your rabbit is old enough (1–5 years old) to regularly eat vegetables (chicory). Another important factor when deciding how much chicory to give your rabbits is their age.

Here’s a table that shows how much chicory you can give your rabbits as they get older:

Make sure you follow the table above and only feed your rabbits vegetables (chicory) if they are old enough. It’s also important to introduce any new food slowly and only in small quantities.

When should you not feed chicory to rabbits?

Gist:

You should not feed chicory to rabbits that have any digestive problems or when you notice any changes in their stool.

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If your rabbit is already having digestive issues like uneaten caecotrophs or watery stool, then you should immediately remove any other food you’re giving to your rabbits except hay.

Your rabbit might not be getting enough fiber because you got the portion of their diet wrong. Remember that your rabbit should be eating 80–90% hay, 10% vegetables, 5% pellets, and occasional treats.

Finally, bring your rabbit to a veterinarian just to be safe. Most of the time, rabbit owners misdiagnose their rabbits with just softer stool, which can be corrected by feeding more hay. When in fact it’s diarrhea, which is fatal to rabbits.

Risk of overfeeding chicory to rabbits.

• Uneaten caecotrophs: Uneaten caecotrophs are usually caused by a diet that is low in fiber or overfeeding foods that are high in water content. Chicory alone could not meet the daily fiber requirement of rabbits. Therefore, chicory should only be fed in small amounts as a supplement to a hay-based diet.
• Diarrhea: Overfeeding chicory to rabbits could also lead to diarrhea because of the lack of fiber in them. Your rabbit’s diet should mainly consist of hay and pellets. Vegetables like chicory should only be fed in small amounts because rabbits cannot get enough fiber from them. If your rabbit is suffering from diarrhea, bring your rabbit to a veterinarian immediately because diarrhea is fatal to rabbits extremely fast.
• Gastrointestinal stasis:  Gastrointestinal stasis is also caused by a diet that is low in fiber and too many carbohydrates. When your rabbit is overfed with the wrong kind of food, like chicory, it could lead to an imbalance in your rabbit’s gut flora and slow down the passage of food through the GI tract. If you suspect that your rabbit might be suffering from GI stasis, immediately bring your rabbit to a veterinarian because GI stasis could lead to organ failure and death if not treated.

Healthy alternatives to chicory.

Your rabbit would love you if you provided them with different kinds of food.

Rabbits in the wild have an abundance of food available to them.

This is why rabbit experts suggest giving your rabbits a variety of choices when it comes to food, because they believe that it’s the key to a healthy diet.

Here’s a list of vegetables and leafy greens that are a great alternative to chicory:

• Spinach
• Celery
• Green peppers
• Basil
• Mint
• Alfalfa, radish & Clover sprouts
• Beet greens (tops)
• Parsley
• Peapods (the flat edible kind)
• Peppermint leaves
• Bok choy
• Escarole
• Clover
• Peppermint leaves
• Carrot & carrot tops
• Radicchio
• Raspberry leaves
• Wheatgrass
• Watercress
• Cilantro
• Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can rabbits eat chicory roots?

Chicory roots should not be fed in large amount. You should treat chicory roots as an occasional treats and only give it to them in small portions (one teaspoon) 1-2 times per week.

Can rabbits eat chicory leaves, stems, or flowers?

Chicory leaves or tops are the best part to feed your rabbits. They are rich in many essential nutrients like vitamin A.

Just make sure that it only consist of 10% of your rabbit’s diet.

Chicory stems is the same as chicory leaves and tops, you can feed them in moderation.

Chicory flowers are also edible by rabbits.

What type of chicory can rabbits eat?

The edible kinds of chicory like radicchio, belgian endive, wild leaf, catalogna, sugarloaf, forage feast, puna, grouse, choice oasis, and six point are the best variety of chicory to feed your rabbit.

Conclusion

The edible variety of chicory like radicchio, belgian endive, wild leaf, catalogna, sugarloaf, forage feast, puna, grouse, choice oasis, and six point are safe to be eaten by rabbits in moderation.

Just make sure that your rabbit is not eating chicory in lieu of hay. Chicory should only account for 10% of your rabbit’s diet.

Anything more than that can put your rabbit at risk of developing digestive problems due to the lack of fiber in their diet.