Can Rabbits Eat Pea Shoots? What You Need To Know.

Last Updated on March 10, 2023 by Marjon Ramos

Rabbits can eat pea shoots as a supplement to their fiber rich diet. Pea shoots or the plant that produces peas are actually quite nutritious for rabbits.

Just make sure that your rabbit is not eating pea shoots in lieu of hay. Vegetables like pea shoots should only account for 10% of your rabbit’s diet.

Also, make sure that your rabbit is at least 12 weeks old before you give them any vegetables like pea shoots. Feeding vegetables to rabbits that are less than 12 weeks old could trigger digestive problems.

Finally, if its the first time your giving pea shoots to your rabbit, you should introduce it slowly to determine if it would have any negative effect on your rabbit’s health.

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

Do rabbits like to eat pea shoots?

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

Here are some quotes from rabbit owners that fed pea shoots to their rabbits:

As you can see, pea shoots are loved by rabbits. I’ve also asked several of my friends if they ever fed pea shoots to their rabbits. Most of them reported that their rabbits loved eating them.

Are pea shoots safe to be eaten by rabbits?

Pea shoots are perfectly safe to be eaten by rabbits as long as their diet is on point. Your rabbit should still be meeting their required fiber for the day and not be eating pea shoots in lieu of hay.

Also, make sure that your rabbit is at least 12 weeks old before you give them any vegetables like pea shoots. Young rabbits should only eat high fiber foods like hay because they are susceptible to digestive problems that can be fatal to them.

Finally, if its your first time feeding pea shoots to your rabbit, do it slowly. Only feed small amounts to test if your rabbit would not have any negative reactions to it.

What are the benefits of feeding pea shoots to rabbits?

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

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 pea shoots contain moderate amounts of vitamin A.

Are pea shoots good for rabbits?

Pea shoots contain moderate amounts of vitamin A. It also contains trace amounts of vitamin E, copper, niacin, pantothenic acid, protein, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium.

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

How much pea shoots can a rabbit eat?

The amount of pea shoots 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 pea shoots (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 pea shoots to give per day:

When can rabbits start eating pea shoots?

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

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

Make sure you follow the table above and only feed your rabbits vegetables (pea shoots) 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 pea shoots to rabbits?

Gist:

You should not feed pea shoots 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 pea shoots 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. Pea shoots alone could not meet the daily fiber requirement of rabbits. Therefore, pea shoots should only be fed in small amounts as a supplement to a hay-based diet.
• Diarrhea: Overfeeding pea shoots 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 pea shoots 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 pea shoots, 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 pea shoots.

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 pea shoots:

• 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)

Conclusion

Pea shoots or the plant that produces peas are safe to be eaten by rabbits as long as they are still eating their regular diet and they are old enough to eat vegetables.

Vegetables like pea shoots should only account for 10% of your rabbit’s diet. Hay or fiber should still be the majority of their diet.