# Can I feed buckwheat to rabbits?



## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

I seem to have an over abundence of the stuff and wonder if it would be good harvested and dried as a supplement to their diet for over winter?


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

The answer is yes.

See this website for a list of okay and not okay plants for rabbits
http://www.carlaemery.com/newsletter03.htm

Keith Saturn had posted the link on yahoogroups Meatrabbits list.
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Meatrabbits/message/71216

And I see that Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living is a major topic on this list!

Have a good day!
Franco Rios


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

rabbitgeek said:


> The answer is yes.
> 
> See this website for a list of okay and not okay plants for rabbits
> http://www.carlaemery.com/newsletter03.htm
> ...


Cool, Thank you very much!:banana02:

I found my rabbits love cooked pumpkin peelings and watermelon rinds too but I didn't see it on the list.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Much as I loved Carla, her lists are not necessarily always Gospel.

I and many others feed comfrey to rabbits with good results, but Carla's list has it on the "no-no's" for rabbits. But she says that "all kinds" of lettuce are good, yet iceberg lettuce is BAD for rabbits. 

There still isn't a 100% complete list, though MaggieJ has certainly made huge inroads on that score!


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Would you agree the buckwheat is okay for rabbits?

Have a good day!


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

rabbitgeek said:


> Would you agree the buckwheat is okay for rabbits?
> 
> Have a good day!


Oh! Yeah, I guess I wasn't clear.

I didn't question EVERYTHING on Carla's list (and sadly, she's no longer with us to discuss it), but I figure buckwheat's okay. I'd give it a try to see if they like it, and if they do, go for it.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Let's face it, no list can ever be 100% correct or 100% complete. There are a lot of plants in the grey area... ones that have definite benefits but may have cautions attached. I'm glad Pony pointed out that even the best of such lists require some discretion and thought on the part of the user. 

There was a sad case awhile back on this forum where a boy fed iceberg lettuce to rabbits and two died as a result, likely from bloat. Iceberg lettuce is not toxic, of course, but because of the peculiarities of rabbits' digestive systems, can still cause major problems. A really good list would have brief notations noting cautions and explaining WHY. It would also come with advice for handling such things as bloat, GI stasis and other common digestive ailments.

I have no personal experience of feeding buckwheat to rabbits. I do have a question, however. *Are we talking about the green plant or the mature buckwheat seeds? *This was unclear to me from the original post... and as we know, these can be two totally different concerns.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

MaggieJ said:


> Let's face it, no list can ever be 100% correct or 100% complete. There are a lot of plants in the grey area... ones that have definite benefits but may have cautions attached. I'm glad Pony pointed out that even the best of such lists require some discretion and thought on the part of the user.
> 
> There was a sad case awhile back on this forum where a boy fed iceberg lettuce to rabbits and two died as a result, likely from bloat. Iceberg lettuce is not toxic, of course, but because of the peculiarities of rabbits' digestive systems, can still cause major problems. A really good list would have brief notations noting cautions and explaining WHY. It would also come with advice for handling such things as bloat, GI stasis and other common digestive ailments.
> 
> I have no personal experience of feeding buckwheat to rabbits. I do have a question, however. *Are we talking about the green plant or the mature buckwheat seeds? *This was unclear to me from the original post... and as we know, these can be two totally different concerns.


I'm talking the green plants...I fed some to each of the rabbits as a test. The big rabbits are pigs and ate it all...but then they eat everything I hand them. The little dutch rabbits don't go for it so much but then again, they don't even eat a 4th the food the rexs go through.


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

MaggieJ said:


> I have no personal experience of feeding buckwheat to rabbits. I do have a question, however. *Are we talking about the green plant or the mature buckwheat seeds? *This was unclear to me from the original post... and as we know, these can be two totally different concerns.


I think they said dried buckwheat plants which should include the plants and seeds?

Have a good day!


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Here are some sources of info on buckwheat. Just as a sidenote, there are many different buckwheats, so I concentrated on those for fagoyyrum esculentum or Common Buckwheat. It was introduced to North America from Europe... just like our domestic rabbits. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckwheat

http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Fagopyrum+esculentum

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/cm_buckwheat.htm

Here's one that references Carla Emery's list, but I am a little bothered by the hit and miss methods of the writer and must urge caution in relying on the information without further study. Still, it is some interesting "food for thought."
http://agilitynut.wordpress.com/2008/09/25/rabbit-safe-foods/


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## ladysown (May 3, 2008)

oh my maggie....I just posted that today....hope I wasn't the hit and miss writer you were talking about! I tried to note where I disagreed or had different experiences.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

ladysown said:


> oh my maggie....I just posted that today....hope I wasn't the hit and miss writer you were talking about! I tried to note where I disagreed or had different experiences.


Oops! Did I ever mention that I suffer from foot-in-mouth disease? I owe you an apology, Ladysown... I was in a hurry and I was skimming and I totally missed the paragraph with the disclaimer. Not that that is any excuse! Seems I am the one who was "hit and miss" and I do hope you will forgive me.


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

you folks DO realize, I hope, that there is a buckwheat 'family' of plants----- i would NOT recommend feeding all of them-- one is commonly called 'tear thumb' for GOOD reason.....


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Terry W said:


> you folks DO realize, I hope, that there is a buckwheat 'family' of plants----- i would NOT recommend feeding all of them-- one is commonly called 'tear thumb' for GOOD reason.....


I mentioned that there were many kinds of buckwheat, but perhaps didn't stress it enough. "Tear thumb"  That sounds brutal!


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## Bernadette (Jan 17, 2004)

I think also the 'constitution' of the rabbits involved makes a difference as well. Feeding a 'food' such as this to MY rabbits which are primarily pellet fed supplemented with hay and the occasional 'green' treat of dandelions, raspberry or strawberry leaves could be drastically different than if MaggieJ feeds them to her rabbits who are primarily green fed. 

I feel that one of the best ways to proceed is to search all the available lists and if it looks like it should be safe, test small amounts with a couple of 'expendable' rabbits, and observe.


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

MaggieJ said:


> I mentioned that there were many kinds of buckwheat, but perhaps didn't stress it enough. "Tear thumb"  That sounds brutal!


 it IS brutal--grows very well in wet places-- and I have seen it rip apart the heaviest of denims while on field outings with classes--- worse than burrs when it comes to sticking to ya--- and unlike the stinging nettles, the 'points' do NOT soften if wilted or dried----


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## ladysown (May 3, 2008)

no probs maggie....people do "oops" all the time.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

ladysown said:


> no probs maggie....people do "oops" all the time.


Thanks, Ladysown. I've been feeling rotten about it. :bash:


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