When should I start giving greens, and how do I introduce them?

15% of your rabbit's diet should be greens. It is recommended to give 1 cup of greens a day for every 2 pounds of body weight. Ollie, our Netherland Dwarf, weighs two pounds, so we give him 1 cup every day. 

It is a good idea to begin (very slowly!) introducing a grass hay into your rabbit's diet once they reach ten weeks old. It will be a slow transition from alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets to greens. Put a small handful of grass hay into their alfalfa hay every time you refill it to begin. This starts preparing them to begin eating leafy greens. 

After doing the process above for two weeks, it is a good idea to introduce greens! A perfect green to start with is romaine lettuce, which is one of the easiest to introduce to a rabbit. Rip off a small piece of romaine lettuce and offer it to your rabbit. Some rabbits may instantly gobble it, while others don't show an interest at all. If your rabbit doesn't want the lettuce, leave it in their pen or food bowl and let them get used to it at their own pace. Don't rush it!

An important thing to look out for is their droppings. Keep an eye on them after your rabbit eats the lettuce. If they are runny, don't give them greens for a couple of days, until their droppings are normal again. 

Keep giving them the small nibble of lettuce for about 4 days. If everything is normal with your rabbit after that, add about double the amount for 4 days as well. If everything is fine after that, break off the same amount of lettuce, and also give them some of the stalk so they can try that as well. Keep that up for the same amount of time. 

Now is a great time to begin introducing a new green. Safe options are dill, cilantro, red leaf lettuce, and green leaf lettuce. To do this, add the same amount of lettuce and a small amount of the new green. Don't add too much, take it slow. To build up the amount of the new green, follow the same process as you did with the lettuce (if things are going well, adding a little more every four days). 

Slowly begin to add more to the amount of greens you give your rabbit until you reach the recommended amount. Always remember to keep an eye on your rabbit's droppings before adding more. 

Safe Greens for Your Rabbit

The safest greens:

• Romaine

• Green leaf lettuce

• Red leaf lettuce

• Dill

• Cilantro

• Watercress

Below are greens that should not be a part of the base "salad" for your rabbit, but can be fed sparingly: (this is because they are high in calcium, and too much can cause damage over time. If you feed your rabbit any of these greens, feed it in smaller amounts, once or twice a week, in addition to safer greens)

• Parsley

• Spinach

• Mustard greens

• Beet greens

• Swiss chard

• Radish tops

• Sprouts

• Basil

• Mint

• Thyme

• Collard greens

• Spinach

• Turnip greens

• Kale

• Mustard greens

• Boy chok

• Arugula

• Broccoli

Note:

For non-leafy veggies, such as carrots, peppers, or cucumbers, it is recommended to feed about 1 tablespoon of that for every 2 pounds of body weight. This is because they are not the healthiest, as they are higher in sugar. 

Veggies to absolutely avoid!

• Artichoke

• Avocado

• Corn

• Currants

• Dates

• Edamame

• Figs

• Garlic

• Green onions

• Hot peppers

• Iceberg lettuce

• Kelp

• Leeks

• Olives

• Onions

• Potatoes

• Rhubarb

• Sweet Potatoes

• Tomato leaves 

It will take time to introduce greens, but once your rabbit gets used to them, it will absolutely love them!