Yes, rabbits can eat wheatgrass – and they’ll probably enjoy it a lot! Wheatgrass is a natural plant that can be found in the wild or bought from a shop.
It’s the newly sprouted, green leaves on a wheat plant. You can incorporate wheatgrass as part of your rabbit’s diet as long as you don’t forget to keep giving them hay too.
Can I Give My Rabbit Wheatgrass Instead of Hay?
No, even when you give your rabbit wheatgrass, hay should remain as their main food source. This is because wheatgrass has less fiber and isn’t as good to wear their teeth down.
For your rabbit to have the healthiest gut and best digestion possible, make sure that they have unlimited access to hay.
How Do I Prepare Wheatgrass?
Here’s how you prepare wheatgrass for your rabbit:
- You’ll want to wash off any dirt or chemicals before your rabbit eats it.
- Cut the roots and stalk off, leaving you with the green wheatgrass.
- Cut into small pieces and serve to your rabbit.
- Remember to include fresh water and hay.
Can I Grow Wheatgrass at Home?
Yes, you can grow wheatgrass yourself! It’s so easy to grow, you don’t even need a garden.
Follow my simple step guide and before you know it your rabbit will be munching on homegrown wheatgrass.
These steps cover growing wheatgrass in pots so you have the flexibility to grow them anywhere:
- Buy some wheatgrass seeds.
- Get some organic soil then place a one-inch thick layer of soil in a pot or tray.
- On top of the soil, plant your wheatgrass seeds. They should be in their own section of soil, with small gaps between each seed.
- Cover with topsoil and pat down flat.
- Water until the soil is damp.
- Place in indirect sunlight.
- Continue to water daily.
- Once they’ve sprouted, place them in direct sunlight.
- Harvest by cutting the wheatgrass above the root. You can check out the ‘how do I prepare wheatgrass’ section above for guidance.
- Serve to your rabbit.
Make sure you only give your rabbit homegrown wheatgrass while it’s green. If the stalks turn golden brown colored then it’s ripening into straw. You can use this straw as bedding for your rabbit, but it’ll no longer have any nutritional value for them.
Growing at home means the wheatgrass is organic. You’ll know for a fact that it hasn’t had any chemicals or pesticides on it.
Harvested wheatgrass will stay fresh if you keep it in the fridge for up to one week. However, it is best served directly after cutting.
If you continue to water after harvesting, a second crop should grow too!
Fun fact: If you grow or buy any wheatgrass for your rabbit, humans can also have it too! A popular way to consume wheatgrass is by blending it into a juice (and it’s very healthy).