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Will rabbits avoid harmful plants naturally?

I want to leave our rabbits to roam free in the garden during the day and am doing all the necessary to secure them in etc, however, I am concerned about the plants they might eat. I have no idea what half of the plants in my garden are, will rabbits avoid plants that are harmful by instinct? Surely they must do this in the wild? It would be a shame to have to keep them in a hutch to protect them, better to get the exercise and opportunity to explore?

Public Comments

1. would you naturally avoid a poh if u saw him in the streets??? i sure hope so
2. I did the same, took all the necessary precautions to prevent them digging out, and other wildlife getting in, but foxes still got to my little rabbits. RIP little ones.
3. Yes they will. I ran rabbits free in my yard for a number of years, no issues.
4. As long as your fence is properly rabbit proof, allowing your rabbits loose in the garden to graze and run about is the best possible environment. They will be able to eat grass and a variety of other weeds and plants, and this is a perfect diet for them. They will know what they should eat and what they shouldn't. If the grazing is good, it is not necessary to supplement their diet with dried food, as this will risk them getting fat, which predisposes them to a lot of problems. If grazing is poor, you can give them hay, as long as they have access to ad lib water. Hope this helps!
5. No, rabbits will eat harmful plants. The freedom they would love, but you have to take necessary precautions. Check http://www.petwebsite.com/rabbits/rabbit_plants_flowers.htm for a list of poisonous plants, and be aware of natural predators in your area.
6. I'm sure they know not to eat the bad stuff! I lost my rabbit when i was a lil' un, it was in a hutch, and a cat jumped on top of it, and poor bunston flipped and broke his back. seems like you're darned if you do and darned if you dont!
7. It is great you want to give them the freedom they need but you do need to make sure that any plants they have aren't harm for them as they may try and eating things they shouldn't. My rabbits have always had run of the garden and i have always made sure any plants i have are safe for them and any that i wasn't sure about i dug up and removed. I would advcie you do the same it is not worth the risk. If you do a google search you can try and find out what the plants you have in your garden are and if they are safe for a rabbit to eat.
8. My rabbits have always had the run of the yard. Yes, they will not eat things that are not healthy for them, but they will dig those plants out, in the hopes that something good to eat will grow in it's place. I finally began to garden vertically, as feeding my bunnies those nursery bedding plants got to be way too expensive. :) I'd suggest that you allow them access to their hutch, even during the day, as they may feel more comfortable being able to escape back to their home if they feel threatened in any way. Watch out for your neighborhood cats, and predators from the sky, hawks, owls, eagles etc.
9. You could always get a rabbit run if you are that concerned but generally i think they would avoid any plants that would cause them harm, its just instinct!