Can Rabbits Eat Clover? Best Guide We Should Know

can rabbits eat clover?

Can Rabbits Eat Clover

Can Rabbits Eat Clover? YES. Clover is one of the safe leafy greens that we can serve rabbits. Most of the time wild rabbits eat these weeds all year-round. Clover plant leaves, stems, flowers, stalks, and even roots are safer to feed your rabbits. Clovers are rich sources of protein, calcium, vitamin C, sodium, and vitamin K, etc. Due to high protein, calcium, and low fiber amount, we can’t serve large amounts of Clover to rabbits. If we feed the right amount of clover in moderation, it will be a good nutritious food source for rabbits. Most of the varieties of clover are safe to feed rabbits. White and red wild Covers are some of them.

Overfeeding Clover may lead to many health problems. Therefore, we must prioritize hay supply for rabbits. Good healthy rabbits need a well-balanced diet with nutrients and vitamins. Hay mainly contains fiber that helps their digestive system. Being rabbit lovers, we should know the best thing that can be fed to rabbits. Clover is one of the safe leafy greens for rabbits. But there is a lot more to talk about these things before feeding to rabbits. This article will cover all the things you should know about Clover from A to Z. 

Let’s start without any delay!!

Video Credit For Joseph Sturgis YouTube Channel

Extra Information About Clover

Clovers are categorized in the Fabaceae family. Clover is also called Trifolium. Most of the time people cultivate these plants specifically for fodder. Clover species are generally small and have 4 leaves. Leaves of clover stand for faith, love, luck, and hope. Clovers have many varieties. White, Red, Purple, Pink clover varieties are commonly cultivated. These plants have smooth stems and red, white, purple flowers. 

Clover is used for medication and animal feeds. Clover is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese, sodium, and iron, etc. Clover has good health benefits like improving bone health and reducing cancer risk.

types of clover rabbits can eat

Types Of Clover Varieties Rabbits Can Eat

All varieties are safe to feed rabbits according to the limitations. There are no toxic parts in the Clover plant for rabbits. But overfeeding them can lead to many health issues like intestinal gases and digestive issues. We must prioritize quality hay supply for rabbits. But we can supply a good amount of Clover in moderation without any problem for rabbits. These are the common type of Clover that is good for rabbits.

  • White Clover
  • Red Clover
  • Yellow Clover
  • Wild Clover
  • Purple Clover
  • Sweet Clover
  • Crimson Clover

Do Rabbits Like To Eat Clover?

Yes, most of the time rabbits like to eat Clover. If you have Clover in your garden rabbits will happily eat them. Most of the rabbit owners plant Clover in their garden because rabbits like to eat them whenever they play around in the garden. Most wild rabbits also eat these clover plants throughout the year.

Tip: When you are introducing new food to rabbits, always add a small portion to the rabbit’s daily diet. Make sure to introduce one new food type at a time. These things are applied to any type of food. Rabbits’ health is in your hands.

Is Clover Good For Rabbits?

Clover is a good natural food for rabbits. They are one of the safest and beneficial greens we can provide for rabbits. All plant parts of the Clover are good for rabbits including the clover roots. They can even eat the whole plant with flower and the root. All of the parts of the Clovers are natural herbs and contain essential nutrition for rabbits. We can mix clover with other leafy greens like Spinach, Celery, Basil, Mint, Parsley, Bok choy, etc.

But we must limit Clover that we provide for Rabbits. Clover contains high calcium and protein amounts. We must keep in mind to avoid feeding calcium foods with Clover. It can lead to the formation of bladder sludge and the risk of kidney stones. However, Rabbits’ main food source should be hay. We should prioritize hay in the regular diet plan. Overall nutrition can be covered by hay.

Unlike humans, fiber is essential for rabbits. It can prevent bad bacteria from forming in the intestines. Some of the bacteria can lead to critical health issues in rabbits. This is why we should give priority to hay. But rabbits can’t live eating hay all day long. We must add veggies and fruits to their daily diet. End of this article we will provide you the general diet plan for rabbits. It will help you to understand.

do rabbits like to eat clover?

How Often Can Rabbits Eat Clover

Clover is a good leafy green for your rabbit. But we need to feed them according to a proper guide. A small amount of Clover can provide good health benefits for them. Overfeeding can cause bloating and increase gas inside your pet.

We can provide leafy greens up to 10 % of the rabbit’s diet and we should always keep the moderation. If we serve the right amount of clover, it will never harm your rabbit’s health. We can provide Clover according to the bodyweight of your rabbit.1 cup per 2 pounds of body weight is more than enough for a good healthy rabbit. All ways try to provide them fresh, chemical-free, and pesticides free clovers for rabbits.

Don’t try to feed Clover to rabbits less than 12 weeks age and rabbits having digestive problems.

Risk Of Feeding Clover To Rabbits

We can’t serve clover too often and in large amounts for rabbits. Due to the high calcium content, overfeeding clover will lead to kidney damages. Because of the high protein content, your rabbit’s weight will increase rapidly. Clover has less fiber and overfeeding low fiber foods can lead to indigestion. This will result in stomach upsets, diarrhea, increase gases in the stomach, and bloating.

Many wild plants are mixed with chemicals and pesticides. This can also lead to critical health issues in rabbits. Always wash them before feeding to rabbits.

The Proper Way To Feed Clover For Rabbits

Always try to provide fresh Clover to rabbits. Do not harvest Clover in areas that use pesticides and chemicals.

Before introducing Clovers to rabbits for the first time, you need to start up with small portions (Approximately five leaves). Keep inspecting them carefully. If they show some illness, stop feeding Clovers and only feed rabbit’s daily diet (Diarrhea, lethargy, constipation, and loss of appetite are some of the illnesses)

My recommendation is to give Clover to grown rabbits. For bunnies, avoid feeding them with Clover. Clover will become harder to digest in bunnies. As clover contain a high amount of calcium that can lead to kidney damage in baby rabbits. For grown-up Rabbits, it’s a good nutritious food. Keep in mind not to add other calcium foods with Clover in the rabbit’s diet.

Can Rabbits Eat Clover Sprouts

YES. Rabbits can eat any part of the Clover plat even Clover sprouts. But we must make sure to provide them the correct amount of clover sprouts. Overfeeding those can lead to many health problems

Alternatives For Clover

Clover is safe to feed rabbits. There are lot better leafy greens we can provide for our loving rabbits. When you feed clover, don’t mix with other high calcium leafy greens (like dandelions). It can raise health problems in rabbits. Keep in mind the amount of calcium in the foods that we feed rabbits. These are some alternatives for clover.

  • Celery
  • Spinach
  • Peppers
  • Basil
  • Parsley
  • Mint
  • Carrot and carrot tops
  • Alfalfa
  • Beet tops
  • Bok choy
  • Radicchio
  • Cilantro
  • Dill
  • Dandelion
how to feed clover to rabbits

What Rabbits Really Need For Their Diet

Your rabbit’s diet should mainly contain fresh quality hay, grass, and clean water. Unlimited hay supply is extremely important for their health. This guide will give you an overall idea about what should be contained in the rabbit’s diet.

Freshwater: They must have an unlimited supply of freshwater. Use water bowls, it’s easy for rabbits to drink water & easy to clean. Make sure to change the water daily.

Unlimited Quality Hay: Keep feeding fresh grass hays. We recommend giving good types of hay to your rabbit. Such as timothy, orchard grass, etc.

Pellets: For bunnies, you can provide timothy hay pellets in very small amounts. For adult rabbits, you need to provide one-quarter of a cup daily.

Vegetables: Feed them daily 1 -2 cups with fresh vegetables. Some good vegetables are bok choy, carrot, endive, brussels sprouts, basil, mint, green leaf, and red leaf, etc.

Fresh Fruits: Give a small amount of about 1 -2 cups per week. Some good fruits are apples, bananas, berries, cherries, grapes, papaya, plum, watermelon, etc.

Summary

Clover is one of the safest leafy greens for rabbits that should be fed in moderation. There are no toxic parts in Clovers. All the plant parts are edible for rabbits. Clover is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese, sodium, and iron, etc. Due to the high protein content and calcium, we can’t serve them in large amounts. We can feed a small amount of clover in moderation without any health issues for rabbits. We can provide leafy greens up to 10 % of the rabbit’s diet and we should always keep the moderation. Don’t try to feed Clover to rabbits less than 12 weeks age and rabbits having digestive problems.

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