Can Rabbits Eat Asparagus? 3 Quick Answers To Know!

Can rabbits eat asparagus? Particularly, can they eat asparagus stalks? Yes. Rabbits are herbivores, and asparagus is a kind of herb, which can definitely be part of their diet. 

But I am not saying that you can feed your bunnies with any fruit and vegetables there is, just because they are herbivores.

You have to figure out which ones you can or cannot feed them (As a pet owner, I make sure that I know the food I give to my pet, Thumper. You should too!).

For that reason, our team decided to write this post. We will be exploring the underlying relationship between asparagus and the rabbit’s diet. 

By providing you with the following information about rabbits and asparagus, you’d be able to find the answer on whether or not asparagus is suitable for your rabbits. So without further ado, let us delve deeper into this. 

What Is Asparagus?

Asparagus is a plant that is generally cultivated in gardens; people commonly refer to them as garden asparagus. Specifically, it is an herb that most people used to eat.

It is primarily grown for its shoots that are categorized as a vegetable. 

Additionally, this perennial plant can provide good harvests even until twenty years after you sow it for three years. Most asparagus is grown in China, but the United States is known to be the largest consumer of the said plant.

 Do rabbits eat asparagus plants?

What Is the Nutritional Value of Asparagus?

Now that you already know what asparagus is let us look into the particular nutrients that it contains. 

• High water content

So, asparagus is widely known due to its high water content.

Maybe that is why people assume that it does not contain any nutrients. Or for some, it has just a little. 

On the contrary, this veggie’s nutritional value is excellent, especially for the growth of your rabbits as well as other pets too.

And since its large portion is mainly water only, it is low in calories and sodium.

• Loaded with vitamin C, K, and fiber

More so, it contains vitamin C essential to their diet because it helps in having a healthy immune system and plays an important role in muscle development.

Besides, it also has vitamin K that keeps the rabbit healthy by regulating blood clot formation and maintaining bone health.

The high fiber content in asparagus is essential for an efficient digestive system as fiber also improves bowel movement. 

Any food that increases bowel movement is ideal for rabbits because they tend to eat their droppings.

They do that to ensure that they will absorb all the nutrients. So if your bunnies are eating their droppings, don’t worry, that is a normal thing for rabbits. 

New pet owners usually think that they may have health problems, but that is not the case. It signifies that they are normal and healthy. 

• A little amount of calcium

Aside from that, this veggie also contains a little amount of calcium. This is good for rabbits, especially adult ones because they absorb calcium at a higher rate as compared to other animals.

So a diet low in calcium is important to avoid kidney damage. 

The rest of the veggie is made up of zinc, folic acid, magnesium, riboflavin, iron, thiamin, potassium, copper, manganese, chromium as well as vitamins B6 and E.

What Are The Things To Consider When Serving Your Rabbits With Asparagus?

Now that you are certain that asparagus is good for rabbits to eat, you might want to buy plenty of it and serve your rabbits with large portions. Please, do not do that.

Here’s the thing:

Yes, rabbits eat asparagus. But, you have to know that asparagus shouldn’t be offered to just any rabbit. It is not for too young rabbits nor too old ones.

Ideally, you wait until your beloved rabbits are fully grown before adding this vegetable to their diet.

That is because grown rabbits can easily bite, chew, and digest the stalks of this vegetable whereas younger rabbits cannot. So you should wait for a little until they reach the right age.

At this moment, I know you are probably wondering just what the right age would be.

I think it is better to start when they are about nine months old or even older.

However, it does not mean that there won’t be any difficulty for rabbits to eat asparagus at that age. 

The best thing to do is start with small portions and observe your rabbit’s stool’s consistency.

If it softens, stop feeding them with asparagus for a while. Try it again after several days and be keen if there would be a difference.

How much asparagus should be given to rabbits?

Due to the high water content in asparagus, you should avoid giving it in excess as it can cause softening of stool.

For an adult rabbit, 2 inches of asparagus is usually recommended as a treat. Adding asparagus to the daily diet should be avoided.

Can rabbits have asparagus stalks?

Can rabbits eat asparagus stalks? Even if you feed your rabbit with the whole asparagus plant that includes its stalks, there should be no issue with it. However, this is not true for all rabbits.

For example, if your bunny is still young, it is not ideal to serve them with asparagus stalks. 

First, because they would have difficulty chewing them, and second, it might be hard for them to digest it given the young age of your guinea pig.

Also, in cases where you notice that your rabbit’s stool is softening, you should stop serving them with asparagus. 

Since this veggie has high water content, it might not also be ideal for some rabbits known to be sensitive. Furthermore, you should also stop feeding them with this if they start having diarrhea after eating this.

How about the asparagus fern?

No, rabbits must not eat asparagus fern because this can poison them. Much more, asparagus ferns have tiny thorns that might result in your rabbit’s injured mouth.

This mouth injury can have a riffling effect.

Due to the mouth pain, your rabbit might not eat, and thus they will experience some stomach problems. 

As such, you should never feed the asparagus fern to your rabbit. Don’t even think of giving them a taste of it. Instead, you can just use it as a decoration for your home.

Just make sure to put it far from your bunny.

Raw or cooked asparagus for Rabbits?

Whether you decide to cook the asparagus or not before serving them to your bunnies does not matter. Although cooked asparagus is easier for rabbits to chew and digest, it is unnecessary to cook it.

Besides, the difference between raw and cooked asparagus is very minimal.

If you give the raw ones straight from your fridge, it is fine.

But if you are whipping some for yourself, that would be fine too. You can always decide to share some with your precious bunny. Again, it does not matter.

Conclusion

So, can rabbits eat asparagus? Indeed, it is suitable for them but take note to serve in small portions to prevent digestive system issues.

Also, remember to serve this only to adult rabbits. And in case you notice some problems, discontinue adding this to your bunny’s diet. 

And one more thing, you must not give asparagus ferns to your rabbits although asparagus stalks would be fine.