A couple of weeks ago, I spilled some bird seed and my Rabbit, Bessie, snarfed it up like it was candy.
She gets plenty to eat plus treats, but ever since this incident, she seems to crave the bird seed.
Whenever I come to feed the birds, she runs over and gets on her hind legs hoping for more seed.
My question for you rabbit experts out there: Is bird seed harmful for a rabbit? I don't want to give her anymore unless it's OK. (Please, no jokes about Bessie having a bird brain...she's the brains behind my act!)
Thanks!

Andrew

Andrew,

You did not say what kind of birds or bird seed. However, if it is just a straight grain mix that doves would eat, no problem. Maxwell (our white rabbit) expects to get her share of dove feed when we feed the doves. Just make sure it is an all grain feed that would also be safe for doves (not a chicken feed because they have animal products in them). Alfalfa pellets for horses are also a cheap feed ($6-9 for 50 lbs.) rabbits love. The pellets are cheapest but there are cubes also available that look more inviting to me. We use the cubes in horse training.

Enjoy!

Bob
Magic By Sander

That would probably work really well as a reward for training the rabbit for a routine in your act if the rabbit is going crazy go nuts over the seed...

sperris

Hi Andrew,

My bunnies eat the dove seed and my doves eat the bunnie food. Go figure. They have been doing this for 4 years and they are all healthy.

Dakota Rose

Thanks everyone for your help.
The bird seed is what I am feeding my doves.
Sounds like I continue giving her some. I'd hate for her to go on strike.

Thanks again!

Andrew

It is funny to watch animals eat each other's feed. Lucy has pig (Henry) that loves dog food. But for years he had to compete with Barbie our black Lab because she liked to jump the fence and come eat with the pig. It was so common, that it only meant it was 9 AM. Now that Barbie is gone, the bantums eat with him. He protects them from other animals. The chickens are allowed to walk all over him. The other dogs have to keep back.

You are correct, the rabbit will eat with the doves in a heartbeat!

Bob
Magic By Sander

Bob,

Your comment reminded me of an incident regarding pigs.
I grew up on a farm and we raised (amoung other things) about 200 hogs.
Once when I was shoveling out feed to the pigs a mob of them clustered around the back of the truck. I didn't notice until I was finished that they had eaten almost half of the license plate!
What on earth does this have to do with magic you ask?
Beats me.

Andrew

Bob do you have pets or a Zoo?? lol you seem to have every animal on earth! I think you are ready to build the ark now, just in case! Well you might not need it as America is doing quite well in the swimming events at the olmypics.
Matt

Hello Matt,

Long time - no see! Yes! Lucy and I do live on the Ark! Our feed bill is about $80/week. So next season we are adding the live unicorn to the act. That'll run up expenses even more! There are ten acres of animals here at the house.


Andrew,

At times we have goats break into the dove and goose feed. In the process they eat the sacks for the dog food. (They don't like the dog food! But an occassional rose bush is fine.) The unicorn (Star Dancer) will come up on the wooden front porch and eat with the wild deer. The wild deer prefer the house plants. Our parrot "Dobbie" doesn't particularly like water melon but the seeds are great! He is certain that we eat the wrong part.

(The racoons ate the expensive Koi out of Lucy's pond. This month we had an eight-foot round watering trough put into the hill side behind the bunk house. First week we had more wild animal tracks than horse tracks. The racoons are waiting for Lucy to buy them some gold fish.)

Nothing unusual about this house! The animals eat well.

Bob
Magic By Sander

Im coming to see your show! dove to unicorn niceee
Matt

Matt,

I sent you a JPEG of the unicorn at your regular email address.

Bob