Do Rabbits Eat Mint?
Mint (Mentha spp.) may be the most common herb you come across.
It is used in everything from relaxing teas to fancy cocktails and fruit salads. Here at our hobby farm we grow mint for a variety of consumptive uses.
Now, you may catch a glimpse of your own mint plants while holding your farm or pet rabbit and ask yourself, ‘Do Rabbits Eat Mint Plants?’.
Yes, mature rabbits can safely enjoy mint in moderation. This herb offers a number of health benefits to your adult bunnies. However, rabbit owners must be aware that too much mint or the wrong type of mint can put rabbits at risk.
Read On To Know All The Risks And Benefits
Before Offering Your Rabbit Mint
Can Rabbits Have Mint
If you’ve wondered ‘Will Rabbits Eat Mint?’ you’ll find that your farm, homestead, or pet rabbits will happily munch on this aromatic herb.
Whether they are Netherland Dwarf rabbits or Rex rabbits, adult bunnies are known for loving leafy greens such as mint or Thyme.
Now, while your mature rabbits can have mint, that doesn’t mean it should be offered to them in unlimited quantities.
Nutritional Value: Mint for Rabbits
To better understand this green herb, let’s take a look at its nutritional value. While there are many different types of mint, each a bit different, here are the basics:
- Mint contains less than 1g of fiber per 2 tablespoon serving
- Mint offers the following minerals:
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Iron
- Mint also contains the following vitamins:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
What nutritional benefits do these components offer to your rabbits?
- Magnesium and Potassium assist with energy production and nerve signaling
- Calcium is important for strong bone and teeth development in rabbits
- Nursing does need calcium as they pass calcium on to their kits via milk
- Newly weaned bunnies need calcium as they continue to grow to full size
- Iron is essential for proper growth and development
- Vitamin C supports immune systems
- Vitamin A is a natural antioxidant and boosts overall health
Is Mint Good For Rabbits
The compounds and vitamins within mint are immediately available to your mature rabbits when they snack on this herb. However, mint is very low in fiber, which is an essential component of a healthy rabbit’s diet.
Without a high fiber, your bunnies will suffer from unhealthy gut bacteria and even GI status. For this reason, low-in-fiber mint is good for rabbits when offered in moderation.
Can Pet Rabbits Eat Mint
Yes, your pet rabbits can eat mint. Mint can relax and soothe your rabbits while supporting mouth and teeth health.
However, there is one type of mint that is toxic: Pennyroyal mint. Keep this mint variation away from your happy and healthy rabbits.
How Much Mint Can Rabbits Eat
If you want to offer mint to your rabbits, it is first good to remember the best daily diet for healthy rabbits:
- Unlimited hay (75% to 80% hay)
- Quality pellets (10% to 15%)
- Leafy green vegetables (5% to 10%)
Rabbits require unlimited hay because their digestive and metabolic systems have evolved to process and run on high amounts of fiber.
Hay is a high fiber food and should make up the majority of your rabbit’s daily diet. That said, nutritional herbs such as mint are supplements that your rabbit will benefit from when offered as a treat.
Leafy greens such as mint should make up no more than 5-10% of your rabbit’s diet. We practice offering 1-2 sprigs of mint to our rabbits on any given day and they have never shown negative effects. However, we also always follow certain rules that we will discuss below.
How Often Can Rabbits Eat Mint
Can Rabbits Eat Mint Everyday
Mint is tasty and packed with enough beneficial antioxidants and minerals to be offered to your mature rabbits everyday. Simply make sure this herb doesn’t make up more than 5-10% of their diet.
When it comes to pregnant or nursing does, skip the mint for this herb has been found to induce drying up in does. Never offer mint to lactating does.
How To Feed Mint To Rabbits
We recommend the following steps when feeding your mature rabbits mint:
- Choose only fresh and green mint. Avoiding wilted, yellowed, or insect eaten plants.
- Inspect the mint well to remove any insects or slugs that can cause digestive issues or sickness to your rabbits.
- Wash the mint well with cool water, removing any residual dirt and potential pesticides.
Next steps:
- Place a bit of washed mint into a clean bowl.
- Place this bowl in the hutch or house of your rabbit.
- Allow your rabbit to enjoy the nutritious herb.
- Be sure to remove the feeding bowl and any excess mint later in the day.
Remember, you can always mix mint in with the unlimited hay that your rabbits enjoy daily. This method allows your bunnies to appreciate the flavor and benefits of mint while ensuring they’re ingesting high fibers.
What Kind Of Mint Can Rabbits Eat?
Can Rabbits Eat Fresh Mint
Yes, mature rabbits can enjoy fresh mint. In fact, fresh green mint is the best form of the herb to offer to your bunnies.
Can Rabbits Eat Dried Mint
Dried mint contains slightly different nutritional value than fresh mint and, if not dried correctly, can contain fungi or mold. We recommend sticking to fresh mint.
Can Rabbits Eat Peppermint
Yes, peppermint is a rabbit-safe variation of mint. Offer fresh peppermint to your mature bunnies but avoid peppermint oil, as it can be toxic in high doses.
Can Rabbits Eat Chocolate Mint
Chocolate mint is a peppermint variation that doesn’t differ much from regular peppermint. As such, chocolate mint can be enjoyed by your mature rabbits in moderation.
Can Rabbits Eat Catmint
Catmint is a nontoxic herb that can be offered to your mature rabbits.
Do Rabbits Eat Catmint
Like Lemongrass, not all rabbits like catmint. Don’t be surprised if your bunnies refuse to eat this mint variation.
Do Rabbits Eat Mountain Mint
Mountain mint is known for having a stronger aroma than garden mint. This mint variation can repel rabbits and isn’t ideal to offer to your furry friends.
Can Rabbits Eat Lemon Mint
Lemon mint is known for its slightly lemony flavor. This mint variation is rabbit-safe and can be offered to your mature bunnies.
What Part of the Mint Plant Can Rabbits Eat?
Can Rabbits Eat Mint Leaves
If you’ve been asking yourself ‘Do Rabbits Eat Mint Leaves?’ The answer is: Yes, mint leaves are an ideal treat for mature rabbits.
Can Rabbits Eat Mint Stems
Yes, the green or slightly purple stems of mint plants are safe for mature rabbits to eat.
Can Rabbits Eat Mint Flowers
Yes, mature rabbits can eat mint flowers. Remember to remove any pollinators before offering mint flowers to your rabbits.
Can Rabbits Eat Mint Plants
Mature rabbits can eat all parts of the mint plant. This includes leaves, stems, flowers and roots. However, note that mint roots don’t have much nutritional value.
Mint for Rabbits: Concerns and Risk
Parasites
Any plant can host parasites. Therefore, it is extremely important to inspect mint plants well and remove any bugs, slugs, or insect eggs.
Pesticides
Unless you harvest it from your own pesticide-free herb garden, wash mint well in cool water to remove any residual pesticides that could harm your bunny.
Over Ripened Mint
Over ripened mint refers to leaves that are starting to wilt, yellow in color, or are wet and rotted. Over ripened mint can cause illness and digestive issues.
Over Feeding Rabbits Mint
If you offer your rabbit too much mint they may experience stomach upset and diarrhea.
If this happens, simply stop offering your rabbit mint and move to unlimited hay and high quality pellets until your rabbit is defecating normally. In addition, the mint variation Pennyroyal is toxic to rabbits and should never be offered to them.
Can Baby Rabbits Eat Mint
No, we never recommend feeding baby rabbits mint.
This may seem counterintuitive after learning that mint contains essential vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. However, a rabbit that is less than 12 weeks old is still developing internally and has a stomach and digestive system that is extremely sensitive.
Due to this, immature rabbits cannot properly digest the more complex mint herb. To save your baby rabbits serious health issues, wait until they reach 12 weeks of age before offering them mint. Even then, begin by offering just a leaf or two, seeing if they like it.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Rabbits Have Mint
What Does Mint Do For Rabbits?
Mint provides rabbits with natural antioxidants and immune support as well as essential minerals and nutrients for their long term health such as iron, potassium, and calcium.
Can Rabbits Eat All Types Of Mint?
Rabbits should not eat Pennyroyal mint, as this variation is toxic to animals. In addition, avoid offering peppermint oil to your rabbits as it is toxic in large doses.
Do Rabbits Like The Smell Of Mint?
Rabbits generally enjoy the aroma and flavor of mint. But don’t be surprised if your rabbit refuses to eat mint, this simply means your rabbit doesn’t find the smell and/or taste appealing.
Can Rabbits Eat Peppermint Candy?
Never feed your rabbits peppermint candy. Processed and high-sugar foods are bad for your rabbit and peppermint candy contains too much sugar to be safe for your rabbits.
Can Rabbits Have Mint Tea?
Mint is good for soothing and calming upset digestive systems.
If you’d like to use this natural remedy with your rabbits, offer them fresh mint leaves rather than brewed mint tea.
While mint tea isn’t likely to harm your rabbits if it’s room temperature, the most natural way of ingesting mint for your bunnies is by eating green mint plants.
Medicinal Herbs For Rabbits – Mint Makes The List!
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Final Thoughts on Can Rabbits Eat Mint
Let’s highlight the most important things to remember when it comes to offering farm, homestead, and pet rabbits mint:
- Do not feed mint to baby or immature rabbits.
- There is one toxic mint variation that should be avoided: Pennyroyal Mint.
- Mint is said to help dry up nursing Does.
- Mint contains natural antioxidants and essential compounds that are beneficial for rabbits in small amounts.
- Never substitute mint for the high quality and unlimited hay that your rabbits need daily.
- Always inspect and wash fresh mint before giving it to your bunnies.
Here at Hobby Farm Heaven we believe in the natural benefits of herbs. We do our best to practice “the herb of the week” plan.
What is The Herb of the Week plan?
The herb of the week plan is where we feed a different herb to our rabbits each week.
How do we do this? Most often we mix a few sprigs of the Herb of the Week in with the rabbits’ hay, whenever we feed hay. This is easy and hassle free.
Want to know more about the benefits of feeding herbs to your rabbits?
Go to this post: Herbs That Rabbits Can Eat
Mint is often planted in a flower bed. So, you may be interested in Can Rabbits Eat Marigolds?