One of the staple breakfast items on our Hobby Farm is oatmeal. Mix in your favorite fruit and nut toppings and you’ve got yourself a delicious breakfast high in protein and fiber!
But when it comes to sharing those tasty oats or cooked oatmeal with your farm and homesteading rabbits, you may want to pause and read what we have to share regarding this topic.
Long story short, the answer to if rabbits can eat oats is: Yes, rabbits can eat oats. This is simply because oats are nontoxic to rabbits and won’t cause your bunny to go belly up. But when it comes to oats, it may be better to avoid them for the long term health and happiness of your bunnies.
Are Oats Good for Rabbits?
While some food items are immediately toxic to bunnies and should be avoided at all cost, when answering the question: ‘Can I Feed My Rabbits Oats?’ The response that follows good rabbit raising practices is a bit tricky.
In order to understand this, we have to first look at the characteristics of oats while also understanding the bodily functions and digestive system of rabbits.
Oats are the fruits of the oat plant (Avena sativa), which is one of many species in the well known group of cultivated grasses or cereals. They have been grown for animals and human consumption for many years. Research by Harvard University has found that including them in your own diet can support a healthy heart and digestive health.
Oats are very high in fiber and protein and contain 0g of sugar per serving; look at the table below for more nutritional values.
| Nutritional Contents per 100g of Raw Oats | |
| Calories | 389 |
| Water | 8% |
| Protein | 16.9g |
| Carbs | 66.3g |
| Sugar | 0g |
| Fiber | 10.6g |
| Fat | 6.9g |
| Source: Healthline.com |
Now seeing this you may think that oats and oatmeal would be a great addition to your rabbits’ diet. But we haven’t seen the whole picture yet: oats may be beneficial to some other animals’ and humans’ bodies and digestive systems, but why can’t rabbits eat oats like we do?
Rabbits are natural herbivores and have evolved with small bodies and rapid metabolic rates. This means they have a very different digestive system than larger herbivores. As such, rabbits require large amounts of fiber in their diet, which they primarily receive from quality rabbit hay such as Timothy or Orchard hay and high quality rabbit pellets.
Why not oats too? They are a high fiber food!
Not so fast, while oats are high in fiber, they offer almost no other nutritional value for your rabbits.
In fact, oats are composed primarily of starch, which is not a primary component of your rabbits natural diet. At best, your rabbits can pass oats without a problem, but at the worst, they cause serious GI issues and obesity.
Can Rabbits Eat Oats and Oatmeal?
The information shared above is why we suggest that the answer to questions such as ‘Can Bunnies Eat Oats?’ Or, ‘Are Oats Good for Rabbits?’ is:
No. Don’t feed your healthy rabbits an oat or oatmeal-rich diet.
Now that said, you can offer your rabbits oats as a treat (as we stated before, this whole subject is gray!). Because by definition, a treat is less than 5% of your animal’s overall diet. If eaten few and far between, oats can afford a boost of zero sugar fiber and calories for your rabbits.
In addition, there is one situation where feeding your rabbit oats can help. For example, if your rabbit is underweight, you can safely feed it a small amount of oats everyday to help it reach a healthy weight. But once your rabbit recovers, focus on providing it high quality hay, pellets, and dark greens in lieu of overfeeding the oat treats.
Oats for Rabbits: What Kind of Oats Can Rabbits Eat?
If you want to feed your rabbits oats to combat unhealthy weight loss, or as a treat, what is the best type of oat to choose?
Can Rabbits Eat Quaker Oats?
Quaker Oats are highly processed and are not a good option for your rabbit.
Can Rabbits Eat Whole Oats?
Whole Oats are hulled but undergo no other processing. They should be cut before being offered to your rabbit.
Can Rabbits Eat Porridge Oats?
Porridge Oats are crushed oats. If not precooked, they can be mixed in with your rabbits’ pellets.
Can Rabbits Eat Steel Cut Oats?
Steel Cut Oats are coarse and minimally processed; offer sparingly to your rabbit.
Can Rabbit Eat Oat Flakes?
Oak Flakes are pre cooked; opt out of this form for your rabbit.
Can Rabbits Eat Old Fashioned Oats?
Old Fashion Oats are usually pre cooked. Avoid giving them to your rabbit.
Can Rabbits Eat Oatmeal?
Oatmeal is cooked oats, which involves boiling the oats in water. We do not recommend feeding your rabbit oatmeal. Your rabbit has not evolved to process cooked foods of any type.
Can rabbits Eat Dry or Instant Oatmeal?
Dry oatmeal is the same as normal oats and instant oatmeal (aka Quaker oats, porridge oats, or oat flakes) and is pre cooked. Avoid feeding it to your rabbit.
How Much Oats Can I Give My Rabbit ?
We only recommend giving oats to your rabbits under two circumstances:
- Your rabbit is suffering from extreme underweight.
OR
- You are offering them as a rare treat.
Again, the oats should be of high quality and raw, not cooked or processed.
How Much Oats Should I Give My Rabbit?
Following the suggestions above, giving about a handful of oats every two weeks to your rabbit should not negatively affect its health.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To: Can Rabbits Eat Oats?
Can Rabbits Eat Oat Sprays?
Oat Sprays are the entire oat plant: stem and fruits. They can be eaten by your rabbit, but it would be better to choose more nutritional treats.
Final Thoughts On Bunnies Eating Oats
As we’ve discussed, while you can enjoy a hearty bowl of oatmeal to kickstart your day, skip sharing oats with your healthy rabbits.
Instead, offer high quality hay, measured pellets and dark greens. When it comes to treats, you can offer uncooked oats, but it’s better to choose a lower-risk and healthier option, such as cranberries!
Finally, check out this video highlighting other foods to avoid when raising rabbits.