When it comes to cooking delicious foods, oregano may be your go-to herb. Now you may think to share this favorite herb with your farm or homestead rabbits. But before you do so, you ask yourself ‘Can Rabbits Eat Oregano?’
Yes, mature rabbits can eat oregano as it is a highly nutritious leafy green. However, you may want to take certain precautions before feeding your rabbit oregano, as well as understand the health benefits, best practices, and risks involved with feeding rabbits oregano.
Fortunately, here at Hobby Farm Heaven, we have all the information you need to know before offering your bunnies oregano. In this post we will go over the ifs, hows and whens of feeding rabbits oregano.
To Learn All The ‘Must-Knows’ of Feeding Your Rabbits Oregano, Read On!
Will Rabbits Eat Oregano
Although your bunnies may happily munch on a number of different foods offered to them, and surely WILL eat oregano, this doesn’t mean you should offer oregano as a primary food item in your rabbits’ diets. If offered too often, this leafy green can lead to stomach upset and nutritional imbalance.
You may see Oregano on the list of plants that are rabbit resistant – meaning that rabbits don’t like oregano. While it is true that some rabbits do not like the strong odor and task or oregano, we find that most bunnies will and do eat oregano – not as a primary part of their diet, but as a “side-dish”.
Nutritional Value of Oregano for Rabbits
Oregano, a member of the mint plant family, has been used for culinary and medicinal purposes for hundreds of years thanks to its incredible flavor and antioxidant properties. Medical News Today highlights some of the most common benefits, such as:
- Inflammation relief
- Elimination of free radicals
- Sore muscle relief
- Aids digestion issues
- Antibacterial properties
In addition to more than six antioxidants, including:
- Tryptophan
- Lysine
- Valine
- Arginine
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E (tocopherol)
While there is slight variation in nutritional values across the different types of oregano, here is a general glance at nutritional contents within 1g of fresh oregano leaves.
| Nutritional Value of Fresh Oregano (per 1g) | |
| Fiber | 0.4 g |
| Iron | 2% DV |
| Magnesium | 1% DV |
| Calcium | 1% DV |
| Protein | 0.1 g |
| Source: HeadChef |
Is Oregano Safe for Rabbits
Based on the nutritional information, oregano is a very beneficial herb for rabbits.
Why is oregano safe and good for rabbits?
Because all of the above properties are available to your rabbit when ingested and may help naturally increase and maintain the long term health and wellness of your bunnies. In fact, some wild rabbits eat oregano when they stumble upon it in gardens or natural environments.
How Much Oregano can Rabbits Eat
According to best hobby farming and homesteading practices, the daily diet of your rabbit should consist of:
- Unlimited hay (75% to 80% hay)
- Quality pellets (10% to 15%)
- Leafy green vegetables (5% to 10%)
That said, it is a great option to incorporate oregano into that 5-10% of leafy green vegetables. We practice offering about 1-2 stems of oregano with leaves to our rabbits on any given day and they have never shown negative effects. However, we also always follow certain rules about offering oregano to rabbits that we will discuss below
How Often Can Rabbits Eat Oregano
Again, Oregano and other herbs should not make up the majority of what your rabbit eats. Oregano and other safe herbs should only be offered as a small side dish. As noted above, offering 1 to 2 stems of oregano with leaves on any given day, is plenty and more than that is likely too much for your rabbit.
Can Rabbits Eat Oregano Everyday
Oregano is a safe food and can be offered to your rabbit every day. It is simply important to make sure this herb doesn’t make up more than 5-10% of your rabbits daily diet.
Why? Because rabbits require lots of high fiber food, such as hay and quality pellets, in order to maintain good health. While oregano offers many vitamins and minerals, it doesn’t contain high fiber for your rabbit’s digestive system.
Therefore, oregano should be used as a dietary supplement rather than a food staple for your bunnies. If oregano is eaten too often, your rabbits may experience gut issues and nutritional imbalances.
How Feed Oregano to Rabbits
If you’d like to offer your rabbits oregano we recommend following the following steps:
- Choose only fresh and fully green oregano. Avoiding wilted, yellowed, or insect eaten plants.
- Inspect the oregano well to remove any insects or slugs that can cause digestive issues or sickness to your rabbits.
- Wash the oregano well with cool water, removing any residual dirt and potential pesticides.
Once you’ve completed these steps, move forward with the following:
- Place a measured amount of washed oregano into a clean bowl.
- Place this bowl in the hutch or house of your rabbit.
- Allow your rabbit to enjoy the nutritious greens.
- Be sure to remove the feeding bowl and any excess oregano later in the day.
Another great option is to mix this nutritional herb in with the unlimited hay that your rabbits enjoy daily. This method allows your bunnies to appreciate the extra flavor and benefits of oregano while ensuring that they’re ingesting high fibers.
If you’ve offered your rabbit oregano in this manner and it seems indifferent or refuses to eat, no worries! This simply means your rabbit isn’t a fan of the smell/taste of oregano and would prefer a different treat or leafy green.
In fact, this refusal has happened to us with some of our bunnies when we offered them basil. While most bunnies like oregano, they won’t eat what doesn’t appeal to them!
What about all the different parts of the oregano plant, as well as forms and variations of oregano? We will go over a few common questions regarding all of that and rabbits now.
Can Rabbits Eat Oregano Leaves
Yes, fresh and green oregano leaves are a great leafy green option for mature rabbits. Offer them alone or mixed in with high quality hay. Fresh oregano is the best form of oregano for bunnies!
Can Rabbits Eat Oregano Flowers
Yes, mature rabbits can enjoy oregano flowers. Be sure to remove all pollinators and insects from the flowers before offering them to your bunny.
Can Rabbits Eat Oregano Stems
Yes, mature rabbits can eat basil stems. Not only that, but many rabbits enjoy the crunchy, juicy green stem of basil plants. In fact, rabbits can eat whole oregano plants: stem, leaves and flowers!
Can Rabbits Have Oregano Oil
Yes, mature rabbits can have oregano oil. Although most oils will eventually aggravate a rabbits sensitive digestive system, Oregano oil is beneficial. You can experiment with very small amounts of oregano oil for your bunnies.
Thanks to the herb’s strong antibacterial properties, oregano oil has been used medicinally to help remove internal bacterial infections, soothe digestive issues, and increase overall health.
With rabbits particularly, research entitled The effects of oregano essential oil on production performance and intestinal barrier function in growing Hyla rabbits has shown that oregano oil modulates their immune responses and enhances their intestinal barriers. Check the research article and read on to learn how much oregano oil may be provided to your rabbits.
Is Oregano Oil Safe for Rabbits
Oregano oil is a highly concentrated form of oregano and must be given to your mature rabbits with caution. If your rabbit is experiencing digestive or bacterial issues, a good practice is to mix in a few drops of oregano oil with your rabbit’s fresh water.
Be sure to monitor the reaction of your rabbit and don’t offer more oregano oil if your rabbit refuses to drink or drastically changes its behavior after ingesting it.
Can Rabbits Eat Oregano Flakes
Any form of dried oregano contains less nutritional value than fresh oregano. This includes oregano flakes. In addition, small flakes will be very difficult for your rabbit to eat. Rather, stick to fresh oregano greens!
Can Rabbits Eat Italian Oregano
Yes, mature rabbits can eat Italian oregano. Italian oregano is an oregano cultivare that may taste different but is still safe for rabbits.
Can Rabbits Eat Cuban Oregano
Cuban oregano is an entirely different plant than oregano herb (the common name includes ‘oregano’, but it is not related). Regardless, mature rabbits can enjoy small bits of cuban oregano as it is a nontoxic plant
Concerns of Feeding Oregano to Rabbits
As always we need to mindful of the concerns associated with any food for our rabbits.
Parasites
It is true that different parasites can be found on oregano plants. Therefore, it is extremely important to inspect your oregano well and remove any bugs, slugs, or insect eggs before offering it to your rabbits.
Pesticides
Unless you offer your rabbit your own pesticide free oregano, it is very important to wash oregano well in cool water to remove any residual pesticides that can harm your rabbit.
Over Ripened Oregano
Over ripened oregano refers to oregano that is starting to wilt, yellow in color, or is wet and rotted. Avoid giving your rabbit over ripened oregano as it can cause illnesses and digestive issues
Other Concerns
Remember, your rabbit requires a high-in-fiber diet due to the their highly specialized GI system. It is important to only offer your rabbits oregano as a treat and/or dietary supplement, sticking to only 5-10% of their daily diet. Too much leafy green oregano can cause gut bacteria imbalance and stomach upset.
Can Baby Rabbits Eat Oregano
No, we do not recommend feeding your baby rabbits oregano. This may seem surprising as we just learned that oregano is chock full of beneficial nutrients and health properties. However, any rabbit less than 12 weeks of age is in a critical period of internal and external development.
The stomach and digestive system of baby rabbits is extremely particular and cannot yet handle more complex greens such as oregano. Wait until your rabbit reaches 12 weeks of age and, even then, only offer a leaf or two of oregano to start.
Here’s a 1 minute video of the cutest little bunnies eating fresh oregano leaves.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Rabbits Eat Oregano
What Does Oregano Do For Rabbits?
Oregano offers some of the following benefits for rabbits:
- Support stomach functions
- Support immune system
- Reduce inflammation
- Support fast and infection free healing
Does Oregano Repel Rabbits?
Although oregano is a safe and nutritious herb to offer your rabbits, some rabbits do find the strong scent repelling. Like we stated above: while most bunnies like oregano, they won’t eat what doesn’t appeal to them!
Yes, oregano can be an effective rabbit repellent, but it doesn’t work on all rabbits.
Final Thoughts on Can Rabbits Eat Oregano
Oregano, with all of its nutritional components, is a great leafy green for your mature rabbits. Feel free to add it to their diet as long as it doesn’t comprise more than 5-10% of their daily food intake.
Remember to inspect and wash fresh, green oregano well before giving it to your bunnies. Avoid offering oregano to baby rabbits as their digestive systems are not yet ready to handle such herbs.
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