Rabbits are great pets. Their furry tails and cute face can make your day every time. Kids and adults love them and they are just the perfect friend for you. But having a backyard and a rabbit can be tricky. Rabbits will eat up all your herbs and veggies: true story!
Are you a rabbit owner who has an herb garden? Do you have thyme growing in it? Do you know if thyme is safe for your rabbits or not? Don’t worry, we are gonna discuss all you have to know about feeding thyme to your bunny!
Can rabbits have the thyme?
Yes! Rabbits can eat thyme. Thyme contains a great medicinal and nutritional value for your rabbit. It helps treat digestive issues in your bunny.
Even though it is safe for rabbits to eat thyme the calorie intake should be kept in mind. Let us find out more about rabbits and thyme.
Let’s hop straight in!
Is Thyme Safe For Rabbits?
Thyme is a name given to any of the over 350 aromatic perennial evergreen flowering plant species under the genus Thymus in the family Lamiaceae (the mint, sage, or dead nettle family) native to North Africa, Asia, and Europe’s temperate regions.
These herbaceous or subshrub species have medicinal, culinary, and ornamental value with Thymus vulgaris, the most commonly grown species used in cooking.
Is thyme safe for rabbits? Yes, it is. Thyme is safe for rabbits and they can consume it with no worries. Thyme is highly nutritious for rabbits. However, because of its strong smell, some rabbits might dislike it. So try giving them a small piece to see if they like thyme or not.
Thyme is nutritious and beneficial for your bunny because rabbits are herbivores basically, and they mostly rely on vegetables and other greens to fulfill their nutritional needs.
Thyme will help your bunnies in digestion processes and also prevents stomach infections. It contains many vitamins and minerals that are great for your rabbits.
However, thyme shouldn’t be part of their everyday diet. 70% of their everyday diet should be hay or pellets. Herbs should only constitute about 5% of their diet. So make sure you stick to moderation while feeding thyme to your furry friend.
When feeding thyme to your bunnies, harvest it before it flowers as it tends to be woody. Chop one or two twigs and sprinkle them on their greens. It will add a new texture, taste, and aroma to their regular diets, something that will help break the monotony.
Nutritional Value Of Thyme
Let’s take a look at the nutritional value of 100 grams of thyme.
- Calories 101
- Total Fat 1.7 g (2%)
- Saturated fat 0.5 g (2%)
- Polyunsaturated fat 0.5 g
- Monounsaturated fat 0.1 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg (0%)
- Sodium 9 mg (0%)
- Potassium 609 mg (17%)
- Total Carbohydrate 24 g (8%)
- Dietary fiber 14 g (56%)
- Protein 6 g (12%)
- Vitamin A 95%
- Vitamin C 266%
- Calcium 40%
- Iron 96%
- Vitamin D 0%
- Vitamin B-6 15%
- Vitamin B-12 0%
- Magnesium 40%
You have to make sure that you give thyme only as a treat, a few times a week, and never as an everyday staple diet. Moderation is the key to a rabbit’s diet so you have to stick to it while feeding thyme to your bunnies.
Health Benefits Of Thyme
Thyme is highly nutritious for your rabbit. It contains many health benefits for your bunny. This is good news for all the rabbit moms out there knowing you found a treatment that is also nutritious.
So let’s look into the array of health benefits of thyme.
All rabbit owners know that a rabbit’s digestive system is complicated and should be given extra care.
What if I tell you that thyme can fix it?? Yes, that’s right.
Thyme is a remedy for diarrhea and several digestive issues in your bunny. It contains a compound known as thymol that causes the destruction of harmful bacteria in your rabbit, preventing stomach infection.
Thyme, like most other herbs, contains many minerals and vitamins. Some vital nutrients are magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, and vitamin A. These nutrients provide stability to your bunny’s health and also prevent your bunny from cardiovascular diseases.
Another main benefit of thyme is that it eliminates parasites or worms from rabbit tummies. By giving thyme, worms and parasites will be excreted out.
Thyme leaves are effective in protecting your furry friend from heat stress. It also enhances the reproductive health of male rabbits by increasing the level of testosterone, especially in sultry weather.
Also, check out Can Rabbits Eat Sage? Things You Should Know!
Can Rabbits Eat Lemon Thyme?
Lemon thyme is one of approximately 350 varieties of thyme, loved for its sweet citrus aroma and taste. It shares the minty, earthy, and floral notes of regular thyme, but with a subtle essence of lemon. Its scent and flavor are at their strongest in summer, just before it begins to bloom.
Can Rabbits eat lemon thyme? Yes, they can. Lemon thyme is safe for rabbits to eat in small quantities. However, some rabbits might not eat lemon thyme because of its strong flavor and smell.
Lemon thyme is higher in calcium and acidic content than normal thyme. Because of this, it’s better if you stick to a small quantity while feeding it to your bunny
Can Rabbits Eat Creeping Thymes?
Creeping thyme (Thymus praecox) is a perennial woody shrub. Often called the “mother of thyme,” creeping thyme thrives in full sun. Its fragrant flowers attract pollinators—particularly bees and butterflies.
Creeping Thymes are beautiful plants, but they have a strong flavor – much stronger than lemon thyme. As a result, most rabbits don’t like the creeping thyme and would most likely reject it if they’re offered some.
Can Rabbits Eat Dried Thyme?
Yes! Rabbits can have dried thyme. If you have a backyard with thyme plants, you can easily dry the plant out of your backyard.
If you are a rabbit mom who’s on a budget, you can get dried thyme instead of fresh thyme as dried thyme is cheaper. You can give a small amount first to check if your rabbit likes it or not before adding it to their diet.
Can Rabbits Eat Fresh Thyme?
Yes! Rabbits can eat fresh thyme. Fresh thyme is safe for rabbits.
If your rabbit prefers fresh thyme over dried thyme, then you should stick to feeding fresh thyme. Always make sure you only give it as a treat and never as a staple.
Can Rabbits Eat Thyme Stems?
Yes, thyme stems are as safe to eat as the leaves, so you can also feed them to your rabbit.
Thyme stems are a bit more flavorful than the leaves which could be a reason why your rabbit might not eat them. You can give either dried or fresh stems.
Because the stems are a little woody and have a more pungent flavor, it is better to feed your rabbit something they like. You can stick to feeding the leaves if that’s what your bunnies prefer.
Can Rabbits Eat Thyme Flowers?
Thyme flowers aren’t commonly fed to rabbits. This is because thyme leaves are harvested before they flower.
The harvested leaves are then cleaned and fed to the rabbits. It is better to avoid the flowers and stick to the leaves.
Can Rabbits Eat Thyme Daily?
No! Rabbits cannot have thyme daily. Herbs like thyme should only be part of a rabbit’s diet as a treat.
As thyme is not poisonous, if your rabbit likes it, you can give it to them every couple of days in moderation.
But thyme should never constitute more than 5% of your bunny’s diet. You can increase the amount you feed gradually if your rabbits prefer it.
Also, check out Can Rabbits Eat Dill? Benefits, Risks, And More!
Frequently Asked Questions
What herbs do rabbits eat?
Can rabbits eat cilantro?
Yes. Rabbits can eat cilantro or coriander leaves and stems (stalks) in moderation. They are not toxic (have no poisonous compounds), are not high in calcium, and are low in oxalic acid.
Final Word
So we have the answer to the question, Can rabbits eat thyme? Yes, they can! Thyme is highly nutritious for rabbits. It’s not just a treat but it also has medicinal value for rabbits. Thyme can deworm rabbits, help in bloating and diarrhea and provide much-needed nutrients for the rabbits.
As with all herbs, there’s a chance your rabbit might not eat it because of its strong flavor. So make sure you test it out first before feeding it to your rabbit. And remember: moderation is the key!
I hope this article solved all your questions about feeding thyme to your rabbit. For more queries comment down below!
Also, check out Can Rabbits Eat Cilantro? Is It Safe For Rabbits To Eat Cilantro?
