# Are corn husks OK for a rabbit?



## ChinaBun (Aug 25, 2005)

Hi. This is Nancy in China. My little Qingqing("cheeng-cheeng) is an all-vegetable girl, owing to the lack of rabbitpellets in China and my lack of finding hay for her. When I was at thenearby outdoor market getting some veggies for Qingqing, I noticed cornhusks in one of the vendor's garbage sacks. I asked for one, just tosee if Qingy will eat it. (The vendors sometimes give me the outercovers of cabbages and the bottoms of cauliflowers, parts they cut offand throw away before selling.) I gave Qingqing the corn husk (nice andgreen) along with some other veggies that she likes, and she's eatenall of them. I'm thinking the corn husk would be good for her because Iassume that it has a lot of fiber. TIA for any responses.

Nancy


----------



## SweetPeasMommie (Aug 25, 2005)

I don't know. I know that the guinea pigs can have them.


----------



## Pet_Bunny (Aug 25, 2005)

I see that corn is safe in moderation,but not sure about the corn husks. I knowPebbles enjoys the core from suey choy. And we feed her lotsof Chinese vegs.

Here is a link for safe foods.......

http://earthhome.tripod.com/saferab.html

Rainbows!


----------



## bluebird (Aug 26, 2005)

I have fed corn husks too my bunnies.Try feeding some oats my bunnies love them.bluebird


----------



## Carolyn (Aug 26, 2005)

As stated, rabbits love them and it's okay to give it to them, but don't let them have as much as they'd like. 

Moderation. 

I'm sure they'd love the treat because corn is in season. I love watching them crunch away.




-Carolyn 

P.S. Just reread your post and completely agree with bluebird abouttrying oats if you can't get them hay. Canned pumpkin (that some peoplewould make a pumpkin pie with) has even more fiber in it. The canningprocess is actually what helps. It's better than fresh pumpkin. 

Would be careful to look to corn husks as their fiber diet. Watch forsoft stools. Will "bump up" a post to the top about Oats. I think Iwrote one about fiber too. Will see.

urplepansy:


----------



## MyBabyBunnies (Aug 27, 2005)

I looked on the list in my bunny binder and it has "corn plant" under the list of poisonous plants.


----------



## ChinaBun (Aug 27, 2005)

!!

(I've got to figure out these emoticons some day!)

Nancy


----------



## ChinaBun (Sep 1, 2005)

I just did a google search on corn and got thefollowing information at this site:http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

*Some types of seeds (especially things like "Canadian peas" and cornkernels) have hulls that are indigestible to a rabbit, and can causelife-threatening intestinal impactions/blockages. *

Corn, fresh or dried, is NOT safe for rabbits. The hull of corn kernelsis composed of a complex polysaccharide (not cellulose and pectin, ofwhich plant cell walls are more commonly composed, and which a rabbitcan digest) which rabbits cannot digest. We know of more than onerabbit who suffered intestinal impactions because of the indigestiblecorn hulls. After emergency medical treatment, when the poor rabbitsfinally passed the corn, their fecal pellets were nearly solid cornhulls! Those rabbits were lucky. 

---

It doesn't answer my question about the corn husks, but certainly warnsme off of feeding her corn in the future. There are so many otherthings that she likes, so it's not a problem. 

Nancy


----------



## Pet_Bunny (Sep 1, 2005)

*ChinaBun wrote: *


> (I've got to figure out these emoticons some day!)


Thanks for the info about corn. 

I am not sure about the corn husks, so I wouldn'tfeed it to my bunny. Are there any treeswhere you can get some branches and leaves? My bunny lovesapple tress.

For the Emoticons.....move your mouse over the picture you wantand click on it, when you are posting amessage. Click on* More*to see more emoticons. 

Rainbows!


----------

