Yes. Rabbits can eat peas, but they must be fresh and still green. They are safe for your furry friend.
However, avoid giving them dried ones as the latter can cause intestinal blockages.
How to Give My Rabbit Peas for the First Time?
If you want to introduce your rabbit to peas, make sure they are around one year old. If they are, you can give them just a few peas and then monitor them for the next day to see if they have any reaction.
If they seem normal and their diet or toilet habits haven’t changed afterward, you can gradually increase the portion up to one teaspoon for every two pounds they weigh or to one or two full pea pods.
Health Benefits of Peas
Peas contain some vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to your rabbit.
Vitamins found in peas include vitamins A, C, and K in high quantities. These are essential in protecting your rabbit’s cells but are also good for helping wounds to heal and to maintain gums.
Some of the minerals found in peas include iron, folate, and magnesium. Eating vegetables like peas allows your rabbit to have a healthy diet with all the nutrients they need.
Peas are also a good source of antioxidants – helping to boost immunity in rabbits, neutralize free radicals, and even help prevent chronic illnesses.
Risks of Rabbits Eating Peas
Peas contain carbohydrates. Although there aren’t excessively high levels of carbs in peas, you still need to be careful. This is because if rabbits have carbs in other parts of their diet, it can end up causing them digestive issues.
You might also be surprised that – despite being so small – peas have a large number of calories too. This can lead your rabbit to gain weight if too many are consumed.
Peas are also low in fiber, which is the biggest part of a rabbit’s diet. Make sure your rabbit predominantly eats hay so their digestive system stays healthy. If you do give your rabbits peas, it needs to be a small amount and as part of a balanced diet (not a replacement of it).
Can baby rabbits eat peas?
You need to be careful with young rabbits with every new food. For the first six weeks, baby rabbits should be depending on their mother’s milk. After this, they transfer to hay.
Only later can other foods be introduced, and it is best to do this a little at a time, and one new food at a time.
This is because young rabbits have extremely delicate digestive systems that can be easily upset.
