Can Rabbits Eat Thyme? (Benefits Of Thyme Herb?)

Many rabbits like to eat thyme, while some may reject it because of its strong taste. Thyme is a herb rich in a lot of nutrients, and there are various types of thyme available in the market, such as summer thyme, creeping thyme, lemon thyme, English thyme, silver thyme, dried thyme, Italian oregano thyme, and fresh thyme. It would be very healthy for your rabbit to consume hay and small pellets, but they may get bored eating the same type of food every day. So, you can give small amounts of fruits, vegetables, and herbs to improve the taste of your rabbit’s diet.

Can rabbits eat thyme? Yes, rabbits can eat thyme as a treat every couple of days. It is a herb that can also work as a herbal medicine if your rabbit gets blotting, gas and diarrhea. Feeding two twigs of thyme two to three times a week is acceptable for your bunny. Always feed it fresh but dried can also be given, and avoid serving it to baby bunnies.

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Benefits Of Thyme Herbs For Your Rabbits

There are many health benefits of thyme and it is safe for rabbits to eat thyme. Thyme is not poisonous for rabbits until you give it a moderate amount. There are many varieties of this herb, we usually prefer creeping thyme and lemon thyme for our bunnies because they are easily available in the market, but you can also give other varieties. Thyme is rich in various nutrients that has many health benefits;

Source of essential nutrients: There are several nutrients present in thyme which improves the health of your bunnies, such as vitamin A, C, iron, and magnesium
Suitable for eyesight: Vitamin A present in the thyme is good for improving the vision of your rabbit.
Prevents the effect of free radicals: Thyme is a herb that protects your bunny from the impact of free radicals.
Promote good digestion: Thyme contains a compound called thymol which promotes good digestion in rabbits.
Reduce bloating: Thyme has antispasmodic properties, which can reduce bloating by promoting the excellent absorption of food.
Remove intestinal gasses: sometimes, after eating food, your rabbit may develop gas in the intestine, and your rabbit becomes uncomfortable due to pain. Thyme can remove the gasses from your rabbit’s intestine.
Reduces Fever: Thyme also works to reduce the fever in your bunny.
Prevent bacterial and fungal infection: The chemical properties of thyme can cure the infections of bacteria and fungi.
Reduces inflammation: Thyme has good anti-inflammatory properties.
Suitable for a healthy heart: Thyme contains some compounds that can thin the blood of your rabbit and prevent them from heart diseases.

Good for treating diarrhea. Thyme promotes good digestion of food and hence prevents your rabbit from diarrhea.

Work as an antioxidant: Thyme has antioxidants that can fight against various infections

Can Rabbits Eat Thyme Daily?

No, rabbits can not eat thyme daily because overfeeding can cause kidney stones and toxicity in your bunnies. You can give thyme only as a treat to your rabbits every couple of days. You can feed them as 5% part of your bunny’s diet. There may be some pesticides or toxic chemicals in thyme, so always wash them before serving them to your loving pets. You can also chop the thyme before serving and mix it with other 4 to 5 green leaves such as spinach, parsley, asparagus, etc.

How Much Thyme Can Rabbit Eat?

Rabbits can eat 1 to 2 twigs of thyme once or twice a week. Always begin with a small quantity if you serve thyme for the first time to your rabbits. Because rabbits are very particular in taste, they may avoid eating thyme because of its bitter taste.

But there is another method of feeding thyme to your bunny; that is, you can mix thyme with other greens like parsley, basil, rosemary, sage and you can also mix it with hay. You can use thyme as a treatment for stomach illness in your rabbits, such as treating diarrhea, bloating, and other health issues.

We have mentioned some important steps you should follow while serving thyme to your bunnies, such as;

Ensure the thyme is fully mature and green, and avoid feeding immature or yellow(over-ripened) thyme to your rabbits.
Ensure that you have not grown thyme under the effects of different plant sprays because the chemicals present in them are very toxic to your bunny’s health.
Wash the thyme under water and remove all the dust from it.
Take out the leaves from the plant thyme and place them in a bowl.
Take out the leaves of thyme and place them in a bowl.
You can also prepare a mixture of these leaves with other green leaves like oregano mint, dill, etc.
Place the bowl in front of your rabbit and let him enjoy this treat.
Also, place a bowl of water while serving this treat.

Nutritional Facts

One tablespoon of fresh thyme contains the following amount of nutrients;

Nutrients	Amount
Calories	0.8 g
Carbohydrate	0.2 g
Fibers	0.1 g
Fat	0 g
Protein	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Iron	6%
Calcium	1%

Can You Feed Your Rabbit Thyme Stems?

Yes, you can feed thyme stems to your bunnies however, these stems have an intense or strong taste, and your rabbit may refuse to eat them. But if your rabbit wants to eat these stems, you can serve them an occasional treat.

Thyme stems are a bit woody, so you must cut them into small pieces so that your bunny can easily eat them. Feeding one or two stems twice a week is safe for your rabbits. But if your rabbit refuses to eat these stems, you can only feed thyme leaves with other herbs like oregano, mint, dill, and many other herbs. Rabbits can eat eggplant along with thyme as a healthy combination.

Can I Feed Thyme Flowers To My Bunny?

It would be best if you did not feed thyme flowers to rabbits because they grow after the maturation of thyme leaves. We usually harvest the leaves of thyme before because the flowers grow after a long time. The thyme flowers are bitter, and your rabbit may not like to eat them. Moreover, thyme flowers do not have any essential nutritional value for your bunny, so it is best not to feed them to your pet rabbits.

FAQ

Should I Feed My Rabbits Fresh or Dried Thyme?

You can feed both dry and fresh thyme to your bunnies. Both are safe for them. If you don’t have fresh thyme in your garden, you can buy them from the general store at cheaper rates. You can feed both types of thyme at different times and see which thyme your rabbit is interested in while eating.

If he likes to eat fresh thyme, you should prefer fresh thyme in his diet. You can also mix thyme in the hay if your rabbit doesn’t like them and you want to give them to treat digestive issues in your bunny.

Can Rabbits Eat Lemon Thyme and Creeping Thyme

Yes, rabbits can eat lemon thyme and creeping thyme. Lemon thyme has a similar appearance to ordinary thyme but a more bitter flavor than ordinary thyme. Due to the solid and bitter taste of lemon thyme, your bunny may refuse to eat them, however, if they like it, you can feed a small amount of it as a treat to your rabbits.

Creeping thyme is much more bitter than average Thyme and lemon thyme, and most rabbits do not like to eat it, however, you can mix it with other green leaves to reduce their bitter taste.

Can Baby Rabbit Eat Thyme?

No, baby rabbits should not eat thyme because they have a delicate and sensitive digestive system. We do not recommend you feed thyme to bunnies younger than 12 weeks however, after three months, you can start feeding one or two leaves of thyme. You can give them thyme leaves directly or mix them in your bunny’s hay.

Conclusion

Thyme is a herb and has many medical and nutritional properties. Thyme is good for the health of your rabbit’s immune system. If your bunny is ill with bloating, gas, and diarrhea, which usually happens after eating foods they should not eat or eat more than they need, then it is the best herb to offer for improving digestion.

You can feed two twigs, having leaves on them, to your rabbits three times a week. You can also provide dry thyme if fresh is not available. Never feed them to baby bunnies because of their developing digestive systems