Arugula, rocket, or Eruca vesicaria is an annual plant and vegetable that belongs to the cabbage or mustard family with a flavor that is fresh, bitter, tart, and peppery. Its pinnate leaves have deep lobes, and flowers have white petals, yellow stamens, and purple veins.
Arugula, also known as garden rocket, euca, rugula, rucoli, ruchtetta, roquette, or colewort, is not the same as wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia). However, it bears some resemblance.
Lastly, although many places cultivate this salad vegetable, it is native to the Mediterranean area, including Portugal, Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Can bunnies eat rocket
Yes. Rabbits can eat rocket leaves, salad, stems, and even flowers. They are safe for these pets and can be one of the leafy greens you feed them. Arugula is rich in vitamins A, K and C, calcium, and folate. It also has a considerable amount of, manganese, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, thiamine, and riboflavin
When feeding them arugula, mix it with watercress, kales, endive, mache, green or red lettuce, spring greens, mint, basil, radicchio, Bok, Choy, dill leaves, and so on.
On amounts to feed them, mix it with other 5-6 veggies or greens. A cup of this chopped salad mixture is sufficient for a bunny weighing about two pounds.
However, since it is high in calcium, it will be a great idea if you don’t mix it only with vegetables that are high in this mineral, such as collard greens, spinach, turnip greens, kale, or mustard green.
Too much calcium may worsen or increase the likelihood of your bunny suffering from uroliths or urinary bladder stones.
Similarly, only in your leafy greens mixture, ensure you only include one type of high oxalic acid like parsley, beet greens, Swiss chard, radish tops, mustard greens, spinach, among others. High oxalic acid may increase the chances of the urinary calcium kidney stones and affect the intestinal absorption of some minerals.
Giving your bunnies arugula
Rocket is available in many groceries and vegetable stores. You should go for organically grown or one that doesn’t have any farm chemicals like pesticides or herbicides. Once you have it, wash it thoroughly under running water, mix with other veggies before chopping them.
When feeding it to your furry critters, begin with small amounts and bit by bit increase the quantity if it doesn’t cause any stomach upsets or diarrhea. However, even if they like it, don’t go beyond the daily limit we have noted. All fresh plants should account for not more than 10-15% of the food you give them.
On the other hand, grass hay like Timothy should account for 80% or more, while pellets account for 5%. However, if growing or nursing, you may have to give them some alfalfa hay.
Besides being high in calcium, an excessive amount of arugula, or any other vegetables may cause diarrhea and other stomach troubles, as they are low in fiber when compared to grass hay.
Finally, don’t cook your garden rocket. The raw one is the best. Furthermore, in case you buy a salad, ensure it doesn’t have any other additives or preservatives.