Rabbits can eat broccolini, including its flowers, leaves, unopened flower buds, and stems. It is one of the safe vegetables that can form part of their greens. Just mix it with 4-5 other vegetables. A cup of this chopped mixture is enough for a bunny weighing about two pounds.
Remember that fresh plant materials (leafy and non-leafy vegetables, flowers, weeds, fruits, grass, and other plant materials) should account for only 10-15%, while grass hay accounts for at least 80%.
The rest can be high-quality pellets like the Oxbow or Kaytee. However, ensure you know if they are for growing or adult bunnies.
Therefore, don’t give your bunny excessive amounts of broccolini or any other veggie as they may cause stomach upsets and diarrhea. They also don’t have enough fiber to promote healthy digestion and teeth wear. Furthermore, most members of cabbage tend to make bunnies gassy in a large amount.
Finally, don’t cook it and ensure it is fresh and free of farm chemicals. Also, introduce it slowly for at least a week as you check if it causes stomach upset or diarrhea.
What is broccolini?
Broccolini or baby broccoli is a cultivar of Brassica oleracea, which has other varieties such as cabbage, collard greens, kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, Brussels sprout, spring greens, cauliflower, wild cabbage, Kai-lan, and so on.
Broccolini closely resembles broccoli, with the only difference being the smaller florets. Sold under Mann Packing registered trademark, this vegetable in the cabbage, mustard, or crucifers family originates from Japan. It is a hybrid of gain lan (Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale) and broccoli.
Just like bunnies, humans can eat the entire vegetable, i.e., flowers, florets that have not opened, leaves, and young stems. You can cook it by boiling, steaming, sautéing, stir-frying, among other methods of cooking.
Nutrition composition
Broccolini is high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, and calcium. Also, it has a good amount of vitamin A as well as smaller amounts of potassium, calcium, and iron. All these minerals are vital for your bunny’s good health, as well as in ensuring proper growth and development.