A Touch of Green

This year, I decided to try something new for my rabbits. I'm growing oats, barley and sunflowers in pots for them. I figure I'll cut them down when they are about 6 inches high. I might let the sunflower shoots grow longer.

I try to feed the rabbits as much variety as I can. They get timothy hay and pellets but I like to give them fresh food in the summer and I do dry a lot of herbs and other things for them to give throughout the winter.

So today, I gave them some oat shoots. At first, the little ones stayed well away but as soon as the older rabbits went over and started eating, the kits came bouncing in to check out the new menu. They were pretty funny, they'd grab a shoot and run away with it to eat it. Two grabbed the same shoot and started eating it from either end. Pretty much the rabbit version of the Disney move, "Lady and the Tramp". The rabbits wasted no time in devouring the tender green delicacy. By the time I picked up the camera to take a picture, this was all that was left.

Feeding the rabbits oat shoots caused a hurriedly called chicken meeting. They watched the rabbits and there was a great deal of clucking conversation that sounded grumbling and discounted if not downright jealous. So I decided to throw the leftover shoots to them. To my surprise, they jumped on the oats. May-be they thought the shoots were skinny green worms. By the time I reached for the camera, all I saw were chicken butts as the hens snatched up the treat. The only exception was Tobias, my roo, who looked over the antics and decided he'd rather look regal that show his backside. Besides, he grabbed the choicest pieces before the hens ever had a chance.

So my animals are certainly enjoying the little bit of green in the winter time. And I have to say, so am I. It's nice to have pots of green in sunny windows, they may not the usual houseplants but in the long run, they tend to be a lot more entertaining.