The results indicate that cowpea can be used safely as a protein source in rabbit diets at inclusion level of up to 20% CP provided it is well processed. Voluntary Feed Intake (gDM) of rabbits offered feed with different protein levels derived from cowpea.
Leaves of all legumes and bean plants are actually good for your rabbit. Your pet could enjoy eating the leaves of pigeon pea, cowpea, soybean, lablab, jack bean, forage peanut, and tropical kudzu plants, among many others.
Foods that are notorious for causing rabbit GI problems when fed improperly are grains of any kind and legumes (beans, peas, etc). Even starchy root vegetables and fruits if fed to excess with their high load of sugars and starch could be a problem and should only be fed as a very small part of the diet.
Cowpea seed (yield range 350 to 2,700 lb./A) is valued as a nutritional supplement to cereals because of complementary protein types. Seed matures in 90 to 140 days. Cowpeas make hay or forage of highest feed value when pods are fully formed and the first have ripened (120).
What can rabbits not eat? These foods are poisonous for your rabbit and could make her ill: Potatoes, daffodils, tulips, rhubarb, lillies, mushrooms, avocado, broad beans, sweet peas, buttercup, kidney beans, jasmine, foxglove and iceberg lettuce.
Cowpea is mainly used for human and livestock consumption. When fresh, the young leaves, immature pods and peas are used as vegetables, while snacks and main meal dishes are prepared from the dried grain.
Sometimes, you may find your rabbits munching on sprouts/seeds. That is totally fine.
Myth #1 - Rabbits eat carrots
Rabbits don't naturally eat root vegetables or fruit. Carrots and fruit are high in sugar and should only be fed in small amounts as occasional treats. Rabbits need mainly hay and/or grass, some leafy greens and a small, measured amount of pellets.
Do not feed your rabbit potatoes, corn, beans, seeds or nuts. These foods are difficult for rabbits to digest and can cause serious digestive problems.
Side Effects:
Cowpea may cause digestive discomfort for some people such as abdominal pain, gas and bloating due to the presence of raffinose, a kind of fibre that may upset tummy. However, soaking dried beans before cooking them helps to lower raffinose content and promotes smooth digestion.
The first written reference of the word 'cowpea' appeared in 1798 in the United States. The name was most likely acquired due to their use as a fodder crop for cows. Black-eyed pea, a common name used for the unguiculata cultivar group, describes the presence of a distinctive black spot at the hilum of the seed.
cowpea, (Vigna unguiculata), also called black-eyed pea or southern pea, annual plant within the pea family (Fabaceae) grown for its edible legumes.
Cookies, nuts, seeds, grains, and bread should not be fed to rabbits. "Cookies, nuts, seeds, grains, and bread should not be fed to rabbits." Fruits can be fed in very limited quantities – no more than 1-2 tablespoons of high-fiber fresh fruit (such as apple, pear, or berries) every 1-2 days.
Likewise buttercups, foxgloves, primrose, delphiniums/larkspur, columbine (aquilegia) hellebore, comfrey, poppy, periwinkle, monkshood, rhubarb, nightshade, ivy, privet, holly and yew are all reasonably common garden plants and all are toxic.
Cowpeas can be planted in a mix with millet at about 12 to 15 lbs of millet and 40 to 50 lbs of cowpea, for a combined rate of about 52 to 65 lbs/ acre. The ratio of cowpea to millet can be adjusted up or down to make either a more leguminous mix or a heavier grass mix.
Cowpeas and lablab do very well on a wide variety of soils-from light, sandy soils through to well-drained, heavier-textured soils. Lablab's performance on heavy soils is greatly superior to that of cowpeas. Both require well-drained soils, although lablab has better resistance to phytophthora root rot.
Cowpea is an important pulse/starchy legume crop in sub-Saharan Africa, with parts of Asia and the Americas representing other regions of consumption.
Avoid foods high in sugar and simple carbohydrates, such as grains, nuts, seeds, corn, beans, peas, breads, biscuits, sweets, sugar, breakfast cereals, or chocolate. There are a number of garden plants that are toxic to rabbits (see Table One).
Can rabbits eat tomatoes as an occasional treat? Yes, but there are a couple things you should know first. Tomatoes do have some health benefits (they're a great source of vitamins A and C) — but they're also high in sugar. As a result, as with all fruits and vegetables, a small amount is key.
Oats make a good treat for rabbits. Like everything else, they should be given in moderation. One teaspoon a day is plenty unless you have an underweight rabbit. Oats are low is sugar but higher in fat.
Yes, it is safe for rabbits to eat cucumber! Most rabbits will love the fresh taste. Rabbits can also eat cucumber leaves. Before feeding cucumber to your rabbit, wash it in cold water to remove pesticides.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a veggie, so it'd be a perfect, healthy snack for your rabbit, right? Surprisingly, no. Although vegetables are an ideal addition to the high-fiber hay that bunny diets require, cauliflower causes rabbits to bloat and become gassy.