Chamomile is one of those plants almost everyone recognizes by its smell. In a rabbit's diet, its small dried flowers are an appealing, mildly scented extra that's usually very well received.
Just like other flowers and herbs, chamomile is offered as an extra on top of a base of long-fiber hay available at all times. It doesn't replace any ration; it goes alongside it.
What it's credited with
In herbal tradition, chamomile is associated with a calming effect and gentle support for digestion. In a rabbit's everyday diet, the sensible approach is to offer it as one more appealing extra and not expect medicinal effects from it. If your rabbit has real digestive discomfort, it's the vet who treats it, not a flower.
How much to offer
A few dried flower heads a day, mixed into the hay, are enough. It's an extra that most rabbits accept readily, which makes it especially useful for encouraging pickier rabbits to eat hay.
How to introduce it
Offer a minimal amount at first and watch the droppings and appetite for two or three days. If everything stays normal, it can become part of the regular variety in the feeder. Guinea pigs and other small rodents can have it under the same rules of moderation.
Chamomile in our hay
We prepare a blend of Pyrenees hay with chamomile that sprinkles those flowers over the meadow hay, adding variety and scent without you having to measure it out by hand. Hay is the boss; chamomile just tags along.
