Rabbits- Advice on requirements please.

[SamH]

Hey guys, I'm looking at getting a rabbit or two and am looking for a little bit of advice please. I've kept all sorts of animals in the past including mice and guinea pigs but I'm sure those are different to rabbits. Currently I'm just looking for information to see whether or not a rabbit is the pet for me. Here's some questions I have for starters:

I'm planning on building the cage/hutch myself but letting them run around the backyard when I'm around (mostly grass and will be fully secure).

1. How big should the hutch be? Is there a rule of thumb for a certain floor space per rabbit?

2. What sort of things must the hutch have? Raised floors, roof, etc?

I really want a unique/special breed of rabbit like a Flemish Giant, Angora, etc.

3. Where's the best place to get these from in NZL, more specifically Auckland?

4. Any risks I should know about with these breeds?

I think that's it for now, should have heaps more soon :roll:

Thanks! 8)

[critter_crazy]

1. 1m square per rabbit minimum. For a flemish giant your looking at about 2.5m

2. Raised floors are better as they're warmer and protect from flooding etc. Roof needs to be waterproof if they're living outside. Good ventilation is a must. And there must be enough room foor them to have seperate living, sleeping, feeding and toileting areas

3. NZ rabbit fancy is the best for those kinds of rabbits. Trademe has a few as well but don't buy unless the conditions the rabbits are kept in is super clean. Animates can get rabbits such as rex, dutch, dwarf and minilops

4. In general the larger the breed the more docile. However the same is true of lop ears - they're way more chillaxed and much more human oriented.

If you keep just the one rabbit, he'll be much more bonded to you, however you'll need plenty of time to spend with him. Two rabbits will bond more to each other and will keep each other warm/company but won't be as cuddly towards you.

Bunnys diet consists of 50% hay, 30% high quality pellets and 20% fresh fruit and vege. Salt licks, and mineral and wooden chews are also needed as bunny teeth never stop growing.

Hope that helps! :happy2:

[Bobyn]

Angoras are hard to get, but super cute.

I know of some that will be coming up if you are interested!

[Navarre]

remove all offal keep kidneys liver and heart

these can be sauted as and entree or served seperately in aspec or on toast with field mushrooms and thinly sliced fennel or red onion if you prefer a sweeter dish bacon can be added as well

joint as needed usually rack shoulders and hind quarters

brown in a hot pan and reserve

in same pan flash off some onions and garlic fennel celary and carrots ( i leave carrots whole and discard later)

add wine (red or white) and degalze pan return rabbit and add stock and place over either a low flame or in an oven at low heat for 1 1/4 hours

add assorted root veggies and return to oven for 45 mins or so.

with last 15 mins with lid off to help reduce sauce.

if you have not added Kumara or potatoe serve over mashed same if you have serve stand alone or with rice and/or flat bread

Is that what you were thinking?

[rcon021]

Rofl....

My vote will be for tan rabbits. Not many in New Zealand now but I have some young comming up later in the year:) I usually get black or brown. Google for images

[Zev]

Lol, Nav...

Get a Flemish Giant - then it can chase poor Skylla around.

The kids had friends years ago who had house trained their rabbit and it used a dirt box inside (don't tell your mother I said that)

[critter_crazy]

My rabbits are house rabbits Its really easy to teach them to go in a litter tray. Mine curl up with the dogs in front of the fire :lol:

[SamH]

Thanks CC! That was super helpful, will be useful for planning and convincing Mum

Bobyn, I could be interested depending on price and location, but at this stage I need approval from upstairs, will keep you in mind

Nav, if it all turns sour, I'll definitely be using your recipe! :lol:

I do want a rabbit that's larger than the cat actually Zev, she's such a wuss she wouldn't know what to do with herself :lol:

rcon021 tan rabbits did catch my eye when I was looking through some breeds, they're very interesting 8) Will show Mum and see if she likes them.

5. We have a number of cats around, including our own (but she can barely catch a cricket), how will this influence my hutch design? Will I need a fully enclosed area where they can't see out?

6. What sort of damage do rabbits do to the inside of the house? I really like the idea of a house rabbit but I read they just mess everything up?

Thanks!

[Joe]

My sister has a bunny. The bunny has a large run under the grapefruit tree outside. We've put an open hutch (with no netting) in there for her to sleep in and if it gets too hot. We bring her inside at night and she has a little indoor hutch to sleep in. Bringing bunnies in at night, especially in winter, lengthens their life span. We've had her for about 5 or 6 years. If it is too wet or cold outside she stays inside for the day too. She's pretty good - she doesn't chew on anything at all, and she stays around the kitchen, living room and the laundry area. We put newspapers in the laundry for her to do her buisness on, but she always ends up making a mess. We have three cats and they don't bother her at all. She's the one we have to watch! Whenever she gets dirty my sister gives her a bath. Sometimes we just let her run loose around the property, and we just take down the boards on her run so she can get back in. We never have her confined to a small space for a long period of time because that is cruel. Bunnies like to run around a lot. Also she likes to eat cat biscuits. They make her fur nice and shiny too. And just a bit of advice - if you want to get more than one bunny, get them at the same time, becuase if you get one and then decide you want another, the one you already have will attack the other one because it willhave already formed its territory. Don't feed them too much veges because it makes their poos runny which isn't good. Stick to pellets, hay, bunnie muesli and a bit of lettuce, and herbs, especially parsley.

Here's some pics

[Navarre]

let me know if you want these guys

http://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/enderbyrabbit.html

taste good too

[critter_crazy]

5. As long and you use a fine mesh and make sure it covers the bottom, top, sides etc you should be alright - bunnies from a good breeder will be well socialised with cats so they shouldnt be too bothered

6. They don't do too much damage as long as you train them/provide the right things eg. litter tray, bed, their own chew and play toys etc. There's some specialised things for bunnies but most of the time cat beds, litter trays, toys etc are great for them

If you're near botany this weekend pop into animates and I can show you some adoooorable minilop babies. They make the best pet bunnies IMO :happy2:

Here's one of my bunbuns, Freddy

[Bobyn]

My sister has a bunny. The bunny has a large run under the grapefruit tree outside. We've put an open hutch (with no netting) in there for her to sleep in and if it gets too hot. We bring her inside at night and she has a little indoor hutch to sleep in. Bringing bunnies in at night, especially in winter, lengthens their life span. We've had her for about 5 or 6 years. If it is too wet or cold outside she stays inside for the day too. She's pretty good - she doesn't chew on anything at all, and she stays around the kitchen, living room and the laundry area. We put newspapers in the laundry for her to do her buisness on, but she always ends up making a mess. We have three cats and they don't bother her at all. She's the one we have to watch! Whenever she gets dirty my sister gives her a bath. Sometimes we just let her run loose around the property, and we just take down the boards on her run so she can get back in. We never have her confined to a small space for a long period of time because that is cruel. Bunnies like to run around a lot. Also she likes to eat cat biscuits. They make her fur nice and shiny too. And just a bit of advice - if you want to get more than one bunny, get them at the same time, becuase if you get one and then decide you want another, the one you already have will attack the other one because it willhave already formed its territory. Don't feed them too much veges because it makes their poos runny which isn't good. Stick to pellets, hay, bunnie muesli and a bit of lettuce, and herbs, especially parsley.

Here's some pics

Rabbits need plenty of vegies. It may make their poos runny if they are not used to it, so should be built up bit by bit. But they definately need lots of vegies. I think its like a cup a day per rabbit! In the wild their diet would mainly consist of grass and greens, so its really important they get enough.

And cat biscuits for rabbits is really not good either. There are pellets specially designed for rabbits that are far, far better for them.

Lettuce is not good for rabbits. It consists mainly of water and will give them runny poos.

Heres some good vegies.

Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts

Baby bok choy

Basil

BroccoliBrussels sprouts

Carrot & carrot tops (not too much)

Celery

Clover

Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)

Green peppers

Mint

Raspberry leaves

Spinach (sparingly)

Watercress

Wheat grass

Lucerne Chaf is really good too. :happy2:

Angora rabbits need a hutch up off the ground as well.

[SamH]

Ah yeah, forgot about mesh on the bottom! Had guinea pigs and they weren't allowed mesh on the bottom of course. Thanks for the info CC, you seem to be a data bank on rabbits!

7. Mum's said no unless it's cute and fluffy, Flemish Giant is out of the question unless you can keep two different breeds together?

8. All of my friends that have kept rabbits let them run around the property and they pretty much stayed around without many boundaries, will all rabbits tend to stay close to home?

Thanks

[Zev]

Is the square mesh better than chicken wire, which seems to get out of shape easily?

[critter_crazy]

You're welcome! I'm a critter nut as my name says :lol:

7. Go for a minilop - fluffy and cute as hell!! They're really relaxed aswell

8. Not always, rabbits are really intelligent - more so than some dogs! So if they don't have companionship and plenty of entertainment they tend to get bored and want to roam (desexing lessens this urge also, just as with cats and dogs). Plenty of toys like treat dispencing balls, obstacle courses, things to throw around (bunnies LOVE to throw things) will keep them entertained while your out at school etc. You also still need a hutch so they have a safe place. As far as them running around the garden goes, for a smaller bunny I'd be more worried about cats etc rather than the bunny straying. We do get alot of people coming into work though saying that their bunny has got out and is lost :nilly:

[Joe]

Rabbits need plenty of vegies. It may make their poos runny if they are not used to it, so should be built up bit by bit. But they definately need lots of vegies. I think its like a cup a day per rabbit! In the wild their diet would mainly consist of grass and greens, so its really important they get enough.

And cat biscuits for rabbits is really not good either. There are pellets specially designed for rabbits that are far, far better for them.

Lettuce is not good for rabbits. It consists mainly of water and will give them runny poos.

Heres some good vegies.

Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts

Baby bok choy

Basil

BroccoliBrussels sprouts

Carrot & carrot tops (not too much)

Celery

Clover

Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)

Green peppers

Mint

Raspberry leaves

Spinach (sparingly)

Watercress

Wheat grass

Lucerne Chaf is really good too. :happy2:

Angora rabbits need a hutch up off the ground as well.

We don't give her a lot of cat biscuits, just a few because she likes them. We found this out because she always tips the cat bowl over and we saw her eating them :facepalm:

Also a lot of that info I read out of books I got from the library. Different people have a lot of different methods for keeping and breeding rabbits. There is no one right way of doing it Same as fish really

[critter_crazy]

Is the square mesh better than chicken wire, which seems to get out of shape easily?

Definately! And it needs to be small enough that a cats paw can't get through

[Ira]

Definately! And it needs to be small enough that a cats paw can't get through

No need for that. Here kitty kitty kitty....

[SamH]

Well the plan was to either have a hutch inside (like the one Joe has) and then let the rabbit run around out the back or in a pen while we're home or to have the bunny outside in a hutch like this and just bring it inside when it's too cold or wet.

9. Has anyone else built their own rabbit hutch or similar? I have experience building such things but was wondering if there's an tips or tricks that could come in handy

Thanks!

[aquariumbeginner32]

We used to have rabbits... ended up losing 2 to kids/dogs. The first one some kids took from the hutch ... they got it out through the bedding part of the hutch because the base could be pulled out for easier cleaning. The hutch lid was locked. They gave it to a dog to play with and then chucked it down a drain across the road.

The second one was my baby ... was small enough I could hold it in my hands... a dog managed to get into the hutch and squashed my baby even though the lid had a lock on both sides. There were two dogs, somehow they managed to get into it. I found one in there and the other on the lid. Our other two rabbits died of old age.

I remember they LOVED sweetcorn. :love:

[Joe]

Well the plan was to either have a hutch inside (like the one Joe has) and then let the rabbit run around out the back or in a pen while we're home or to have the bunny outside in a hutch like this and just bring it inside when it's too cold or wet.

9. Has anyone else built their own rabbit hutch or similar? I have experience building such things but was wondering if there's an tips or tricks that could come in handy

Thanks!

Wow that one looks really cool Sam! !drool:

[critter_crazy]

I agree! That hutch is really cool - if you made it yourself you'd be sure it was good quality too (those ones of trademe are rubbish - I got one and when it got wet it swelled and fell apart).

My buns are in a hutch like that in summer (just moved into it today) and are in an inside hutch during winter (and put out into a play pen on nice days).

[SamH]

I think I have the skills and patience to make something like that actually, I'm going to start sketching up some designs now.

10. What are some things a hutch MUST have?

11. What are some things a dream rabbit hutch would have?

Thanks!

[alanmin4304]

My understanding is that they require at least half their diet to be indigestable cellulose such as as course grass hay which they ferment to produce nutrients such as certain vitamins.

Most commercial rabbit pellets are very rich and designed for rapid growrth of commercial rabits.

[critter_crazy]

10: Floor, roof, walls, nest box.

11: Easy to clean pull out floor, waterproof easy access roof, walls with lots of doors, nest box (dark and warm), eating area with built in hay rack and shelf for food and water bowls, two stories with ladder? :happy2: