Any Rabbit Breeders/Owners Here at BYC?

[EverythingDucks]

I personally don’t think so either but my mom thinks it’s better to keep them outside because she thinks it’s cruel for them to be kept indoors. Our chicken run is definitely big enough for them but it’s hard because the chickens need to lay eggs and they have food and water in there and their coop is in there. It’s the only secure place we have outdoors therefore my mom keeps them in there.

It's much better for rabbits to be indoors rather than outdoors. In my opinion, it's more cruel to house them outdoors in an unsafe area than it is to keep them inside where it's safer.
When housed outdoors, rabbits are vulnerable to predators (which can kill them without even getting close, since rabbits often die of shock), they aren't as well protected for weather (heat can be deadly to them), they often don't have nearly as much space as they should, and they won't be able to bond with you as much.

I recommend keeping them in a large wire dog pen. Cages are much too small, overpriced, cheaply made, and overall are just not worth it. They can't provide room for the basic needs alone, including a large cat sized litter box (they should be able to turn all the way around in it), plenty of hidey houses, food and water dishes (not water bottles because they don't provide enough water, are hard to clean, and are unnatural to drink from), along with plenty of toys. Even if a cage did have room for all those things it wouldn't leave room for play and exercise, especially for two rabbits.

How old are they? Rabbits can reproduce as early as 4 months, or even younger in some cases, so I would separate them as soon as possible until you can get them both fixed at 6 months. After they've been fixed, they need some time for recovery and for their hormones to "calm down".

It's best if both rabbits are fixed so that you can bond them properly. In order for the rabbits to live together in peace, they'll have to go through the bonding process, which could be very quick, or could take months. For this to all work out though they should both be fixed.
Getting them fixed will also help with litter training, and should make them more friendly overall. Once rabbits turn 6 months old they go through a "teenage phase" where they often are territorial, they may mark more, and can even be aggressive. Sadly, this is when many people dump their rabbits. But getting them both fixed will resolve these issues and just spending some time with them and bonding will be helpful.

Lennon the Bunny, 101Rabbits, and the Bunny Lady on YouTube all have great information on rabbit care.

 

[SilkieChicken123]

I'm going to have to disagree with this. Spaying a rabbit is not unnatural or bad. If she isn't spayed, she will have an increased chance of cancer, and non-spayed females often don't live as long as those that have been spayed.

So are you saying that God made them with the intent of being spayed/neutered? God made them just the way He wanted them to be, so yes, it is unnatural to spay or neuter an animal. Of course it is Jenessa's choice, whether or not she wants to pay to have something done to her doe that isn't natural. I can see why she wants to neuter the buck, and I'm fine with that decision. But spaying the doe is completely unnecessary, I mean the buck has already been fixed, so there's no chance of reproduction, so why would you do it?

 

[HappyClucker7]

So are you saying that God made them with the intent of being spayed/neutered? God made them just the way He wanted them to be, so yes, it is unnatural to spay or neuter an animal. Of course it is Jenessa's choice, whether or not she wants to pay to have something done to her doe that isn't natural. I can see why she wants to neuter the buck, and I'm fine with that decision. But spaying the doe is completely unnecessary, I mean the buck has already been fixed, so there's no chance of reproduction, so why would you do it?

Because, as I said, spayed rabbits live longer. Besides, don't you think it would be cruel for a female rabbit to live with all her hormones, wanting to breed, but the male she is with is neutered, so she can never do what she feels she needs to?

 

[CSAchook]

So are you saying that God made them with the intent of being spayed/neutered? God made them just the way He wanted them to be, so yes, it is unnatural to spay or neuter an animal. Of course it is Jenessa's choice, whether or not she wants to pay to have something done to her doe that isn't natural. I can see why she wants to neuter the buck, and I'm fine with that decision. But spaying the doe is completely unnecessary, I mean the buck has already been fixed, so there's no chance of reproduction, so why would you do it?

I am going to ignore the first part of this argument and just point out that for pet rabbits, spaying a female rabbit improves health and longevity and often reduces unwanted behaviors related to territoriality (bad litter habits, aggression, etc).

 

[Jenessa_096]

Because, as I said, spayed rabbits live longer. Besides, don't you think it would be cruel for a female rabbit to live with all her hormones, wanting to breed, but the male she is with is neutered, so she can never do what she feels she needs to?

That is true, I see both sides of your opinions. @MapleValleyAcresPoultry I do think it is unnatural to spay and neuter animals and for a long time I was really against it. But in the wild they are one of the animals that are most preyed upon and really European rabbits have a life span of two years so there’s lots of changes in domesticated rabbits and I think spaying and neutering is really up to the owners choice it has benefits but with any procedure especially with a girl since it’s more riskier that’s why we want to do the boy first. But in the wild they are one of the animals that are most paid a pond and really European rabbits have a lifespan of two years so there’s lots of changes in domesticated rabbits.

 

[SilkieChicken123]

Because, as I said, spayed rabbits live longer. Besides, don't you think it would be cruel for a female rabbit to live with all her hormones, wanting to breed, but the male she is with is neutered, so she can never do what she feels she needs to?

I am going to ignore the first part of this argument and just point out that for pet rabbits, spaying a female rabbit improves health and longevity and often reduces unwanted behaviors related to territoriality (bad litter habits, aggression, etc).

First, no, its not cruel for a doe to live with her hormones. As I said, that's the way God made them.
But, as i see you all don't agree with me, and I'm fine with that, let's just leave it up to @Jenessa_096 to decide.

 

[Jenessa_096]

So are you saying that God made them with the intent of being spayed/neutered? God made them just the way He wanted them to be, so yes, it is unnatural to spay or neuter an animal. Of course it is Jenessa's choice, whether or not she wants to pay to have something done to her doe that isn't natural. I can see why she wants to neuter the buck, and I'm fine with that decision. But spaying the doe is completely unnecessary, I mean the buck has already been fixed, so there's no chance of reproduction, so why would you do it?

I really should of thought about this when I first made the decision to get a boy and a girl. If I knew then I probably would’ve gotten two of the same gender so that I wouldn’t have to fix them right away. But now since I don’t want to keep them separate I think it would be best to get at least one of them fixed because I really don’t want and don’t need any more bunnies. I completely understand your argument and the point that you’re trying to get across!

 

[SilkieChicken123]

That is true, I see both sides of your opinions. @MapleValleyAcresPoultry I do think it is unnatural to spay and neuter animals and for a long time I was really against it. But in the wild they are one of the animals that are most preyed upon and really European rabbits have a life span of two years so there’s lots of changes in domesticated rabbits and I think spaying and neutering is really up to the owners choice it has benefits but with any procedure especially with a girl since it’s more riskier that’s why we want to do the boy first. But in the wild they are one of the animals that are most paid a pond and really European rabbits have a lifespan of two years so there’s lots of changes in domesticated rabbits.

Of course! It's totally up to you, Jenessa! Your rabbits, your choice! I know you'll make the right decision.
Unspayed does have an average lifespan of 6-9 years. That's a long life.

 

[Jenessa_096]

I am going to ignore the first part of this argument and just point out that for pet rabbits, spaying a female rabbit improves health and longevity and often reduces unwanted behaviors related to territoriality (bad litter habits, aggression, etc).

Agree!

 

[CSAchook]

Unspayed does have an average lifespan of 6-9 years. That's a long life.

Can I ask what this estimate is based on?