Back yard rabbit group anyone?

[rancher hicks]

Any one care to post pics of their set up. Right now my two are in a large store bought cage in my office. Mini Lops. Years ago I would go to the show in NYS for rabbits and cavies. I had cavies. They were a lot of work and money. Not sure I'll keep these two. They're both girls as far as I can tell right now. Freebies.

Unfortunatley show people produce a lot of rabbits and I'm not rich enough to keep a lot of animals for show.

Like chickens I'm not likely to let things get out of control.

What can anyone tell me about predators ? I'd planned to do an outdoor set up.. Perhaps hooking it to my chickens run so they've be covered and in a sheltered area in the winters. I cover my runs with plastic. So the chickens can go out. I would have one portion with outside access and the other inside the run where I can tend to them and their poop fall to the floor of the run. Or at least be scrapped out there. Does anyone for see any problems that might arise. This part of the yard is enclosed with chain link.

 

[moomoodiddy]

I keep all my rabbits on wire unless supervised.

 

[rancher hicks]

I keep all my rabbits on wire unless supervised.

I've considered a home built hutch with a wire floor. Half inside the run and half out for the summer. This way the manure would fall inside the run where I'd scoop it up with the chickens manure too. I put hay/straw in the run during the winter and they work it up nice after I toss scratch grains in.

 

[moomoodiddy]

Here is my main hutch. Hand built by the guy who gave it to me for taking his rabbits about a decade ago. Its roughly 8 or 9 by 3 or 4 feet, 4 rooms. I also have extra cages in a shed, but I use this to keep my numbers in check. Right now I only have a young pair of rabbits I will be starting a new breeding program this year with.
Sorry about the goat, she has to be in all the pictures.

 

[rancher hicks]

How much space do you allow per rabbit? Can there be too much space or too little? Does the poop inside the hutch fall through? Do they go out in the winter time?

 

[moomoodiddy]

How much space do you allow per rabbit? Can there be too much space or too little? Does the poop inside the hutch fall through? Do they go out in the winter time?

I believe that they can never have too much space. If you google the space requirements it is a ridiculously small number that must be for maximum production. I give my full grown rabbits that get to over 10 lbs a piece, at least a 2x4 ft space but that is well over the minimum. You can tell if they were too cramped by how messy their cages get. The hutches had wire bottoms so the poop falls through. Rabbits spend about equal time outside and inside their hutches during all weather.

 

[MaddyPippa17]

I have a five year old rabbit called Caramel who has teeth problems. About a year ago, we took her to the vets for an operation on them, but I am wondering if I should take her back, because she is still grinding her teeth, eating slower than my other two and has a wet nose. How often would you take a rabbit with teeth problems to the vets?

 

[rancher hicks]

What kind of problems? Don't rabbits need to grind their teeth down? How do I make sure they have a way to do that.

 

[balloonflower]

What kind of problems?  Don't rabbits need to grind their teeth down?  How do I make sure they have a way to do that. 

Chew toys--mine get sticks and small branches pruned from my apple tree. They'll chew anything--my nestboxes have teeth marks, and the scrap wood I put in for the kits to have easier access to feeders. That's enough for a rabbit that doesn't have specific teeth issues as was mentioned. I have no experience with that.

 

[moomoodiddy]

I have a five year old rabbit called Caramel who has teeth problems. About a year ago, we took her to the vets for an operation on them, but I am wondering if I should take her back, because she is still grinding her teeth, eating slower than my other two and has a wet nose. How often would you take a rabbit with teeth problems to the vets?

Use toenail clippers to keep them even and at a good length. Some rabbits have bad teeth genetics even with things to chew on.