Getting a bunny

[chinbunny1]

I use all wire cages without the resting boards. Doesn't seem to hurt the rabbits. Otherwise some will pee all over them, and make a mess. Others will ignore them.

I agree with gypsy about the feed. They do not need alfalfa. Especially if you are feeding an alfalfa pellet. There is no valid, proven research that states that all rabbits need a diet thats mostly made up of hay. If fact, what they is the opposite. A large rabbit of about eight pounds and over should be eating at least 1 cup of pellets per. Anything that grows to be five pounds and under 1/2-1 cup per day.

Most of the feeds mentioned above are pet rabbit feeds. They really aren't good for the rabbit. a good quality pellet will have around 15% protien. And 20% or more fiber. Fiber is the most important part of the pellet. You want it as high as you possible. The higher the fiber, the better quality the feed.

Some brands that are good are manna pro, purina, and kent. Stay away from the really cheap brands. Most of those have corn in them. Which can make the rabbit sick.

 

[BBK]

Water is a biggie in MHO. They drink more water than a dog. We lost a bun b/c of no water, it was divastating to know WE did this to our bun....

Is there a TSC around you? Their feed should be good, has all of the vitamins, and such in there. I would NOT BUY rabbit food from, let's say WAlmart or any chain store. Go to a feed store.

We have a local feed store in our town. If you're really unsure call your local co-op, they should be able to steer you in the right direction.

Our buns, 4 wks get their pellets everyday and a carrot or apple slice. no hay here, only in the winter months, when it's really cold outside Jan.-Feb. months. So, far, no problems anywhere.

I'm not an expert, only been doing this since 2005, but it's working...
good luck, you'll figure it out, and have fun with your new buns.
can't wait to see pics..
Melinda

 

[zippy11455]

Rabbits like to stay cool and dry. Overheating will kill them as will a damp/wet area. Cold is no problem as long as they can stay dry (clean bedding or on wire). In the summer heat they will enjoy it if you toss a frozen bottle of water in their coop. They will lay next to it to cool off. Keep them out of direct sun in the hottest part of the day and give them plenty of shade. Make sure they have plenty of clean water too. Both summer and winter. These are the two biggies. I've never had a rabbit die from the food source, but have lost one from overheating and dehydration. Another one died from respirator problems after getting soaked in a thundershower. As long as their basic needs are met rabbits are pretty easy.

 

[jambunny]

I agree with whoever said wire with wood to stand on. I have seen nasty sore hocks on rabbits with just wire or just solid. Pellets are the best option with occasional grass hay for wool block. {fur balls}. Papya also works for that. I would give very little veg. Tends to cause some problems depending. NO iceberg lettuce. Raisens and Cheerios sometimes a small bite of banana are great treats.

 

[BBK]

pineapple stop wool block too. We feed them once a month a chunk.

Melinda

 

[Stina]

Everything I've ever seen says hay should make up the majority of the diet. Good pellets are important.....and none of the pellets I've seen at TSC have good nutrient profiles. Sunseed Vitacraft, Zupreem, and Oxbow make good pellets...Kaytee's old formulas were bad (used a perservative that is a known carcinogen)...but their new stuff is actually decent. I am currently using a mix of Kaytee Forti-Diet Plus juvenile and adult (can be bought in large bags). Pretty much every place with good information that I've seen has recommended lots of veggies (NOT lettuce...collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, carrots (preferably with greens!), green beans, sprouts.... The House Rabbit Society, www.rabbit.org, has great information....including healthy and unhealthy foods for them.

 

[jambunny]

I have used pineapple too. Works great I just can't always get it here and if it is dried it usually has a ton of sugar on it. I guess I am lucky to be able to get good quality pellets here. I have been raising rabbits for a long long time and been lucky enough to always have a good source for quality feed.

 

[RabbitMage]

The HRS is also rabidly anti-breeder, and will happily demonize the way breeders keep their animals-outside, in wire cages, eating pellets and hay. Nevermind this method has worked since the 1930's, and never mind that the American Rabbit Breeders Association was the first 'pet rabbit' organization as well.

 

[chinbunny1]

I agree with rabbitmage. The HRS is not the best resource to use for getting rabbit information from. Not only are they very anti-breeder, but the information they provide can be very harmful to the rabbits digestive system. It can also cause dental disease. Just because the hrs claims they are the guru of the rabbit world, does not mean what they recommend is safe to feed to your animal. Good way to end up killing the rabbit. If you want good rabbit information go to www.arba.net, and look under FAQ. Any place that recommends feeding vegetables over pellets is not providing good information at all.

The ARBA has been around for eight years, and has been doing things right since then. But all the sudden the HRS came around twenty years ago, and now wire cages, pellets, and everything else breeders do is bad.

Kaytee, and most pet foods, including oxbow, are not very good feeds. You want something like purina, kent, or manna pro. Those feeds are nutritionally complete for just about any rabbits. They are healthy, and don't contain the amount of junk that the pet foods do.

 

[chinbunny1]

Also want to point out that the HRS diet is not nutritionally complete. Just about all of the rabbits fed that diet end up sick, unhealthy, and out of condition. And a lot of them end up dying from it. They end up suffering from malnutrition. Its one that they have problems with. Yet they continue to push it as the only way to feed your pet. Most breeders tend not to see the amount of problems they do, when it comes diet. Because we feed them correctly. We don't see things like dental disease, and GI stasis. Which is easily corrected by feeding the rabbit properly. Our diet is also fully researched to meet the nutritional needs of the domestic rabbit. Theirs is not.