I'm interested in getting rabbits ---- Edit: Just caught a dumped Bunny!!!

[Weeg]

Anything else I need to know about rabbit keeping? Supplies other than toys, things to chew on, etc? What about fly control in the summer? I read some where that they are susceptible to fly strike, and some owners use a spray to repel flies? Is it like fly spray for horses, or do you just have to treat it like chickens, make sure they have clean fluffy butts and your good, or is there more to it? Anything else like that that I should worry about? Thanks every one! Names suggestions are welcome as well, so far he's just Bunners Bunners, Bun Bun, or Bunny hahahah!

 

[MysteryChicken]

Someone dumped a rabbit on our grandpa's property in July. She's a Hotot.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Thank you! Interesting he's a meat breed, good to know!
I didn't think so, and at least not tonight, he hasn't moved much from his corner. How much do you suggest feeding him? 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup of pellets?
Also wondering how much space you would recommend per rabbit. Eventually I want to have an outdoor rabbit "tractor" that I use to move him around. The summers can get hot, so I'm wondering if I should have an area of wire off the ground. I'm considering a setup similar to this-
View attachment 2863079
But possibly covering the run? Definitely adding a skirt for predator prevention. The skirt will likely be an additional wood frame around the bottom with wire connecting to it, so no need for stakes. I want there to be enough room in the run so that I could add an extra rabbit or two, do they need a buddy like chickens do?
Would you suggest making the run big enough to walk in, is that important in befriending them etc? I would definitly make the top hinge open so I could access it from above if I didn't make it tall enough to walk in.
Thanks so much for the help everyone! I appreciate it!
Thanks so much for the help everyone!

I'm not 100% sure he's a meat breed, he's a bit on the smaller side so maybe a mini rex, but he looks to be mixed with some sort of meat breed.
Technically Rex rabbits are a meat breed, but thy are just as popular as pets. Their fur is super soft and plush.

I would go with ¼ a cup of pellets, and you can slowly start to introduce spring mix veggies. First just as a treat, just incase he's never had it before, and so he doesn't get an upset stomach.

That hutch looks much too small for a rabbit to be able to properly exercise in, so I woul definitely go bigger.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of hutches because of how fragile rabbits are, and how they would be vulnerable to heat. Rabbits can overheat easily and have a heat stroke, which kills many rabbits. They do ok in the cold, but that's something to watch out for too. Another reason is how easily predators could kill them. Even if the predator doesn't actually attack, just being around the hutch could easily give the rabbit a heart attack. I know lots of people who have lots their rabbits to this.
My last reason is that you won't be able to bond with the rabbit as much, and the rabbit may become aggressive, scared, or lonely.

I wouldn't put any wire in there, rabbits don't have paw pads like dogs and cats so ther feet are very delicate, and their fur ad skin are thin. Wire mesh can hurt and cause sore hocks. This can get infected and will be a pain to treat, and will also be painful for the rabbit.

With all that said though, hutches can work if the are large enough and can protect the rabbits, but when they're actually large enough they usually aren't considered hutches.

My future rabbits are going to be outside, but their house is going to be 10x10 feet big, with a 10x10 foot enclosed run. They'll have an AC unit to keep them cool in the summer and plenty of toys, teepees, and hidey house like how @HorsesRMe123 has her playpen setup (which look awesome BTW).

I would definitely make it big enough that you can walk into it if possible. It'll just make it so much easier to clean and bond with him.
Make it as big as you can. You can never have enough space for a rabbit.

As for keeping multiple rabbits, there's lots of debate on wether or not rabbits needs friends. In my opinion, each rabbit is going to be different. So while some may love having a friend, others will not tolerate it.
Before trying to put two rabbits together you'll need to have them both fixed. That way their hormones won't cause issues. Plus, it'll make them more friendly and easier to litter train.
Two females will often fight. Males and females get along well, and bucks usually do fine. This is only whe they're fixed though.

Once you have two fixed rabbits you'll have to go through the bonding process. I'll find a video on this if you want to know more about how to do so.
Once two rabbits are bonded you cannot separate them.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Anything else I need to know about rabbit keeping? Supplies other than toys, things to chew on, etc? What about fly control in the summer? I read some where that they are susceptible to fly strike, and some owners use a spray to repel flies? Is it like fly spray for horses, or do you just have to treat it like chickens, make sure they have clean fluffy butts and your good, or is there more to it? Anything else like that that I should worry about? Thanks every one! Names suggestions are welcome as well, so far he's just Bunners Bunners, Bun Bun, or Bunny hahahah!

Well, there's things like GI stasis, which is when a rabbits GI tract gets blocked. When that happens the rabbit can't eat, and when a rabbit has no food in his system for over 24 hours it dies quickly.
There's also RDHV2, a deadly rabbit disease that sreafs easier among both wild and domestic rabbits.

Getting rabbits fixed is important to know about. Rabbits (especially does) can get all types of cancer when they get older, and getting them fixed completely prevents that. It also helps with crazy hormonal teenage rabbits, and with litter training.

Check out Lennon the Bunny, 101Rabbits, and The Bunny Lady on YouTube. They have lots of great info.

I wouldn't worry too much about flys. Unless you see them bothering him a ton its probably not going to be an issue.

 

[Weeg]

That hutch looks much too small for a rabbit to be able to properly exercise in, so I woul definitely go bigger.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of hutches because of how fragile rabbits are, and how they would be vulnerable to heat. Rabbits can overheat easily and have a heat stroke, which kills many rabbits. They do ok in the cold, but that's something to watch out for too. Another reason is how easily predators could kill them. Even if the predator doesn't actually attack, just being around the hutch could easily give the rabbit a heart attack. I know lots of people who have lots their rabbits to this.
My last reason is that you won't be able to bond with the rabbit as much, and the rabbit may become aggressive, scared, or lonely.

I have to agree about size, much to small. Thank you for the info about hutches, all of what you said makes sense. Earlier in my thread someone said that rabbits do great in the cold, but they are very susceptible to heat stroke. I would be concerned about them being in the heat if the days got hot. Our summers are usually between 80's to 90's, but last summer it got up to 112 on the hottest days. Way to hot for a rabbit. I read the used misters to keep the area cool, but would that be enough in that heat? I could always bring them inside.
It makes sense that a predator could give them a heart attack, I'll have to consider that, maybe and indoor setup is better after all. We have our garage, but theres always lots going on in there, noises, people, any project that requires building is done in the garage, thats a lot for rabbits I feel like.
The house is way to small to put the area inside, so I'll have to put more thought into were the area will be located.

 

[Weeg]

I wouldn't put any wire in there, rabbits don't have paw pads like dogs and cats so ther feet are very delicate, and their fur ad skin are thin. Wire mesh can hurt and cause sore hocks. This can get infected and will be a pain to treat, and will also be painful for the rabbit.

With all that said though, hutches can work if the are large enough and can protect the rabbits, but when they're actually large enough they usually aren't considered hutches.

My future rabbits are going to be outside, but their house is going to be 10x10 feet big, with a 10x10 foot enclosed run. They'll have an AC unit to keep them cool in the summer and plenty of toys, teepees, and hidey house like how @HorsesRMe123 has her playpen setup (which look awesome BTW).

I would definitely make it big enough that you can walk into it if possible. It'll just make it so much easier to clean and bond with him.
Make it as big as you can. You can never have enough space for a rabbit.

Awesome! This is perfect!
10x10 is definitly doable, gonna say its about 10ft per rabbit when we do the build, so I have something to use a guide, but bigger is better is that I'm getting.
Maybe I can try a hoop coop design. We have plenty of leftover hog panels, and that would be easy to make it tall enough. Should the area be covered? What are their opinions on rain? It gets really wet were were located, plenty of rain haha.
For AC, would misters work? A fan?
I'll have to use the above pictures for a reference, they are very helpful.
Awesome! This is such great information, I'll start putting some kind of drawing to work, thank you so much!

 

[Weeg]

Well, there's things like GI stasis, which is when a rabbits GI tract gets blocked. When that happens the rabbit can't eat, and when a rabbit has no food in his system for over 24 hours it dies quickly.
There's also RDHV2, a deadly rabbit disease that sreafs easier among both wild and domestic rabbits.

Getting rabbits fixed is important to know about. Rabbits (especially does) can get all types of cancer when they get older, and getting them fixed completely prevents that. It also helps with crazy hormonal teenage rabbits, and with litter training.

Check out Lennon the Bunny, 101Rabbits, and The Bunny Lady on YouTube. They have lots of great info.

I wouldn't worry too much about flys. Unless you see them bothering him a ton its probably not going to be an issue.

Thank you again for all this helpful info! I'll check out that Youtube channel, sounds like a good source, and Lennon the Bunny, I really appreciate all this info, Bun Bun, (temporary name ) is going to be better off for it. Thank goodness for this site with its amazing members!

 

[NatJ]

The photos weren't doing much justice to his size, so I actually used a measuring tape to give you a better idea. Than a photo showing him compared to my hand.

Is the rabbit white and dirty, or are the brown markings natural?

I see several people guessing Rex. Unless the fur is really short (like velvet), it is NOT a Rex rabbit. Not a Mini Rex either.

Also not any kind of lop, because the ears do not flop down. Also not any kind of Angora, not a Jersey Wooly, not a Lionhead, because all of those have long wool. Also not a dwarf, because of the size. Looks to be smaller than most meat-type breeds are at maturity, but hard to be sure because it could still be growing, and rabbit breeds are typically sorted into weight categories and I don't know how those correspond with inches of actual length and height.

It could be some kind of a mix.

I'm guessing it's fully grown, and female, but I could easily be wrong on both points. The only part of a rabbit's appearance that reliably tells gender is something that cannot be seen in most photos

If it is a mature female, there's a good chance it's pregnant. So I would provide a nestbox for at at least the next 5 weeks, or until you confirm that rabbit is male. If the rabbit is a pregnant female, that will give a safe place for her to have her babies, and if the rabbit is not pregnant or not a female, it can eat the hay or straw and sit inside the box anyway.

Nestbox for a rabbit to have bunnies: a box full of hay or straw, small enough to feel snug but large enough for the rabbit to fit inside without trouble. The box should have a cover on at least part of it, and the opening can be in the top or the side. For that rabbit, maybe 8-10 inches wide, 8-10 inches tall, 12 or more inches long. Rabbits would naturally dig burrows to have bunnies, so burrowing into a box of hay or straw usually works well. The box is often wood or metal, but cardboard should be fine if you replace it any time it gets badly chewed up.

 

[NatJ]

Eventually I want to have an outdoor rabbit "tractor" that I use to move him around. The summers can get hot, so I'm wondering if I should have an area of wire off the ground. I'm considering a setup similar to this

For the pictured setup, definitely provide shade. Cover the top, and maybe even extend the cover outward in several directions to provide more shade, because of the way the sun moves.

An area of wire off the ground sounds like a good idea, although some rabbits will use it (cool air all around) and some will not (up in the air, does not feel secure.)

In hot weather, having cool shaded ground to lie on will help the rabbit stay cool.

Mud is not good for rabbits, so watch where you put the pen in what weather.

I want there to be enough room in the run so that I could add an extra rabbit or two, do they need a buddy like chickens do?

Rabbits can be territorial. Sometimes they like to have a buddy, sometimes they want to be left alone.

If you use two pens next to each other, or one pen with a wire divider, you could have a rabbit on each side which lets them interact but not fight. If the divider is removable, you would have the option to let them together or keep them separate.

some owners use a spray to repel flies? Is it like fly spray for horses, or do you just have to treat it like chickens, make sure they have clean fluffy butts and your good, or is there more to it?

Rabbits lick themselves, rather like cats. Anything you put on the rabbit will get licked off, so make sure it is not toxic.

I would expect a clean, dry butt to be safe from fly strike. Rabbits usually keep their own butts clean (like cats), so if it is messy you should try to figure out what's wrong as well as cleaning it up.

 

[Weeg]

Is the rabbit white and dirty, or are the brown markings natural?

I see several people guessing Rex. Unless the fur is really short (like velvet), it is NOT a Rex rabbit. Not a Mini Rex either.

Also not any kind of lop, because the ears do not flop down. Also not any kind of Angora, not a Jersey Wooly, not a Lionhead, because all of those have long wool. Also not a dwarf, because of the size. Looks to be smaller than most meat-type breeds are at maturity, but hard to be sure because it could still be growing, and rabbit breeds are typically sorted into weight categories and I don't know how those correspond with inches of actual length and height.

It could be some kind of a mix.

I'm guessing it's fully grown, and female, but I could easily be wrong on both points. The only part of a rabbit's appearance that reliably tells gender is something that cannot be seen in most photos

He or she is white and dirty. The hair isn't super short or velvety, definitly not a lop and the hair isn't long enough to be anything else with that trait.
I noticed that. She's not mini, but definitely not as large as most meat breeds. Once he or she is more comfortable with me, I'll see if I can get a pic that will reliably tell gender.

If it is a mature female, there's a good chance it's pregnant. So I would provide a nestbox for at at least the next 5 weeks, or until you confirm that rabbit is male. If the rabbit is a pregnant female, that will give a safe place for her to have her babies, and if the rabbit is not pregnant or not a female, it can eat the hay or straw and sit inside the box anyway.

Nestbox for a rabbit to have bunnies: a box full of hay or straw, small enough to feel snug but large enough for the rabbit to fit inside without trouble. The box should have a cover on at least part of it, and the opening can be in the top or the side. For that rabbit, maybe 8-10 inches wide, 8-10 inches tall, 12 or more inches long. Rabbits would naturally dig burrows to have bunnies, so burrowing into a box of hay or straw usually works well. The box is often wood or metal, but cardboard should be fine if you replace it any time it gets badly chewed up.

Good to know! Today I'm going to setup a kidding pool wrapped in cardboard, either in a safe room or with some kind of lid for him/her temporarily. Its gonna take a second to get a real bunny tractor setup, so I might see if I can order a dog run or similar from Amazon, which can double as a chick brooder in the future.
I'll setup a next box for sure, your right that there is a very good chance. What are the signs of pregnancy encase I start noticing them before I get a chance to check.
I'll probably have to use cardboard for now, but will work on some kind of wooden or metal box for the long run once I get the larger pen setup.
Thank you! This is such great info, I'll work on it ASAP.