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

[Weeg]

Carrots, vegetables and fruit are actually all fine to feed to your rabbit it just depends on what kind and how much. For example, banana is ok to feed to your rabbit but you can’t feed too much. Avocado is a big no no. And romaine lettuce is a great vegetable and you can throw a few leaves of it to them. There’s great educational websites that provide great information on what fruits and vegetables are ok and which are not. When I’m not sure of a food to feed, I always research first. Some food can cause stomach aches and cause the rabbit to go into GI stasis, and yes I’ve learned this the hard way unfortunately and my rabbit died from it and have become so much more careful of what I feed and how much to feed.

Totally, I mostly meant that it isn't good in large quantities. Like in the movies were thats all the rabbits eat, hahah!
Ya, I guess it takes a lot of research to get the feed right huh. I'll definitely look into that before getting any. Thank you!

 

[Weeg]

If you keep them in a mobile tractor, be sure to provide shelter such as a hut or hide house. Rabbits are prey animals and it gives them a sense of calm and comfort to have a shelter provided for them. In summer, make sure to give plenty of shade because rabbits are very very prone to heat stroke, especially older rabbits. And yes, again, I have learned the hard way. My older rabbit died of heat stroke years ago. Shade, fresh cold water, and frozen water bottles or tiles they can lay on are great to keep cool. You could also get a mister that gently mists fresh water and can do a great deal to cool them down.

Yes, definitly planning on building a hutch.
Seems like they aren't gonna go in with the chickens, so what are the requirements for winter/summer hutch? We got down to 18 degrees mid winter, so what does the hutch have to have for temps that low?
For shade, should I do an open air hutch for summer, with a hunger cover for the 3rd wall in the winter? Then they hutch should be pretty cool.
I'm keeping meat birds as pets as well, so for heat it sounds like they have a lot of the same requirements. Mister I'll have available for Doodle and Smudge, so I can use it for the buns as well. Thanks, this is great info!

 

[Weeg]

If you do provide a different shelter, make sure it’s not full wire bottom or if it is full wire, provide a place for them to get off the wire. They can get painful sore hocks which can get infected. And again, yes, I’ve learned the hard way (I’ve had 10 years experience with rabbits ) and my rabbits were uncomfortable as a result. Thankfully there were no infections but it definitely could have happened.

I've never agreed that keeping animals on full wire their whole lives is a good setup. For some chicks I get it, but fro litter trained rabbits, that doesn't sounds nessasry or kind at all. With the mobile tractor I'll probably be copying the design Omelt uses for their tractor skirts, but have the tractor made out of wood, and hardware cloth.

 

[Weeg]

Make sure not to overfeed pellets because rabbits can become very very overweight as a result. The most important thing is to provide unlimited hay.

Perfect! So pellets are kinda like the supplement of the rabbit world.
How much pellets should I feed? What kind as well? Lol! Is it out grass pellets like you would feed horses? We feed Timothy pellets to our mares.

 

[Weeg]

I’d say a good size is 24” x 36” per rabbit for the hutch. A good run size is 8’ x 4’ per rabbit.

Okay, so 5ft per rabbit in the hutch, and 30ft per habit for the run? I bet I could pull that off.

If you do breed them, make sure to provide them with a nest box for their young. They will feel much safer raising their young in a secure place. It’s super easy to build or also very cheap to buy. And provide them with plenty of hay for them to build their nest with inside of the nest box.

Awesome! If I do breed, I'll probably have a stationary area for them, or just not move the tractor in the months I decide to breed.
I'll look more into the breedings setup when I'mr ready, my first goal is to just get the rabbits lol!

 

[HorsesRMe123]

Yes, definitly planning on building a hutch.
Seems like they aren't gonna go in with the chickens, so what are the requirements for winter/summer hutch? We got down to 18 degrees mid winter, so what does the hutch have to have for temps that low?
For shade, should I do an open air hutch for summer, with a hunger cover for the 3rd wall in the winter? Then they hutch should be pretty cool.
I'm keeping meat birds as pets as well, so for heat it sounds like they have a lot of the same requirements. Mister I'll have available for Doodle and Smudge, so I can use it for the buns as well. Thanks, this is great info!

A good hutch size is 24 inches x 36 inches but for larger bunnies though it’s 30 inches x 36 inches. 18 degrees is really not that bad. I’ve had my rabbits in -25 degrees F. Although I should’ve brought them inside. But for low temps rabbits do pretty well. I’d still provide something like a cozy blanket that you don’t want to use or if your rabbits will be chewers you could get foam mats for them and place them in their hutch and in their hides house.

I worry more about heat than the cold for rabbits. So I would provide three sides of the hutch as open and ventilated and the back side of it is totally covered. At least one side should be covered so they have a side to escape the elements such as snow and rain. That would be a great idea in the summer to use a cover for shade.

 

[Weeg]

For weeds, I’m not totally sure. You could research which weeds are ok and which are not. Personally, I’ve never had a problem with weeds and my rabbits but it could be an issue with some weeds.

Sorry for the information overload. Wishing you the best!

Thats kinda what I imagined. Most weeds are probably reply safe being vegetation, but I'll look into it more just to be safe.

That was such great information! If you have anymore, please do share. I need to know everything I can. Thanks so much!

 

[MissE]

3x3 is the size I used for my larger meat rabbits when they were housed in a shed. I didn't use a run, but my outdoor hutches were 2x4 with 2x2 boxes in the back. I always used wire floors, but did provide a plastic mat if they wanted off the wire. They rarely did, as the wire is cooler. Some people use a ceramic tile in the summer since they stay cool to the touch.

Rabbits hate heat and like cold weather. In your climate, they will be fine outside in the winter if they have a good wind break, but make sure there is plenty of shade in the summer. Mine would seldom use their enclosed boxes even when it was well below 0. They have coats we would kill for.

Pellets and free choice Timothy or orchard hay is all they really need for food. Clover, plantain, and dandelion are good weed treats. So are apple branches. Fruit and veg treats should be small and rare. A quarter inch slice of carrot is plenty.

They are very low maintenance, and are very quiet. I don't think 100 rabbits make as much noise as 1 chicken.

I would not keep them with chickens. Chickens create a ton of dust, and coccidocis is a concern.

 

[Weeg]

A good hutch size is 24 inches x 36 inches but for larger bunnies though it’s 30 inches x 36 inches. 18 degrees is really not that bad. I’ve had my rabbits in -25 degrees F. Although I should’ve brought them inside. But for low temps rabbits do pretty well. I’d still provide something like a cozy blanket that you don’t want to use or if your rabbits will be chewers you could get foam mats for them and place them in their hutch and in their hides house.

Awesome, so they're pretty god with cold just like chickens. Thats perfect!
We have a lot of dog towels, but I can probably scrounge up an old blanket for them as well.

 

[Weeg]

Oh and for convincing your parents, just show them that you have a set plan in mind and have done your research. When you lay out the plan and tell them what you know, this helps greatly with convincing them. I suggest you also watch a YouTube video. Search up Lennon the Bunny and one of her most latest videos is about convincing your parents to let you get rabbits. She gives great advice!

Great point, the one reason my dad will probably be resistant, is because he sees bunnies as a house pet that has no purpose. I bet if I can show they'll be helpful, (which is the main reason I want them other then the fact that they're adorable! Lol!) he'll probably give in. I'll look into Lennon the Bunny as well. Thanks again!