New to bunnies and care

[Smileybans]

My son wanted a rabbit since he did a report on them in school this past year. It just so happens one of the guys down the street was breeding them. So we struck up a deal and got two female bunnies, one for each of my sons. I do live in New York and bringing them inside for winter isn’t feasible right now. I have a chicken heat plate and can give them blankets in the winter. But what else do I need to know? I have googled this but am looking for advice from people in the know.

They’re in a 10x10 enclosed run. It was a chicken run at one point. I currently have tarps covering three of the walls due to a nosey neighbor. Rabbits aren’t illegal in my village, I checked, but I’m sure they’ll complain. The roof is partially covered and they have a hutch. I let them out during the day, open the hutch door, into the run to play. They have access to hay and rabbit feed. I don’t know what kind of hay if it matters. My sons go into the run to play with their rabbits periodically throughout the day. Anything else I should know or be doing? How should I prepare for winter?

This is why the run door stays closed at all times. He is an avid rabbit killer.

 

[sourland]

Make absolutely sure that both are does or you will have a multitude of rabbits. Generally an enclosed coop/pen is best for the winter to keep them dry. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Isadora]

Does the run have an apron around the outside? Rabbits like to dig, so if there's no apron you will have some escapees on your hands.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

We had brought our rabbits in our garage when it got cold. And since we had so many cats in our town we built a coop off the ground and brought them out a few times every day.

 

[EverythingDucks]

They're adorable!
Sounds like they have a good amount of space. I would add some hidey houses for them and a bunch of toys to give them things to chew on and keep them happy and busy. Rabbits have lots of energy and need the space and toys to keep their mind stimulated. They're quite smart and need enrichment.

For adult rabbits the best kind of hay is Timothy. Oat, meadow, and orchard grass works good too. Just avoid alfalfa hay for adults. It's fine as a treat but is too high is calcium for an adults main source of hay.

As for pellets, they really don't need more than ¼ a cup each. This anoint of pellets, with unlimited fresh hay and aboiy a handful of fresh spring mix veggies twice a day (for breakfast and dinner) would be a healthy diet for them.

I haven't lived somewhere that was cold in years, but rabbits typically tolerate the cold. Covering the run with tarp will help to keep wind out and keep some heat in there, as well as providing extra hay and blankets should keep them nice and warm.
What you'll really need to worry about is the heat. Rabbits often die of heat stroke in the summer and need plenty of water and space to cool off. Rabbits drink about as much as a large dog, so having a large water bowl will help to keep them hydrated. Avoid using a water bottle since those trap bacteria, are very hard to clean, don't allow enough water to come out, and are unnatural to drink from and can cause spinal issues.
A stainless steel or ceramic bowl works great for rabbits. You can get a dog food stand to keep the bowls off the ground so they don't get dirty as easily, but usually by the time their water gets dirty they need fresh water anyways.

Another thing you should keep in mind is that rabbits become very hormonal and territorial once they reach 6 months old. This can sometimes result in aggression too. While after a while they start to calm down, it's best to get them fixed at this time. Getting them fixed will not only help them to calm down and be much sweeter, but it'll also help for litter training them. And any unwanted oders they may have had will go away.
This will also insure that you won't end up with any accidental litters.

If you have any other questions I'd be glad to help answer them, and hopefully this information can help you and your rabbits.
Goodluck with them, rabbits are truly amazing animals.

 

[Smileybans]

Does the run have an apron around the outside? Rabbits like to dig, so if there's no apron you will have some escapees on your hands.

I don’t have an apron on the run but it is cemented into the ground two feet. So hopefully that will deter them enough.

@EverythingDucks thank you for the plethora of information. I had noticed they needed more places to hide and have been trying to figure out what to use. I have been using a waterbottle


I also noticed, since we had a heat wave here, that the bunnies had slowed down a lot and were panting. So I looked up how to keep them cool. I have been sticking an ice pack in their hutch and they seem to enjoy that.

I had read about getting them fixed but wasn’t too sure about it. Since they are pets, and won’t be used for breeding, it’s something that we will most likely get done. Do they get fatter after getting them fixed like cats or dogs? Or does it all depend on their diet?

I have looked up some diy toys and plan to make them. Plastic ones should be avoided right? I feel like that’s obvious but I don’t want to accidentally put something plastic in there thinking it’s okay.

 

[EverythingDucks]

I don’t have an apron on the run but it is cemented into the ground two feet. So hopefully that will deter them enough.

@EverythingDucks thank you for the plethora of information. I had noticed they needed more places to hide and have been trying to figure out what to use. I have been using a waterbottle


I also noticed, since we had a heat wave here, that the bunnies had slowed down a lot and were panting. So I looked up how to keep them cool. I have been sticking an ice pack in their hutch and they seem to enjoy that.

I had read about getting them fixed but wasn’t too sure about it. Since they are pets, and won’t be used for breeding, it’s something that we will most likely get done. Do they get fatter after getting them fixed like cats or dogs? Or does it all depend on their diet?

I have looked up some diy toys and plan to make them. Plastic ones should be avoided right? I feel like that’s obvious but I don’t want to accidentally put something plastic in there thinking it’s okay.

You're welcome!

Icepacks or frozen water bottles work great for keeping them cool. A ceramic tile works well for them to lay on too. It helps if you keep it in the fridge or freezer before giving to them too.

Rabbits can gain weight more easily after being fixed, but as long and you monitor their diet they should be fine.

And yes, avoid plastic toys. Things like paper towel rolls, cardboard boxes, paper bags, etc. make great materials for toys. There's lots of videos on YouTube for making DIY toys if you want to check those out. I also have some links saved if you'd like me to share.
Here's some that I've made before

 

[Smileybans]

You're welcome!

Icepacks or frozen water bottles work great for keeping them cool. A ceramic tile works well for them to lay on too. It helps if you keep it in the fridge or freezer before giving to them too.

Rabbits can gain weight more easily after being fixed, but as long and you monitor their diet they should be fine.

And yes, avoid plastic toys. Things like paper towel rolls, cardboard boxes, paper bags, etc. make great materials for toys. There's lots of videos on YouTube for making DIY toys if you want to check those out. I also have some links saved if you'd like me to share.
Here's some that I've made before
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Those toys look great. The links would be nice. Thank you. I had seen a lot of stuff on YouTube and just have to gather materials. It’ll be a great family project. Since these are supposed to be my sons pets. They’re more like family pets though.