Rabbit hutch help!!

[booklover]

I got rabbits and need advice!!
For a hutch, what is the space per rabbit, and what should a hutch have in it (like what is required)??
Please help!! Thank you

 

[All4Eggz]

One to two medium sized rabbits will need a cage/hutch space of at least 12 square feet, combined with a run of at least 27 square feet. The front of the hutch should be long enough for two rabbits to lie down end-to-end.

I looked it up.

I think it should have food, water, hay and a little rabbit house..?

 

[booklover]

One to two medium sized rabbits will need a cage/hutch space of at least 12 square feet, combined with a run of at least 27 square feet. The front of the hutch should be long enough for two rabbits to lie down end-to-end.

I looked it up.

I think it should have food, water, hay and a little rabbit house..?

Ok thank you!!

 

[EverythingDucks]

Do you already have rabbits but no supplies? What breed(s)?
Is this for meat rabbits or pets? If you got pet rabbits I do not recommend keeping them in a hutch for many reasons. I have lots of info on pet rabbits and why not to keep them in a hutch if they are in fact pets. It sounds like this is for breeding though? If so the cages should be large enough for the rabbit to stand up, and twice the length of their body when out stretched. Rabbits are very smart and playful, so they'll need a large predator proof run.

Their hutch should protect them from the elements and any predators that will try to get to them. It's best to have them high off the ground. Even if the predator spooks them they could die of a heart attack. This is very common and a reason why I do not recommend hutches for pet rabbits.

Most people use wire flooring so poop and pee will drop down. There is a lot of controversy about wire flooring and weather or not it hurts their feet and causes bumblefoot, but most agree that it is good to have something for them to get off the wire.
The best flooring is solid and something they cannot chew. They don't actually need bedding, they'll just use the whole cage as a litter box if you use that. I really recommend litter training them. This is much easier when they are fixed (which you should do if they are pets for many other reasons) but typically rabbits will choose a corner of their cage (or home-base) to "go" in. This is where you should set up a litter box. It should be big enough for them to turn all the way around in, typically cat sized, and should include paper based litter (not cat litter since it has clay and is harmful for rabbits to ingest) and plenty of hay since they eat while pooping.

They need unlimited fresh timothy hay at all times, fresh water (from a bowl), about a handful of veggies for breakfast and dinner, and 1/4 a cup of pellets a day. They'll also need lots of toys to keep them mentally stimulated and to keep their teeth worn down. You can make DIY toys out of paper bags, cardboard, toilet paper tubes, etc. I've made a ton of these, so if you are interested I can show you how.

If you are breeding you'll need nesting boxes for them females.

This is just some basic info, and if you have any more questions I'll be glad to help.

 

[booklover]

Do you already have rabbits but no supplies? What breed(s)?
Is this for meat rabbits or pets? If you got pet rabbits I do not recommend keeping them in a hutch for many reasons. I have lots of info on pet rabbits and why not to keep them in a hutch if they are in fact pets. It sounds like this is for breeding though? If so the cages should be large enough for the rabbit to stand up, and twice the length of their body when out stretched. Rabbits are very smart and playful, so they'll need a large predator proof run.

Their hutch should protect them from the elements and any predators that will try to get to them. It's best to have them high off the ground. Even if the predator spooks them they could die of a heart attack. This is very common and a reason why I do not recommend hutches for pet rabbits.

Most people use wire flooring so poop and pee will drop down. There is a lot of controversy about wire flooring and weather or not it hurts their feet and causes bumblefoot, but most agree that it is good to have something for them to get off the wire.
The best flooring is solid and something they cannot chew. They don't actually need bedding, they'll just use the whole cage as a litter box if you use that. I really recommend litter training them. This is much easier when they are fixed (which you should do if they are pets for many other reasons) but typically rabbits will choose a corner of their cage (or home-base) to "go" in. This is where you should set up a litter box. It should be big enough for them to turn all the way around in, typically cat sized, and should include paper based litter (not cat litter since it has clay and is harmful for rabbits to ingest) and plenty of hay since they eat while pooping.

They need unlimited fresh timothy hay at all times, fresh water (from a bowl), about a handful of veggies for breakfast and dinner, and 1/4 a cup of pellets a day. They'll also need lots of toys to keep them mentally stimulated and to keep their teeth worn down. You can make DIY toys out of paper bags, cardboard, toilet paper tubes, etc. I've made a ton of these, so if you are interested I can show you how.

If you are breeding you'll need nesting boxes for them females.

This is just some basic info, and if you have any more questions I'll be glad to help.

Awesome thanks a lot! They are meat rabbits, the buck is a New Zealand and the doe is a Mini Rex, the babies are mixed.

Would you show me how to make the toys/direct me to a place that shows how?

 

[NatJ]

They need unlimited fresh timothy hay at all times, fresh water (from a bowl), about a handful of veggies for breakfast and dinner, and 1/4 a cup of pellets a day.

Quantity of pellets will depend a lot on the size of the rabbit.

Some adult rabbits weigh 2 pounds, some weigh 15 pounds, and the different sizes need different amounts of food.

They are meat rabbits, the buck is a New Zealand and the doe is a Mini Rex, the babies are mixed.

Provide unlimited pellets to a doe when she is pregnant or nursing, and provide unlimited pellets to young bunnies until they reach butchering age. (If you keep them past that point, look up the right amount of pellets for adults of that kind & size.)

 

[booklover]

Quantity of pellets will depend a lot on the size of the rabbit.

Some adult rabbits weigh 2 pounds, some weigh 15 pounds, and the different sizes need different amounts of food.



Provide unlimited pellets to a doe when she is pregnant or nursing, and provide unlimited pellets to young bunnies until they reach butchering age. (If you keep them past that point, look up the right amount of pellets for adults of that kind & size.)

Thanks! At the moment all the rabbits have unlimited pellets but arent eating all the time (except for the young rabbits).
I don't know how much either of the adult rabbits weighs but i will try to weigh them soon. Approximatly what would be a good ratio of feed to rabbit weight?

 

[NatJ]

At the moment all the rabbits have unlimited pellets but arent eating all the time (except for the young rabbits).

That sounds fairly normal. The adult rabbits may eat enough to get fat, but they do have some sense of when to stop.

I don't know how much either of the adult rabbits weighs but i will try to weigh them soon. Approximatly what would be a good ratio of feed to rabbit weight?

I do not know what ratio of pellets to rabbit weight, because when my family had rabbits we just provided pellets free-choice to all of them. Most of the year, the does were pregnant or nursing, the bunnies were growing, and we decided not to worry about whether the bucks got fat. And in the winter, the weather was cold, so we figured they should be allowed to eat as much as they wanted then too. (This was in Alaska. Large rabbits deal with cold just fine, if they have a roof and something to block the wind, and enough food and water. Of course we had to go replace the frozen water several times each day.)

Apparently free-choice pellets are not a good choice if you have a pet rabbit that is not reproducing, and if you want it to live a long healthy life. Since we also butchered the adult rabbits when they were too old to reproduce, we did not care how much longer they might have lived on a different diet, and they did seem healthy enough for as long as we kept them.

 

[booklover]

That sounds fairly normal. The adult rabbits may eat enough to get fat, but they do have some sense of when to stop.



I do not know what ratio of pellets to rabbit weight, because when my family had rabbits we just provided pellets free-choice to all of them. Most of the year, the does were pregnant or nursing, the bunnies were growing, and we decided not to worry about whether the bucks got fat. And in the winter, the weather was cold, so we figured they should be allowed to eat as much as they wanted then too. (This was in Alaska. Large rabbits deal with cold just fine, if they have a roof and something to block the wind, and enough food and water. Of course we had to go replace the frozen water several times each day.)

Apparently free-choice pellets are not a good choice if you have a pet rabbit that is not reproducing, and if you want it to live a long healthy life. Since we also butchered the adult rabbits when they were too old to reproduce, we did not care how much longer they might have lived on a different diet, and they did seem healthy enough for as long as we kept them.

Thank you i am not keeping these as pets they're definitely for meat

 

[EverythingDucks]

Quantity of pellets will depend a lot on the size of the rabbit.

Some adult rabbits weigh 2 pounds, some weigh 15 pounds, and the different sizes need different amounts of food.

Yes, people generally feed 1/4 a cup for a 4 pounds rabbit. Less if they are smaller, but since pellets aren't actually necessary you don't need to feed more for a larger rabbit. Though most rabbit breeders will provide an unlimited amount.
I believe that it's healthier to restrict the amount of pellets and instead provide them with healthy greens and fresh hay, which will give them all the nutrients they need.
Pellets will fatten them up more, which is why most breeders fed lots of pellets.

Provide unlimited pellets to a doe when she is pregnant or nursing, and provide unlimited pellets to young bunnies until they reach butchering age. (If you keep them past that point, look up the right amount of pellets for adults of that kind & size.)

Oh, I forgot to mention this.

Also, alfalfa hay should be fed to rabbits under the age of 6 months. This is higher in protein and calcium, which will help them grow strong and healthy. Once they are 6 months old they should be transitioned to Timothy hay (orchard grass, meadow hay, and oat hay are good as well)