Rabbit Information!!! Bunnies!!!

[Akane]

Rabbits are not solitary creatures. They live in colonies in the wild. Some people successfully run colonies. I have 10 rabbits and 3 cages typically in use. I keep a buck and doe in the house in one cage with a backup small cage to move him to for a few weeks at a time so she doesn't have back to back pregnancies. For right now one of her previous kits is also in there until she reaches breeding age. Outside I have 5 rabbits at any time in the colony. Always 4-5 does and occasionally a buck if I want to do a large breeding that includes the meat rabbits. It's suggested for pet rabbits to neuter them and keep 2 since they do benefit from company. They are just too territorial unaltered for the small spaces required to keep them indoors or caged. Mine have a 12x24 horse stall.

As for the rest

Use to the farm:meat and money from selling show quality rabbits
Life span: 8-12 years. Possibly 15 more commonly the low end if kept outside.
Husbandry ease: That will depend on your setup. With mostly wire bottom cages and rabbits in a colony they are requiring less work than any other small animal I've kept including much smaller animals.
Space requirements: Highly variable. I go with 2x2' minimum for the 4-5lb rabbits and 2x4' for the 8-10lb meat rabbits.
Housing requirements: Protection from the weather and predators. Resting boards if using wire bottom floors. They will chew wood and require it to be replaced frequently if you use that as part of your frame.
Temperament: Extremely variable. Some rabbits are calmly cuddle bunnies who will let you haul them around everywhere with no complaints. Some rabbits act like you are trying to kill them and will tear your arm open. This can happen within the same breed so between breeds the difference can be even greater.
Noise: Some thumping and grunting particularly when you have multiple rabbits together but for the most part quiet. I rarely notice the inside rabbits which are in the room next to the bedroom.
Pros:Hardy, easy to care for, require limited space for their size, useful as inexpensive meat, pelts, or for show
Cons: Unaltered does can have an impressive attitude sometimes and you may occasionally get a rabbit that needs culled due to attitude unless you want to spend the money spaying it or wear gloves to handle all your rabbits after letting that one breed for a few years. Unaltered bucks kept near does may spray out of their cage requiring frequent wiping of the wire and possibly a nearby wall if you want to contain the urine smell. Much more of a problem indoors.

 

[Lifesong Farm]

Quote:
For pet rabbits yes. Op was asking about rabbits for meat. You can't breed food from a spayed anilmal.

 

[jsmonasmith]

I don't see feed requirements in your list, but this may be useful. When I used to breed rabbits I forgot for a period of time, that rabbits require salt licks. In my forgetting this I lost 2 rabbits to convulsions much like they were having a seizure. When I realized what was causing this I corrected the problem and the deaths stopped. Some people will tell you to feed alfalfa hay free choice, this can be ok sometimes, but more often than not it can cause problems with their digestive system just like it does in livestock. Alfalfa and other rich food sources should be limited. Timothy hay is better for free choice supplemented with alfalfa, grains, and fresh veggies and grass clippings. Do not give cabbage or related plants to rabbits unless you want a rabbit bomb. They will die from, basically, bloat.

 

[RabbitMage]

Quote:
I haven't had salt licks for my rabbits for the last 8 years. That's something that should be in the feed they're getting, usually.

 

[jsmonasmith]

Actually I should correct how I said that, Rabbit Feed in pellet form is the most balanced thing to feed them and they should have timothy hay free choice for fiber, but what I mentioned above works well if you want to move away from commercially prepared feeds. Just as any other animal, when you move away from commercial feed there needs to be some studying done to determine a quality balanced diet.

As someone mentioned they like resting platforms made from wood. The other advantage to this is that rabbits need something to chew on to reduce their teeth. They are rodents so their teeth never stop growing. Without something like wood to chew on their teeth will grow up into the roof of their mouth and prevent them from eating and cause an infection that will eventually kill them.

Young rabbits can be caged in larger cages separated by sex until slaughter if desired. This helps to save space. They may begin fighting prior to slaughter weight though, so at some point this may need to be a consideration. Rabbits will breed at a young age, so it is important to separate them by sex at a young age. I suggest doing this at weening. Females tend to be more territorial than the males. A fight between females can be a bloody one, so take it seriously (remember Monte Python). Solid dividers are recommended between cages since they will fight through the cage and can do quite a lot of damage to each other, they would live, but will tear each others faces up pretty bad.

Rabbits can be a very productive food source since they multiply "like rabbits", and grow rather fast to slaughter weight on minimal feed intake, and under minimal space requirements. Their meat is very lean and white, makes great stews, and oven roasts. I feel it tastes basically like the breast of a chicken but with the texture of the dark meats.

Rabbits are fairly cold hardy, but must be kept totally dry. When they get wet they lose all ability to retain body heat and will chill rapidly. Wind will also do a number on them, so windbreaks are essential. An enclosed rabbit hutch or barn is ideal. Raccoons love rabbits, and not as friends. Cages need to be secured and isolated from raccoon exposure. Raccoons will open doors or eat through the wire just like with chickens. When I used to live in an apartment I had a neighbor who had a rabbit cage on her patio. I went out around midnight to have a cigarette and saw a family of raccoons trying to open the cage door. I scared them off and let the neighbor know the next morning.

 

[bargain]

In addition to all of the above, if you live where there is privet hedge, it's wonderful feed supplement. Be sure to include chew sticks for teeth growth and alignment. Wood for them to sit on, sufficient water. Shelte during the heat. Many times the heat can be detrimental to them...So, be sure to have shade, fans or iced/frozen bottles for them.

Keep records of age and gender and who's related to whom to avoid inbreeding. Births should be scheduled and you should provide birth boxes, etc. for the mother.

The bunny manure is fabulous for the garden. We love our bunnies and presently have New Zealands, Netherland Dwarfs, Mini Lops, Holland lops, American standard Chinchillas and mini Rex and Rex ...Best of wishes. Nancy

 

[jsmonasmith]

Quote:
I haven't had salt licks for my rabbits for the last 8 years. That's something that should be in the feed they're getting, usually.

Ya you're right, salt is included in the pelleted rabbit feed. At that time I was not using commercial feed and was experimenting with individual ingredients. Thanks for the valid point.

 

[awesomefowl]

thanks alot!

 

[RabbitMage]

Also, rabbits are not rodents.

Awesomefowl, if you're writing a book you're going to need to do more research than this. You're going to need to find some real sources to use, something you can cite to back up your research. There's a lot of good info here, but "Someone on a message board said..." doesn't sound as good as "According to Mike Avesing, president of the American Rabbit Breeders Association..."

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Also, rabbits are not rodents.

They are lagamorphs.​