Rabbits!

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They will be outside. In the summer under a roofed area that will be fenced to allow some free running area, and winter I think the will be moved into a shed because we can get some deep snow, and wicked temperatures.

Will regular water bottles will rupture when froze? I'm shooting for 3 bunnies. The bottles I saw were about 20 dollars each. Otherwise I use rubber bowls with my chickens. I didn't know if bowls are practical with rabbits. I haven't any experience with them and their behaviors, and whether they knock stuff over or climb into them.

 

[Shadow920]

Can I get recommendations for feed and water containers for rabbits? Are bowls better, ones that clip on or sit on the cage bottom, or water bottles? I live where winters get freezing. I see the local farm store sell heated water bottles? Just wondering what everyone uses and what I should get in preparation for getting a few bunnies in the next month or two.

I am a complete novice with rabbits.

i do bottles all year but they are a huge hassle in winter. i'll probably get some ceramic bowls for winter use. but using bottles does give the rabbit more space. mine are always dumping their bowls. especially my californian buck. he gets grumpy.

 

[Shadow920]

They will be outside. In the summer under a roofed area that will be fenced to allow some free running area, and winter I think the will be moved into a shed because we can get some deep snow, and wicked temperatures.

Will regular water bottles will rupture when froze? I'm shooting for 3 bunnies. The bottles I saw were about 20 dollars each. Otherwise I use rubber bowls with my chickens. I didn't know if bowls are practical with rabbits. I haven't any experience with them and their behaviors, and whether they knock stuff over or climb into them.

tractor supply sells decent bottles for only $4.99. mine survived several freezings.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

i do bottles all year but they are a huge hassle in winter.  i'll probably get some ceramic bowls for winter use.  but using bottles does give the rabbit more space.  mine are always dumping their bowls.  especially my californian buck.  he gets grumpy.

That's good to know about dumping, I'm afraid of them getting frostbite from getting wet, but again I have no experience. Do they dump food bowls too, should they be attached?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

tractor supply sells decent bottles for only $4.99.  mine survived several freezings.  

Water bottles do sound better, I may be investing is some plug in one's, or just buy lots of bottles, thank you. Now for feeders?

 

[abita17]

Wire on the ground isn't the same thing, and you can cover it over with soil so they aren't walking on it.  I used wire mesh underneath my portable run and on their other house they were in before.  They've now got pavers on their "downstairs".  I had read you could just pave the edges, but it isn't feasible, IMO.  Mine dug where ONE paver was missing and undermined all of the earth underneath. 

Thank you! I will most definitely put down wire mesh! I've got a Flemish Giant coming this next weekend and probably need to fix this first!
BTW- my standard Rex is really pretty skittish. Is there a certain way you hold your rabbits? I try to put her in my lap a few times a day and pet her. She's super relaxed after a few minutes but she has brought a lot of scratches to the family because for you are holding her or carrying her from one spot to the next she may freak! Her ears are always back when she's being held (unless we are sitting) So I know she doesn't enjoy it- she's hard to catch most of the time because she runs and hides. I'm not sure If I should keep working with her or just try to minimize carrying her. The only thing she isn't afraid of is our 6 lb dog! Lol.

 

[supersymmetry]

Water bottles do sound better, I may be investing is some plug in one's, or just buy lots of bottles, thank you. Now for feeders?

Everything has trade-offs, but I personally swear by plastic hdpe crocks in winter... In general I use a gravity fed nipple system, it is infinitely easier to service and clean then what you are thinking about.

If you are as close to me as I think you should look into this ...

http://www.klubertanz.com

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Everything has trade-offs, but I personally swear by plastic hdpe crocks in winter... In general I use a gravity fed nipple system, it is infinitely easier to service and clean then what you are thinking about.

If you are as close to me as I think you should look into this ...

http://www.klubertanz.com

Thank you, they have some cool useful stuff. I definitely will request a catalog. I guess like most stuff I will start with what I think is appropriate and figure out what works best for me.

 

[chameleon]

Hi everyone, I hope it's ok if I join in here. I almost came home with a bunny on Saturday, but I want to make sure I'm ready for it first. I'm sorry if I'm repeating questions here, but I didn't have time to read through the whole thread.

1. I've done quite a bit of reading on keeping rabbits with chickens and some say it works just fine, and others say they've experienced some behavioural problems. My chickens are about 6 weeks old now and I want to get a bunny of about the same age, or probably a little older. Will this be a good age to introduce them to eachother?

2. I can section off an area under the dropping board in the coop as the rabbit's personal space. Will that be enough, or should I provide a few hiding spots in the run too?

3. Will one rabbit be happy in the company of 7 hens if they've grown up together, or would it be better to get two rabbits?

4. The chickens and the rabbit will all have free access to the run 24/7 (it is predator proof), but the rabbit will be a pet, so it will get to spend quite a bit of time in the house with us too. Is that a suitable set-up?

5. The wire fencing on the run goes 4 inches into the ground (if gigging from the inside). The dirt floor inside is a bit lower than outside, so trying to dig in from the outside, the fence is at least 8 inches deep, with lawn growing up to the fence. Is this enough to stop a dwarf rabbit from burrowing out or should I add some extra precaution?

The reasons I want to keep the rabbit with the chickens:
We almost never go away except for a compulsory visit with family once a year that never lasts more than 2 weeks. But during the two weeks it's easier to get my neighbour to come check on them a couple of times a week if they're all together than to have to get someone to take full time care of too many seperate animals.
We have a cat, our neighbour has a pitbull, and we're on a small farm so there are lots of hawks, eagles and other small predators around, so the rabbit would be safer in the run that I already know is predator proof.
It gives the rabbit plenty of room to do it's thing, even when we're not around, instead of locking it in cage whenever we can't be supervising.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[User395221]

Can I get recommendations for feed and water containers for rabbits?

For water, I use a 15 litre water container, with a lubing cup attached, same as I have for my chickens. I am neurotic about running out of water, because I live in a hot climate. I don't know how those cups fare in freezing temperatures. In my experience, they will fling any lightweight bowl around, turn it upside down, spill it, walk in it, dump stuff in it. There's a reason somebody invented those bottles . You can get around that by using heavy ceramic bowls, but they'd still manage to get hay in it, so I like the cups.

For hay, I use wire baskets. Now they have what were sold as tables, big wire baskets with a lid. I fill them with hay and they always have it available.