Rabbits!

[moomoodiddy]

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 just get the regular bottles and end up replacing them every year or so. Food bowls are wired to the sides of cages. Rabbits move and knock over everything. I even tie their mineral blocks. Hay should be kept in a rack to minimize waste.

 

[moomoodiddy]

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.

Keeping the rabbit in its own hutch would be much more practical in my opinion.
Rabbits do best by themselves than with other rabbits, even more so with other animals.
There may be diseases that can be spread through interspecies contact. Rabbit urine has a higher ammonia content. Separating will provide easier cleaning.
Rabbits spend all their time on the ground, giving them more opportunity to find ways to escape and dig holes.
If you are worried about giving the rabbits more space and grass time(many breeders do not agree with giving domesticated rabbits greens), there are two story hutches that can be moved around and blocked off when there would be no supervision. If you have a sturdy enough cage it will be predator proof.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

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.  

Thank you, I didn't know how rowdy they were, so now I got a good idea of what I'm looking for.

If I may ask another question, do you recommend wire of wood floor in the hutches? It seems it sanitation vs rabbit comfort. I have plans of letting them out into a larger fenced area during the day. Whether in pairs or singles I guess depends on the temperament of the bunnies. I'm thinking 2 does and a buck, but I'm not necessarily looking to breed, especially initially until I get them figured out.

I am a chronic over planner.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

​I just get the regular bottles and end up replacing them every year or so. Food bowls are wired to the sides of cages. Rabbits move and knock over everything. I even tie their mineral blocks. Hay should be kept in a rack to minimize waste.

Thank you, that's exactly the information I was wanting. I see some people feed hay in a litter box, so that's not a good idea?

 

[Shadow920]

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?

ceramic bowls are best for food. wy californian had an attached feeder and he wore a hole in it from grabbing it and shaking it. i don't know why he did that but he ruined the feeder. the ceramic bowls are never dumped.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

ceramic bowls are best for food.  wy californian had an attached feeder and he wore a hole in it from grabbing it and shaking it.  i don't know why he did that but he ruined the feeder.  the ceramic bowls are never dumped.

Thank you. I'm thinking heavier dog bowl type dishes for pellets, hay rack for hay and water bottles.

 

[balloonflower]

I have still been disappointed with the amount of wasted hay, even with using a rack. So, sometimes I just toss it on the floor of the cage. My dual hay/pellet j feeders work, but sometimes they don't eat the pellets if they get too covered in hay fines.

You should look at both sides of the arguments about wire cages vs hutch w wood floor and/or ground access. There will be many opinions, and it may also depend on the breed you choose--some are more prone to sore hock issues. But I've read that sore hocks can also be caused by unclean wood floor as much as wire bottom. Personally I like my stacked all wire cages w droppings trays. The trays have not been as much of a pain as I thought they would, and I like the flexibility in moving them around. Also easy to clean. But a personal choice. I am planning on building a couple of small tractors for allowing my buns some grass time when I can get some clover growing for them.

Klubertanz has a lot of nice stuff. I ordered from them for my cage building supplies. Also, check out the replacement water bottle spouts--can be used w pop bottles and are cheap.

 

[moomoodiddy]

Thank you, that's exactly the information I was wanting. I see some people feed hay in a litter box, so that's not a good idea?

That is a possible way, but the rabbits may sit in it and soil it.

 

[moomoodiddy]

I have still been disappointed with the amount of wasted hay, even with using a rack. So, sometimes I just toss it on the floor of the cage. My dual hay/pellet j feeders work, but sometimes they don't eat the pellets if they get too covered in hay fines.

You should look at both sides of the arguments about wire cages vs hutch w wood floor and/or ground access. There will be many opinions, and it may also depend on the breed you choose--some are more prone to sore hock issues. But I've read that sore hocks can also be caused by unclean wood floor as much as wire bottom. Personally I like my stacked all wire cages w droppings trays. The trays have not been as much of a pain as I thought they would, and I like the flexibility in moving them around. Also easy to clean. But a personal choice. I am planning on building a couple of small tractors for allowing my buns some grass time when I can get some clover growing for them.

Klubertanz has a lot of nice stuff. I ordered from them for my cage building supplies. Also, check out the replacement water bottle spouts--can be used w pop bottles and are cheap.

I have plenty access to higher quality cow hay(I know its not best for rabbits but it is better than green grass) so when I want to give them roughage I just throw a handful in and a big percentage of it ends up going through the wire. Its better for them to be choosy than eat what they probably shouldn't.
I keep mine on high quality wire and have smaller pieces of plywood in areas so they can have some support if needed. A full wood floor just seems messy.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

​I have plenty access to higher quality cow hay(I know its not best for rabbits but it is better than green grass) so when I want to give them roughage I just throw a handful in and a big percentage of it ends up going through the wire. Its better for them to be choosy than eat what they probably shouldn't.
I keep mine on high quality wire and have smaller pieces of plywood in areas so they can have some support if needed. A full wood floor just seems messy.

How big is the wire openings on your floor? Is it regular hardware cloth or something bigger? I believe we bought something a bit bigger, I think 1/2 by 1 inch, but I would have to check.