The Bunny Chat Thread - For Bunny Owners

[EverythingDucks]

How do I start feeding him veggies? I don't want him to have a upset stomach because I'm new to this. Owner told me to give him metronidazole for stomach problems.

Try giving him just a little bit a day as a treat at first. Here's the section on their diet from my article
Diet:

A rabbit’s daily diet should include unlimited hay, fresh vegetables, and a few pellets. Grasses and hay, like Timothy or orchard, should make up the majority of your rabbit's diet. Hay is important because it is necessary for their digestive system, and it wares down their teeth.

The average 6-10-pound adult rabbit only needs one-quarter cup of pellets a day. Rabbits under 5 pounds should have about one-eighth of a cup. Rabbits over 10 pounds do not need more than a quarter of a cup, since it's not a crucial part of a bunny's diet.

Be sure not to feed them these harmful foods:

• Avocado
• Silver beet
• Iceberg lettuce
• Cauliflower
• Rhubarb
• Potato’s
• Walnuts
• Peanut butter
• Chocolate
• Other pet food
• Alfalfa Hay (for adults)

Treats should be fed in moderation. To many treats can be harmful, especially fruits high in sugar, such as carrots or pineapple. Most herbs and greens can be fed regularly.

• Fruits:
• Bananas
• Carrots
• Apple
• Dried pineapple
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Greens:
• Carrot tops
• Celery stalks and tops
• Broccoli leaves
• Kale (in extra small amounts)
• Herbs:
• Peppermint
• Coriander
• Parsley
• Basil
• Thyme
• Rosemary

 

[ChocolateMouse]

badonkadonk!

Right? Just look at how round and juicy! Ad said a direct sibling was a reserve champion fryer at a local fair. Just waiting to hear back if I can get this doe on Sunday. It's a 2hr drive so I'm hoping the owner will meet me part way, but I'm probably gonna go get it anyhow if they say no. She's pricey ($65 full pedigree) but dang nice looking.

Also I have a broken red NZ buck growing out that needs some SERIOUS improvement I want to breed her to.

 

[A Peacock called Penelope]

Try giving him just a little bit a day as a treat at first. Here's the section on their diet from my article
Diet:

A rabbit’s daily diet should include unlimited hay, fresh vegetables, and a few pellets. Grasses and hay, like Timothy or orchard, should make up the majority of your rabbit's diet. Hay is important because it is necessary for their digestive system, and it wares down their teeth.

The average 6-10-pound adult rabbit only needs one-quarter cup of pellets a day. Rabbits under 5 pounds should have about one-eighth of a cup. Rabbits over 10 pounds do not need more than a quarter of a cup, since it's not a crucial part of a bunny's diet.

Be sure not to feed them these harmful foods:

• Avocado
• Silver beet
• Iceberg lettuce
• Cauliflower
• Rhubarb
• Potato’s
• Walnuts
• Peanut butter
• Chocolate
• Other pet food
• Alfalfa Hay (for adults)

Treats should be fed in moderation. To many treats can be harmful, especially fruits high in sugar, such as carrots or pineapple. Most herbs and greens can be fed regularly.

• Fruits:
• Bananas
• Carrots
• Apple
• Dried pineapple
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Greens:
• Carrot tops
• Celery stalks and tops
• Broccoli leaves
• Kale (in extra small amounts)
• Herbs:
• Peppermint
• Coriander
• Parsley
• Basil
• Thyme
• Rosemary

Thank you so much!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Broken New Zealand Red. He's growing pretty well. He's 13 weeks right now and is shaping up only OK. A little small for sure.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Broken New Zealand Red. He's growing pretty well. He's 13 weeks right now and is shaping up only OK. A little small for sure.
View attachment 2320054
View attachment 2320056

Very cute but, that's a tiny cage...

 

[Teneniel]

Broken New Zealand Red. He's growing pretty well. He's 13 weeks right now and is shaping up only OK. A little small for sure.
View attachment 2320054
View attachment 2320056

My latest (Pedigree cull) grow out buck took forever to bulk up but now he’s about the same size (As an intermediate) as my sr doe. It was like a slingshot!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Very cute but, that's a tiny cage...

Yes it is. To be fair, though, when we got him at 6 weeks old he fit perfectly.

Not that cage advice was solicited... But he is getting moved soon now that he's getting bigger. We have a variety of cage sizes, some (like this one) we did not buy or make, and this is the smallest we own. We use it for growing out weanlings and medical needs. We have a big rabbit reshuffle about to happen with him moving into a 2'x3' cage that currently holds a mini rex buck we're going to butcher.

My latest (Pedigree cull) grow out buck took forever to bulk up but now he’s about the same size (As an intermediate) as my sr doe. It was like a slingshot!

I hope he grows like that! It would be nice if he grew bigger, faster, though since we use our culls for meat.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Yes it is. To be fair, though, when we got him at 6 weeks old he fit perfectly.

View attachment 2320090

Not that cage advice was solicited... But he is getting moved soon now that he's getting bigger. We have a variety of cage sizes, some (like this one) we did not buy or make, and this is the smallest we own. We use it for growing out weanlings and medical needs. We have a big rabbit reshuffle about to happen with him moving into a 2'x3' cage that currently holds a mini rex buck we're going to butcher.



I hope he grows like that! It would be nice if he grew bigger, faster, though since we use our culls for meat.

What do you keep rabbit for? Pets, meat, first, breeding?
If it's a pet, at this age I would switch to a playpen. At this age they need to explore and exercise a lot but so you can still keep an eye on them a playpen works best.
Personally, for meat even I would keep them in much larger cages so they are healthier therefore being healthier for a person to eat. But, that's just me.

 

[Teneniel]

All of that was answered in the quoted thread

 

[ChocolateMouse]

What do you keep rabbit for? Pets, meat, first, breeding?
If it's a pet, at this age I would switch to a playpen. At this age they need to explore and exercise a lot but so you can still keep an eye on them a playpen works best.
Personally, for meat even I would keep them in much larger cages so they are healthier therefore being healthier for a person to eat. But, that's just me.

These are meat rabbits on a farm, not pets. To be frank, if this boy didn't outgrow his cage he'd be going into in my freezer so I certainly hope he's outgrowing it. I'm aware of the space needs of my animals and have been keeping rabbits in a variety of capacities for over a decade now. I'm not in need of advice for my setup, thanks.