The Bunny Chat Thread - For Bunny Owners

[ChocolateMouse]

Evening folks. I see we have a new rabbit thread.
I raise Rex, new zealands and some crosses. Started keeping rabbits over 13 years ago with a black mini lop that liked to climb on my dog.

Since I started breeding I've lost track of the number of rabbits I've owned. Currently I have a rex doe, a rex buck, a mini rex buck, two NZR/rex (one doe one buck), one NZW doe, her daughter and a NZRbuck. (Too many bucks, I know. I also have a litter I'm raising out right now with some harlequin rex in it. Very exciting.

 

[igorsMistress]

Rosie is a Terrier (a Yorkshire Terrier) and they were bred to catch rats and mice..
I think she would just want to play with the rabbit. She's about the same size as a rabbit. I doubt she would hurt one.
Teddy would probably pretend the rabbit didn't exist lol

I would just take it slow and see how they do, you won't know until you try. I second only with supervision. I lock the buns in the Fort Knox part of their pen if we leave home. Frank has had an opportunity to eat chicks twice and did nothing but nudge them across the floor; I still don't trust him with the buns if I'm not here. That's a different ball game; rabbits might run, they are a prey animal, and chasing can trigger the dogs prey drive.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Here's some other pictures from my herd, past and present.

 

[FortCluck]

Here's some other pictures from my herd, past and present.
View attachment 2273615View attachment 2273616
View attachment 2273619
View attachment 2273620

What do you keep them in? Cage, free roam, or something else?

 

[ChocolateMouse]

What do you keep them in? Cage, free roam, or something else?

Solid bottom cages, with time in rabbit tractors like the last picture when weather and time permits. The cages we have are pretty big. The smallest is a standard 18x30in that we use as a hospital or kit cage. From there our smallest rabbits are in 2'x3' cages (usually keeper kits between 3 and 6 months), and then 2'x5', then 4'x4'.
We also do things like have cardboard boxes for the bunnies to hide in (the one in the top picture of the herd is hanging out just in his box), hanging toys, etc.

I had the unfortunate experience of doing a colony situation and regretted it immensely. I won't be doing that again.

After much experience I'd say the best size is 3'x4' or 2.5'x5' and in the future I will build cages in those sizes.

The rabbit in the picture with my dog was a rescue pet, my first rabbit. She was raised in a cage inside the house and would be allowed out of her cage to roam supervised for a few hours at a time. The picture in question was taken in an apartment I lived in for a while long before I started breeding.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I don't have a lot of pictures of our cages/setups but....

Here's a picture of our outdoor hutch while we were building it (it hasn't changed much other than being finished).

Our newest buck, a broken New Zealand Red. We got him at exactly 6 weeks and named him "Tiny Tim". Since he's so new and small he's being kept in the hospital cage.

One of our 4x4 cages, complete with hiding box, bunny safe plants to snack on, an empty TP roll to throw around and a hanging chew toy.

A full shot of a rabbit tractor. This one has since been decommissioned. It held up about 4-5 years with light repair.

 

[FortCluck]

I don't have a lot of pictures of our cages/setups but....
View attachment 2273850
Here's a picture of our outdoor hutch while we were building it (it hasn't changed much other than being finished).
View attachment 2273855
Our newest buck, a broken New Zealand Red. We got him at exactly 6 weeks and named him "Tiny Tim". Since he's so new and small he's being kept in the hospital cage.
View attachment 2273856
One of our 4x4 cages, complete with hiding box, bunny safe plants to snack on, an empty TP roll to throw around and a hanging chew toy.

View attachment 2273867
A full shot of a rabbit tractor. This one has since been decommissioned. It held up about 4-5 years with light repair.

I just planted a bunch of seeds so the bunnies and birds can eat the melons and seeds (I’ll dehydrate them) (bunnies won’t be getting the seeds)

 

[FortCluck]

I don't have a lot of pictures of our cages/setups but....
View attachment 2273850
Here's a picture of our outdoor hutch while we were building it (it hasn't changed much other than being finished).
View attachment 2273855
Our newest buck, a broken New Zealand Red. We got him at exactly 6 weeks and named him "Tiny Tim". Since he's so new and small he's being kept in the hospital cage.
View attachment 2273856
One of our 4x4 cages, complete with hiding box, bunny safe plants to snack on, an empty TP roll to throw around and a hanging chew toy.

View attachment 2273867
A full shot of a rabbit tractor. This one has since been decommissioned. It held up about 4-5 years with light repair.

And I love Tiny Tim

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Tiny Tim is pretty cute. We're still getting to know him. He's got a good pedigree but his dad was weirdly small (7lbs) so we have a long wait to see what he shapes up to be like. He's getting his first taste of plants living here. So far he's had broadleaf plantains, dandelions, asters, red clovers and thistle.

 

[FortCluck]

Tiny Tim is pretty cute. We're still getting to know him. He's got a good pedigree but his dad was weirdly small (7lbs) so we have a long wait to see what he shapes up to be like. He's getting his first taste of plants living here. So far he's had broadleaf plantains, dandelions, asters, red clovers and thistle.

Mine love roses, marigolds, and leafy greens