The Bunny Chat Thread - For Bunny Owners

[Compost King]

We are getting that tomorrow

We were just hit with a rogue band that broke off and it didn't last long, it was much needed too. Although its not really dry its been hot with humid stale air and these hurricanes stir up the air and cool things down. Years without Hurricanes or Tropical Storms in the Mid Atlantic Region means hot stale miserable summers around here. We basically received the best absolute scenario where a short dark storm dropped enough water for plants but not enough for flooding, enough of a breeze to blow out stale air but not enough to do damage. It was the perfect Summer storm to break up the regular sticky humid air.

 

[Skye'sDucks]

Anyone have experience with sore hocks?

Sorta? My one male mini rex had fur rub off on his heels; it'd get a little red but I just watched it and never really did anything because it never got serious. He also died younger (around age 5 or 6?)--we had to put him down due to an abscess.

From my research and own experience, I've heard rexs/mini rexes get this really easily because they have thin fur on their feet and are known to get it. But other rabbits can get it too.

Reasons can be irritation to their foot (too much access to harsh floors without relief, or dirty bedding like others have said). I don't really know treatments though.

 

[Compost King]

I've heard rexs/mini rexes get this really easily because they have thin fur on their feet

Thats why I went out of my way to start building pens for my rabbits, I bought standard Rex and I want to make sure they have a nice floor to hop around on.
I heard the reason why no one made a Giant Rex by breeding them with Flemish Giants is because the weight combined with thin fur lead to serious sore hock problems.

 

[Birdielee]

Hi! Yay! A place to ask rabbit questions! We have a mini rex and in the heat last week he started digging. He's halfway to china by now. I'm really enjoying letting him play, but I'm wondering .. is this 80% or more likely to cause his death, or not really? I'm imagining him popping up somewhere other than his run and being FREE to get eaten. Who has done this before?

 

[Birdielee]

Hopper. Or hoppyboppy. Or boppy
One rabbit, many names.

 

[Compost King]

Hi! Yay! A place to ask rabbit questions! We have a mini rex and in the heat last week he started digging. He's halfway to china by now. I'm really enjoying letting him play, but I'm wondering .. is this 80% or more likely to cause his death, or not really? I'm imagining him popping up somewhere other than his run and being FREE to get eaten. Who has done this before?

I have never had this situation but I have watched Rabbit Vlogs on youtube and a guy who kept a colony of rabbits that he allowed to tunnel had some escape and alls they did was go eat some grass and come back. I guess he filled in the escape holes some how. I want to allow my rabbits to dig their own holes one day and when I do it Will just build a giant cage and bury it down in the dirt so even if they dig they are stuck in a cage. I haven't done this here because my land is too flat and a drainage basin for the neighborhood during heavy rains. I would have to do this in a raised bed situation and import (pay for) dirt to fill it. I like the idea of letting rabbits dig their own dens though.

 

[igorsMistress]

Anyone have experience with sore hocks?

Not us. I add fresh hay to the litter box a couple times a day and switch them out every couple of days. There's some tile in the pen for chilling but mostly carpet.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Hi! Yay! A place to ask rabbit questions! We have a mini rex and in the heat last week he started digging. He's halfway to china by now. I'm really enjoying letting him play, but I'm wondering .. is this 80% or more likely to cause his death, or not really? I'm imagining him popping up somewhere other than his run and being FREE to get eaten. Who has done this before?

Digging is super normal and good for them (part of why I like solid floors with litter). But if it's getting close to the fenceline or particularly long it might be good to collapse it and fill the hole back in, especially if predators are a concern. They can always dig another.

 

[Compost King]

I got bored and spent some time with the female rabbit in her new pen, I took a picture of her "litter box" she choose where she wanted to do her business and it was in a gutter like area next to the shed the Pen was build against. The paver floor was build while this was a coop and there was a small gap that I had to buy smaller thinner pavers , at the bottom of the wall is Hardware cloth from the shed fairly deep into the ground. excess water will just go under the shed where a french drain runs out to the road. So its like a gutter and the rabbit choose to make her bathroom area in the front corner by the door which makes Compost Harvesting so easy for me. I put in Saw dust to collect the urine and I can scoop it out when ever I feel it needs to be cleaned out. If its full of bugs and worms I would dump it in a chicken run where it can compost for a while and eventually it will end up in a compost pile a after that. So far I am liking the pen. Not sure if the paver (concrete) floor is good for rabbits yet. I am still designing the inside based on how the female acts in the pen. I am going to line the tunnel area with straw when I start breeding her so she can make her own nesting area in one of the compartments.

You can see the "tunnels" the compartments are the holes in concrete blocks. you can see the water bowl and a pot of grass... The tree I tried to grow died and all the weeds were grasses so I dropped in for the rabbit to nibble on. She nibbled on some of it, ate some pellets, and ate some hay. She seems to like a variety of foods instead of eating just one thing.

 

[Birdielee]

His run is on the fenceline. The original angle of the hole wasn't toward the fence, but im sure he has to have turned one way or another by now. I did mention it to my neighbor, in case he pops up in his backyard. Other than that, my idea is to pop a metal dog cage on top of his escape holes when he opens them.
There's a farm in my area where there's a domestic rabbit warren; super cool.
One night Hopper didn't come in to his hutch for the night. I sure was happy he made it through. Since then, he's come in all nights (about 4 since then). Maybe it will be ok for him to stay outside when he's got his tunnel all fixed up, but he's still pulling a lot of dirt out every day. It's so cute- he pushes the loose dirt around with his front feet or his nose. He's spreading it out.
His (wire-covered) run is inside of my fenced garden, and next to the neighbor's fenced back yard. We do have predators, though.