What Rabbits Do You Have? Show Off Your Rabbits Here!

[chicken farmer]

I'm wanting to get my rabbits out of the cage and will very soon,a rabbit's life isn't to sit on a wire floor cage that's small. There real life is to run,hop,dig,nibble grass,lay in the sun and shade,and just be rabbits. I'm gonna dig down a couple feet than put wire than fill it back up and fence that area in than put a little house/box in there than put the rabbits in once the weeds and grass have grown a bit. I can't wait till they get out of the cages and into there pen where they can dig tunnels,live together,and live a happier/healthier,natural life!! If you have done this PLEASE post pics or what you did thanks!!!!

 

[Bunnylady]

I had a friend who tried to raise rabbits on the ground. She had Holland Lops, Netherland Dwarfs, and Mini Rex in separate pens. She lost rabbits to hawks, owls, dogs, cats, foxes, snakes, rain (water ran down the burrow holes and drowned the babies) and unknown causes (rabbits that just disappeared or were found dead with no obvious injuries). Sometimes it was the rabbits tearing each other up, because some rabbits just don't get along. The worst thing was, she was raising these animals to sell the babies as pets. Because the babies weren't getting handled from birth, they were as wild as, well, rabbits, and really didn't make good pets.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I had a friend who tried to raise rabbits on the ground. She had Holland Lops, Netherland Dwarfs, and Mini Rex in separate pens. She lost rabbits to hawks, owls, dogs, cats, foxes, snakes, rain (water ran down the burrow holes and drowned the babies) and unknown causes (rabbits that just disappeared or were found dead with no obvious injuries). Sometimes it was the rabbits tearing each other up, because some rabbits just don't get along. The worst thing was, she was raising these animals to sell the babies as pets. Because the babies weren't getting handled from birth, they were as wild as, well, rabbits, and really didn't make good pets.

She left them in pens to make their own burrows and such? Those dwarfed breeds? Hm, good experiment, but sounded pretty futile right from the get go.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I'm wanting to get my rabbits out of the cage and will very soon,a rabbit's life isn't to sit on a wire floor cage that's small. There real life is to run,hop,dig,nibble grass,lay in the sun and shade,and just be rabbits. I'm gonna dig down a couple feet than put wire than fill it back up and fence that area in than put a little house/box in there than put the rabbits in once the weeds and grass have grown a bit. I can't wait till they get out of the cages and into there pen where they can dig tunnels,live together,and live a happier/healthier,natural life!! If you have done this PLEASE post pics or what you did thanks!!!!

There's a very defined line between domestic rabbits and 'wild' rabbits. I bet if you tried to turn a domestic rabbit loose in the wild, you'd have a dead bunny within a day.

My rabbits are Holland Lops. I have two does, and one buck. My buck lives on the ground in a mobile hutch, while my two does live in a raised hutch. I let all my rabbits out in an old batting cage we have, and they just love it.

 

[Bunnylady]

There's a very defined line between domestic rabbits and 'wild' rabbits. I bet if you tried to turn a domestic rabbit loose in the wild, you'd have a dead bunny within a day.

The House Rabbit Society has a poster that reads, "When you turn your rabbit loose, you don't 'make him free,' you make him lunch."

Wild rabbits are hyper vigilant. They have to be, because they are small herbivores. When you are a small herbivore, it seems like everything tries to eat you, so every movement, every sound, every change in your environment is potentially life threatening. We humans don't really enjoy being around animals that nearly die of fright at the mere sight of us, so over the generations, we have bred a lot of the jumpiness out of our domestic rabbits. There is only so much we can do, though. They may have been pets for many generations, but certain instincts are still there. Rabbits are still terrified of things that flap overhead or slither on the ground, for example - I have many times seen rabbits go nuts when even a small snake crawls through the rabbitry. Lots of people manage to keep rabbits in a colony setting, but they have the same security issues that any keeper of small, tasty animals have, and they usually see their animals lose their "petness' as they realize their vulnerabilty on the ground.

 

[kacklinkelly]

We keep our NZX in a wire floored outdoor wooden hutch. We put large tile in there for them to lay on, a block of wood and a toy. When I get home from work, they are let out to run around the yard, dig, binky, stretch out and everything else bunnies like to do. They usually get an hour or two before they go back inside. On the weekend, they have longer time periods to be outside the hutch. They have calmed down alot but still remain vigilant and fast. They don't freak out over every noise they hear. We have lots of areas in the yard for them to find shade and hide as well as multiple water locations. The other morning, I went out to feed them. It was still dark out but the sun was starting to rise. I heard an owl, looked up and could see the silouette of a HUGE owl on the neighbors rooftop fluffing its wings. I was so thankful for our hutch and having them tucked away overnight.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

We keep our NZX in a wire floored outdoor wooden hutch.  We put large tile in there for them to lay on, a block of wood and a toy.  When I get home from work, they are let out to run around the yard, dig, binky, stretch out and everything else bunnies like to do.  They usually get an hour or two before they go back inside.  On the weekend, they have longer time periods to be outside the hutch.  They have calmed down alot but still remain vigilant and fast.  They don't freak out over every noise they hear. We have lots of areas in the yard for them to find shade and hide as well as multiple water locations.  The other morning, I went out to feed them. It was still dark out but the sun was starting to rise.  I heard an owl, looked up and could see the silouette of a HUGE owl on the neighbors rooftop fluffing its wings.  I was so thankful for our hutch and having them tucked away overnight.   

Similar to what I aim for. They are safely hutched at night but have a safe area to play on the ground where they can run and hide. I used to have does and they dug out. Not good, ended up at the neighnor's house. Now I have neutered bucks and there's no problem.

 

[Silver Bantam]

Netherland Dwarfs aren't on the list!?! Why?!? ( )
These are some oldish photos of a litter we had a few months ago

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I have a question for all you with big rabbits or meat rabbits!
So I know, like many people on here, that I'm always looking for ways to keep our rabbits happier and healthier. I like to give my rabbits toys when I can, and I'd love to buy the nice toys from the store but they are always destroyed really fast or not sized for rabbits 8+LBs.
I have some sources for good materials to build scaled up versions of the types of edible-safe rabbit toys you find in stores. Built with cardboard, natural glues, hay, nice plants cut from my own chemical-free property... I know a lot of folks find things on their own property to give to their rabbits for entertainment, but I was wondering if there's anyone here who would be interested in being able to buy toys like this for their own large-breed rabbits should I produce them? Just feeling out the market as it were.
I know boredom in rabbits causes a lot of behavioral issues, and not everyone has all day to spend making their rabbits nice toys, and this might be a good solution to over-priced toys that last all of 10 seconds from the pet stores. :3

 

[kacklinkelly]

Interesting idea. I am one that uses what I have around or can rig up myself. Best of luck.