Thread: Anyone here raising rabbits?

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Hi everyone. My wife and I are seriously considering getting a couple of bunnies for the girls. We're looking at mini-lops or mini-rexes. I've been studying hutch designs and I've found a two-level hutch that I really like and want to build. Problem is, I don't know what type of wood to use.

Here is a pic of what I would like to build:



The one in the supply store is built from rich smelling cedar planks. I have plywood and various thicknesses of MDF, but no scrap cedar.

I know that whatever I use, I should have a waterproof membrane to protect the hutch floor against droppings and pee. One person even suggested using formica.


So, anyone out there have any suggestions?

My bunny is indoor, but they litter box train very easy. So it depends on how you want to go as far a a cage, but those look like a good size as long as you take them out for exercise.

My last bunny was a mini lop and make sure you get a mini because even they get good sized. Regular lops get quite large. Our bunny now, phoebe who is 8 years old is a Grey and white Dutch and she is the perfect size. Both are very cuddly and loving, and really enjoy being held. Your girls will love them.

When I had rabbits they liked to chew on any wood available so make sure whatever you use is safe for nibbling!

I used to have a fullsized Holland Lop and that rabbit was a beast weighing 18lbs and can only be described by his name of Harold. My aunt is a show breeder for Lops and I got one she was going to whack and add to a coat with. We had a cage in my room and it was a nice sized 4'x3' with a huge slide out box underneath for catching stuff. Then we decided to train him with a litter box, and used the natural newspaper litter for respiratory issues. Then once he was trained we made a ramp for him and he would run around my room. One faithful morning however he was slow and acting weird till I noticed blood in his cage and a little bloody node in the cage. He actually chewed his manhood open and one testicle off, we found an exotic pet vet. He was then fully neutered and healed up fine. He then got moved to the garage sadly because he was smelly, and was taken care of but not played with. I really miss old Harold, really never realised how awesome of a pet he was when I had him. One recommendation is getting a spray guard around the hutch or they will spray the walls and everything.

So if you have a male, let him mate or have him neutered or he will mutilate himself out of sexual frustration. Its a rare case of what happened to mine, but not too rare

Get them cat toys like the balls with bells, and put a mirror on the outside of the cage. Surprisingly rabbits are very playful and energetic, plus they need to chew or its teeth can overgrow

Thank you, this is all great advice. We are hoping to get at least two females to start, and we will keep them outside in a large hutch, but bring them into the sunroom for playtime every day. In the summer, we will use our portable play area to allow them in the backyard -- supervised, of course!

If we decide to get a male down the road, it would be for breeding purposes. We may just contact another owner about studding -- don't know yet.

Keep that knowledge and experience coming!

I want to see pics when you get them!!

I've rescued literally hundreds of rabbits from death row at shelters, to the point I (primarily a rat person) grumble that I never want to see another. I highly recommend checking out the library of information available at RabbitsOnline (I have the same username over there). They're very nice people at that particular forum, too, which is a big plus when dealing with rabbit folk. Another source of worthwhile information is the House Rabbit Society's web site, although you speak to their representatives at your peril. That latter organization is intensely political and although I'm on excellent terms with my local chapter, overall it's a group that I recommend approaching with caution.

Be warned that intact females tend to be very cage territorial (biting, kicking, scratching, striking out at their owners) and will often fight viciously with each other once they hit full puberty. Something like 75% percent of unspayed females will develop uterine cancer. Think only males spray urine? Yep, intact girls do it too, although admittedly not as badly. As far as breeding, many rabbits are terrible mommies and the results can be bloody and disturbing. That's even just putting aside the massive rabbit overpopulation problem, which are far worse (on a percentage of population basis) than cats or dogs.

Thanks for the links and the advice.

I know my wife wants to breed the rabbits, so I will get her in on the information loop and let her know the perils.

[QUOTE=BlueFrog;812899]I've rescued literally hundreds of rabbits from death row at shelters, to the point I (primarily a rat person) grumble that I never want to see another. I highly recommend checking out the library of information available at RabbitsOnline (I have the same username over there). They're very nice people at that particular forum, too, which is a big plus when dealing with rabbit folk.[QUOTE]

I went to the forum (RabbitsOnline) and I can't see anything but the homepage. I guess I need to register before I can view any of the threads?

OK. Went ahead and registered with the site. TK421 is now on Rabbits Online, trying to gain information on the building of a bunny hutch.



(My bunny avatar)