bunnies

[Mogul Moonshine]

so i really want to get so bunnies ( and goats, quail, a pond, puppies, barn cat you get the point) any way i want to get some lops and build them a 24 sqaure foot house ( in this big enogh ) and have them live out side any tips

EDIT: i live in reno so i have snow and heat

 

[EverythingDucks]

As pets?
That's a bit small for two or more bunnies. It would be a good size if you just had an area inside for them then let them free roam in a larger space, but since they'll be outside I would go a bit larger. Personally, I would go with a 6 x 10 foot area. Are you going to be able to go inside this area? I think it would be best to be able to walk on there so you can sit and bind with them, and to be able to decorate and clean it better. Plus, you'll be able to add shells for the bunnies.


That's what I'm going to do for my bunnies.
A few things I want with mine:

• Lots of large windows for natural light
• Utilize vertical space with shelves for the bunnies to go on.
• Solid flooring with bunny safe rugs and mats
• Tunnels and teepees
• Ventilation
• Cooling
• Bunny safe wood

Hope this helps!

 

[Mogul Moonshine]

As pets?
That's a bit small for two or more bunnies. It would be a good size if you just had an area inside for them then let them free roam in a larger space, but since they'll be outside I would go a bit larger. Personally, I would go with a 6 x 10 foot area. Are you going to be able to go inside this area? I think it would be best to be able to walk on there so you can sit and bind with them, and to be able to decorate and clean it better. Plus, you'll be able to add shells for the bunnies.


That's what I'm going to do for my bunnies.
A few things I want with mine:

• Lots of large windows for natural light
• Utilize vertical space with shelves for the bunnies to go on.
• Solid flooring with bunny safe rugs and mats
• Tunnels and teepees
• Ventilation
• Cooling
• Bunny safe wood

Hope this helps!

thasnks but whats bunnie safe wood

 

[EverythingDucks]

thasnks but whats bunnie safe wood

Most untreated wood is fine, just avoid redwood. A lot of people use pine.

 

[Mogul Moonshine]

Most untreated wood is fine, just avoid redwood. A lot of people use pine

ok thanks all rthe info is helpful what types of bunnies. do you have i am not set on lops

 

[RosemaryDuck]

Pine shavings are not safe for rabbits. They contain an acid that causes upper respiratory. You can use Aspen in place of it though. Here is a link you can read.

https://www.tinytoesratrescue.org/cedar-and-pine-toxicity

 

[EverythingDucks]

ok thanks all rthe info is helpful what types of bunnies. do you have i am not set on lops

I'm wanting to rescue a pair, and it will mostly depend on their personality but I love Netherland dwarfs, Holland lops, mini lops, jersey woolies, lionheads, and mini Rex.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Pine shavings are not safe for rabbits. They contain an acid that causes upper respiratory. You can use Aspen in place of it though. Here is a link you can read.

https://www.tinytoesratrescue.org/cedar-and-pine-toxicity

I didn't mean shavings, I meant to build the house out of.

 

[Skye'sDucks]

Rabbits are fun! Mine live outside and one of the biggest things is to be prepared to know what weather and temperatures you get so you can keep your rabbits cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

One thing I use to keep them cool is a fan, and people also freeze water bottles for them to lay against in the summer. I also have frozen blocks of ice in old plastic containers (like plastic sour cream or yogurt containers) and dumped them out so the rabbits can lick the ice. It's also important they get plenty of shade as well, since that helps a ton.
For winter it's good to give them a hidey place out of the elements; we don't have snow here so I don't know how to prepare for that, but when it gets cold here in FL I make sure my rabbits either have blankets (although these get filthy fast ) or plenty of hay to nest in. Rabbits are very hardy and so long as you provide good protection against the elements they should do just fine.

Are you going to be putting them on the ground or on wire? Wire is great in the sense that it is so easy to clean; just make sure to put some mats down or something solid so they can get a break. If you ever decide to go with a much heavier breed or with rexes, I'd suggest not using wire, since both of those are very susceptible to getting sore hocks from wire floors.

 

[Jego]

Ours are indoors now. You have some great info already.

We have experience with French angora and thriantas.

24 square feet will be absolute minimum for 2 small lops, so I would go up some if you can. A walk in bunny barn would be most ideal for cleaning.

If you are getting 2, I would get two bucks and get them neutered unless you plan on breeding, in which case you will still want separate housing. I would not suggest breeding until you are WELL acquainted with rabbits because they are harder (in my opinion) to breed successfully than other animals.

Does are typically on the spectrum of skittish/standoffish to downright mean. If you get nice does, that's excellent, but once they reach maturity, their sweet disposition can change overnight. They can get territorial if not spayed or bred.

Bucks are just sweeter and more inquisitive, but they will fight each other if left intact. Outdoor rabbits are generally- not always- less friendly than an indoor rabbit, but they all have their own personalities and bonded bunnies are more forgiving than strangers.

Pine is fine for building housing, but outdoors it will break down fairly quickly, so keep an eye on it after it has been a few years. Rabbits can chew through rotted pine in about 5 minutes. Less if they see something fun on the other side.

Pine bedding/litter is fine of it is pelleted, compressed pine. That's what we use for litter now because it tends to stink less and it's easily composed. It has minimal to no dust, so it doesn't cause the problems that shavings do. If they're outside and you have them on wire, obviously you won't need to worry about that, but I thought I would mention it.

I highly recommend rabbits. They are a joy to have. They require a lot of work and too many people expect them to act like dogs or something, but raising them is a rewarding experience.

Good luck!