Hi! New to bunnies need advice!

Hi everyone,

Our family of 5 has just recently added 3 adorable little mini lops to the family, honey,boo boo and speedy. They are absolutely amazing and we love them to bits already.

Because we love them so much (and because we have never owned bunnies before) we want to ensure that we give them the absolutely best life we can, but that leaves us with so many questions. The internet has so much conflicted information that im really hoping this forum will help.

1.Our bunnies are very small. We were told they were 8 weeks old but they look more like 5 weeks. When we first brought them home, their eyes still had a blue tint but they were eating pellets at their old home. Does this mean we need to do things a little differently?

2. Because they are so small, can we have them vaccinated? If not, what sort of precautions should we take? Can u tell the sex at this age?

3.They currently live in a 2 storey hutch outside (on a paved area) during the day and sleep inside of an evening. We will look at adding a bigger run once they have settled in. They have no access to live grass as yet because my husband used product on it before we got the bunnies). Is this bad? How long do i need to wait before its safe to put them on the grass?

4. Whilst they were eating pellets when we bought them, i understand they are not terribly good for rabbits. Obviously i dont want to change their diet too drastically straight away so much to my distaste, we have been giving them small amounts (roughly 2 tbls twice a day). Again, is this wrong?

5.i havr been trying to introduce some greens at least once or twice a day. Because this is new to them, wr have only introduced a new green every 24 hours. Again, is this ok? So far we have tried broccoli (their favourite), basil, mint (they hated it) corriander, baby spinach, and carrot peelings and small bits of fresh apple as a treat every couple of days. Are these foods ok? What other fresh greens are safe?

6.They also have oaten hay to eat every day, a good 2 handfuls twice a day, plus a few handsfuls that are in there supposedly for bedding but they dont seem to like it. I tried only giving them fresh foods at night with nothing but hay (and maybe a couple of pellets) to eat for most of the day and they did eat a little, but not as much as i expected them to. How can i encourage them to eat the hay without making them go hungry?

7. I have noticed that one rabbit in particular rules the roost so to speak. Honey is now the biggest one and has teamed up with the runt boo boo. But it looks like poor lil speedy gets left out alot. How can i fix this? Should i be feeding them seperately? How can i (and should i) make them all be equal?

Im so sorry for making this such a long question, but we really do love them and want to do the right thing. Any other advice would be truly appreciated.

Ps we are in Australia....where are you all from?

1. make sure their on a 'young rabbit diet' since their still REALLY young, here's a link to a good website for a young rabbits diet http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/diet-baby.asp
2. i would check with your vet
3. your doing the right thing not putting them in the grass if it has been recently fertilized, i would wait at least a month. ( i would still be very cautious) i keep my bunnny inside (its really easy and they don't smell)
4. i'm not quite sure what too say on this (maybe you'll find something in the article [link])
5. carrots should be given as a TREAT, because of the natural sugars in it, same with apple and any rabbit-safe fruit. about the
Broccoli, Some bunnies may find this a rather “gassy” veggie. If diarrhea occurs, remove from diet. here is a helpful list of rabbit safe foods http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/
6. i would give them alfalfa, but stop once they get older and transition over to timothy hay. rabbits should also get UNLIMITED hay, they need hay in order to stay healthy, without hay they could get very sick and potentially die.
7. i don't think theirs much you can do, they may not get a long when they grow up. they will start to fight and you will need to spay/neuter them if you want them together (one or two or might not even get along even after being fixed)
don't worry it's good to ask questions
i'm from the USA

Pretty much BlackMiniRex said it all.

An experienced individual should be able to sex at that age (it's not easy, however). If they are still super young, I wouldn't worry too much about limiting pellets (DEFINITELY limit pellets once they are older, but when they are young, they need some of the extra nutrients). I might also hold off on introducing veggies until they are a tad older (if they are already introduced, you don't need to stop), but introducing veggies can cause diarrhea. In kittens that are very young, this can kill them. I personally would probably introduce a new veggie only once every week or so.

Thank you both so much. Your advice was great and the article was very very helpful

Er... buying 3 unsexed rabbits, especially not knowing much about rabbits, was not a wise move. You do realize that there is a big possibility they won't get along as they grow up and that you'll need to keep them separated for the rest of their lives (possibly the next 12 years), especially if you end up with more than one male? It will be tough to manage, considering that rabbits need a big living space and more than 4-5 hours outside of their cage everyday (you won't be able to make them go outside together if they don't get along, so you'll need different areas for them to romp in). It will also cost quite a lot to have them spayed / neutered (it's absolutely imperative with multiple rabbits to avoid ending up with territorial / dirty / aggressive rabbits - not even talking about cancers / mastitis which are about unavoidable for unspayed females...), I'd say around 400 - 500 $.

Regarding your questions : you can't constantly move a rabbit from inside to outside. If I'm not wrong, you being from Australia, it must be about summertime where you live. Rabbits are very sensitive to hot temperatures. Don't live them outside when it's really hot! Last summer was very hot in Europe and in the US and a lot of rabbits kept outside died from the heat / deshydratation / fly strikes. Those deaths are very quick, you might put a healthy bunny outside and find him convulsing and dying when you check on him later.
When winter comes, if you move rabbits from inside to outside, the changes in temperature can make them very sick as they won't be able to get used to the cold. So, either you make them inside bunnies and they stay inside except for outings in a secure pen when the weather is mild if you feel like it. Or, they are outside bunnies (knowing that their chances at a long life won't be as good : risks of illness, attacks by rats, problems due to the weather...are a lot higher outside, obviously) and you'll need a very secure, well insulated place for the bunnies.

For the diet and other general care questions, I suggest you read the House Rabbit society website, which is completely trustworthy and gives all the basis you need (they have detailed explanations about quantities, food depending on the rabbit's age and lists of vegetables you can give) :

http://rabbit.org/category/care/diet/

Thank you for your response. Fortunately i have a very large yard with more than enough room for 3 different rabbit runs should that be required. The weather is quite lovely here at present but of course when the weather looks to be too hot or cold our bunnies will be kept safely inside. I have also heard of people providing ice cubes to their bunnies during summer. I work from home so i am always here to keep an eye on them and any weather changes.

In terms of inside and outside, i feel this is actually a much safer option as mosquitos are quite common in Aus particularly in the early mornings and evenings. To limit the risk of diseases i would much rather bring them inside. Sunlight, fresh air andmore room to run and exercise during the day certainly doesnt sound like a bad thing partucularly with 3 children sharing the indoors with them but again this is something i will monitor quite closely.

Thank you for advice re spaying the bunnies. Fortunately for all of us, we actually have no problem spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on our family members needs.

also frozen water bottles work great for the hot weather too

1. Keep feeding them what they were eating at their previous home, atleast for the first bit to avoid tummy upset.

2. Talk to your vet. Vaccinations depend on your country too. North america does not vaccinate their rabbits.

3. A long time! You may want to contact the company of the product used on the grass to find out when it will be out of the soil and root system.

4. After say a week you can begin to transition them onto better pellet. Transition over a period of roughly 1-2 weeks.

5. Stay away from veggies that can cause gas like broccoli. Cabbage. Brussle sprouts.
Herbs are good. Herbs are excellent.
High oxilate veggies like kale and spinich a bit less then regular leafy greens. And fruit only as a treat. Carrots fall in with fruit. For now just introduce a tiny amount 1 veg at a time. Watch out for tummy upset.

6. Try making the hay fun. Their young enough now they can have alfalfa hay until their 6months old. Try other types of grass hay.

7. You did not say what sex these rabbits are. They really shouldnt be living together until their all spayed/ neutered unless you plan on getting them done within the next month. Dont need fights or accidental litters.