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cheekynj

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Hi peoples,

I've been snooping on here for some time now lol. I've had rabbits before, but years ago. I now have an almost 10 month old son and would like to get into rabbits again (maybe).
Anys, my question is, what is the most placid breed of bunny for my son and I? I have been looking toward the mini lop variety, dutch and New Zealand. But would love some advice from you guys


Thanks :bunnydance:
 
Hi Denise, whats there personality like and how big can they grow??? Thank you for thewelcome too:purplepansy:
 
http://www.nffgrb.com/

Well My sandy boy might get to about 20 lbs, I was told by the breeder. They r called the Gental Giants, and they do get big. Mt Black Boy I am guessing will b 13 lbs IDK for sure he is tiny. They r like dogs. I do daycare and mine wonder around with the kids and they r real good with my own 2 sons also. My boy Jay Jay is 4-5 months old or so and is about 10lbs. He is fully litter trained and and is a free range bun 85% of the time.

Check out my blog you can see all my pics.
 
Large and giant breeds tend to be calmer and more willing to just sit there are be loved. Smaller and dwarf breeds tend to be more high strung and want to move around a lot and not sit still. There are of course exceptions to these rules and you should look more at the personality of the individual rabbit.

As you do have a young son, I would avoid small breeds that he would want to pick up and cuddle. Kids can break things and be rough with animals without meaning to. A small rabbit could be easily dropped or jump out of his arms and get hurt or hurt your son. A larger rabbit would be harder for him to hold and some are more willing to just sit and be pet. You would of course, have to monitor your son around the rabbits and teach him how to handle and interact with them.

If you have a shelter or rescue near you, that would be a good place to find the right rabbit for you and your son. I would look at rabbits that weight at least 5 pounds and are calm. Getting a spayed or neutered one would be a very good idea.


 
Thanks Kate and Denise thats great information. Keep them coming people. Im really interested in opinions.

I did think of a British Giant rabbit. What are they like???
 
UMMM IDK great question...I would ask these questions in a thread in the Breeders Section on RO I think you will get better results.
 
cheekynj wrote:
I did think of a British Giant rabbit. What are they like???
That's my dream bunny....super adorable!
 
Cool Cheryl! What are they like??? Are they placid??? Ive heard that they are? Is that true
 
I have heard that they are very placid bunny's as well...very docile....i don't know a great deal about them,but i have wanted one for a long time now...i never knew about them before i owned bunnies.
 
Oh dear! No mention of the fantastic, wonderful, special, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Dutchs!

Dutches are known for being one of the most placid, loving, inquisitive and calm rabbits!

I would definitely recommend a Dutch for a beginner owner.
 
I find that the bigger bunnies (I breed flemish giants) are more like having a puppy/dog around than a bunny. They are a much different experience and more "pet-like" for people who are used to being around dogs and cats. I think this is partly because they are so large and need so much "out" time.
 
Even though dutch rabbits are smaller, I am a fan of them. They've always seemed more docile... and then yeah I agree some of the larger breeds are good too.

It depends on the size you want in your house. Rabbits to me are kind of like dogs, yeah you can have a really good individual, but not every individual works out to be a sweet pet. I personally wouldn't get a flemish giant for a young kid. For the simple face that IF the rabbit does get angry that is one heck of a hurting he can give a child. I'm not saying it would, but thats something to consider.....also that a child wants to pick of a bunny a lot, 15 or more pounds may not be the best. The Flemish I had in the past were not fans of being lugged around.. I think I just had the bad eggs in that though! My neice is just turning 3, and she wouldn't hurt any animal shes very gentle, but she likes to pick it up and hold it...and I just know I wouldn't hand her a flemish giant even though I ADORE the breed myself.


You mentioned New Zeland, I've almost always had great luck having sweet gentle rabbits when I've raised them. New Zelands, Californians, and Satans.


Also, I really enjoy the temperments on the mini rexes. I havent delt with the larger ones, but the mini variety I love their personalities.


Dutch, New Zeland, Californians, Satins, and Mini rex, are the ones ocming to mind at the moment.
 
I do like dutches too, but they are very smart and often troublemakers. My Tony will do something he knows he's not supposed to, thump to get our attention, and then binky away when we scold him. He loves to be held and petted though.

I have a very sweet Holland lop mix too--she's very shy but very sweet and loving, now that she's opened up to me.

Our best and worst bunnies are both Netherland Dwarves. Ben came to us at a young age and had been treated very well from birth, we could tell. He's sweet, nice, doesn't mind being picked up, and will snuggle with you. Frida was a stray and spayed at age ~3. That is a long time to have all those hormones in your body, and I think that's part of why her behavior is bad. Being abandoned probably contributed as well. She's aggressive in "her" space and will growl, lunge, box, and bite any hand that comes in. She rarely takes treats from us and hates being picked up, although she will settle in for a good snuggle.

At the shelter, the mellowest bunnies I've come across have been Flemmies, Mini Lops, mini or standard Rexes, harlequins, and silver martens. Havanas and Dutch can be cage aggressive, so can dwarves. I think though that with a lot of room to roam, a dutch is a great bunny because they're so smart and full of energy, but still love their people.
 
I vote dutch. Amazing rabbits. Very smart and calm even when taken from a bad situation. Everyone is diffrent and I have had bad experianced with dutch but knowing about the rabbit before buying it would very much help.
 
Hmmm, thank you guys. Great thoughts and things to definitly think about.
Samuel wont be touching them that much I guess at the moment but we will see. Your thoughts are all very much appreciated.

:bunnydance::sunshine:
 
I got my bunny off kijiji. I was told she was a sweetheart and all that... She's Bunnicula. She hates being picked up and is *very* territorial.

I say go to a shelter. Most are very good at handling their small animals daily. That way you know what you are getting. Updates from volunteers are typically writtin on the cage card, check it out.

Good luck!
 

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