Calm, relaxed breed of bunny?

Ok so in January I am going to be getting Bambi desexed and hopefully also get him a girlfriend. Just wondering what breed of bunny is calm, relaxed and not super active. Preferably also a larger rabbit. But does not have to be. THANKS! :bunny19

Larger breeds tend to be more docile in general. From my limited experience, New Zealands tend to be very mellow, my theory for this is because they were both bred for meat and used in animal testing etc, they were also bred to be docile for ease of handling. Flemish giants or mixes of are good too, though they get very big so be aware of what you're getting yourself in for I don't think it tends to matter so much if you're going for a larger breed in general (except for Belgian Hares and probably English Spots, but I don't think we have Belgians in this country anyway). Best bet is to just look around and look at rabbits until you find one that's the right match for you

Thanks! I have a theory that Bambi is an english spot x as even though he does not have the english spot markings both his brothers do and they all have a similar shape to an english spot. I also think Bambi might be a wild bunny x possibly because of his features and colouring.

I know for a fact that Flemish giants are pretty calm, atleast the ones I've had are but I agree Azarane look around at a few different ones and find the perfect one just don't brush into anything because the new bunny has to be good for you as well as Bambi

We have a French Lop, which is also a larger breed and from what I've read they're one of the more docile breeds as well. Our Fudge is still a toddler though and he's our first rabbit so I don't have too much to compare to, but he's really friendly, easy to handle, and kind of lazy sometimes

Are there any rescues near you? It can be helpful to go to a rescue as you tend to know what the rabbit will be like personality wise. Most rescues are adults and spayed or neutered. Some rescues can help you with bonding and the rabbits can meet before you adopt.
If you don't have a rescue close by, I would still suggest trying to find an adult. Even 6 months is considered adult, so they don't have to be too old. Again, adults tend to be more set in their personality, so you know what you are getting. It can be hard if the rabbit isn't altered yet, but most do calm down once that is done.
Babies can be hard to tell what they will be like. Usually, if they are very active, they tend to be active as adult. A laid back baby may stay calmer, but you do need to make sure it is just calm and not sick.

It can be hard to judge based on breed. Some breeds are more known for being laid back, and other for being active, but there can be individuals who don't fit in with those ideals.

As far as I'm aware we've got two rescues here that handle rabbits. RSPCA, and SA Rabbit Rescue and Adoptions. I agree with the above comments though, if you get an adult, you'll have a better idea of personality

As for French Lops, I don't think we have them in Australia.

Our last rabbit was a rescued meat rabbit - a New Zealand, Californian mix. He was the most docile and cuddly rabbit I have ever had. He was a very large rabbit and he used to snuggle with our small dog. In my experience the New Zealand's have great temperaments. I would definitely suggest a New Zealand.

The pictures are of Buddy when he was a baby and one of him snuggling with our dog, Sophie.

Thanks guys! I think I like the sound of a Nee Zealend as they sound great and there are a lot of them avalible here. I'm not sure though whether to adopt an adult bun from a shelter or get a baby. I know it's great to adopt but my current bunny was one who needed a new home and was an adult when I got him. So I would really like to have a little bunny to watch grow up. However shelters offer bunny meet and greets to make sure the 2 buns get along and bond which is great. Do you guys think Bambi would be better with a baby bun or adult? He is 1 and almost a half and is very adventurous and active.

If you get a baby bunny you'll have to be very careful introducing her to Bambi. Baby buns will get along with anyone but the older bun may attack and very easily kill the baby, as he will view her as an unwelcome intruder regardless of her size/age/cuteness. She won't be able to stand her ground and defend herself against a much bigger and stronger bun.

It's safest to house them separately when you're not supervising them, and only try bonding a month or two after fixing the baby. It is a bunch of hassle and waiting compared to getting a fixed adult and jumping straight into bonding. But if you're able to make the necessary arrangements, I don't see why not!

The main argument for adopting an adult over a baby, is that most rabbits tend to get along with babies until they start to mature. That's when personality changes can happen, obviously hormones kick in and fights can break out. So two rabbits that got along before the young one matured, may now want to fight each other. That is the most important advantage of adopting an adult rabbit, is that they already have a fairly set personality and it's much easier to judge whether the two will get along or not. Of course two adults may still bicker in the bonding process, but knowing personalities can go a long way towards ending up with compatible bunnies.

Bandt is also quite adventurous and active, and I had always thought that if I got him a bond-mate, that he'd do well with another that was a bit more mellow, but I'm really not sure.

Can anyone tell me what type of loped ear he is?


~ BO ~

I just posted on another thread of yours and mentioned that his coloring looked like harlequin to me. His breed appears to be mini lop. How much does he weigh? Mini lops weigh up to 6-1/2 pounds as adults. My mini lop is 5 lbs. Her name is Pepper. Here's a picture of her.

Either a Holland Lop or a Mini Lop. Hollands are smaller (usually around 2 lbs) and Mini Lops are bigger (usually 4-6 lbs).

Our Pepper (good name!) is a Mini Lop. She weighs around 5.5 lbs.





Hope that helps!

Rue

Trying again with a pic.

Rue

I'm still not sure. I would love to get a baby bun however I don't want Bambi to hurt her. Bambi is going to be getting a huge new hutch at Christmas time however I'm going to be moving Bambi's current hutch into that. My piggies are also going to move in to the new hutch (It's actually a 4 metre run) so sadly I won't be able to use both there hutches. As Bambi is so active I would like to try and get a mellower, more laid back calmer bunny to make sure they both get along. I do not know for sure but I don't think Bambi would hurt a little baby bun as he gets on great with the pigs and is always careful not to step on them or hurt them.

Adults and babies usually get along just fine. It's when the baby starts becoming sexually mature that the fighting can start. That's why so many experienced rabbit people recommend getting a mature rabbit that's already been spayed/neutered.

We took our male (a New Zealand cross--yes, he's very laid back!) to a rescue and let him meet some girls. He chose Pepper. Or rather she chose him. He would've been quite happy, I think, with any of the girls there! We tried putting him with another girl, but she attacked him. I foolishly tried to grab him and she bit my hand and drew blood. She wasn't a vicious rabbit around people--in fact she was a total cuddlebun! She just didn't like other bunnies!

My recommendation would be to find an adult bunny to bond with yours.

Hope that helps!

Rue

When it comes to easy going, a Flemish Giant is a great choice. Calm and confident but far from boring. Intelligence is also way up there along with impeccable litter box habits. Roxie has an antagonistic sense of humor that I've never seen in any other animal.
Only downside is they can hog up a couch...

Wow! That's a huge rabbit!! I'm in love!