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crazymandolinist

crazymandolinist

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Mar 21, 2009
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Location
Live Oak, Florida, USA
Hi guys my name is Ian and I would like to get started in the art of rabbitry! I'm just getting going and I'd like to know what kind of environment/cage/hutch/whatnot I should have for me rabbits. I currently have four Lionhead Rabbits of various shapes and sizes.

Willy is a very shy butterscotch colored buck with a nice mane and decent size. Wanda is an itty bitty tortoise colored doe that I bought at an auction. The most adorable creature on the planet! She's very young, just getting her mane. Not sure of the exact age. And then I have two more that I bought from a woman who raises chickens primarily and needed to get rid of some rabbits that got sold to her. I got a big ole silvery colored rabbit that I believe to be a eunich (poor guy) with a very cool light brown mane. I say he's a Eunich because I couldn't quite know what gender it is. I didn't see a slit, but I think I did see what used to be his erm "masculinity". He was in a cage with a female rabbit who is now making a nest so she may have told him to "bugger off" and I also did see the silvery one humping the female recently. The female that was in with him is a butterscoth colored with brown patches. Cute little thing.

I currently have them all in smallish rabbit cages made simply for holding rabbits (they can easy hop around in them and I do cover them at night) but I know there's a way that I can make them a "home". Any suggestions? They will absolutely have to be outside. Looking forward to gettin started!

Thanks,

Ian

:bunnydance:
 
If they have to be outside in the open and not in a shed then I would get some big, sturdy, wooden hutches for them. :)

Of course they all need one hutch each and you'll need one or two more hutches for babies, because when they reach 6 weeks old they have to be separated from their mothers.
 
Maybe the one you think is a eunich has been neutered, Maybe that's why he has no testicles? I'm only guessing.
 
Hi Ian and welcome to the forum :Dfirstly could you put your loctaion in your profile so we have an idea where you come from! that way we can give you better advice on how to house them. I have mine in a shed and the world is your oyster on how you want to set it out and the size you want your hutches to be. If you are going to be breeding your does you won't want your hutches to be to big. we have to use the RSPCA standard over here which is heyhave to be able to stand up on their back feet they have to be able to stretch out full length in their hutch and they have to be able to do I think its 4 consecutive hops in any direction! They can get bored easy and you will find lots of ideas for toys on here as well :0)

Hopefully thats a bit helpful Obviously sounds like you may well have a litter due soon. Keep that doe away from either of your bucks make sure she has plenty of fresh water and an area to make her nest in. Babies are born generally 31 days after the deed is done. DO you have any idea on when she was mated? There is also a chance it could be a flase pregnancy I would just keep an eye on her :)


 
I keep my rabbits outdoors in hutches under a roof covering. Each rabbit should have a separate cages so that you don't have any accidental litters. Make sure that you give the female that may be pregnant a nestbox around the 28th day of being pregnant. Welcome to the forum and I hope you stay to get lots of advice and have a little bit of fun!

Aly! :)
 
Thanks everyone. I live in Live Oak Florida. It's very dry, very windy, and sometimes very humid. Temperatures get in the 90's fairly easy here because we don't have a lot of shade on our property.

My guess about the grey one is that he was neutered by the female butterscotch rabbit becaasue he wouldn't leave her alone. They were both in the same cage until I got them so that's very likely.

I have some old billboards (look into those they're very cheap and versitile!) that I will definately use as a roof for shade. Very strong, waterproof material. What do you all reccomend for the bottom of these hutches? I know they shouldn't be closed completely because poo piles up quickly (and plants love the stuff!) and I don't want to have to clean that out if I don't have to. I think I know a place in my yards where I can build the hutches. We also have a BUNCH of different chickens so I'd like to keep them close.

Thanks again you've been very helpful!
 
Hi Ian! Welcome! For your lionheads, you will need hutches to be a minimum of 24" deep x 36" wide for a mom and her litter. Make sure you make the door big enough to get the nestboxes in and out. Nestboxes should be removable so they can be cleaned and sterilized between uses.
Keep an eye on your Butterscotch doe... if you're not sure he's neutered, assume she is pregnant.

Regarding the chickens, they are wonderful for cleaning up under rabbits, but you have to make sure they can not get on top of the rabbit cages. Chicken poop is messy and can make your rabbits sick if they eat it (and they will, if the chicken poop in their cages or feed dishes.) It's generally not good to keep them together...

You will need to make sure your rabbits have access to an ample supply of water in that kind of heat. If you use water bottles, make sure you check them twice a day, and make sure the water level changes (ie: make sure they are drinking).

Best of luck with your new rabbits!
 
Actually the chickens are in their seperate cages. The only reason I want them together is so feeding and watering is done in the same place. I have a rabbit who is making a small nest. Is it too late for a nest box?
 
Great news!

I was taking a picture of the grey "eunich" bunny with his cage door open, and when I went back to the house to dock the camera I looked back and he had gone out of his cage! Luckily I was able to go over there and catch him easy enough. I figured then was a good time to get a closer look at him to make sure he's boy, AND HE'S NOT! So I immediately stuck HER in with my pure bred lionhead boy and well long story short I'm expecting a new batch of lionhead babies around the 16th of April. I can't wait! I've got a nice little conventional rabbit cage here so I'm not worried about moving the babies in when I need to, and I'm planning on building an inside pen anyway. YAY!!!
 
Boy bunnies can sometimes hide their testicles in their body when scared. Are you breeding for ARBA competitions? Another thing you can do to keep them cool on hot days is to freeze water bottles and put them in their cages--they may lie on them or next to them to cool off. Good luck!
 
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