New to the bunny world ;)

[Picklesmom]

Hello all my name is Jordan and this Sunday I will be goin to pick up a new addition to my family. A flemish giant rabbit. Super excited. But I've only had bunnies when I was younger and they didn't last long. So. I really would like to be more knowledgable before (pickles) comes home. I've read every possible link on the Internet but still have a lot of unanswered questions. So here goes

Are specific colors bigger than the other
Where is the cheapest place to get him fixed. My local vet wants to charge 110$
What is the best feed
I heard alfalfa can cause kidney problems
What is the growth rate for each month
What litter is best
Do they need shots
Do they need baths and to be groomed

That's it for now I'm sure ill remember the rest later

 

[Picklesmom]

Oh an off subject how do I change my username auto correct put on instead of mom

 

[Azerane]

Hi there, and welcome to the forum

All colours of Flemish should grow to the same size, it just depends on the individual bun. The size is relatively standard, but there's still differences. At least around here $110 is quite reasonable to get a rabbit fixed, you could look up the listing for rabbit savvy vets in your area in the health and wellness forum and ring around to a few of those.

I'm not sure about kidney problems, but alfalfa can cause bladder sludge problems, because of the calcium in it which adult rabbits don't process, it ends up crystalising and can cause problems. At least I think that's right. Alfalfa is fine for young rabbits up to about 6 months of age, beyond that they should be fed some sort of grass hay.

Growth rate is fastest at younger months, though I wouldn't be able to tell you what exactly. Contacting a flemish breeder might give you a good indication of roughly how much a flemmie should weigh at particular ages.

As for litter, people use wood stove pellets/horse stall pellets because they are very cheap, or also commonly used are recycled paper pellets. Do not use wood shavings or cat litters that are scented or of the clumping variety as they can be fatal if ingested.

I'm not sure if rabbits in florida need shots, something to ask the vet. Though I think the answer is probably no. Bathing is also a no, but definitely groom (brush, clip nails, check ears and eyes etc) on a regular basis.

if you send a private message to an administrator they can change your username for you, you can find them listed in this thread here: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f39/moderators-moderator-faqs-32675/ Otherwise, they might change it for you if they see this post before you have a chance to PM one of them.

Phew... lots of questions Hope that helps

 

[Bville]

$110 sounds like a great price. I called four vets in my area and the most was $309 and the least $204. I went with the $204.

I like the CareFresh litter the best. It is kind of expensive, but I just ordered some in bulk from Pet Mountain to save some money. I tried Yesterday's News which is pelleted recycled newspaper, but it left a residue in the litter pan. I also tried pine pellets, but my rabbits and I didn't like the pine smell. If you try the pine pellets and like them, they are pretty cheap.

The food depends on how old your rabbit is. Let us know your bunny's age and I'm sure the knowledgeable people here will post some info.

 

[coco_puffs]

I'm a newbie too and can't answer most questions. But I am a clean freak and learned some lessons. Get some litter that won't jam up your vacuum cleaner. I tried the large shavings and it was a nightmare for the vacuum. And, throw rugs that can go into the washer/dryer are life savers while litter training. You can get cheap ones at WalMart, but watch that he/she doesn't chew on any rubberized bottoms. Have fun!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We use PetsPick wood shaving from Walmart for our litter pans. It's kiln dried, which removes the phenols, so it's safe. Never use the Cedar bedding as it still contains too much of the phenols and can be deadly to bunnies. Alfalfa is great for young "growing" bunnies as it's higher in protein and calcium but once they are done growing they no longer need the boost provided by the legumes and should be transitioned over to regular hay, which should be provided with no limit--helps with intestinal mobility and tooth control.

 

[britknee247365]

I completely agree with Azerane Bec - Mod at Large, the only thing I have to add is the cage. My bunny is a lion head half dwarf, so he is relatively small. But he needs lots of room, and since a Flemish giant is even bigger if the7y are going to be spending more time in a cage he needs either the house to roam a lot of the time, or a very large cage. Here is my bunny in his cage
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/rabbits/mrbunbun-310.html

 

[Picklesmom]

Thank u a tone I called 44 vets in my area only 9 accept rabbits. Found one that will do it for 75 others went up to over300$ :/

 

[PaGal]

Find out what type of pellet the bun is eating now. If you want to feed a different pellet then you should very slowly switch the bun over to the pellet you want to feed. You will need to either get some of the buns current pellets from the breeder (if that's where you are getting him) or buy some. Over a week or two slowly mix in some of the new pellets to his old pellet. Start out adding a very small amount of the new pellet to the old and slowly increase the amount of the new pellet each day or two. Watch for any signs of stomach upset.

$110 is a very good price. How old is the bun? If that cost is high for you, you could save up over some time.

I use a layer of horse stall pine pellets and over this I place a thin layer of kiln dried pine shavings. The pellets really absorb well. The pine shavings give a cushion, keep the buns feet clean and dry. Both are inexpensive. I change his litter box every day. I have two so one is in his cage and the other is clean and ready to go.

You will want to trim your buns nails. The only time I brush my bun is when he is shedding heavy otherwise he keeps himself groomed. They should not be bathed unless absolutely necessary such as with a case of diarrhea. Even then if possible clean the bun with some non scented baby wipes if possible.

Flemmies should be fed an alfalfa pellet until around 6 months then be switched over to a timothy pellet. They should be given unlimited pellets until 6 months. Avoid feeding veggies to young buns and when older feed bun safe veggies. Buns ten to drink more water from a bowl then a bottle. A heavy bowl or one that attaches to the side of the cage is best. They should also be fed an unlimited amount of grass hay.

 

[Picklesmom]

Thank you all so much. I thought 110 was high but I see its actually the normal price. Another question. What kind of nail clippers do I need? And pickles will be an inside bunny I'm having a custome rabbit house built for him but he will have the rest of the house to roam.

 

[Azerane]

You called 44 vets! Now that's dedication. When using nail clippers, it's best to have a kind similar to the ones used for cats, either ones like this: http://www.rabbithutch.org.uk/img/s...s-rabbits-claw-snippers-scissors_4273_300.jpg or this: http://www.vetark.co.uk/images/postprocessed/pf0727_small_13.jpg