Thank you for your advice and suggestions! I will take everything into consideration and use everything I have learned to make the best decisions possible. If I were to bond two rabbits I would do a longer more gradual approach as stress bonding does not seem like something I would be comfortable doing. I will take a look at rescues in my area.
I really want to give a large area that is as natural, fun, and safe as possible. I do not like small cages so free roaming would definitely be a great option.
Another question, what greens are healthiest and most affordable to give on a daily basis??
Hello! Seeeeeveral things just from my own experience and learning over the years.
Super happy you are thinking of becoming a bun mom. They are the best!
Outdoor. Hmmmmm.... not to be mean at all but why get bunnies if they will live outside? Depending on where you live, they may not do well. They are much happier inside and deserve to live as family pets. They are super funny, quirky and watching them binky never gets old! Mine follow me around the house like Mom....Moooom......Moooooooooooom!!!! Please pet me. They don’t smell bad and there are many inexpensive ways to have a litter set up that is easily cleaned! Please consider indoor buns. Mine are mainly free roam during the day and go in their “house” at night. Mine are chewers so I do that for their safety.
Bonding.... We work with our state chapter of House Rabbit Society and I can tell you- there are dozens of already bonded pairs that need loving homes! Even some tri-bonds and quad-bonds! These buns are often overlooked but since you are looking into a pair, please check out your state HRS and local bunny rescues to see what they have. Most of them are already spayed/neutered so that is awesome! Also, some are litter box trained too. It would be very stressful learning how to care for them while trying to bond at the same time.
Greens..... I have 2 sets of bonded pairs and one solo bun so I have 5. They get a “salad” every evening. A nice, large salad. To feed all 5 for a week, I get 5 heads of Romaine lettuce, 4 bunches of Cilantro, 4 bunches of parsley, 4 bunches of Italian parsley, 2 bunches of mustard leaves, 3 bunches of dandelion leaves and 2 bags of carrot chips. Believe it or not, that only costs me about $17 at my local Kroger. NO ICEBERG LETTUCE. I rotate the parsley’s and mustard leaves as too much of those can upset tummy. They can have as much romaine lettuce and cilantro they want. They can also eat as many dandelion leaves as they like! I give them a small handful of carrot chips. Use in moderation as they contain sugars. My little solo bun gets a small piece of banana every other day. She is the only one who likes fruit.
I get my hay at Tractor supply. You can order online too. I get a compressed bale of Timothy hay for $20 and it lasts me almost 2 months- with all 5 buns having unlimited supplies 24/7. I also buy the “horse bedding” from there- 40lbs for $7. Their litter boxes have a small layer of those pellets with hay on top. I have large litter boxes. I dump them once a week and refresh them a little every day (take out yukk hay, replace with a little new, etc.). That one $7 bag lasts me well over a month too. I buy their pellets from Tractor Supply as well. Big bag for under $10. Good quality. Lasts me about 2 months. They get 1/4 cup of pellets each per day. I give them pellets in the morning. Sometimes they will get squooshy poo from the pellets so I toss in a handful of oats with them until their poo firms back up. You can buy a tall container from the grocery store for $4 and it lasts forever too. Just plain, natural oats.
For a month I put out about $100...but I have 5 bunnies. If you buy in bulk, it really helps keep costs down.
Oh, save those empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls! Stuff them with hay and you have instant toys! Mine toss them all over the place. A little messy but they have fun! They will need things to keep busy! A busy bunny is a less destructive bunny!
I wish you the best of luck! This forum outlet is a wonderful place to get all sorts of valuable information!