Food: Ask the breeder what shefeeds and buy some of that or get some from her. If you want,you can slowly switch the bun to a different brand. Do notmake any diet changes quickly because you don't want to upset therabbit's stomach. For young growing buns, the best and leastexpensive foods are at feed/farm stores. Heinholds, BlueSeal, Manna Pro, Purina (although there's some rumours flying about badlots), etc. 16% protein and at least 18% fiber, the morefiber the better. Also lots of grass hay. Just getit in a bale. Since the rabbit will live outside you'll needit for bedding in winter too.
Hutch: Could you make one? I have never seenan acceptable hutch for sale. Ever. Some stores dosell them, like Fleet Farm and Petsmart, but they're tiny andneedlessly expensive. IMO, a total waste of money.Don't buy one of the metal breeder-type cages unless you'll be keepingthe rabbit in a shed or barn. They keep the rabbit tooexposed to the cold and to predators.
Outside rabbits tend to get less exercise and attention, so they needbigger cages than indoor rabbits. Personally I wouldn't gosmaller than 4 ft long. In the UK, where outdoor rabbits aremore common and well taken care of, the RSPCA won't let anyone adopt arabbit unless they have at least a 5 ft long hutch and a large run forthem to play in daily.
You can find lots of ideas and some instructions here:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11792&forum_id=17
You'll need to make sure it's very sturdy and has a comfortablewalled-off sleeping area for warmth in winter and also for them to hidein if a predator attacks.
Are you absolutely sure you have to keep the rabbit outside?I can help you build a much less expensive, but absolutely fantastic,indoor cage out of wire shelving grids. You can make it tofit your home. For example, if you have a spare corner youcould just put something down for a non-slip floor and fence thatcorner off. They're not safe outside though because a big dogor coyote (which do roam in the cities) could rip it apart if it wantedto.
Toys: Check the Bunny 101 toy thread for lots of ideas:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12433&forum_id=17
Do you have a craft store like Michaels or Hobby Lobby? Theyboth have small untreated grapevine wreaths that are awesome andcheap. My buns love them when they're hung up with other chewtoys on sisal string. Untreated wicker baskets are also loadsof fun, as are wicker ball-shaped hamster nests from petstores. I stuff those with hay. Two things that youreally should try are plastic cat toys with jingle bells and hardplastic baby keys ($1 at Walmart). Rabbits love to make noise.
Treats: Keep it simple. Raisins and rolledoats (Old Fashioned Quaker Oats). My buns go nuts overthem. Only give one raisin or a few flakes of oats at atime. Too many treats leads to upset tummies and fat rabbits.
