Multiple Questions for you all..

[Bugg]

Hello everyone. I’m officially getting myself a rabbit at the end of this month, and I’m very excited about it. The last time I had a rabbit was around 5 years ago, and I was young and uneducated about it. But, I’m ready to take one on again. He’s a fawn Flemish Giant, a breed that I and many adore. I understand the costs of keeping such a large rabbit, and I’m trying to be well prepared for it. However, I do have a few questions for any who can help me.

First, is it okay to buy alfalfa hay by the bale if I keep it well stored?

Second, I’ve decided to go with using an Xpen as it seems to be the best option. Is it okay to use connectable gym flooring(like a foam mat)?

Third, what kind of pellets will be a good option, and can I buy pellets in bulk? Also, do feed stores usually carry it in bulk?

Lastly, if I decide to get another rabbit in the future, can Flemish Giants bond with smaller breeds? Or is it too dangerous?

 

Any answers are very appreciated and all advice is welcome.

 

Thank you.

 

PS, I know that one Xpen is going to be too small, but he’s only 8 weeks right now, and after he’s neutered and litter trained in the future he will eventually be free range.

[SirThumpsey]

As far as I know you can buy alafalfa in bales as long as you keep it stored well….

From what I have seen on here buns tend to eat the foam matting ….

I get my pelets in 25 to 50lb bags but not all brands have bags that big….I dont know where you live but Oxbow is usually a good choice

And as far as bonding it all depends on the bun….but My rainbow bun (a giant Chinchilla 15lbs) was bonded to a my much smaller holland lop Bud (~5lbs) so its doable…

JoAnne

[LBJ10]

Alfalfa can be stored, but it’s not the best hay for your bun. It has a lot of protein and calcium. Timothy, oat, or orchard grass would be better. You can definitely get Timothy and oat in bales.

You can try the foam matting, but many buns find it delightfully delicious to nibble on. That’s not good.

You can buy pellets in bulk, but I usually don’t get more than 10lbs at a time at the local feed store. Oxbow is a great pellet.

Don’t know much about larger rabbits since mine are 4 lbs and under. But I have heard stories of big bunnies bonding with little bunnies with no problems.

[Pandorachik]

1st: Alfalfa can be very fattening. Only give it in very small amounts. And yes you can store it well if its a bale, it will be fine.
2nd: It is ok, only if you make sure it doesn’t eat it. Some do & some don’t.
3rd: Oxbow is a good brand. Some like Kaytee as well. But you should only buy enough pellets to last you a month. Otherwise it will get moldy.
4th: You can try it, if any signs of aggresions show don’t put them together.
Hope this helps (:♥

[Bugg]

Thanks to all of you, I forgot that alfalfa isnt as good, but I’m pretty sure the feed store I go to has timothy as well. I’ll keep looking for good ideas for flooring, seeing as I dont want him to chew it up.

I’ll look into Oxbow, but is it only sold online? I have a hard time ordering things online because i dont have a credit card.

Thank you.

[FrankieFlash]

I saw oxbox at petsmart the other day. $13.99 for 5 lb bag. I think online is cheaper. If you use amazon (you can pay directly from bank account) you can buy in bulk there or smaller sizes. I just saw 50 lb bag for $60 something of oxbow there tonight.

[Tipsy Bunny]

buying Oxbow online should definitely be cheaper. But also, look for a rescue that doubles as a retail store. They have everything bunny safe and extremely affordable. The place I get mine from is a rescue/retail and the Oxbow is half what Petsmart sells theirs for. They also have a website and you can order from them and it is still cheap. All of the proceeds go straight to the rabbit rescue which is a great thing to know.

http://www.thebunnybasics.com/

[Bugg]

Okay, I’ll look in to getting it online, seeing as its cheaper.

[Huckleberry]

The alfalfa will be fine if your bun is a baby. When they are around 6 months old you want to start phasing in timothy hay.
You will want to put something down for you bun that will be soft, like a towel or fleece blanket. If the bun is a baby, you want to make sure that he/she has some area of its pen that allows for traction so it can build muscle in its back legs, otherwise your bun can have very serious problems later on. Oxbow pellets are really great.

Most importantly though, you will want to find a rabbit savvy vet. This means you will need to call around and ask for a vet that deals with rabbits, usually they are referred to as “exotics” vets. You can find a list of good questions to ask a vet to find out if the vet is well versed in rabbit care at http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html You will want your bun to a have a full check up pretty quick and make plans to have it spayed/neutered.

[Bugg]

Okay, I’ll keep that in mind when I set up the pen. And I’ve been looking around online for vets nearby that treat and know about rabbits, and I’ve found a few. I’ll check that website out.

[RabbitPam]

Tipsy makes a good point. Almost anywhere is cheaper than the big box stores. I used to get pellets from a vet that ordered it, and in that case you can just have the large sized bag ordered for you, then you pick it up from them. It supports the vet, but the rescue idea is even better.

Flooring: I wrestled with this when I started with an xpen, and I ended up buying a low pile inexpensive area rug from Target (Sarita got hers from Walmart) then covering it with a 100% cotton flannel sheet. It is very flat, not slippery or hot, but no fibres sticking up that are tasty. The foam is too risky I feel. I tried tiles, but unless you can put down a permanent floor that can’t have the edges chewed, you can risk tiles being pulled up for nibbling also.
Coroplast can be ordered in sheets or squares and is safe, just not for supporting any real weight.

[Lazee]

if you want a rubber matt type flooring I use the heavy mats found at most farm stores, mine came from Farm and Tractor. it’s on a 3′ roll and they cut what you want, there are severa thicknesses, I got 1/2 in. They also have a very heavy mat used in dog pens, most are precut to a size 3’x 6′ +/-. Neather too expensive but it is very heavy and stays in place quite well. Mine is in their outdoor patio area that is concrete. Inside I have tile, and lay old baby blankets down for comfort.

[Bugg]

Thanks RabbitPam, once I figure out what vet I’ll be using I’ll look into whether or not they carry the food. If not, I’ll probably just buy online from the rescue that Tipsy suggested.

Lazee, so far that seems like the best option for me as well because I’m able to get the rubber mat flooring here in town.

I’d use coroplast but I think it would be to hard to find in my area. I also don’t want to risk the carpet getting chewed, but I want to hopefully allow the bunny free range of my room once he’s not a baby and is better behaved.

Thanks for all the input

[BinkyBunny]

 You’ve gotten some great advice, and I ditto what huckleberry said that Alfalfa is fine for baby bunnies.   As far as pellets, Oxbow is a good brand, and our store sells that as well. We do support rescues and so if you are a new customer, when you sign up for a store account, you will have an option of choosing where you heard about us.  If you want a particular rescue that is on the list to receive a percentage of profits from your current and all future orders, you just click one of the ones on the list and they will benefit.  There is a very large list, but many people choose the House Rabbit Sociey if they don’t have one in particular they want their order to be connected  with.   

And as far as big bunny bonding with a small bunny, check out this already adopted pair from SaveAbunny — Large Flemish Giant and tiny Netherland Dwarf.  They were best of friends and cuddled without a problem.   I am not sure how bonding went but I guess it sure would be a little scary if the Flemish Giant was aggressive toward the Dwarf, but again, it wasn’t a problem for those two. 

Edited to add: I found the photo — and story of the SaveABunny’s Flemmy and netherland pair  http://saveabunny.org/node/4733  (more cute photos and adorable description of their bond)

[Bugg]

Oh, awesome. I’ll keep that in mind if I order from this site. And aww, it’s good to know that it’s possible to bond a larger rabbit to a smaller, just in case it occurs in the future. Thank you.

[Author]

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