What Rabbit Breed?

[BunnyRabbitMania]

Alright, so I am going to tell you a little bit about my home and the breeds available to me.

 Housing:

Although it is not recommended to keep rabbits outside, that is where my rabbits will be staying. Now, before anyone starts explaining the dangers, etc, lets me explain how they will be living outside.
When I was a kid, (MOD EDIT) we had a wooden playhouse built that was more like a small house. It had a bottom level (completely closed in with windows and doors) and a top level, (completely closed in with windows and doors) The rabbits would be staying on the top level of this play house, All play items and open doors have been closed in so its just a small room now. 6 x 5 or bigger. Due to the houses pentagon shape, im not 100 % sure. There is a couple of windows and a latter that leads up to the door. We are also considering adding shutters to the doors and windows (are covered in chicken wire) to close and latch at night and in bad bunny weather.

 Loneliness:

We are planning on getting a bonded pair of Rabbits, so when I am not outside, they have each other to keep them happy. I will go out twice a day, rain, snow or sun Once around Lunch and once around dinner. They will get veggies 4+ times a week, and each time I go out I will fill water and hay racks. On sunny days, the rabbits will have a play pen they can go out into, and I will be in there the whole time watching to prevent birds or other dangerous animals from getting them. They will have lots of toys and a box or wooden house to sleep in. They would have seperate food & water on opposite sides of the cage just in case of territorial issues.

Our Weather:

As living in North Carolina, we have no dry season. Our winters usually stay 20 degrees above (Fahrenheit) and our summers barely make it up to 100 degrees. Spring and Fall are Warm and Cool. Perfect rabbit temperature. If it does get below 20 or above 100, If it gets to hot, we’ll use a frozen ice pack or water bottle and ice in there water for the hot months or bring them in if it gets to cold. How cold is to cold? We are able to house them in the garage if we have do. There housing is usually very cool anyways, but we want to do whats best if the bunny. If it is just way to hot or way to cold, i could probably convince my parents into letting them stay in our bonus room.

 Breeds available:

 Which are the friendliest, and best breeds for our home?

 

Netherland Dwarf Rabbits
• Mini Lop Rabbits
• Holland Lop Rabbits
• Dutch Rabbits
• Mini Rex Rabbits
• Lion Head Rabbits

^ How big do each get? We want smaller ones, no bigger than 4lbs. I am a first time owner.

 

[MoveDiagonally]

BunnyRabbitMania – I edited out your age on this post as well. We do not allow members under the age of 18 to post their exact age.

[MoveDiagonally]

 As I said in your other post, I would re-evaluate your situation and consider whether or not a rabbit is a good pet for you right now.

We are planning on getting a bonded pair of Rabbits, so when I am not outside, they have each other to keep them happy. I will go out twice a day, rain, snow or sun Once around Lunch and once around dinner. They will get veggies 4+ times a week, and each time I go out I will fill water and hay racks. On sunny days, the rabbits will have a play pen they can go out into, and I will be in there the whole time watching to prevent birds or other dangerous animals from getting them. They will have lots of toys and a box or wooden house to sleep in. They would have seperate food & water on opposite sides of the cage just in case of territorial issues.

A pair of rabbits still need lots of attention. Seeing them twice a day for feeding is not enough. Having them just to have them is not fair to them. 

They need veggies everyday. Please check out the diet information here:

http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/
http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

Feeding them on separate sides of the cage is not necessary if they are bonded. If you get baby rabbits they will need to be spayed/neutered before they can live together and be bonded. Bonding is very time consuming and there’s no guarantees that two rabbits will get along.You can look into adopting already bonded pairs but most rescues do not adopt to outdoor homes. 

As living in North Carolina, we have no dry season. Our winters usually stay 20 degrees above (Fahrenheit) and our summers barely make it up to 100 degrees. Spring and Fall are Warm and Cool. Perfect rabbit temperature. If it does get below 20 or above 100, If it gets to hot, we’ll use a frozen ice pack or water bottle and ice in there water for the hot months or bring them in if it gets to cold. How cold is to cold? We are able to house them in the garage if we have do. There housing is usually very cool anyways, but we want to do whats best if the bunny. If it is just way to hot or way to cold, i could probably convince my parents into letting them stay in our bonus room.

Anything hotter than 80 degrees is too hot and ice will not be enough to cool them. If you have room in your bonus room can they live there permanently?

[Tessie]

This forum is dedicated specially to house rabbits, so naturally we probably would all recommend that you keep your bun/s indoors, but as you aren’t interested in that advice, perhaps we can help you with your other questions.

It’s great that you’re doing lots of research and thinking carefully about getting a bunny.

Just a couple of things I thought I would mention after reading your post.
I think it’s a good idea to get a bonded pair so they have company – are you planning to adopt from a shelter? I think that would be a good option for you.
Adult rabbits will need veggies everyday.
Temperature wise, buns cope much better with cold weather than with hot weather, and precautions need to be made to keep them cool at above around 82 degrees, as this is when they get too hot.
Bonded bunnies shouldn’t have territorial issues.

I’m having slight trouble picturing your housing. Just to check I’ve got it right, it’s the top floor of a large playhouse with windows that you’ve covered with chicken wire. You say there is a ladder – is the top floor open? (I’m just thinking could the bunnies fall off the top floor?)

As for breeds, in terms of friendliness, it really depends on the individual rather than the breed. Rabbits aren’t like dogs where certain breeds tend to have a certain temperament, it’s very individual. Having said that, larger breeds and lop-eared breeds tend to have a reputation for being more docile, and netherland dwarfs have a reputation of being a bit more firey. But I do stress, this is just a general reputation, and it varies hugely.
If you adopt a pair from a rescue then you will be able to meet buns individually and see what personality they have and what you like.

I did a quick google about size and this is what I found:
Netherland Dwarf: 1.1 lbs to 3.5 lbs
Holland lop: Less than 4lbs
Dutch: 3.5 and 5.5 lbs, with 4.5 being the ideal weight
Mini Rex: 3.5 to 4.5lbs
Lion Head: Usually 2.5 pounds but no more than 3.75lbs

[Hazel]

Sounds like you will own them, feed them twice a day, but otherwise not spend much time with them. Why have them to begin with? It doesn’t sound like you would get much enjoyment out of them that way (and they not out of you).

Rabbits are prey animals, which means they are masters at hiding illness and injuries. It’s your job as their owner to notice any tiny changes in their behavior before they are too sick to be saved. Rabbits health can deteriorate within a couple of hours. How will you notice if anything is wrong if you only see them twice a day for a few minutes? You won’t even know their normal behaviors well enough to notice small changes if they don’t live in the house with you.

Watching them to keep other animals away from them while they are out in the yard won’t work. What would you do if a bird of prey dove down and grabbed one? You wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. They won’t be deterred by you standing close by, either.

If I was you, I would take MD’s advice and reconsider if rabbits are really a good fit for you at the moment.

[BunnyRabbitMania]

It looks like i’ve come across completely wrong. I am not only going to be outside just to feed. I want bunnies for social reasons! One of my friends has bunnies, and thats the whole point. To have a pet as part of my family, and to play and be with them all the time. I was saying, they WOULD be fed no matter the weather twice a day, if there is thunderstorms or very bad weather, I might not want to spend as much time out there. In overcast weather, snow, or anything but thunderstorms, I’d be out there as much as possible at least 2 hrs or more a day.

 

The Buns would be adopted from a shelter as I want to save a life, and hormonal aggression is NOT something I want to go through.

 

Also, for those who thought the bunnies would fall right off the playhouse, it is completely walled in with 2 large and 1 small window, and a door. The 3 windows are covered in chicken wire and we are seriously considering adding shutters to the 2 large windows and the door for hot, cold, snowy or rainy weather. There was a old later that connected the 2 floors together that has been taken out and the hole has been covered with wood (no way a bun is getting through there) The door is on the outside, and we’d have a piece of wood about 2ft high in front in case a bun tried to escape.

 

Sorry if I was misunderstood.. Some of you guys are really making me feel like I am a animal abuser. I’m glad i’ve read and done lots of research or else I probably wouldn’t have known about the high cancer risk in unspayed bunnies. Also the types of issues and unwanted behaviers you can run into.

 

Preferably, we want a spayed/neutered bonded smaller pair, but if we find 2 bunnies not bonded, we will do our best to bond them properly.

[MoveDiagonally]

I don’t think anyone is trying to make you feel like or implying you are an animal abuser. Rabbits are an expensive and time consuming pet. They do better as indoor pets because of this. If you have a bunny in the house you can do your homework around them, hang out near them, casually socialize with them more frequently. Outdoor bunnies require a lot more effort when it comes to maintaining a relationship with them. You can also miss life saving signs that there is something wrong if your’e not familiar with their behavior by simply observing them a lot. Even if you spent 4-5 hours with them unless your whole family does the same they will not really be a part of your family. This is another thing indoor homes are good for. The whole family can socialize/be around them.

Another concern is vet care. It can be very expensive. Who will pay for it? Have you discussed this with your parents? Are they willing to shell out $100’s if a bunny gets sick?

You won’t be able to have play dates with your friends rabbits so I’m not sure how having one will do anything for you socially.

Is there a reason they can’t live in the bonus room? If your parents don’t want them inside what are the reasons?

[BunnyRabbitMania]

Could we inbox about this? It might be easier. Thanks

[Tessie]

Im sorry I wasn’t clear on the housing arrangements you were describing.

I agree with what the others have said.
Is there no chance at all of your rabbits being allowed in the house?

[MoveDiagonally]

Posted By BunnyRabbitMania on 01/02/2014 06:36 PM

Could we inbox about this? It might be easier. Thanks

I’m not sure what you mean? 

[BunnyRabbitMania]

My parents agreed to keeping the bunnies in my bonus room! OMG IM SO HAPPY! Thanks guys! Anything else I need to know ?

[Tessie]

Great news.
Yes, keeping buns indoors is very different to outdoors in terms of what you need to provide.
There’s loads of great information on this site to help you, I’d suggest you start by looking around here.
Have you discussed potential vet bills with your parents?

[Roberta]

Does that mean the buns are going to be living in doors now ? That’s wonderful… They are such awesome members of the family when they are inside with everyone interacting… I was going to suggest adding flyscreen to the outside of the windows on the play house to prevent mosquitoes and flies getting in spreading disease (Myxo/Calicci) or causing flystrike if they are indoors that is another risk that will be greatly reduced..

[MoveDiagonally]

Great news!

If you want to check out some awesome indoor habitats:
https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/3/PID/940/Default.aspx

Really though you can’t go wrong by checking out all our info pages:
https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/Default.aspx

[MoveDiagonally]

It looks like this topic has been semi-resolved now that the bunnies will be kept indoors. There is a new thread about housing and indoor care that can be found here:
https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/128273/Default.aspx

Text from that thread:

This is in reply to all of the people on the last forum about how I wanted to keep my bunnies outside, I actually convinced my mom buy letting her see the posts, she then convinsed my dad, and they will be kept in my Bonus Room. My dad said we could get the bunnies as soon as I have the money for bunnies and cage. I’ve seen lots of people using NIC Cages, how do they work? How big for 2 small/medium rabbits? I might want to consider 2 more rabbits (rescued, and spayed) down the road, can adults bond with adults? I just need to know more about keeping them inside.

We are going to the animal shelter as soon as I have the money. What do I need to look for? My dad said he was prepared for the expenses of vet bills, and food.

Please direct new comments/advice there.

[Beka27]

Glad you were able to work the housing situation out! Since MD linked to the other thread, I am going to lock this.

[Author]

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