Rabbit Care
I free feed my growing rabbits (juniors), pregnant does, and nursing does. My adult NZs get 1 cup of Petrus Rabbit Food a day and my Mini Rex get 1/2-3/4 a cup a day. I also feed calf manna to our nursing does. Also, all rabbits get fresh water and hay daily. I also feed oak leaves, carrots, or sweet potatoes as treats and mainly to pregnant and nursing does. My rabbits always have sticks or something to chew on to keep their teeth short.
I trim each rabbit's nails once a month unless I see they need it before spa day. Each rabbit's weight and growth is carefully monitored on a regular basis. Each rabbit has a ball (cat toy) with a bell inside to play with. They love to roll them around! Every new rabbit entering my rabbitry is vaccinated with 1% injectable Ivermectin to rid any possible ear/fur mites, worms, and internal parasites because I do not want something to go unnoticed and have an outbreak of mites or parasites around my young rabbits. Every 6 months my whole herd is vaccinated to insure they are healthy and free of pests. I choose to inject rather than vaccinate orally because oral seems to only rid the internal parasites and leave pests on the fur. Just using the drops in the ears only rids the mites in the ears. Mites can live all over your rabbit's body so by injecting I insure I get everything. For more information check out:
American Rabbit Breeders Association Louisiana Rabbit Breeders Association North Louisiana Rabbit Breeders Association |
More tips and advice from Destiny Bearden
1. Give your rabbit(s) fresh rabbit food and water every day. Rabbits need about one ounce of rabbit food per pound of body weight per day. Purchase your rabbit pellets for a reputable feed and seed store so you know it has not had a long shelf life and will be fresh. Rabbits can also have about a tablespoon of treats a day. They can have any crunchy veggie we eat like broccoli or cauliflower, celery or carrots. They can also have peels off things like cucumber, apple, cantaloupe, watermelon. They love berries. They can eat dry oatmeal, cheerios, seeds like sunflower and nuts in small TREAT amounts. Rabbits can eat grass and hay. They can also have anything in the wild that bunnies eat like honeysuckle vines and such in REASONABLE amounts. 2. Do NOT give rabbits lettuce. It can give them diarrhea; then they dehydrate and die. 3. Provide a hard wood stick like oak or hickory. They chew on it and it keeps their front teeth from growing too long and gives them something to do. Provide other suitable toys to keep them from being bored. Do NOT give your rabbit(s) treated wood at all!!!!!! 4. Rabbits can NEVER be left in the sun, even on a not so warm day. They get too hot and DIE! 5. Rabbits need shelter from rain. A wet rabbit will likely turn in to a sick rabbit. Rabbits need shelter from winter wind/drafts also. 6. Rabbits do NOT need a bath. They bathe themselves like a cat. 7. Rabbits cannot take their fur coats off. In warm and hot weather, provide good ventilation and fans or air conditioning. Remember that tin roofs get hot making the bunnies underneath HOT!! 8. Handle your rabbit(s) often – it helps them bond with you. Groom them often. It helps keep them healthy. 9. Your rabbits need to be wormed on occasion. We worm ours once every 6 months. You might see crusty stuff in their ears which is a sign of ear and body mites. This also needs to be treated – an under the skin injection works best as it takes care of the whole body, not just the ears and also get rid of intestinal worms at the same time. 10. Get a good rabbit book. Try checking one out at your local library or you can buy one at a pet store. Find out about ALL breeds of rabbits before you get one. Get all your rabbit equipment together BEFORE you get your rabbits. Think about the size of the rabbit, the space you have, the time you have to spend with them (some are very hairy and require MUCH extra grooming – some are near extinct and need preserving – some are for pets – some are for meat). Look up reliable sites for more information. Louisiana Rabbit Breeders Association is a good source. Also the American Rabbit Breeders Association. 11. Don’t pick your rabbit(s) up by the skin on the back of neck even though it does not seem to cause them pain. It does cause their skin to stretch out, separating their skin from their muscles, which is not healthy. 12. Birds carry diseases that can kill rabbits so it is best to house birds such as chickens well away from your rabbits. I hope you have enjoyed the information I have collected and feel free to contact the NLRBA with questions. |