Apologies, website is currently under construction.
My Practises
Feeding My Bunnies
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/5/9/11594878/7688327.jpg)
http://www.rescuerabbitsrock.com/rabbit_diet.htm
We feed our rabbits a limited amount of Allen and Page Natural Pellets dependent on individual needs. Having spent time researching the nutritional needs of rabbits, i have felt A&E Nartural pellets provide the best all round nutrition and pellets prevent selective feeding. Chudleys rabbit royal is occasionally given as a treat. Unlimited Meadow, Timothy, Dandelion and Marigold, Chamomile, Oat hay, Barn dried, Readi grass and fresh drinking water are always accesible.
Rabbits o out into the garden to run and play every day and enjoy keeping our gardens grass well maintained. We grow rabbit friendly plants which rabbits are given daily along with spring greens, curly endive, chives, fennel, coriander, kale, carrots and many more.
A little fruit such as apple, pear, blackberries, strawberries are given for treats. Rabbits also get natural oats as treats and homemade treats such as oat and carrot cakes.
Rabbits o out into the garden to run and play every day and enjoy keeping our gardens grass well maintained. We grow rabbit friendly plants which rabbits are given daily along with spring greens, curly endive, chives, fennel, coriander, kale, carrots and many more.
A little fruit such as apple, pear, blackberries, strawberries are given for treats. Rabbits also get natural oats as treats and homemade treats such as oat and carrot cakes.
http://www.allenandpage.com/
Herbs
Vary your rabbits diet, improve health and aid recovery from illness.
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/5/9/11594878/200422.jpg)
wildpro.twycrosszoo.org
http://www.threelittleladiesrabbitry.com/rabbitsandherbs.php
http://kanin.org/node/191
http://haydayhills.wordpress.com/herbal-other-remedies-for-rabbits/
http://kanin.org/node/191
http://haydayhills.wordpress.com/herbal-other-remedies-for-rabbits/
Healthcare & Preventative Medicine
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/5/9/11594878/8488036.jpg)
http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/holland,plopp/Interesting
I add bephar vitamin solution and pro/prebiotics to my rabbits drinkiing bottles once a week during season changes and rabbits are treated with invermectin spot on every 12 weeks.
I dilute my ivermectin considerably to only 1%, this allows me to give a very accurate dose and greatly reduces the risk of overdosing little rabbits.
The spot on treatments you can buy specifically for rabbits in pippets are a generalised dose, im a fussy madam so this isnt good enough for me and having so many rabbits to take care of, i can be fussy! Rabbits are wormed with panacur suspension 10% at 0.2ml per kg twice annually.
New rabbits are quarantined and treated with panacur for 31 days to reduce E.C parasite risk.
Rabbits attend annual vetinary health checks and get a through health check weekly by myself which involves teeth, genital and stool checks, then nail trim if needed.
I dilute my ivermectin considerably to only 1%, this allows me to give a very accurate dose and greatly reduces the risk of overdosing little rabbits.
The spot on treatments you can buy specifically for rabbits in pippets are a generalised dose, im a fussy madam so this isnt good enough for me and having so many rabbits to take care of, i can be fussy! Rabbits are wormed with panacur suspension 10% at 0.2ml per kg twice annually.
New rabbits are quarantined and treated with panacur for 31 days to reduce E.C parasite risk.
Rabbits attend annual vetinary health checks and get a through health check weekly by myself which involves teeth, genital and stool checks, then nail trim if needed.
Hygiene
Hutches are spot checked daily, this means all litter trays are emptied and cleaned daily and any other soiled bedding removed. Hay and water refreshed and monitoring of pellet intake.
Once a week I do a full empty of the hutches and good clean with rabbit safe disinfectants such as Vanodine V18.
Monthly hutches are emptied and given a deep clean with bleach/water solution and occassionally diluted ivermectin simply as a precaution against mites which can be picked up from hay and straw.
Often bleach is the only thing that will kill those really bad bacteria like E.C and as clean as i may keep the hutches, who knows can be picked up from the hay/straw etc so in my opinion one can never be too careful! So not to cause any potencial harm to my rabbits i ensure that the hutches are well rinsed after bleaching and fully dried and aired. Bunnies wont go back into a hutch until i cant smell bleach anymore and ive got a pretty good sense of smell, its my eye sight thats not so great! lol.
Once a week I do a full empty of the hutches and good clean with rabbit safe disinfectants such as Vanodine V18.
Monthly hutches are emptied and given a deep clean with bleach/water solution and occassionally diluted ivermectin simply as a precaution against mites which can be picked up from hay and straw.
Often bleach is the only thing that will kill those really bad bacteria like E.C and as clean as i may keep the hutches, who knows can be picked up from the hay/straw etc so in my opinion one can never be too careful! So not to cause any potencial harm to my rabbits i ensure that the hutches are well rinsed after bleaching and fully dried and aired. Bunnies wont go back into a hutch until i cant smell bleach anymore and ive got a pretty good sense of smell, its my eye sight thats not so great! lol.
Exercising My Rabbits
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/5/9/11594878/9497764.jpg?352)
Taking Jack for a walk/run
My Bunnies spend most of their time out in the runs in one of our three lawn gardens, In warmer months up to 6-7 hours and less in colder months depending on what the individual bun prefers. Some of my rabbits prefere to simply have runs attached to their hutches and spend less time out in the garden.
All the rabbits come into the house and spend time with the family, usually in the evenings and obviously not all at the same time! lol.
In the image to the right Jack is loving the freedom of a harness and stretchy dog lead, borrowed from Biscuit :)
It enables him to jump and run with ease while being contained within the garden. Not all bunnies like the harness and lead so introduce it gradually. Most of my bunnies however pay little notice the harness and focus more on leaping through tall grass.
All the rabbits come into the house and spend time with the family, usually in the evenings and obviously not all at the same time! lol.
In the image to the right Jack is loving the freedom of a harness and stretchy dog lead, borrowed from Biscuit :)
It enables him to jump and run with ease while being contained within the garden. Not all bunnies like the harness and lead so introduce it gradually. Most of my bunnies however pay little notice the harness and focus more on leaping through tall grass.
Companionship
![]() My rabbit hutches face each other so even when inside their hutches, lone living bunnies have interaction of their fellow bunnies! They grow a distant bond with rabbits across the way and notice when that rabbit isnt in its hutch or if something has changed.
Change can be stressful for a bunny, even if its who their neighbours are so when placing hutches near each other, consider whom your housing near by whom, We would all like to be neighboured up with people we are more compatiable with wouldnt we? |
Quarantine of New Rabbits
There are many obvious reasons why you should quarantine new rabbits before introducing them to your existing bunnies.
You want to protect your existing bunnies and your new arrival(s).
Firstly I would recommend keeping all new rabbits indoors. You want to be able to bond with them as much as possible without causing them stress and make observations of their behaviour and habits. Indoor rabbit cages in a quieter room in the house are ideal.
You should carry out a 31 day treatment of Panacur in order to reduce the risk of E.C parasite. Any shorter period of treatment will not protect your rabbits.
New rabbits should not share any spaces with exisiting buns. If you do have to share a space, ensure it is one that you can properly disinfect between bunnies.
Always handle your new rabbits LAST and wash your hands between handling rabbits.
I personally do not wash my hands between established rabbits unless i know they are poorly, in which case they will go into quarantine. It is recommended to wash your hands between rabbits that do not live together, however in a known healthy rabbitry, i do not feel this is necessary unless it is with very young or elderly buns.
DO wash your hands between petting your rabbits and other pets such dogs or cats and visversa just as a precautionary measure. Most ailments are species specific but not all!
After this first month, you should have been able to bond well with your bun, any health issues should have been noted and addressed and a veterinary check up should have been carried out to ensure your new addition is in perfect health before sharing any space with your exisiting bunnies.
Your vet will recommend you on if your bunny is ready to join the same area as your other bunnies.
Always neuter and spay your rabbit before attempting to bond it with an exisiting spayed/neutered rabbit unless you intend to breed, which should be carefully considered and researched.
Bonding rabbits is not as easy as putting two neutralised bunnies together.
websites with advice on bonding rabbits -
You want to protect your existing bunnies and your new arrival(s).
Firstly I would recommend keeping all new rabbits indoors. You want to be able to bond with them as much as possible without causing them stress and make observations of their behaviour and habits. Indoor rabbit cages in a quieter room in the house are ideal.
You should carry out a 31 day treatment of Panacur in order to reduce the risk of E.C parasite. Any shorter period of treatment will not protect your rabbits.
New rabbits should not share any spaces with exisiting buns. If you do have to share a space, ensure it is one that you can properly disinfect between bunnies.
Always handle your new rabbits LAST and wash your hands between handling rabbits.
I personally do not wash my hands between established rabbits unless i know they are poorly, in which case they will go into quarantine. It is recommended to wash your hands between rabbits that do not live together, however in a known healthy rabbitry, i do not feel this is necessary unless it is with very young or elderly buns.
DO wash your hands between petting your rabbits and other pets such dogs or cats and visversa just as a precautionary measure. Most ailments are species specific but not all!
After this first month, you should have been able to bond well with your bun, any health issues should have been noted and addressed and a veterinary check up should have been carried out to ensure your new addition is in perfect health before sharing any space with your exisiting bunnies.
Your vet will recommend you on if your bunny is ready to join the same area as your other bunnies.
Always neuter and spay your rabbit before attempting to bond it with an exisiting spayed/neutered rabbit unless you intend to breed, which should be carefully considered and researched.
Bonding rabbits is not as easy as putting two neutralised bunnies together.
websites with advice on bonding rabbits -