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Forum DIET & CARE Flemish giant rabbit, would one work for me?

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    • Lots of pets
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        Hello,

        I’ve been doing some research, but I just need some answers to certain questions.

        First off is the location and size of the rabbits hutch and area to roam. The hutch size can be as large as a 2 story are that is 7 1/2 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 2-3 feet tall (per level). It would be outside by the side of my house. Personally, I am not sure what combo of solid wood and mesh would be best for the hutch, so I’ll need some help with that. There will also be a fenced off outdoor area that is 10 feet by 3 1/2 feet that will be an extension of the hutch. In addition to this area, I wold take the rabit out and about the yard and in my house a bit as well.

        Next, is the fact that I have two sisters that also want bunnies. Are there any types of rabbits that could live in this type of environment with my flemish, giving us a total of three rabbits. One of my siblings is young enough that she would need a smaller sized, child friendly rabbit. The other is older and would like have less time to donate. She wants one that has floppy ears, but as long as it would tolerate her, size is not a concern. We also have a guinea pig that lives in a cage large enough for 2 guinea pigs, so a rabbit that could live with her would also be an option. If we have to, we could also divide the outside environment, but I really don’t know the best way to divide it if we can.

        Another thing I need to know about is health risk and vet cost compared to other rabit types. I’ve read that they have shorter life spans, and can be more prone to certain things, but I would appreciate more detail on this subject.

        I just need this checked – I can feed hay, pellets, water, treats, and grass/greens, I will clean the hutch out weekly, and I will also clip the nails and groom my rabbit weekly.

        I’m not on much of a time crunch as all I’ve got is a wee bit saved up for now, and I know it’s not nearly enough.

        Thanks a ton!


      • Q8bunny
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          Not a Flemish owner, and my rabbit is a 100% free range house rabbit, so I think other members can probably advise you better regarding those aspects of your question.

          But I do see a couple of red flags in your post.

          First off, there is NO child friendly rabbit. I repeat: Rabbits do NOT make good pets for young children. Are they cute and fluffy? Yes. If they allow themselves to be petted or interact with a small person, is it great adorable fun? Yes. But that’s it. Rabbits are high-maintenance, potentially very fragile animals, who require a responsible and capable caregiver. Not a small child.

          Second, rabbits must be neutered/spayed and bonded to live together. Bonding does not depend on breed, size, or age, but rather on the personality of the rabbits involved. Especially in a limited space environment like a hutch. By the way, will this hutch keep them sufficiently cool/warm? Buns are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations, especially heat.

          Finally, rabbits require care and supervision and interaction – especially if you expect to bond with them enough to pet or cuddle with them. An affectionate rabbit is more often than not the product of extensive interaction with its human over a very long period of time. They’re prey animals. They are evolutionarily programmed to not trust easily and to hate being picked up or held (since in the wild, that’s the precursor to becoming dinner). So if your sisters want a fluffy cuddly animal to be hands on and play with, please consider a puppy.

          I’m sorry if I sound harsh, but I hope that you use the Bunny Info tab at the top, as well as other reputable bunny sites, and do lots and lots of reading homework so you know exactly what you’re taking on in terms of responsability. Making the big commitment required to raise a healthy and happy bun brings infinite joys, and going into it blindly and then becoming overwhelmed can bring infinite sorrows – usually for the poor bunny.


        • vanessa
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            Hi, I’m so glad you are doing yoru research. Too often, people get pets without realizing what is involved, and the animals don’t get proper care.Rabbits are complex creatures. Way more than we give them credit for. They are honestly not good pet choices for young children. Like Q8bunny said, there is no “child friendly rabbit”. I have had 35 rabbits. I currently have 4. My rabbits used to stay outdoors. The hutch you are describing is a good size. Having had outdoor rabbits, I would always advise to find a way to bring them indoors permanently. Outside, rabbits are vulnerable to heat stroke. Mine did fine in the snow. Then there are predators. A predator that wants to get in, will need more than just chicken wire or hardware cloth. One of my rabbits chewed out of a chicken wire run. Outdoors, they are susceptible to flystrike. I have had 3 rabits with flystrike. It’s horrible. The only way to prevent it, is to keep the rabbits indoors, or completely screen off their outdoor enclosure and run with mosquito screen. Expensive. People write about fly repellants, but there is no fly repellant that works against bot flies. I understand that living with your parents, they set the rules. If at all possible, please try to have an indoor rabbit, not an outdoor rabbit.
            One of my rabbits becams affectionate with me after 2 years. One of them took only a few months. Another tok 3 years just to allow me to pet her. The 4th is still wary of me.
            Rabbits ren’t like dogs that like to be cuddled. Rabbits like to be petted, and can get very demanding, which is cute. But they hate being picked up. They want to remain on the ground. They don’t want to be held or restrained.
            Hay – timothy and orchard are typically the best choices. Grass, not a good choice. Grass is grown for ornamental purposes, and not nutrition. Greens – yes, choose greens that are low in oxalic content. Pellets – choose carefully here. Not all pellets are created equally. You want high fiber – I use 22-26% fiber as my pellet goal. Protein between 12-14%, fat around 2-3%. Don’t get the pellets with the cool colorful treats mixed in. As for treats – I use my bunie’s favorite veggies as treats. Sugar is bad for their digestion. Fruits should be given in very limited quanities, if at all. One of my bunnies doesnt’ get fruit at all, because it causes havoc with his gut flora.
            As for vet expenses – rabbits do get sick. They hide it well. It takes some practice and reading and advice – to spot a sick bunny. 3 of my rabbits are typically healthy. But they have each had one medical emergency visit to the vet. THe 4th rabbit gets hsi teeth filed twice a year, and I recently took him to the vet for a complicated health concern. I spend over $500 a year on this 4th bunny’s vet bills.
            Keep reading about rabbits.


          • vanessa
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              P.S. You sound very responsible, and I’m sure you will make a good rabbit caretaker.


            • vanessa
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                Sorry one other thing – rabbits and guineapigs should probably not share a hutch. They have different feeding requirements, and you don’t want yoru bunny eating the guinea pig’s food. They each have their own version of the binky – or the happy dance/jump/pirouette. They land wherever they land. You wouldn’t want yoru bunny to accidentally hurt the piggy. Since piggies poop/pee everywhere, while bunnies use litter areas/litter boxes, it would not be a sanitary environment for a bunny.


              • Lots of pets
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                  Thank you all, I think I may just give my younger sister some ownership over my guinea pig. I had read that some rabbits did better with kids than others, but if not, that is fine. She does good with the guinea pig and her fish (even if I do all the feeding and maintenance). My older sister (who wanted the floppy eared bunny) now thinks that a Flemish would be more enjoyable. I believe that a Flemish could definitely not do well free range in our house (there are 10 aquariums, 2 cats, and a small dog). I have had rabbits in the past, but that was when I was really little, all I remember is that I had a rex bunny named hugs that probably hated me, but I have definitely learned since then and this bunny will be much happier than the others were. I’m not able to keep the hutch in the house unless I get rid of some tanks, and there is no way that’s going to happen. I will look into getting the bug mesh stuff, though, I’m not cutting any corners for cost here, I’ve had entire tanks die out because I let that happen. I read about bonding the bunnies, but I wasn’t sure if it depended on breed, so thank you.

                  As for the sun and climate/weather and such, I meant to add that in, but I guess I forgot. I live in Oregon, we don’t typically get temps over 100F or below 0F, it can get icy (we put warner water in our chicken water throughout the day, so it would probably be the same thing being done for the rabbit(s). I am going to have blinds that block out most of the sun in the summer, to keep it from getting too burning in there, yet with blinds I enjoy that I can adjust how much light gets through. It rarely snows, and during winter days will mostly stay above 20F, but drops at night. A heater can be purchased if needed. Ummm….. if any more info is needed, let me know. Thank you so much!!


                • Azerane
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                    Hi

                    In regards to hutch and run, it sounds a very good size for what you’re planning, you’ll need as least 3 feet in height for each level because your Flemish needs room to stand upright on his hind legs with his ears extended. As others have said, be sure to make it very secure and predator proof. Which means wire mesh on the bottom as well to stop bunnies digging out and foxes or other animals digging in.

                    You can keep multiple rabbits together, and varied sizes/breeds doesn’t matter when it comes to what you can bond. However the rabbits must be properly bonded before they can live together. This means that unless you adopt them already bonded as adults from a rescue, you must take the time to house them separately, get them all spayed or neutered, wait at least one month and then slowly introduce them in the proper way before you can expect to house them together. Doing anything but this will result in fighting and possibly the death of one rabbit. As mentioned, do not house a rabbit with your guinea pig. They have different dietary requirements and speak completely different “languages” which means that injuries can easily happen.

                    When it comes to the best rabbit for small children, bigger is technically better. Small breeds such as netherland dwarf and polish are very unsuitable for children because they tend to be high strung and skittish. Larger breeds are often more mellow, however you obviously still need to take into account the strength. Rabbits have a LOT of power in their back legs and they’re not afraid to use it, especially as mentioned because rabbits don’t like to be held. They love to be petted, but picking them up and cuddling them is not the recommended way to spend time with them. In terms of finding a rabbit that has the right personality for each of your sisters, adopting an adult from a rescue would really be the best way to go. Picking out a baby bunny can be great, but their personalities have a tendency to change a lot as they mature. Whereas picking out an adult you know exactly what you’re getting in most cases

                    Health risk/cost. Dwarf breeds tend to be more prone to dental issues (but not all), yes it’s correct that large breed like Flemish don’t live as long, just like how great danes tend not to live very long compared to smaller dogs, but I’m not aware of any specific issues associated with them.

                    Diet should be 80% grass hay, 15% leafy greens, 5% quality pellet. Rabbits can also be litter trained which will make cleaning out the hutch easier as well.


                  • Lots of pets
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                      Thanks again, my older sister and I have decided that we will get a Flemish and possibly some type of hotot and a type of flopsy, probably a smaller type. It’ll likely depend on what I can find living around here.

                      Thanks again, I’ll let you know if j have any more questions!


                    • vanessa
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                        Good idea about letting your little sister care for your guinea pig. With those temps, your bunnies won’t need a heater. I had mine outside in minus 26 degree weather. I gave them a heat lamp, but they chose to run around and sit in the snow. They never chose to sit next to the heat lamp. The supplemental heat also prevents them from growing their proper winter coat. What they need instead, is protection from wind and rain.


                      • Vienna Blue in France
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                          Hi – and welcome !!
                          I agree with the most of the above. You sound very responible and are doing all the right things before getting your bun(s).
                          10 aquariums !! Wow (now that’s hard work!)

                          Is there any way you could find someone in your area who has a Flemmie and talk to them and hold it etc etc. It will give you an idea of how big they get and how extremely powerful they can be if they do not want to do something.

                          I have a large rabbit (6kg) and cannot control her on my own when she starts kicking out.
                          Flemmies are bigger (+8kg) – try picking up 8 packs of 1L bottles (2 american gallons) of liquid and you’ll see how heavy that is !!! Now imagine it struggling!

                          But keep in touch and let us know what you decide !


                        • Lots of pets
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                            Nextvtime I do water changes, which should be today, I slosh the water in the bucket around as much as I can to get soke practice.

                            Its not super windy around here, especially in the area the rabbits would be, but I’ll definitely look into it protection anyway. Do you think that freezing rain could be an issue? We get tons of rain here, and it can turn into such in winter.

                            We do happen to have the county fair in toun this week, hopefully I can go to that and see the show rabbits and their owners.

                            Thank you all so much, it has been so much help!


                          • Love4Bunny
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                              Hi Lots of Pets,

                              I live in Cali, and you know we are in summer right now. At the moment, my rabbits are hanging out in the kitchen, because the heat is murderous. Just the air is so dry, and I would highly recommend keeping your future bunnies inside on days with extreme cold, heat or rain. I don’t have experience with snow but I do wonder if a rabbit can go into shock with freezing rain.

                              A few times, my rabbits have exhibited signs of sickness. If they had been outdoor bunnies, I would’ve never have noticed the minor signs of gut issues (which are life threatening), like small poops, reduced appetite, decreased energy. Because I spent hours with my bunnies everyday, I knew what was normal behaviour, and what was not. That is another consideration and case for housing rabbits indoors. Just some of my observations.

                              I have been kicked in the face by my 6lb rabbit, and it felt like I got punched. You will have to watch your sisters fingers, because rabbits hate being approached from the front, and some will bite hard. Also, some rabbits like to be picked up differently than others, but most, not at all. Unfortunately, we don’t get to choose personality. Rabbits are like the lottery. You take a chance, and hope you get what you wish for but if you don’t, you just take it like a champ and work to patiently build trust. This may be tough if your sisters are impatient, because who doesn’t want to hug a bunny, right?! (I have to resist the urge myself, because I know a lot of things scare my little girl). If your sisters are willing to work with the rabbits personality, everyone will enjoy the experience a whole lot more. And some rabbits are very affectionate. Both my rabbits have opposite personalities.

                              Oh, and rabbits love to chew everything. Don’t leave rabbits unsupervised with any animals or with children. You don’t want to walk in and find that someone accidentally dropped the rabbit and now it’s paralysed and requires special care, or that the cat scratched the rabbits eye and now you have to fork out several hundred dollars for tests, meds and x-rays from a rabbit vet – you know, that kind of stuff, which is totally avoidable. I’m not saying that it will cost that much or anything, but it can def. go into the thousands.

                              I’ve also read that rabbits carry diseases that can compromise piggies respiratory systems. You may want to watch out for that.

                              You’re doing the right thing by researching first, and resisting impulse buys. You will probably want to snatch a bunny or two up at the county fair, but just hold off till you have given yourself time to digest all the info. There will always be bunnies who need good homes!

                              Good luck!


                            • Lots of pets
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                                I may be able to get a kennel and keep the rabbits inside for a few days at a time, but as much as I want it, they arent going to be full inside pets. I will have the outside area completely enclosed with mosquito netting and I’ll probably put a cover over in winter. And I will have blinds. In addition to all this, I will have the hutch, witch will be well ventilated but with cubby type things for exta warmth type stuff. What would you recommend we build the hutch out of? Chicken wire and scrap wood has worked fine for our chickens for years (in terms of protection from predators and such), but I want the hutch to be built of better materials. So, I would love some suggestions. Oh, and we will have a combo lock on the rabbits living corters to protect from children.

                                The fair will be more of a seeing animals and what to expect experience, I have absolutely no intention of getting any critters there. Especially since all we reaally want is a pet bunny, not a show quality one, like we would see there.

                                I didn’t know about the diseases rabbits can give to guinea pigs, though, thanks for mentioning that. Would it only be if they were kept or handled together, or could it pass from the rabbit, to us, to the guinea pig?

                                Thanks, please let me know if there is anything else I should know or take into consideration! Thanks again!


                              • Love4Bunny
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                                  Here is a link to rabbit and piggie health concerns:

                                  http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits/company/rabbitsandguineapigs

                                  Here are some enclosures to give you ideas of materials. :

                                  http://www.justrabbits.com/images/rabbit-enclosure.jpg

                                  http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/0d/45/f7/0d45f72efb67206c71af88fcec8ee15d.jpg 

                                  One appears to have a flimsy top and a sand pit, but I would avoid those additions and opt for a sturdier roof/ dirt dig box. You also want to make sure that there is sufficient shade, and that the rabbit/s and their hutches will not be in direct sunlight when the hottest part of the day hits. I would avoid materials like tin, and would hit up Home Depot and do some research on sturdy, heat resistant and weatherproof material. You also don’t want wood going all mouldy in the rain, so making sure that any wood is weather-proof and rabbit-safe (yikes) for a DIY will be important as well as tricky. I would put a roof on the thing if you decided to add an enclosure. Rabbits shouldn’t chew redwood or cedar, if memory serves me correctly. Def. not the treated Redwood, like the kind for decking. Pine is harder to get a hold of in some stores (and not always recommended), but I know people still use it to make toys and feeders. If rain is a problem, them I would probably consider drainage options in the event that there is flooding around the rabbit area. Just a thought. Man, other than chicken wire… I am outta ideas for that.  I would perhaps go for one that is stronger and thicker, and reinforce it along the base with a second tightly meshed chicken wire??
                                   

                                  You could even opt to experiment with a wooden shed attached to the run, with a makeshift airconditioner:

                                  http://abc13.com/weather/diy-homemade-air-conditioner-for-around-$8/150681/


                                • Lots of pets
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                                    My mom recommend that I use 3/4 inch hardware cloth instead of chicken wire for the hutch and at least the bottom of the enclosure, do you know anything about this?

                                    Redwood, cedar, and maybe pine, I’ll look into what we have at home depot and Lowe’s and ask employees about it.

                                    Weve never had it flood, at least as far as I know. I’ll still make sure there’s some drainage.

                                    Those links should help a ton, too. Thank you!


                                  • Lots of pets
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                                      My mom recommend that I use 3/4 inch hardware cloth instead of chicken wire for the hutch and at least the bottom of the enclosure, do you know anything about this?

                                      Redwood, cedar, and maybe pine, I’ll look into what we have at home depot and Lowe’s and ask employees about it.

                                      Weve never had it flood, at least as far as I know. I’ll still make sure there’s some drainage.

                                      Those links should help a ton, too. Thank you!


                                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                                        Posted By Lots of pets on 7/26/2016 4:53 PM

                                        Nextvtime I do water changes, which should be today, I slosh the water in the bucket around as much as I can to get soke practice.

                                        Its not super windy around here, especially in the area the rabbits would be, but I’ll definitely look into it protection anyway. Do you think that freezing rain could be an issue? We get tons of rain here, and it can turn into such in winter. 
                                          

                                        Hi LoP !  LOL for the water bucket challenge ! 

                                        Outdoor rabbits need complete protection from all the elements: wind, rain, sun and snow – generally the elements tend to come from one direction so you need to check out which way that is at your home. I’m lucky, the rain & wind comes 99% from the south (and so does the sun) so I’ve put my bunny’s outdoor condo up against a north facing wall. In the shade and always dry.

                                        So bunny’s home should be in the off the ground in the shade and protected completely like inside a shed, or up against a wall NOT in direct sun (sun is much more dangerous to a bunny than cold is) if its a hutch, it should have a big overhang so the rain/snow can’t get in through the front.

                                        (The run of course will be on the ground but ‘living and sleeping’ areas should be elevated, safe from ground frost, snow, wet puddles or flooding and predators. You can always have the run in a bit of sun but make sure that bunny can choose sun or shade when she lays down for a sleep). 


                                      • Love4Bunny
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                                          Vienna Blue has excellent advice, especially about it being elevated with an overhang, and out of the sun.

                                          The few articles I’ve read suggest that hardware cloth is better for predator-proofing than chicken wire, but you do have to dig a trench around the perimeter and bury it, like with anything else:

                                          http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/coop-security-hardware-cloth-vs-chicken.html?m=1

                                          Yep, no redwood or cedar anything. I would search the BB archives for more info on this.


                                        • Vienna Blue in France
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                                            “Hardware cloth” – you yanks have funny names !!!! It’s not cloth at all . Not that I had to Google it or anything!!

                                            re the burying of the fence 15 inches down ( ), I was watching a grass-seed seeding youtube clip once (yep, I’m British!) and this guy had a really good tip…. that you fold the wire at the bottom of the fence about 10 inches or so at a right angle on the exterior side of the pen and only bury it slightly or even grass over it, then if a predator trys to bury under up against the vertical part of the fence, he simply won’t be able to bury down at all !! (unless he starts to dig the hole 15inches back from the fence which is not in their programmation to do).

                                            Of course the fence is not freestanding using this method (although it could be), it would have to be secured too !!

                                            Cunning huh !?


                                          • Love4Bunny
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                                              Lol Vienna. I’m originally from Austalia and we have different names for things, too. I mean, the only “fabric” term I’ve heard there is “sheet metal”.


                                            • Lots of pets
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                                                As we are planning to have a 2 story hutch, would the entire structure have to be offf the ground, or would just having the second story be enough?

                                                I never did the water bucket challenge, unless you count my own version where you see how long it takes to change about 40 gallons of water weekly from fish tanks…

                                                In all honesty, i dont have a clue where our words come from, and would much rather use some other version, but then nobody would know what i was talking about. All the same, i will be using hardware ‘cloth’ for at least the bottom, ans probably the fence and window type things in the hutch. Im not certain that well be able to use rhe method of moving the bottom fence out or anything like that, but if not, we can just line the bottom with it.

                                                When we get our rabbits, what would you suggust we get in terms of age and gender? We are planning on getting them spayed and nuetured.

                                                should we have anything grown in the outside section of their home? Like grass, clover, or greens? Or should we just have some dirt or rocks as the bottom.


                                              • Love4Bunny
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                                                  Posted By Lots of pets on 7/28/2016 12:24 PM
                                                  As we are planning to have a 2 story hutch, would the entire structure have to be offf the ground, or would just having the second story be enough?

                                                  Im not certain that well be able to use rhe method of moving the bottom fence out or anything like that, but if not, we can just line the bottom with it.

                                                  When we get our rabbits, what would you suggust we get in terms of age and gender? We are planning on getting them spayed and neutered.

                                                  I would elevate the bottom level, or build a concrete foundation slab. Wood will likely rot and get mouldy with the elements. That’s not healthy for a rabbit, long-term.

                                                  Rabbits can get sore hocks if they’re constantly standing on grated surfaces, or I’ve even heard, rough carpet. I’d advise against lining the bottom of the cage with hardware cloth. Bunnies run fast, and yours could end up with a cut or infection (or even a ripped toenail if it gets caught) if they kick their feet into the metal hard enough (they need traction to play and binky). Go with dirt or grass. I’d suggest doing a search in the BB archives about plants and dirt, because I remember seeing people discuss stuff like this, but I cannot remember what they said (I think we have a link to toxic and safe plants in the Bunny Info section). In my backyard I have beautiful trumpet flowers but I didn’t realise till I researched, that these are toxic to rabbits.

                                                  I suggest adopting a bonded pair. They come desexed (spayed/ neutered) so you don’t have to pay for 2 procedures, which also saves you $$. This is MUCH easier than buying baby bunnies, separating them for a while so they don’t breed before it is safe to desex, spending $$ desexing and having them tested prior to the snip, waiting till the hormones leave both bunnies to bond, and then investing the time to actually bond (my adopted bunnies took over 2 months, which in retrospect, wasn’t that bad, because I LOVE MY FURBALLS TO THE MOON AND BACK! But it wasn’t easy like some). This is just my personal preference. I think adult bunnies are best, because you know their personalities by that stage. I think people assume babies are going to be easier to train, but once hormones kick in, all bets are off. And in my experience, you can win a fussy bunny over. I have a male and female, but I don’t think gender really matters. I think personality is the overriding factor.


                                                • Q8bunny
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                                                    My friend in Canada keeps her two bunnies in this (due to her son’s allergies, they can’t be indoors). Her buns luuuv it.

                                                    https://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/rabbit_products/eglu_go_rabbit_hutch/f/fee8a78ac51d532b02b74b12ab7b4ce9/


                                                  • Love4Bunny
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                                                      Q8, wouldn’t it be awesome if you could buy a heap of those tunnel things and line the perimeter of the backyard? That would be an awesome run.


                                                    • Q8bunny
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                                                        OMG! I can picture it now…


                                                      • Lots of pets
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                                                          I wouldn’t have just the hardware cloth as the bottom, I would cove the floor of the hutch and pen, then cover it with a few inches of dirt or some other substrate. The hardware cloth would also connect to the fencing and sides of hutch, makings it impossible for any critters to burrow in or out of the enclosure. I could, however, put concrete down for the floor of the hutch and cover that with dirt to make a better surface if need be.

                                                          I’ll definitely see about getting a pair of buns, but if this can’t be done, then we devised a plan where the small rabbits would live in spare gunia pig sized cages (we have 2) and the flemish would live in the large hutch we build so that they can be slowly bonded. Would you say this would work if need be?

                                                          The link didn’t work for me the first time I tried it, but I can always try again.

                                                          Thanks again, sorry for the late response.


                                                        • Love4Bunny
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                                                            No probs. If you go to the top of this page, click the dropdown “menu”, top left, and select “bunny info”. This will also get you to the links you will need as you research bonding & general rabbit care.

                                                            With bonding, you always have to prepare for the fact that your trio may never bond, and you may have to keep them separately for good. It’s a scary thought because there are no guarantees. I know someone who was still waiting after 2 years for her third to bond with her other two but there was just too much territorial aggression. I say this because if you’re new-ish to rabbits, it will moreso be a stressful experience for you, let alone the rabbits. Of course, any cage that does not allow for a rabbit to do 3 hops one way, or stand up on their hind legs is not good housing for rabbits, even temporarily (exception is free roam). Smaller bunnies also have more energy than bigger ones. My opinion is that adopting a trio or duo is better vs. bonding individuals right off the bat. It can definitely be done successfully, but you have to REALLY be prepared to go the long haul. Bunnies are stubborn creatures, and they often frustrate our plans. We have this image of what it will all look like, and then it sometimes falls apart. I say this because I know the feeling of wanting to have harmony, and then having absolute hopeless chaos for an indefinite period. It sometimes makes one reevaluate if they really like bunnies after all. I know, this is the yucky part of rabbit ownership, but I just want to prepare you before you go into it.

                                                            With that being said, it is truly rewarding to see your bunnies grow close. Not all bunnies are Bestie’s, but it’s so nice when they are!


                                                          • Paradigm
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                                                              Rather than connecting those ones, runaround have a connective set that you can build how you like or attach to existing runs/hutches/etc (I’ve seen one they connected to a house for an indoor/outdoor bun).

                                                              Now, if I could have that as an indoor set up, that would be “the best”. (These rabbits don’t have the temperment for being free-range – the less I want them to destriy something, the more of a challenge it is.) Albus would LOVE it.

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                                                          Forum DIET & CARE Flemish giant rabbit, would one work for me?