There are so many checklist items you should work through before you bring your first rabbits home, everything from cage location to breed, to should the kids help, how to make sure they are healthy... Here are just a few of the basics to get you started on your rabbit journey.
How much cage space do your rabbits need? The ‘general rule’ in rabbits is that a cage should be 4 times the size of the rabbit and they should be able to stand up on their hind legs in the cage. The smallest cage I recommend is 24"x36" and that's pretty small in my opinion. I keep some around for separating litters or an emergency buck cage, but I like to give my rabbits as much space as possible. Several of my cages have removable dividers, so I can easily turn a 36"x36" cage into a 36"x72". This works well when it’s time to wean the babies, I can just take mom out leaving plenty of space for the kits.
I have also started using some repurposed 8’x8’ chicken pens for my rabbits to have lots of non-wire to run and play and dig in a colony. If you are going to raise rabbits in colony’s please do your research prior and make sure under the floor (my floor is sand) is a layer of wire so they can’t dig out. They will dig out!
Feed and Supplements
Pellets - Rabbits are natural herbivores and can live on a diet of plants and grass alone, however for a balanced nutrition plan most people feed 16-18% protein rabbit pellets. Rabbit pellets are made up of mainly alfalfa and other grains, soy and corn. Depending on your preferences you can find soy or corn free varieties or even organic feeds, but your price point raises as you go up in ingredient selections.
Fodder is another alternative, and in the past when we had just a small handful of rabbits was how we fed the herd. Fodder is 8-10 day old sprouted grains. We had the best luck with barley, but you can use wheat, oats, black oil sunflower seed, etc. You basically soak the seed, water daily (never use dirt, just grow in plastic pans) and by day 8 or 9 when the shoots are 4-5 inches high you feed the plants, roots and all. A very nutritious and more natural way to feed your rabbits.
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| Our very first litter of rabbits ever, a Californian litter chowing down on their fresh fodder. |
Hay and Forage - Rabbits NEED some sort of dried grass or forage to thrive. Sure they can live on pellets alone, but that would be like trying to grow your kid and keep it healthy on 99 cent frozen dinners it’s entire life. Plus their digestive systems need that roughage to keep from having digestional isses. And with gastroenterisis being a common killer of rabbits, most commonly around weaning time, it’s essential to provide a small handful of hay daily for your rabbits to consume.
A note on alfalfa as forage. Most pellet foods are mostly alfalfa, so if that’s your main diet, I recommend not using alfalfa hay so your rabbits don’t overdo it. I would stick with a timothy or mixed grass hay.
Daily Care
Other than food, water and daily checks, your rabbits shouldn’t need much care on a daily basis. I check toenails once a month, trim if necessary. Daily handling helps your rabbits to adjust to you and not be skittish. It also helps keep their stress levels down when they have a box full of babies you want to dig through. If you are planning on showing your rabbit be sure to start practicing with them, positioning them, brushing them regularly so they are calm on the show table.
These are just a few items to get you started. As you begin your adventure into rabbits you will learn things along the way. Talk to other rabbit breeders, join Facebook groups, do online research and you will learn so much. And other than that just enjoy your rabbits!
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