~ Bringing your new bunny home ~
When you bring your new rabbit home, put as less stress you possibly can in it. Stress will cause the rabbit to get sick. Try not to handle it until a few days after you have had it. Don't feed any treats until the rabbit is used to its new home. Check the rabbit over, make sure its healthy. Rabbit's should not have any treats until at least 3 months of age, then you can start introducing treats to them slowly.
~ Pellets & Hay (Feed) ~
What I feed is Pfaus Rabbit Pellets. This feed is a 18% protein feed. I have had great luck with this pellet. My rabbits are all free-fed on pellets. Before I switched to Pfaus I was feeding Country Acres Rabbit Pellets, but it got expensive when buying it weekly. Always look at the pellets when you buy the feed, it should be green and smell fresh, make sure it has no mold on it. It shouldn't look dried out or stale. Spoiled rabbit feed, can cause your rabbit to get sick. I also give very nice Green Grass hay, which I buy at a local farmer. I no longer feed Alfalfa Hay, as it falls through the wire bottoms of the hutches, and most of it goes to waste. They get their hay every few days, to sit on, and eat. During winter, I give it to them daily, to help them keep warm, and sit on it. Hay also helps clean out their digestive system. If your rabbit looks like he/she might be sick and not acting normal, it might have hair stuck in his/her system.
You need to get the gut moving as soon as possible. Rub the tummy, give plenty of timothy hay, pineapple and papaya chunks will help too. Watch the rabbit closely and repeat as necessary.
You need to get the gut moving as soon as possible. Rub the tummy, give plenty of timothy hay, pineapple and papaya chunks will help too. Watch the rabbit closely and repeat as necessary.
~ Treats & Toys~
What I feed for treats, is a mixture with a lot of different new things my rabbits don't usually get, such as: Calf Manna, Rabbit Doc's pellets, Grass-pellets, Sunflower Seeds, Show Bloom, Purina Rabbit Pellets, some Oats, and Papaya chunks, all mixed together in one bucket, and rabbits love it. I give each rabbit 1 Tablespoon of this treat mix every other day when I have free time, but during winter, they will get it every day.. My rabbits stay Healthy and Happy.
When the bucket is empty, I will make a new batch of Rabbit treat mix, but with different things. We buy 1 bag of each thing, and my sisters and I, equally split it between the three of us, and make ourselves a bucket of Rabbit mix. You can make your own Rabbit treat mix with anything, as long as its eatable! I also give Carrots (not very much though). Younger rabbits and babies do not get carrots, but they are allowed to have a small amount of the treat mix I give.
For a toy, I just give them a pinecone (not the softer ones, the really hard ones). They love throwing them around, and snacking on them. Also, Toilet-paper rolls stuffed with hay also makes a good toy, just to give them something to do. Hang them on the wire of their hutch/cage, so it last's longer.
When the bucket is empty, I will make a new batch of Rabbit treat mix, but with different things. We buy 1 bag of each thing, and my sisters and I, equally split it between the three of us, and make ourselves a bucket of Rabbit mix. You can make your own Rabbit treat mix with anything, as long as its eatable! I also give Carrots (not very much though). Younger rabbits and babies do not get carrots, but they are allowed to have a small amount of the treat mix I give.
For a toy, I just give them a pinecone (not the softer ones, the really hard ones). They love throwing them around, and snacking on them. Also, Toilet-paper rolls stuffed with hay also makes a good toy, just to give them something to do. Hang them on the wire of their hutch/cage, so it last's longer.
~ Water ~
Your rabbit must have fresh clean water every day. Dirty water will cause your rabbit to get sick. The rabbits water should be freshened every day. Rabbits must have water at all times. My rabbits get their Water in the bottles in the Summer when it doesnt freeze, and crock dishes in the winter.
~ Cages/Hutches ~
My rabbits live outside in hutches, but I am working on saving of money for a barn. The hutch must be sturdy and not cheap where an animal can get into it. Keep your rabbits cage clean, as this is another way your rabbit can get sick. They will sit on their hay and will get it dirty. Do not leave dirty hay in their cage. When you have a tray at the bottom of their cage/hutch do not let if touch the wire of the rabbits cage. They will get sore hocks (hind legs) from sitting on it. If the rabbit can smells it urine/droppings will cause the rabbit to get sick.
~ Disease - Causes & How to tell what they have ~
Sometimes your rabbit will get a cold, or something worse. "Snuffles" is a disease in rabbits caused from stress, living in dirty cages, living in a dusty barn, or sometimes even through their linage. When buying a rabbit, check it over for any kind of sickness. Identifying the Snuffles, the rabbit will have white or cream color discharge from the nostrils. They will sneeze constantly, and have sneezing fits. Snuffles in rabbits is like the same thing as Parvo in dogs. It cannot be treated, and the Rabbit would have to be put down. When bringing your new rabbit home, dont handle it as much and make it less stressful for the rabbit, and help prevent Snuffles. ALL rabbits have it in them, but it will come out when they are stressed, living in a dirty or dusty environment.