Facts and Myths about Rabbits...
When I decided to put this page in, it took me a while to accumulate a good amount of facts and myths about rabbits. After I thought up some, I didn't know really where to start. I just started in a random place. I will probably come up with more of these in the future, and when I do I will add them.
I hope these clear up some controversy and answer some questions you may have!
I hope these clear up some controversy and answer some questions you may have!
Housing
Myth - Rabbits have to live indoors.
Fact - Nope. Rabbits do just fine outdoors.
Myth - Rabbits don't do well in cold weather so they need to be inside/have a heat lamp in the winter.
Fact - They actually do better in the cold! Rabbits overheat very easily in the summer. That is why me and other breeders stress having your rabbit in a cool place in the summer. Most people keep their rabbits in a shed, barn, or lean-two with fans, misters, or even an air conditioner. In the winter, the rabbits grow enough of a coat to keep themselves warm. You will actually find that they even have better condition in colder weather than in hot weather. Besides, your bucks will throw larger litters when it's cold.
Myth - Rabbits can't be on a wire bottom.
Fact - Yes they can. It is actually recommended to keep them on a wire bottom with a stress mat to sit on to get off the wire. Your rabbits will be healthier on a wire bottom because they will be lifted off of their waste. If you have lop rabbits, they will have less ear problems if you get them off of a solid bottom. The only breeds I would put on a solid bottom are all of your giant breeds (Flemish Giant, Giant Chinchilla, etc.) or your bigger full arch breeds (Belgian Hares, Rhinelanders, Checkered Giants, etc.). The best bet though is to have a slatted wood bottom for them so they won't have to stand in their own waste.
Myth - Rabbits have to have a huge hutch and run to live in.
Fact - Ideally they can have a large run all to themselves, but that's only if you have one rabbit with a huge back yard. Most people have small back yards and between 10 and 50 rabbits. If you like good sized wooden hutches, that would be an option for your larger breeds that need more room. But, the wooden hutches do tend to take up a lot of space unless they are "double-decker" hutches (a stacker cage but in hutch form). For those of you with your smaller breeds or meat breeds that don't need too much room, stacker cages are the best bet. You can even make them from wire and clamps from the hardware store. You can put them in a garage, a shed, under the overhang at the back of your house, a lean-two, or along the fence or house with a tarp over the top. You can make them have as many levels as you want and you can make them as big or small as you want. Just remember to keep the ventalation flowing!
Fact - Nope. Rabbits do just fine outdoors.
Myth - Rabbits don't do well in cold weather so they need to be inside/have a heat lamp in the winter.
Fact - They actually do better in the cold! Rabbits overheat very easily in the summer. That is why me and other breeders stress having your rabbit in a cool place in the summer. Most people keep their rabbits in a shed, barn, or lean-two with fans, misters, or even an air conditioner. In the winter, the rabbits grow enough of a coat to keep themselves warm. You will actually find that they even have better condition in colder weather than in hot weather. Besides, your bucks will throw larger litters when it's cold.
Myth - Rabbits can't be on a wire bottom.
Fact - Yes they can. It is actually recommended to keep them on a wire bottom with a stress mat to sit on to get off the wire. Your rabbits will be healthier on a wire bottom because they will be lifted off of their waste. If you have lop rabbits, they will have less ear problems if you get them off of a solid bottom. The only breeds I would put on a solid bottom are all of your giant breeds (Flemish Giant, Giant Chinchilla, etc.) or your bigger full arch breeds (Belgian Hares, Rhinelanders, Checkered Giants, etc.). The best bet though is to have a slatted wood bottom for them so they won't have to stand in their own waste.
Myth - Rabbits have to have a huge hutch and run to live in.
Fact - Ideally they can have a large run all to themselves, but that's only if you have one rabbit with a huge back yard. Most people have small back yards and between 10 and 50 rabbits. If you like good sized wooden hutches, that would be an option for your larger breeds that need more room. But, the wooden hutches do tend to take up a lot of space unless they are "double-decker" hutches (a stacker cage but in hutch form). For those of you with your smaller breeds or meat breeds that don't need too much room, stacker cages are the best bet. You can even make them from wire and clamps from the hardware store. You can put them in a garage, a shed, under the overhang at the back of your house, a lean-two, or along the fence or house with a tarp over the top. You can make them have as many levels as you want and you can make them as big or small as you want. Just remember to keep the ventalation flowing!
Feeding and Watering
Myth - Rabbits need mostly fresh fruits and vegetables with an unlimited supply of hay and a small amount of pellets.
Fact - Are you guys trying to kill your rabbits?!? First of all, rabbits don't need an unlimited supply of hay and fruits and vegetables. Here's how a rabbit's diet should look like:
Ideally you should free feed a commercially milled alfalfa pellet. When you choose a feed, it should have between 17% and 18% protein, no more than 3% fat, no less than 20% fiber, and no less than 4,800 IU/LB of Vitamin A. Those are just the basics. To get even more in depth, it should not include corn or yucca (or very little yucca). It should have Sun-cured alfalfa (unprocessed), unprocessed grains, and the minimum amount of vitamins and minerals that are needed to sustain life and maintain excellent condition. Avoid feeds that have processed ingredients which have meal, millrun, distillers, processed grain by-products, supplements, exess yucca, et cetera. Also completely stay away from the Timothy pellets. It does not contain the necessary nutrients the rabbit needs.
Depending on your breed you may need to limit their feed intake, but ideally on breeds both big and small you should free feed the alfalfa pellets.
You can occationally feed fruits, vegetables, and hay or hay cubes as a treat only. Hay is not a good source of nutrients and only acts as a filler. Your rabbit will end up malnurished and will become ill (personal experience). The fruits and vegetables do contain good nutrients for them, but too much of them, just like chocolate for us, is a bad thing. DO NOT feed any greens to a rabbit, with the exeption of dandilion greens and fresh picked grass. Greens such as lettuce, cabbage, celery, parsley, carrot tops, et cetera are toxic to them. There is an enzym in them that can kill a rabbit within 24 hours (again, personal experience). Don't feed tomatoes either. Although, you can feed rabbits, apples, bananas, carrots, watermelon, papaya, and strawberries. I have gotten my cavies to eat oranges, but haven't gotten my rabbits to do that.
Again, feed the above feeds in limited quantities. I wouldn't feed them more than once a week.
Myth - Rabbits can only drink out of crocks.
Fact - Nope, they can drink from water bottles and automatic watering systems as well.
Myth - Clean water isn't that important to a rabbit. They will drink water whether their bowl/bottle is clean or dirty.
Fact - They will drink out of a dirty water source only if they have to. It's the same with all animals. If your dog's only water source is a dirty bucket full of alge and bugs, then that's what they will drink from. Although, if you give them a clean bucket of fresh tap water, they will be much more happy, and healthy as well. Same with your rabbits. If you provide clean water bottles, crocks, or watering system with fresh cold water, they will be much happier. Drinking alge water is never good for them, plus it tastes bad (I've tasted it before...). If you take a few minutes in the morning or night (whenever you feed and water) and dump and clean your crocks and bottles or flush your watering system, your rabbits will thank you and love you till the ends of the earth.
Fact - Are you guys trying to kill your rabbits?!? First of all, rabbits don't need an unlimited supply of hay and fruits and vegetables. Here's how a rabbit's diet should look like:
Ideally you should free feed a commercially milled alfalfa pellet. When you choose a feed, it should have between 17% and 18% protein, no more than 3% fat, no less than 20% fiber, and no less than 4,800 IU/LB of Vitamin A. Those are just the basics. To get even more in depth, it should not include corn or yucca (or very little yucca). It should have Sun-cured alfalfa (unprocessed), unprocessed grains, and the minimum amount of vitamins and minerals that are needed to sustain life and maintain excellent condition. Avoid feeds that have processed ingredients which have meal, millrun, distillers, processed grain by-products, supplements, exess yucca, et cetera. Also completely stay away from the Timothy pellets. It does not contain the necessary nutrients the rabbit needs.
Depending on your breed you may need to limit their feed intake, but ideally on breeds both big and small you should free feed the alfalfa pellets.
You can occationally feed fruits, vegetables, and hay or hay cubes as a treat only. Hay is not a good source of nutrients and only acts as a filler. Your rabbit will end up malnurished and will become ill (personal experience). The fruits and vegetables do contain good nutrients for them, but too much of them, just like chocolate for us, is a bad thing. DO NOT feed any greens to a rabbit, with the exeption of dandilion greens and fresh picked grass. Greens such as lettuce, cabbage, celery, parsley, carrot tops, et cetera are toxic to them. There is an enzym in them that can kill a rabbit within 24 hours (again, personal experience). Don't feed tomatoes either. Although, you can feed rabbits, apples, bananas, carrots, watermelon, papaya, and strawberries. I have gotten my cavies to eat oranges, but haven't gotten my rabbits to do that.
Again, feed the above feeds in limited quantities. I wouldn't feed them more than once a week.
Myth - Rabbits can only drink out of crocks.
Fact - Nope, they can drink from water bottles and automatic watering systems as well.
Myth - Clean water isn't that important to a rabbit. They will drink water whether their bowl/bottle is clean or dirty.
Fact - They will drink out of a dirty water source only if they have to. It's the same with all animals. If your dog's only water source is a dirty bucket full of alge and bugs, then that's what they will drink from. Although, if you give them a clean bucket of fresh tap water, they will be much more happy, and healthy as well. Same with your rabbits. If you provide clean water bottles, crocks, or watering system with fresh cold water, they will be much happier. Drinking alge water is never good for them, plus it tastes bad (I've tasted it before...). If you take a few minutes in the morning or night (whenever you feed and water) and dump and clean your crocks and bottles or flush your watering system, your rabbits will thank you and love you till the ends of the earth.