Mini Rex, Netherland Dwarf, Lion-Heads and Mini Lops!

~RABBIT CARE FOR BEGINNERS~

First of all, congratulations on your new (or upcoming) rabbits! I'm sure you'll find them as fun and rewarding as I have.

The first thing to consider when buying a pet rabbit or beginning to show rabbits is breed. Over 45 different breeds are accepted by ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association). A description and standard of these breeds can be found in the Standard of Perfection, which can be purchased from ARBA. Some things to think about when deciding which breed is best for you are:

* Why you want a Rabbit

* Size

* Temperament

* Showability

* Availability

Why you want a Rabbit:

Different breeds have different purposes. Some are better suited for, let's say, wool or meat production. If you want a side business along with your pets then you might want to consider one of these breeds. Meat breeds include New Zealands, Californians, Palomino, or Champagne D'Argent. Wool breeds include French Angora and English Angora. But keep in mind that the meat breeds are just that and are too large to be pets for young children and dont usually carry the personality of the specialty breeds. And wool breeds require a lot of care and grooming to keep a healthy, happy bunny. If neglected they become quite a mess.

But for pet and showing aspects there are a lot of choices. Ranging from teany-tiny dwarfs to long-eared lops.

Size:

Rabbits can be small (2-4 pounds), medium (4-8 pounds), or large (8 pounds & up). If you are getting a rabbit for a 7 year old, a large rabbit may not be the best choice. Also, if you have limited space such as an apartment, a smaller breed may work better. So keep size in mind when deciding on a breed.

Temperament:

I'd love to tell you that there is no such thing as a mean rabbit, but I'd be lying. Some breeds are just more... aggressive than others. These breeds can include the running breeds, such as Tan or Britannia Petite. As well as a few other breeds which are great for showing but may not be the best for pet.

There are many gentler breeds to consider including, Holland Lops, Fuzzy Lops, Netherland Dwarfs, Dutch, Jersey Wooly, Lionheads, and Mini Rex are a few good examples.

Showability:

If you are getting a rabbit as a 4H project or are interested in showing in the fairs or at ARBA sanctioned shows, then you will need to find a breeder of purebred (preferrably fully pedigreed) stock to purchase your potential show bunny from. There are many backyard breeders to purchase a rabbit from but most are just pet quality bunnies and mixed breeds, these bunnies will be disqualified from competition.

Once you have found a show breeder, you will need to let them know you intend on showing the rabbit and they will be sure to provide you one that meets the standard for that particular breed. Not all rabbitries are responsible, respectable breeders and you will have to double check you bunny to be sure it is in fact showable. You will need to check it over for disqualifications. For more on disqualifications on specific breeds please email me and I will go through them one by one with you and provide you with a sheet you can print off and take with you when you intend on getting the rabbit.

Availability:

This ties into the last item. If you plan showing and breeding your rabbits and want the possibility of adding to your stock in the future, you dont want ot have to ship rabbits from 2,000 miles away. It's better to get a breed that is well-known and common in your area.

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Once you have figured out what type or breed of rabbit you want, you should make sure that you have the proper equipment and supplies. You need to think about:

* Housing

* Food

* Water

Housing:

The type of housing you need depends on whether you are planning on having your pet rabbit indoors or outdoors, or whether you are planning on getting several rabbits to breed.

Cage size requirements are as follows, for small breeds (2-4 pounds) a 24x24 or 24x30 or 18x30 is reccomended, for medium breeds (4-8 pounds) 24x30 or 24x36 or 18x36 is reccomended, and for large breeds (8 pounds & up) 24x36 or 30x30 or 30x36 is reccomended. Remember this is just a quide line.

Wire is the best material for cages because it is easiest to clean and sanitize. Wood will get messy quickly (holding rabbit urine), and rabbits tend to chew on it (not good if pressure treated), and wood tends to carry parrisites such as mites. For the healthiest environment limit any amount of wood as possible.

Cages should be kept out of drafts, away from predators, and out of the weather. Also, they should be kept in the shade, because rabbits are very succeptible to heat.

Some breeds have problems with sore hocks, to prevent this I reccomend using a pad savor mat in the cage as opposed to a sitting board which they will urinate and drop fecal matter on which can be more harmful than sore pads. Tiles also work great!

Food:

Pelletsare the best bet food for pet and show rabbits alike. They contain most if not all of the nutrients a rabbit needs to stay healthy. Several brands and formulas exist, so do a little research to be sure you are getting the correct kind. If you dont have access to a feed store or only have one rabbit and cant buy a 50 lb bag of food than a pet store will have to be your choice. Just remember the bagged foods with all the little treats in it is not as healthy as a bag of staight green pellets. Be warned that feed does go bad, so watch out for mold in the feed.

The amount of feed a rabbit needs depends on size and situation. If you have a smaller rabbit, such as a Netherland Dwarf, 3-4 ounces a day is plenty. For larger breeds, the reccomended formula is one ounce of pellets per pound of body weight. If a rabbit is pregnant, lactating or growing the feed needs to be adjusted. Please remember a fat bunny is not a healthy bunny, there are a lot of health problems for an obese rabbit.

Along with pellets, a rabbits diet can be supplemented with hay, reccomend types are T & A, timothy, tiffton or something along those lines. Rabbits love alfalfa, but it is very rich and high in protein, it is not the best choice for your rabbit. Also coastal is the cheapest but lacking in beneficial nutients. Grass hay such as timothy is the better choice. For breeds with normal hair (not long) hay at least once a week is sufficient and as often as every other day. For breeds with wool like coates it is reccomended at least twice a week and as often as every day as long as they are still eating the proper amount of pellets.

Be very careful of treats and other fruits and veggies. Lettuce is harmful to young rabbits and is the number 1 cause of death for new bunnies. Please be very careful with these and limit them to as little as possible.

Water:

Water is the most important thing your rabbit needs in his daily diet. Unlike humans, rabbits cannot get water from their food, so we must provided them with clean, fresh water daily.

You should use a heavy crock that cannot be tipped or a water bottle. We provide water bottles on all our adult rabbits as it is a little more sanitary than a crock bowl. However, we do keep bowls in the cages for new litters and young rabbits as well as the bottle to be sure of adequet water intake. And all new bunnies are given both options as some dont know how to drink for a bottle, especially if they came from a barn with an automated watering system.

Although there is a lot more to rabbits, this article should get you started on the right path and if you have any further questoins or comments please feel free to email them to me or Lisa. Good luck!

* This article was written by Lisa at www.freewebs.com/buckwildebunnies *

Thanks Lisa!

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~GLOSSARY OF RABBIT TERMS~

Adult: Any fully developed, mature rabbit of breeding age (generally over 8 months old). At this time weight should reach a platue.

Agouti: A color pattern In which the hair shaft has three or more bands of color with a definite break between each color.

Albino: A rabbit with pink eyes and white fur.

Awn Fluff: A soft, wavy wool with a guard hair tip found between the underwool and the Awn Hair of the Giant angora.

Awn Hair: A strong straight guard hair prodtruding above the Awn Fluff on a Giant Angora.

Back: The top portion of a rabbit's shoulders, loin and rump.

Balance:

In terms of Type: Shape or conformation, to be an orderly and pleasing arrangement of physical characteristics; a well formed rabbit.