What breed of rabbit should I get?

[Catalina]

I would like to get one or two bunnies for their wonderful fertilizer.
My chickens don't live with me anymore (long story) and I don't really want to haul their coop sweepings 15 miles from their new home back to my yard, so.......I have been thinking about getting a rabbit or two.

I have a nice coop and a grassy fenced in run that I could re-purpose into a rabbit house.

What breed of rabbit should I get?

I like the Flemish Giants, because they seem to be very calm and laid back, but they eat a lot? and are they more work than a smaller bunny?

 

[big brown horse]

I would like to get one or two bunnies for their wonderful fertilizer.
My chickens don't live with me anymore (long story) and I don't really want to haul their coop sweepings 15 miles from their new home back to my yard, so.......I have been thinking about getting a rabbit or two.

I have a nice coop and a grassy fenced in run that I could re-purpose into a rabbit house.

What breed of rabbit should I get?

I like the Flemish Giants, because they seem to be very calm and laid back, but they eat a lot? and are they more work than a smaller bunny?

I looovvveee my Holland Lop. This is my second one and both are very calm rag doll bunnies. Totally laid back. Yeah, they like to hop around, but when you hold them they melt in your arms.

Stay away from the smaller breeds as they are more hyper...IMHO. We have a lionhead and she is like the taz. devil. I love her, but she can't sit still...she climbs everything like a goat!!

Good luck and tell us what you finally decide on.

 

[waynesgarden]

Careful with your fenced-in run. Unlike the hens, rabbits love to dig, the deeper the better. Re-read Watership Down. Better yet, watch the old movie "The Great Escape." Tunneling out of the camp is what bunnies live for.

Wayne

 

[Catalina]

Careful with your fenced-in run. Unlike the hens, rabbits love to dig, the deeper the better. Re-read Watership Down. Better yet, watch the old movie "The Great Escape." Tunneling out of the camp is what bunnies live for.

Wayne

How deep does the fence have to be?
It's buried 6 inches deep right now.

 

[big brown horse]

My rabbit that lives outside digs all sorts of tunnels in her "run". Once my daughter left the gate open and she did hop out. As soon as I finished panicking, I tried to catch her. She ran right back to her burrow inside the run. I've had her in there for almost a year and shes never burrowed out...if she did, I think she would still call it home and return when she senses danger.

I'm not saying all rabbits would be as good as she is, I'm just giving my side of the coin.

 

[waynesgarden]

Actually, I'm not the right person to answer how deep they will burrow to escape since I've never raised them in earth-bound colonies but I do know for a fact that, worse then them escaping, a dog, raccoon or fisher will easily get under that 6 inch deep buried fence, at least in these parts. And any one of those nasty critters will leave nothing alive when they burrow out.

I'll keep an eye out for threads where owners of ground-dwelling colonies told their tales of woe, and get back to you if they post how deep their fence was buried.

If I had to guess, I'd guess a minimum of 24" but that is only a guess and there is a pretty impenetrable layer of stone here at about 18" so I'd be good at that depth if I raised them on the ground

Wayne

 

[big brown horse]

Actually, I'm not the right person to answer how deep they will burrow to escape since I've never raised them in earth-bound colonies but I do know for a fact that, worse then them escaping, a dog, raccoon or fisher will easily get under that 6 inch deep buried fence, at least in these parts. And any one of those nasty critters will leave nothing alive when they burrow out.

I'll keep an eye out for threads where owners of ground-dwelling colonies told their tales of woe, and get back to you if they post how deep their fence was buried.

If I had to guess, I'd guess a minimum of 24" but that is only a guess and there is a pretty impenetrable layer of stone here at about 18" so I'd be good at that depth if I raised them on the ground

Wayne

Good point Wayne,

I have the luxury of a double fence system and also have a LGD that patrols the yard. (Rabbit run is inside of the back yard fence.)

So far I've been quite lucky and preditor free. Can only thank my dog for that.

 

[trestlecreek]

We have Holland Lops and Netherland Dwarfs. The Hollands in general are calmer than the ND's.

 

[Catalina]

What do you think about these breeds - Jersey Woolies or Silver Foxes?

 

[rebelshope]

Rescue a rabbit Go to your local animal shelter and see what they have. There are tons of great rabbits out there. I see them turn up on craigs list all the time. People get the cute bunny and it is not the pet for them. At the shelter you can get a taste for that rabbits personality. Find one you click with.

I had a great meat breed cross as a kid. I don't know what she was, big and black. She was a doll.

Right now I have English Angora. . . wouldn't be really good for your situation.