Mary Allen
Rabbits are cute and interesting, and they are a lot of fun to hold. Before you buy, you have to consider a few things and be aware that keeping rabbits means daily care – in any weather.
In the spring, the farmer’s gene, which apparently still lies dormant in many people, stirs. In any case, requests for rabbits are piling up at this time of year. Caring for an animal teaches children to take responsibility for a living being, to feed and muck it out, maybe even make hay for the Hoppler themselves. The long ears are cute and trusting, the soft fur invites you to stroke them. Ideal small pets – if properly prepared to keep them.
The first thing to remember is that rabbits can live up to ten years. So you have to take care of their well-being for that long because animals are not commodities that you move around at your whim, but living beings whose care you have taken on.
The Animal Welfare Ordinance stipulates that at least two rabbits must be kept. If the animals do not get along, this can be in separate stalls. The stable must be solidly built with well-closing doors because foxes and martens make their rounds regularly. It is important that the stable is not exposed to the full sun because rabbits can cope well with sub-zero temperatures, but not with sweltering hot summer days; Sufficient shade must therefore be available.
The law gives clear specifications for the size of the barn. These are the minimum dimensions allowed, larger is better. The Animal Welfare Ordinance also requires a retreat option. With an elevated sunbathing board you can create one, namely under the board – and at the same time a popular vantage point and resting place. The board should be large enough for the rabbit to lie stretched out on it.
Also, Think about Exercise Enclosures
Hutch planning depends on whether you just want to have a few pet rabbits or if you want to breed them. The latter is only recommended if you are willing to slaughter surplus animals. rabbit meat is healthy; that of animal-friendly rabbits is also particularly ecological. Nevertheless, keeping animals and then using them in the kitchen is not for everyone. Of course, if you want to breed, you need several stables, because the young animals have to be separated before they reach sexual maturity.
Manure tubs facilitate the crap-out, which is on the weekly schedule. If the manure is left in the stable for too long, ammonia forms, which irritates rabbits’ sensitive noses and promotes respiratory diseases. But what to do with the crap? Anyone who has a vegetable garden composts it and uses it as a valuable fertilizer. Otherwise, you look for a farmer in the neighborhood who will take the rabbit dung from you, or you give it to the green waste disposal if they accept animal dung. A small supply of fodder, hay, and straw is required so that the daily work can be carried out practically. This requires a dry corner to store it.
Even a generously dimensioned hutch actually doesn’t offer enough space for the rabbits. A run-out enclosure for occasional romping around is therefore ideal. For an afternoon outdoors, there are simple snap-together systems. If the rabbits stay in their outlet for a long time, the enclosure must be solidly fenced in and secured against digging out. The easiest way to do this is with a floor grid that is pulled at least half a meter from the fence into the interior of the enclosure and anchored. A net over the enclosure protects the animals from attackers from the air and cheeky neighbor cats. There are also places to hide and retreat in the enclosure.
Rabbits are grass eaters. Their natural diet consists of hay and fresh greens, preferably grass cuttings rich in herbs. Fresh leftovers from carrots, parsnips, beetroot, fennel, and apples are also eaten with pleasure. Natural nutrition includes branches from which leaves, bark, and buds are gnawed and eaten. It contains valuable active ingredients that strengthen Long Ears’ health. Hazel, willow, alder, birch, and fruit tree cuttings are particularly popular.
What Should the Rabbit Look Like?
Medium to large rabbits, long-haired animals, and breeding rabbits require concentrated feed in particular. Dwarf rabbits and small breeds are only given a little concentrated feed so that the animals do not become fat. Colorful, industrially processed treats are better left out altogether and the rabbits instead are spoiled with fresh herbs such as dandelion, buckhorn, yarrow, oregano. Rabbits love these natural treats, which also ensure healthy digestion and a strong immune system.
Rabbits come in sizes XS to XL, which means they weigh from one to nine kilograms. Which breed should be decided by taste and the available space. Dwarf rabbits are not necessarily the best choice for children as they can be quite temperamental; however, there are exceptions. Angora rabbits require intensive care and are only recommended for wool enthusiasts. There are also long-haired animals that are easy to care for: fox rabbits or dwarf foxes, lion heads, or bearded rabbits. At the young animal shows, which are held in many places from April to June, the variety of rabbits can be admired and contact can be made with the breeders.