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Newbie here!

Michelle_stt

Alpha Buck
Hi. I just stumbled across this site and it looked like just the place I needed!

We moved into our new house in Feb and have been thinking about getting a bunny. I had a Netherland dwarf as a girl who lived indoors and was an amazing pet!

Iv researched them and how much care they need since around march.

I bought a double tier hutch for £10. It needed treating and staining and locks etc putting it on. My husband got it looking brand spanking new! We got everything we would need. Toys, bowls food bedding etc.

I decided to get a bunny who needed a home rather than a baby. So I trawled sites looking for the right one.

A lady was rehoming 2 together. We were told they were both female and were the best of friends.

48hours after them being here they were constantly fighting. I got a guide up online on how to sex them and discovered they were both males. We decided to keep the smaller male lionhead and rehome the large lop bunny. (he went 3doors away).

Iv 2 children and of course we had arguments over who's bunny he was.

My daughter had a look online and found a gorgeous female lionhead. We had to wait 3 weeks for her and she arrived 2 days ago. My god she is gorgeous!!! She is a white/pearly grey colour with blue eyes and so fluffy!!!!!

They are both young and at the moment have them in the same hutch.

A friend has 2 spare hutches and is bringing them over tonight.

Sorry for the ramble, here are my questions.

How soon can they breed as I don't quite think I'm ready for baby bunnies just yet!

Will they get lonely in seperate hutches as they cuddle up and lie next to each other and seem happy.

What else can I use instead of sawdust? Bella is getting it tangled in her lovely soft fur!

Any help would be great!!!

Will add pics on here when I figure it out :)
xx
 
How soon can they breed as I don't quite think I'm ready for baby bunnies just yet!

This was a reply I posted on someone elses thread. The bits about eating young obviously won't apply to you.

Is this genuine? I don't know. However, I'm going to err on the side of caution.

I have done irresponsible breeding thinking I knew what was best, and I didn't. I was woefully ignorant and my bunnies suffered (more due to having a rubbish vet than what I did though).

The only way to breed, is to do so responsible.

This means

~Knowing at least four generations on each side of your rabbits family tree (great great grandparents). Its important to know that there are not genetic issues that could be passed onto kits. Responsible breeders do not breed any rabbits with a history of any sort of potentially genetic health problem. this means, to have that pedigree, you will have needed to have bought your original rabbits from a breeder to ensure you know the history. Pet shop bunnies are not ok for breeding because you can't know their history. Also, bunnies from friends often can't be bred for the same reason- you don't know ther history.

~Ensure that you have a vet on call 24/7 who could do an emergency spay or help with delivering kits, if necessary. This gives you a better chance of not losing your doe.

~Ensure that your male is SMALLER than your female. If the male is bigger, then kindling will be incredibly painful and potentially impossible.

~Ensure you know your bunny breeds. You need to make sure your bunnies are pure bred. Cross breeding can often result in genetic deformities that could not have been predicted (for example, often crossing a lionhead with some nethies can result in mega dental problems because their skull shapes can conflict against each other).

~Ensure you have a doe available who can foster your kits if your doe dies. Kits are virtually impossible to hand rear, and losing your doe is a very real risk, so its important to make provisions.

~Ensure your doe is of breeding age. The doe needs to be young enough to breed (this age varies with breed) to ensure she doesn't get into kindling complications.

~Ensure that you have learnt and educated yourself about anything related to breeding, like the crucial times when you may lose them, complications, risks, etc.

~Ensure you can keep any rabbits that do not get sold. It would be irresponsible to pass them on to anyone else to rehome. They are your responsibility, so YOU should rehome them.

~Ensure that if any rabbits get rehomed, but in due course can not be kept, they are returned to you and not go anywhere else.

~Ensure you home check any potential owners, so that you know their accommodation meets the RWA standards and that your bunnies are going to good homes.

~Ensure you know more than any potential buyer, so that you can educate them and so that you don't make mistakes on things such as gender.

~Ensure you can afford to spay/neuter before rehoming, so that you know they have been done (yes, the responsible breeders I know do do this).

~Ensure you can afford to vaccinate them before they get rehomed too.


Having said all of that, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that if the mum has actually eaten parts of her young (as opposed to overgroomed), that she will be a bad mum, and that is something that seems to be genetically inherited. Which would be something that is not going to necessarily be sorted with age an experience, and responsible breeders do NOT breed does who are unable to be a mum because its not fair on the doe or the kits.

I think its very important to find a responsible mentor to help you with this.

Losing your doe is a very real risk, so you may fnd that you don't increase their family, you actually decrease it, and you will know, if that happens, that that was your fault, and your fault only. Effectively, you will have killed your rabbit. I live with that knowledge everyday- even though I took her to the vets, and the vets stuffed up, it was still my choice and my decision that led to her death.

I now do a lot with rescues. My knowledge has increased tenfold (especially with regards to breeding, because I wanted to know what I had done wrong). The rabbits I take on now are those REALLY in need (so those who will be PTS if I don't take them- they normally have special needs, illnesses or behavioural problems). You know what? Its wonderful! To be able to change the lives of bunnies who desperately need it is one of the most rewarding things that people can do (that applies to other animals and people too).

Part of being a responsible and caring owner is to ask 'what is best for my bunny?'. That means taking out of the equation what you want, or what is best for you. It means looking just at what is best for your bunny. Do you genuinely think its best for her to go through this trauma again?

If the answer is 'no' then maybe have a think about what is best. That would probably be getting her spayed and getting your boy neutered and bonding them together so they can live happily together, forever.

If the answer is 'yes', why is it best for her?

I don't think there is anyway for you to responsibly breed your bunny because of what you have already described, which would make you an irresponsible breeder. That's one for your conscience. Do you want to be an irresponsible breeder, or do you want to be a responsible owner?


Will they get lonely in seperate hutches as they cuddle up and lie next to each other and seem happy.


I personally think that they would be better off separate for the moment, for the health and welfare of both bunnies.

What else can I use instead of sawdust? Bella is getting it tangled in her lovely soft fur!

They don't need bedding, as such. You can give them fleece or carpet to sit on if they do not chew them. Hay can also be used.

Your girlie may need grooming once or twice a day if she is getting in that much of a mess.

From what you have said (which granted, is not much), I think that you probably need to have a look at getting them both fixed and then bonding them together, because their knowledge of their history is probably not as wide as it should be.


Might have gone a bit overkill on the info there but if there is a possibility you may want to breed, just wanted to open your eyes a bit. Separating and neutering/spaying would be the best thing for them :) It would not be ideal to leave them together right now.
 
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Yep, get them both neutered! :)
They are healthier and will be happier together. It'll be cheaper for you in the long run too.
 
Hi & welcome!:wave:

Sounds all very exciting! Best to get them neutered asap.....you can get the male done alot younger than the female from what Ive been told.....as soon as they drop!:)

Keep them near each other so they can still keep a bond going - but they breed really young - so make sure you get the little man done asap!

Sounds like your little lady is very pretty & will need lots of grooming....
You can try carefresh, megazorb (alot cheaper) or aubiouse (also alot cheaoer) as alternative bedding options....

Do they have run of the house?
Or garden?

They sound lovely!;)
 
Sorry If my post came across as though I wanted to breed them!

I don't want to breed them but heard neutering can be hard on them?

We let them run around downstairs and they have a huge garden to run around in. (Totally secure as we have concrete then fence panels).

I was thinking of using hay instead of sawdust?

Bella is lovely! Is it ok to trim her fur around her eyes? Delicate job obviousley!

xx
 
The recovery can occasionally be difficult but after that they are fine :) especially in girls its a good idea, if you don't spay a doe she has a massive chance of ending up with cancer :(

You could try Megazorb? It might stick a bit less and you only really need to put shavings/Megazorb in litter trays anyway

Trimming should be fine :)
 
Sorry If my post came across as though I wanted to breed them!

I don't want to breed them but heard neutering can be hard on them?

We let them run around downstairs and they have a huge garden to run around in. (Totally secure as we have concrete then fence panels).

I was thinking of using hay instead of sawdust?

Bella is lovely! Is it ok to trim her fur around her eyes? Delicate job obviousley!

xx

Phew, ok. It was the 'not ready for babies yet' that made me wonder.

Neutering carries risks, like any operation, but when its done by a rabbit savvy vet the risks are minimal.

On my website there is an article about spaying and neutering and the things you can do before, during and after, which may be of help to you (its under 'Rabbit Adoption Articles' on my site- link in my sig).
 
They beautiful!:love:

Lucky buns to have space like that!

Mine arent long haired so not sure about trimming near the eyes....I dont think people normally do - but could be wrong......:?

Thanks Sky-o for the thread link about neutering.;)
 
Hiya:wave:,welcome.What beautiful bunnies:love::love:.I have to regularly trim the fur near Ozzies eyes as it grows really thick and I'm sure it must affect his vision,anyway he looks "less cross" after a haircut.I just got him used to being brushed initially and progressed from there.I always have my fingers between him and the scissors incase of sudden movements.
 
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