Few questions after I have had the bunnies for a few weeks!

Hello there.

Ok so I have had my bunnies for a few weeks now.

I have noticed one had grown much bigger then the other, is this likely to be the male?
Also their poo's have gone bigger, does this just happen as they grow?

Going to pop into the vets tomorrow as they have still not been sexed. either way I will be getting them both 'done' so need to ask when is best, what age etc as I don't want them breeding. (They are 10 weeks)

Also as they are house rabbits I have lino in the cage, seems to be working well for cleaning out etc much better then the fleece, but should I put say some hard scratchy surface in their for their nails? And can I get some grass from the garden and give them that? (They will be able to have outside time but it's too wet, rainy and cold I think!)

Sorry if they are silly questions just want to make sure I'm doing everything ok.

Must go to bed.

Didn't want to read and run.

A night owl will no doubt be along to answer your questions.

Sleep tight. x

The bigger bun could be either sex, just like the smaller one. Size doesn't really mean anything. It's great you're getting them sexed early. Boys can be done as soon as their bits drop, so any age after 12 weeks really. Girls it takes a bit longer and some vets won't spay until they are six months old.

Lino should be fine. You might just need to clip their nails every now and then, but it's fairly easy with help. They can have grass but like any new food it needs to be introduced slowly so you don't upset their stomach. The majority of their diet should be hay and grass so it's really good for them and their teeth. It's best to start letting them out in the spring as dramatic changes in temperature can be bad for them, just like us!

Ask as many questions as you want. :wave:

Soph1992 said:

Hello there.

Ok so I have had my bunnies for a few weeks now.

I have noticed one had grown much bigger then the other, is this likely to be the male?
Also their poo's have gone bigger, does this just happen as they grow?

Going to pop into the vets tomorrow as they have still not been sexed. either way I will be getting them both 'done' so need to ask when is best, what age etc as I don't want them breeding. (They are 10 weeks)

Also as they are house rabbits I have lino in the cage, seems to be working well for cleaning out etc much better then the fleece, but should I put say some hard scratchy surface in their for their nails? And can I get some grass from the garden and give them that? (They will be able to have outside time but it's too wet, rainy and cold I think!)

Sorry if they are silly questions just want to make sure I'm doing everything ok.

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Hello :wave:

I don't think males always grow bigger than females, but I do know that poos get bigger as the rabbit does! Really tiny ones need worrying about, but if they're getting bigger it's probably just because they're growing.

Be super careful that you separate them asap if it turns out you have a boy and a girl - they can start breeding really young! If you have a same sex pair you'll still need to keep an eye on them for any signs of aggression etc when the hormones kick in.

Something to dig in is fun and good for nails - a box of earth or hay (messy though!) or just a cardboard box, but you'll probably need to get their nails cut every now and then if they live indoors anyway. It depends on the rabbit I think, when Finx was indoors she had hers done every 2 or 3 months. It doesn't cost much at the vets if you don't fancy doing it yourself - I didn't!

Probably better to leave their outside time until spring now, as sudden changes in temperature can be dangerous for them. They don't need grass as long as they have hay, but you might like to pick them a few handfuls Don't give them grass cut with a mower, something to do with the way it gets crushed or something... Although there's not much grass growing at the moment anyway!

Your questions aren't silly, hope I've been a little bit helpful!

Jenova thank you very much! Yes think I will be asking alot of questions over these next few months/years, sure I will never stop learning about them

But so far so good, they are already really tame, just like little puppies and SO SO SO cute!! and still getting on together, you can really see their personalities already it's just great. :thumb:

thanks you sierra*323.

So say If I get them sexed this week, and find out one is a boy and one is a girl....do I need to separate them until they can get 'done'. This would break my heart and theirs they are so close awhh I don't even like thinking about that! :lol:

Soph1992 said:

Hello there.

Ok so I have had my bunnies for a few weeks now.

I have noticed one had grown much bigger then the other, is this likely to be the male?
Also their poo's have gone bigger, does this just happen as they grow?

Going to pop into the vets tomorrow as they have still not been sexed. either way I will be getting them both 'done' so need to ask when is best, what age etc as I don't want them breeding. (They are 10 weeks)

Also as they are house rabbits I have lino in the cage, seems to be working well for cleaning out etc much better then the fleece, but should I put say some hard scratchy surface in their for their nails? And can I get some grass from the garden and give them that? (They will be able to have outside time but it's too wet, rainy and cold I think!)

Sorry if they are silly questions just want to make sure I'm doing everything ok.

Click to expand...

In one of my groups the male is bigger and in the other the female is slightly bigger, it's more depending on breed and genetics than gender Poos getting bigger is good! Big, crumbly poos are the ideal and it may be they are eating more hay with you than where they were previous.

Lino is fine as long as it's textured. It doesn't really wear nails down that much so once they need doing if you take them along and ask your vet to show you how to do it then you may feel happy doing it yourself at home, or just ask the vet to do it when they need doing or at vaccinations. Grass is fine but you want to gradually increase it as it can be too rich sometimes They don't need grass providing they have hay but it's nice for them to have from time to time!

If they are boy and girl then it may be prudent to separate as they can breed from a young age. You can have them separated with mesh so that they can still see each other.

Soph1992 said:

thanks you sierra*323.

So say If I get them sexed this week, and find out one is a boy and one is a girl....do I need to separate them until they can get 'done'. This would break my heart and theirs they are so close awhh I don't even like thinking about that! :lol:

Click to expand...

For some reason 12 weeks is stuck in my head, but I would straight away to be safe - wouldn't want to accidentally put a baby girl through pregnancy! If they do turn out to be a boy and a girl could you work out a way to keep them next to each other so they can still see and smell each other but can't reach? It might make it easier to re-bond them after their ops Also, boys can still get a girl bun pregnant a few weeks after they're done, so they can't be put straight back together just in case!

A neutered boy and spayed girl are often said to be the best pairing - less risk of fights etc, so if they are it might seem like more stress but they could make a gorgeous couple!

Yes they have a long puppy pen which I can put cc cubes across and they would still have plenty of room. I'm really worried now, what happens if they don't get along when we put them back or get really sad as they are not together, they cuddle up when they sleep and everything. And this would also mean them not being together for 6 months??, oh I am awfully sad now. Before I get emotional :lol: I will make sure I get them sexed this week and go from there. They are like my children I don't want them to be sad and lonely

Soph1992 said:

Yes they have a long puppy pen which I can put cc cubes across and they would still have plenty of room. I'm really worried now, what happens if they don't get along when we put them back or get really sad as they are not together, they cuddle up when they sleep and everything. And this would also mean them not being together for 6 months??, oh I am awfully sad now. Before I get emotional :lol: I will make sure I get them sexed this week and go from there. They are like my children I don't want them to be sad and lonely

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If one is a boy and one is a girl it would only be a couple of weeks while the boy has a snip. As long as they can see each other they should bond back fine.
If they're the same sex then no worries.

Soph1992 said:

Yes they have a long puppy pen which I can put cc cubes across and they would still have plenty of room. I'm really worried now, what happens if they don't get along when we put them back or get really sad as they are not together, they cuddle up when they sleep and everything. And this would also mean them not being together for 6 months??, oh I am awfully sad now. Before I get emotional :lol: I will make sure I get them sexed this week and go from there. They are like my children I don't want them to be sad and lonely

Click to expand...

Don't be worried! Your set up sounds perfect for them to be next door neighbours if needs be Males can be castrated much earlier than females can be spayed - 6 months sounds like worst case scenario! He wouldn't neccessarily have to wait for her before they go back together. See what the vet says they are and work from there :thumb:

And can we have some pics please?? They sound gorgeous

Boys become mature around 12 weeks, but it can be sooner. Girls mature a bit later but again it can be sooner.

If you can find a good rabbit savvy vet that will neuter them BOTH before 16 weeks, you can keep them together, as if the girl is pregnant at this time it will be very early and the spay can still go on as normal. However a lot of vets wont do girls till 6 months, so if this is the case you'll need to separate at 12 weeks, get the boy done, wait 6-8 weeks and rebond, which as long as they have been in sight and able to smell and hear each other during this time should be easy. Bear in mind girly will be hormonal by this time though, and bonds can break from hormonal does, so you may want to wait till after she is spayed and calmed down.

That makes sense I am panicking for no reason at all. I hope one is male and the other female, hope florence is a girl and ... well it is quite a girly name! were as Rascal is unisex :lol:

Thanks guys you have all been really helpful! I will get you a few pics of the buns this week :thumb: