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Getting a British Giant... I need some help

Bubblychaz

New Kit
Ok, So to cut a long story short... Basically brothers neighbor is one of these people who gets pets thinking its a good idea and then gets bored after a few weeks. She got 2 giant's mated them, Never cleans out the rabbits, they live in a "dog kennel" (Its rotten and about 15 years old) so, my brother and wife have convinced her rabbits smell and she doesnt want them etc etc so she agreed to let them go.. They found good homes for parents and 10 of the young.. Im taking in the 11th one as no one else would. Currently all 13 are at my brothers, he is keeping the parents (who will be neutered) so hes given up his 2nd shed (10ft x 10ft) for all of them.
its 13 week old British Giant rabbit.

Housing - My hutch is being built this week. its one level and Will be 3ft Width, 6ft long and 4ft high, It will open out into a run which is to be 10ft length, 6ft width and 4ft high. (this is where the rabbit will be kept while im at work, shopping or whatever. when im home I have a 186 sqm garden for it to hop around in). I feel Ive got the housing needs done??

Food - here's where im highly confused.. Rabbit pellets? How much do I feed it?
Cabages, brussels, carrots? (I read somewhere about dry veg, as too much lettuce, cucumber etc can cause them issue as its too watery?) how much veg? how often?
Hay.. fresh stock all throughout day and night?

Water bottle? What size? am I best getting 2-3 bottles?

Bedding.. Straw? fill the hutch with straw so it can burrow right in? Im going to get by the bale? So quarter bale in the hutch at a time?

Toys? Where do I get correct sized toys from?

Infact where is the best place to buy anything from? I googled pet stores uk and looked through rabbit sections but no where seems to have a special section for giant rabbits?

and most important.. Vet stuff? What do I need to do?
(I have cats, and I know they have injections, front line and worming pills.. is it same for rabbits?)

Am I missing anything?
 
The housing sounds good. As always, bigger is better so go for the biggest you can.

Food -
pellets (not muesli) - the guide is to feed an eggcup full of pellets for every 1kg that your rabbit weighs. You'll soon get to know what the right amount is for your rabbit by keeping an eye on how fat he is!

Veg-wise I'd suggest doing some further reading since it's a mine field! I tend to stick to green leafy vegetables, herbs, and rabbit-safe weeds. Veg should ideally account for about 10% of a rabbits diet, but mine don't get that much.

hay - you're quite right, a constant supply. As a guide, a rabbit should eat a pile of hay roughly it's own size each day.

Generally, people suggest a water bowl - one of those self-filling dog bowls would be good. I use these bottles and highly recommend them. They have a little bowl on the bottom for easy drinking, but they're convenient and clean like bottles.

You can try straw for bedding, but some people find their rabbits eat it which isn't what you want. If you find he eats the straw then switch to hay.

Toys
Giants like exactly the same stuff as regular rabbits, the only stuff you really need to size up is tunnels, and cat/dog tunnels should work just fine.

Where to buy
anywhere that sells normal rabbit stuff - I usually use zooplus.

Vet stuff
Your rabbit will need neutering which is a one off. He'll also need a yearly vaccination against VHD and Myxo.

Other
Rabbits are best in pairs or groups so I'd seriously consider adopting a spayed female to be friends with him. Another giant would make things easier in terms of feeding but a bond would work equally well with regular sized rabbit.
 
The housing sounds good. As always, bigger is better so go for the biggest you can.

Food -
pellets (not muesli) - the guide is to feed an eggcup full of pellets for every 1kg that your rabbit weighs. You'll soon get to know what the right amount is for your rabbit by keeping an eye on how fat he is!

Veg-wise I'd suggest doing some further reading since it's a mine field! I tend to stick to green leafy vegetables, herbs, and rabbit-safe weeds. Veg should ideally account for about 10% of a rabbits diet, but mine don't get that much.

hay - you're quite right, a constant supply. As a guide, a rabbit should eat a pile of hay roughly it's own size each day.

Generally, people suggest a water bowl - one of those self-filling dog bowls would be good. I use these bottles and highly recommend them. They have a little bowl on the bottom for easy drinking, but they're convenient and clean like bottles.

You can try straw for bedding, but some people find their rabbits eat it which isn't what you want. If you find he eats the straw then switch to hay.

Toys
Giants like exactly the same stuff as regular rabbits, the only stuff you really need to size up is tunnels, and cat/dog tunnels should work just fine.

Where to buy
anywhere that sells normal rabbit stuff - I usually use zooplus.

Vet stuff
Your rabbit will need neutering which is a one off. He'll also need a yearly vaccination against VHD and Myxo.

Other
Rabbits are best in pairs or groups so I'd seriously consider adopting a spayed female to be friends with him. Another giant would make things easier in terms of feeding but a bond would work equally well with regular sized rabbit.

Thank you
 
I struggle with toys for my giants as most hideaways and tunnels that they sell in pet shops are just too small for them. I tend to use large cardboard boxes to keep them entertained and they love willow and apple branches to gnaw on.
 
Mine has two "cat" play tunnels and a large cardboard box.

You can get large willow balls too.

:)


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Housing - My hutch is being built this week. its one level and Will be 3ft Width, 6ft long and 4ft high, It will open out into a run which is to be 10ft length, 6ft width and 4ft high. (this is where the rabbit will be kept while im at work, shopping or whatever. when im home I have a 186 sqm garden for it to hop around in). I feel Ive got the housing needs done??

The housing sounds fantastic! I would be concerned about letting your bunny free range in your garden even if you're home but not supervising, as foxes and other predators only take a second to grab a rabbit. It's up to you whether you want to take this risk. Some people do but a lot don't. When your giant is older he might be at less risk than when he's younger due to his size, but personally I still wouldn't want to risk it as predators sometimes kill without intending to eat the animal or they may kill but not be able to carry him away. Your run and hutch sound like a fantastic size - he'll have plenty of room to play. How about just letting him out for an hour or so a day while you're in the garden? Alternatively, although the run is a great size, if you decide not to free range you could always get the run extended. I know I'm always wanting to get the entire garden made into a run :lol:

Food - here's where im highly confused.. Rabbit pellets? How much do I feed it?
Cabages, brussels, carrots? (I read somewhere about dry veg, as too much lettuce, cucumber etc can cause them issue as its too watery?) how much veg? how often?
Hay.. fresh stock all throughout day and night?

Best thing is to avoid iceberg lettuce and cucumber etc, unless he's not drinking enough for any medical reason. They are very watery and best avoided. Green veg is great for them - cabbage, kale, non iceberg lettuce, herbs such as coriander etc. Introduce these slowly and one at a time as some bunnies have very sensitive tummies. The actual amount should be around 5-10% of his daily food. There's plenty of bunny safe veg lists all over the internet, so just stick to those :D

Hay should be given at all times - he needs it 24/7 and it's best to put it out at several points throughout the day as they love the smell of fresh hay and it encourages them to eat. Readigrass is a great extra bit of food. It's just dried grass so it's as good for them as hay in terms of wearing their teeth down. Just be careful not to give too much as it's quite high in calcium. My 2 bunnies get a large mason cash bowl between them once a day.

Water bottle? What size? am I best getting 2-3 bottles?

The bigger the better as some bunnies drink a lot. I'd get 1 or more 1L bottles for a giant. I like these ones because the water flows easier and doesn't drip: http://www.johnhopewell.co.uk/default.asp?template=productdetail.page.xml&productid=22. There's also a cheaper version but I don't like the colour :shock: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455344027&pf_rd_i=468294

Bedding.. Straw? fill the hutch with straw so it can burrow right in? Im going to get by the bale? So quarter bale in the hutch at a time?

Personally I don't use straw at all. Many people don't use it at all unless it's very cold. The problem with straw is it has little nutritional value so you don't want your bunny eating straw but not hay. Bunnies are fantastic at keeping themselves warm in anything but the coldest of weather, so personally I think avoid it totally except for the dead of winter. Even then you can use microwave snugglesafes and vet bed which they won't decide to eat instead of hay. Many people, me included, line our hutches/sheds with lino flooring and use litter trays where we put litter and hay for the buns. This means its easier to keep clean, and bunnies love eating where they poop - it's natural behaviour!

Toys? Where do I get correct sized toys from?

Toys and tunnels etc for normal sized bunnies are sometimes hard to find, let alone for giants! Many of the fabric tunnels available will be fine for a giant, and all of the willow chewy toys or throwing toys will be fine too. Lots of people find suitably sized things in ikea etc and use them for bunnies - tables are great to sit on top and go underneath, etc.

Infact where is the best place to buy anything from? I googled pet stores uk and looked through rabbit sections but no where seems to have a special section for giant rabbits?

I like viovet for big hauls of assorted chewy stuff etc as it works out very cheap if you order a decent amount. They also do pellets fairly cheap too so it may pay you to do a big buy every so often. Ebay and amazon are also good. You'll get to know certain places. Places like this will do custom sized shelters: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190790961400?_trksid=p2055120.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT Childrens furniture can often be good - little chairs and tables, or pop up tunnels and tents!

and most important.. Vet stuff? What do I need to do?
(I have cats, and I know they have injections, front line and worming pills.. is it same for rabbits?)

Rabbits need a yearly vaccination of myxo and vhd combined. They used to be separate and one needed doing annually and one needed doing 6 monthly, just in case you find any misleading literature and get a bit baffled! They're essential as both are active in the UK and both are often fatal. Usually costs about £20-40 per bun and they'll get a free health check. Front line is poisonous for rabbits. Generally, rabbits don't need prothelactic flea/mite treatments. There is some debate about precautionary worming - some feel they want to keep up to date with worming, whereas others say that treatment as and when worming appears is just as effective. The problem with precautionary/prothelactic worming is that a 9 day course of panacur is usually advised, whereas if worms are suspected then a longer course of 3 weeks or longer is given. Some vets feel that a prothelactic treatment of only 9 days will do no good or little good - the only thing is it might help non-carriers avoid catching anything. Many people and rescues do a 9 day course upon arrival to their home or rescue etc. On the other hand, other vets advocate 9 week courses every 3-6 months or so. It's a difficult one. Speak to your vet to see what they think. It's essential that you find a knowledgeable (or bunny savvy) vet near you - rabbits are classed as an exotic and so you need an exotic vet. Normal vets are not trained for rabbits. If you search the forum for 'bunny/rabbit savvy vet' in your local area you may find previous threads, or if not feel free to make a thread in rabbit chat :D

Rabbits also need to be spayed or neutered at an appropriate age. Females are highly likely to get uterine cancer by the age of 3 otherwise, which is often fatal. Males will also often display territorial or hormonal behaviour, and even if he doesn't he'll be ravaged by hormones which he can't get rid of. This is also essential since rabbits should never be kept alone - they're a social species and they need a partner. Rescues will have a wide selection and they'll come neutered/spayed and vaccinated for usually around £50-60 which sure beats buying a rabbit elsewhere and paying for it all yourself. They'll often bond them together for you too, as it's a tricky thing to do at home sometimes and it can take many days where you need to be watching them 24/7 in case of fights.

EDIT:

Pet insurance is something you might want to consider. It's a hotly debated subject as many people find they'd rather just pay for anything that comes up, whereas others aren't in a position to do that. It's a personal choice really. For me, I don't have enough spare money to ensure I'd be able to cover their treatment if things went wrong, so mine are insured. Petplan is the best for rabbits as it covers the most illnesses compared to other providers. It's best to insure before any problems occur as if they've suffered from something in the past and you take insurance out then, they are likely to not cover any further treatment for that illness or anything related to it. Rabbit treatment can be very costly. An episode of gut stasis can cost £200 or more, and often upwards of £400-600 if it's a longer case and you need emergency out of hours treatment. Abscesses are common and cost hundreds, if not thousands. I've claimed £2500 over the last 2 years for abscess treatment for one abscess on one bunny. If you get them insured with petplan, make sure your vet does a dental check every time you get them vaccinated and ensure the vet writes it in their notes. Petplan often cover dental problems if they have annual checks.
 
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