Big Bunnies!!!

Flairy · Nov 10, 2005

Hi,
I'm just about become the proud mum of a baby British Giant. I am so excited, she is an opal doe, and I think her name will be Alba.

(i have a very excited grin on my face right now!)

I have a couple of preliminary questions. I have found her a boyf already at the animal shelter, but he is only medium sized -will this be ok? Also their 'house' will be a 5'x2'x2'6"(height) insulated hutch in a well ventilated shed (3'6x10'- Front is an entirely wire door with covering to protect from cold at night when necessary!) which they will be confined to when i'm out. When i'm home they will be allowed the run of the garden and in the evenings inside for cuddles and fun in the living room and kitchen.

Does all of that sound alright?

Any advice on BIG bunnies much appreciated, as this is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream!!!!

bunnylove · Nov 10, 2005

personally i would clear out the shed and dtch the hutch, british ginats are too big for hutches and defibately at hutch that small, you will see what i mean in a few months she may be small now but she wont be for long. probably not what you wanted to hear but i have that size hurch and my two would not be able to move in it!

take a look at there size!
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/tam/viewtopic.php?t=12139

Jack's-Jane · Nov 10, 2005

Hiya!!

I agree with Eve. Take a look at her magnificent Giants on the Photos Forum..titled 'Frontal for Denny'. I would be a bit concerned about bonding your Giant with a significantly smaller bun as once fully grown a Giant can weigh over 7kg :shock: so could accidentally do significant damage to a much smaller bun.

I'd also be VERY WARY of allowing a bun to roam the garden unless supervised 100% of the time. Foxes are no longer bothered about attacking in daylight and no fence/wall is insurmountable to a Fox. :shock: Then again I am paranoid about Foxes cos exactly a year ago tomorrow a Fox came INTO my house and killed one of my House-Rabbits.

Look forward to seeing some piccies of your big bun!! Jane and Buns xx

bunnylove · Nov 10, 2005

JCO said:
Hiya!! I agree with Eve. Take a look at her magnificent Giants on the Photos Forum..titled 'Frontal for Denny'. I would be a bit concerned about bonding your Giant with a significantly smaller bun as once fully grown a Giant can weigh over 7kg :shock: so could accidentally do significant damage to a much smaller bun. I'd also be VERY WARY of allowing a bun to roam the garden unless supervised 100% of the time. Foxes are no longer bothered about attacking in daylight and no fence/wall is insurmountable to a Fox. :shock: Then again I am paranoid about Foxes cos exactly a year ago tomorrow a Fox came INTO my house and killed one of my House-Rabbits. Look forward to seeing some piccies of your big bun!! Jane and Buns xx

jane i would disagree with the smaller bun bonded with a giant as caz has a conti with a dwalf lop and the lop is in charge! :lol: but i would worry about the hutch size, if you like i will take a picture of what they look like in a hutch that size you will see they cant move, and with a young giant they need to be able to move to prevent muscle diteriotation.

my giants run free in the garden but i would NOT let them out there unattended, mine are free range (no cage) house rabbits and are only allowed into the garden when i am there!

Eve x

AlisonA · Nov 10, 2005

It's an interesting question I think. On the one hand I can see that bunnies probably don't care what size their partner is, but I do tend to agree that there is the potential for injury. Isn't one of the main reasons we say about not keeping bunnies and guinea pigs together because the bunny is usually bigger and has big feet that could seriously injure a guinea if it got spooked and the smaller one happened to be in its way? Why would the same not be true of big buns and little buns?

Tamsin · Nov 10, 2005

Do you mean they have access to the shed to? In which case yes, that sounds like a good space.

If it's just the hutch - that's too small. Yep, a british giant stretched out is 3' long (roughly?) a 5' hutch just wouldn't fit one in . It also needs tto be wider so they can turn around comfortably. About 8'x3' hutch for a giant although it's probably cheaper to buy a 6'x4' shed than have a hutch that big made.

British giants can live with smaller rabbit - within reason a netherland dwarf might be abit small but a dwarf lop isn't too bad. You need to be careful with the introductions though

Tam

Jack's-Jane · Nov 10, 2005

Yeh, know what you mean about muscle wastage in 'Giants' who have be confined to too small hutches. My rescued Victoria Meldrew might still be with me today if her back end were not so weak cos of the conditions she spent her first 2 years in. Eve I am in L-U-R-V-E with H and H!!! Jane and Buns xx

bunnylove · Nov 10, 2005

JCO said:
Yeh, know what you mean about muscle wastage in 'Giants' who have be confined to too small hutches. My rescued Victoria Meldrew might still be with me today if her back end were not so weak cos of the conditions she spent her first 2 years in. Eve I am in L-U-R-V-E with H and H!!! Jane and Buns xx

they are great and i dread to be with out them that really will be a black day!

Flairy · Nov 10, 2005

yours are so so beautiful!!!!

I am gonna keep the hutch so the smaller one as somewhere to hide!!!
but other than that, the shed will have lots of fun toys and warm snuggly blankets. how would recomend keeping them warm and happy through th winter? the floor is concrete, not wood.

Also how much hay do you get through - i have located a farmer who sells meadow hay by the bale (phew!)
how much veg and pellets do you feed a day?

i have so many questions!

Flairy · Nov 10, 2005

yeah, the hutch will not have a door on it- more of a place for hiding in!! i was thinking or putting a very big covered box with earth in for digging in at one end - just for fun!!

AlisonA · Nov 10, 2005

Sounds great! During the winter, sad as it may seem, you'd be better off putting on your thermals and spending time with them in the shed rather than bringing them in for a few hours. It's not great for bunnies to keep experiencing changes of temperature when it's cold outside. Remember they don't have an extra jacket to put back on when you take them outside again! If you do bring them in, try and make sure that the heating is off in the room that you are in, to prevent the temperature difference being so big when they go back out again. They sound like very lucky bunnies to be living in such a nice big shed

bunnylove · Nov 10, 2005

Flairy said:
yours are so so beautiful!!!!

I am gonna keep the hutch so the smaller one as somewhere to hide!!!
but other than that, the shed will have lots of fun toys and warm snuggly blankets. how would recomend keeping them warm and happy through th winter? the floor is concrete, not wood.

Also how much hay do you get through - i have located a farmer who sells meadow hay by the bale (phew!)
how much veg and pellets do you feed a day?

i have so many questions!

i am so pleased they are getting the whole shed as the hutch is really not big enought at all for the giant!

as for feeding i have been having this debate with my vet, she thinks pellets (definately do NOT recommend a pet shop mix) are causing problems in rabbits so remommends they are not feed on pellets at all even from a young age! and has also remommended not giving veg.

i am not sure what your curcomstances are and how long you have been caring for bunns but i used to feed my bunny a half normal rabbit sized boul of food in the morning and night, and never feed veg other than for treats (as my giant did not torate veg well) and hay and readigrass ab lib!

i have since changed there diet and think its the better option but this is my choice and others will disagree so its up to you i can only advise.

i now feed two tablespoons of pellets in the morning and then the have hay and readygrass all day and thats it ocassionally i give veg treats but small i have noticed that they now eat conciderable amounts of hays which is alot better for there teeth.

whatevey you decide i strongly advice you keep your giant of the lean side and they do suffer health problems because if there weight and thats a FACT!

if there anything else dont hesitate to ask

Eve x

Flairy · Nov 10, 2005

Thanks everyone, your advice is invaluable and greatly received!

Eve, I will probably have lots more questions over the coming weeks/months!

I have been looking at the science selective - definately won't be going near the petshop stuff, i hate petshops they make me so sad and annoyed. My local animal shelter uses the selective, and will get it in for me, so I shall wean onto that. However i will probaly only give a small amount morning and evening, mainly so i can have an easy measurable way of knowing everything is ok before i go to work or bed!

Veg would be the occasional treat, and was thinking of growing bunny friendly herbs for extra special treats!! I don't want sticky bums though so will go very carefully!!

Also (sorry!) because of their size I know that there associated health risks, but (I'm just preparing myself) what is the realistic life expectancy, and how do i prolong this (other than hay and space and love and happiness!)

bunnylove · Nov 10, 2005

Flairy said:
Thanks everyone, your advice is invaluable and greatly received!

Eve, I will probably have lots more questions over the coming weeks/months!

I have been looking at the science selective - definately won't be going near the petshop stuff, i hate petshops they make me so sad and annoyed. My local animal shelter uses the selective, and will get it in for me, so I shall wean onto that. However i will probaly only give a small amount morning and evening, mainly so i can have an easy measurable way of knowing everything is ok before i go to work or bed!

Veg would be the occasional treat, and was thinking of growing bunny friendly herbs for extra special treats!! I don't want sticky bums though so will go very carefully!!

Also (sorry!) because of their size I know that there associated health risks, but (I'm just preparing myself) what is the realistic life expectancy, and how do i prolong this (other than hay and space and love and happiness!)

clare the science selective is what i feed and it is good it has a proboitic already in it, i would get them eating as much hay as they can possibly manage, even with normal ops such as castration you will be charge an excess because of there size i normally pay £61 for a spay and payed £81 with hermonie an extra £20 for the extra GA.

there life ecpectancy is shorter because of there size more pressure on there vital organs, so as i say keep them light dont over feed and believe me giants will beg :roll: :roll: and excercise is conpulsery sitting alround alday wth no room is no good, they tend to be on the lazy side anyway, other than keeping there vacs upto date and regualr health checks at the vets i am not sre there is much more you can do.

but the growing herbs is a great idea

please send some pictires as soon as you get them and i am postive they will give you as much joy as mine do!
Eve x

Flairy · Nov 11, 2005

Well, here is a picture of my baby, Alba (I think - I want to meet her first, just to check that she suits her name!)

Isn't she so so cute. She's 9 weeks old and already 3.5lbs - I've just had an email from her breeder so am very excited!

beck · Nov 11, 2005

Alba is gorgeous!! I love giants, don't have one though, although that was my plan before we got Blueberry

Good luck with her, sounds like you are doing the right things, and you'll get some great advice on this forum!!

bunnylove · Nov 11, 2005

Flairy said:
Well, here is a picture of my baby, Alba (I think - I want to meet her first, just to check that she suits her name!)

Isn't she so so cute. She's 9 weeks old and already 3.5lbs - I've just had an email from her breeder so am very excited!

arh she lovely!

Caz · Nov 11, 2005

Hiya - she is gorgeous!

Size doesn't matter too much when bonding as Eve said Athena (dwarf lop) is definately the boss of the relationship with my two. Zeus has occasionally jumped on her (in his excitement to get to the food) and she has never suffered for it!

I feed my guys probably about 200g of Excel pellets a day between them but that is mainly because when I tried Zeus on a grass/hay/veg only diet he dramatically lost weight and even the vet said he needed pellets. Zeus has been very sickly though so his is not a general case.

They love their space! Mine used to live under the stairs and in my hall but had to move outside as the vet said the central heating was aggrivating Zeus' mite problem and my hubby said that when we increased to four it was too much to cope with in the house.

Mine live in 5x5 foot square playhouses with attached runs in the garage. They also get a run in the garden in a secure run. I used to let them run free but then the neighbour's cat took too much interest. Although Athena fought it off (Zeus the giant is a big coward) I decided I could risk anything happening too them especially with birds of prey and foxes about.

This is my giant and his girly:

And this is their home:

Caz

Flairy · Nov 11, 2005

Thanks for the reassurance over different sized bunnies Caz, yours look very content there!!! (and gorgeous)

I love the set up you have for them. Where did you find the wire panels? (I know this has been the subject of many discussions already, but i thought i'd ask!)

Also how high is that run? and has Zeus ever tried to use brute force (with a whole lot of weight behind him) to escape?

Last question - I have so many, but its more out of the fact that I haven't collected Alba yet, what are Zeus' vital stats? (i.e weight, length when stretched out, how high can he reach, and if he jumped on your lap would it hurt :lol: !!!!)

Thanks everyone :lol:

:lol:

bunnylove · Nov 11, 2005

Flairy said:
Thanks for the reassurance over different sized bunnies Caz, yours look very content there!!! (and gorgeous)

I love the set up you have for them. Where did you find the wire panels? (I know this has been the subject of many discussions already, but i thought i'd ask!)

Also how high is that run? and has Zeus ever tried to use brute force (with a whole lot of weight behind him) to escape?

Last question - I have so many, but its more out of the fact that I haven't collected Alba yet, what are Zeus' vital stats? (i.e weight, length when stretched out, how high can he reach, and if he jumped on your lap would it hurt :lol: !!!!)

zeux is a contiential not a giant! a giant would not jump on your lap, and dont like being picked up because they are big, they do prefer to have all fur paws on the floor, as for vital stats, mine are 5.9 kg (health problems)and 6.5 kg but they are not fully grown yet, they finish growing around the 18 mark but do most of there growing within the first 6 months!

Eve x

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