• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Hi all :)

M

Martynf

New Kit
Hello Everyone,

Thanks to Tamsin for sorting out my user account!

I haven't kept a rabbit since I was young, some years ago, but my son has wanted one for the last 6 months so I've been doing all the research I could to make the right choices. I'm lucky that my son dotes on animals ( he wants to work in a zoo when he grows up!! he owns more animal books than most petshops!) :) he insisted that he bought rabbit books (with his own money) so he could learn all about looking after them before dad builds him a hutch!

Originally the plan was to own one rabbit with two pigs to keep everyone happy and busy in a large hutch! about 5 feet long with a ramp and run under. The rabbit and pigs were to be shop bought, the hutch would be built by dad for the animals (dad loves to build! so he can make a home!)

Spot anything wrong with the above? :) didn't take me long to find the right path ;-) the plan is now slightly revised! to its current state of:

Rehome a bonded pair of rabbits from a rescue centre so we don't encourage pets at home to have more breed to sell.
The Pigs don't factor anymore!!
The 'large'!! hutch is now ditched in favour of a shed about 6' x 4' lino lined with a run about 8' x 4' accessed via a catflap :)
A simple heating / cooling system installed high up in the shed above teeth height!
Teeth proof the living room wires
Grow a few carrots in the veggie patch and some dandelions in a window box
Learn to speak rabbit fluently!

We live in Kent currently but we're moving home to North Wiltshire within the next month to a house with a lovely 80 foot rear garden :) coming from a house with a 15 foot rear garden we are more than a little excited about the prospects of now being able to offer a home to some binking buns.

I've got a couple of unanswered questions to find answers to, so if anyone can answers these, I'd really appreciate it!

1) My son like rabbits which are front half one colour and rear half another colour, that's what he likes......!!! I'm in no position to argue with him!! :) are these called Dutch rabbits generally?
2) Regarding building runs and treating any wood work. What type of wood is preffered for runs to be built from and what do you treat the wood with that will not harm the rabbits?
3) When we viewed the house we are buying, we noticied there are squirrels about. Are there any 'special factors' I should account for with them when building a home / run, or any health issues with close proximity?

It goes without saying that if I can offer any help moving animals about the country to help rehome them to their final destination, I will of course offer all the help I can, we're going to be in North Wiltshire close to the M4 not far from Swindon.

Thanks in advance for any replies!
Martyn
 
hi there

and welcome to the forum yep your son is right there called dutch, and very gorgeous to!

as reguards to wood, i wood say plain untreated wood from the timber yard/hardware store is fine. most stains wood preservers tell you on the tin whether they are pet friendly as i recall i think we used a product called duck somethng sorry no good at diy! :lol: :lol: .

I think your ideas are lovely, i dont know about squirrels. i would say though PIggie are NO good with bunnys and instead of buying the bunnys from the pet shop i would recommend going to a rescue, there are some great rescues down in kent, i even know of a agouti dutch down in kent that needs a home!

the benefits of a rescue are most come already vacinated and castrated and in mist cases either bonded with another rabbit or they can provide that service for you..... one rabbit is lonely two rabbits arew better espically if they live out doors, and you will be giving a bunny a second chance of love and life and no encouraging more breeding :D

anyway enough from me i hope you enjoy your new bunnys when you get them

Eve x
 
Hello and Welcome! Well you and your son have certainly done your research! :D

Squirrels shouldn't cause you a problem, they may try to raid your food though. It may be an idea to have some nuts hung up in a tree to keep them occupied.

Any wood from Timber yard/ Harware store is fine as eve says and just read the lables on the wood treatments.

Good luck with your move and finding the right pair of buns XX
 
That's great :) thank you very much!

I need to stop looking at buns now though, I want them all and we're not ready yet.... :)

Thank you for your replies,
Martyn
 
Martynf said:
That's great :) thank you very much!

I need to stop looking at buns now though, I want them all and we're not ready yet.... :)

Thank you for your replies,
Martyn
Click to expand...

Ah it's started already! Before you know it you will end up with at least 5 buns! :lol:

Bunnylove has i think 20 ish and lots of foster buns and i have 24, most f the guys on the forum end up with at least one bun from the rescues which post on here! We just can't resist cute bunny faces! :D
 
Phill said:
Martynf said:
That's great :) thank you very much!

I need to stop looking at buns now though, I want them all and we're not ready yet.... :)

Thank you for your replies,
Martyn
Click to expand...

Ah it's started already! Before you know it you will end up with at least 5 buns! :lol:

Bunnylove has i think 20 ish and lots of foster buns and i have 24, most f the guys on the forum end up with at least one bun from the rescues which post on here! We just can't resist cute bunny faces! :D
Click to expand...

blimey phil your good missed one bun though i am not at twenty one and wth new piggies and fosters i am sitting at 36 and sitting here too long and should get on! slap my hand for taking a break!
 
A heating system I can recomend which does not eat up your electricity is one sold by http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Heating_Index/Tubular_Heaters/index.html they are aimed at Greenhouses and you can get covers to protect rabbits from getting too close to them, the cables you can cover with any duct covers. I would recomend getting a http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In..._Menu_Index/Therostats_All/Therm_1/index.html to use to control the temperature in the shed.

I organise the guinea pig side of Animal Rescue and Care we set up one of these in our shed this year which is powered by solar panels and these work effectively enough to stop the shed getting too cold but it is not too powerful enough to drain the collection of batteries which are connected to it.
 
Hi Martyn,
Welcome to the forum :wave: There's not much more to say, as everyone else seems to have covered it! It's great what you are doing, if only every bun owner thought like this!
 
hello,

You'll love being a bunny owner, and our Dutch, Flossie is lovely...but very bossy, so be prepared :lol:

My sons are nearly 9 and 4, and the older one is very good at helping out with the buns, (they are my pets but he helps).

As for looking on this forum...that how I got from 2 to 5 in one fell swoop.....heard a sad story about an abandoned mum and her babies, so did a 4 hour drive to Cleethorpes to bring home Daisy, Maisie and Taz :roll: :roll:
 
Well done for doing such fantastic research - your ideas sound great. I can see some very pampered buns enjoying a life with you!
 
jrn1310 said:
A heating system I can recomend which does not eat up your electricity is one sold by http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Heating_Index/Tubular_Heaters/index.html they are aimed at Greenhouses and you can get covers to protect rabbits from getting too close to them, the cables you can cover with any duct covers. I would recomend getting a http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In..._Menu_Index/Therostats_All/Therm_1/index.html to use to control the temperature in the shed.

I organise the guinea pig side of Animal Rescue and Care we set up one of these in our shed this year which is powered by solar panels and these work effectively enough to stop the shed getting too cold but it is not too powerful enough to drain the collection of batteries which are connected to it.
Click to expand...

SUPERB advice! This is the kind of information you only get on forums like this, god bless the internet and those who post replies :)

Sincere thanks for the links, they are book marked and will be purchased.
Martyn
 
Hiya! Welcome to the forum!

Another Wiltshire person! Yay!

Good luck sorting everything out for your new bunny, sounds like he will have a great home!
 
Welcome :wave: to the forum how wonderful to see someone so excited and well researched about bunnies at a young age he is a credit to you. You will get some great advice on here and have some laughs along the way too :D :D :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

H
Rabbit with erratic heart rate
Replies
3
Views
230
MimzMum
MimzMum
P
Wakally Wabbit won’t sleep in her hutch!
Replies
4
Views
313
InspectorMorse
InspectorMorse
T
Please help. Poor rabbit is desperately ill
Replies
9
Views
572
dex179
dex179
Back
Top