Building Rabbit Hutches & Rabbit Info

This is the finished product, but as you read on down, you will see it being built. Jessie has been breeding and raising rabbits for 14yrs. everything from meat, fur to pets that she’s sold.

As you can see...we built this inside the house because the weather was still too cold to build it outside...although wood was cut outside, thankfully to this ranch woman's delight! Ranch people are known for bringing their work into their house...even a new born calf when necessary!

We designed this hutch for convenience of breeding. We are building it for 2 does (one on each side) and 1 buck in the center. The does will be introduced into the buck’s area one at a time. Staying for 1-2 days to mate. It is done this way because if the buck was put into the doe’s cage…he may half the time have his mind on mating and the other half on smelling where she has been all throughout her area. We

want business to get done so we make sure they are in his area instead.

Rabbits are by nature solitary, getting together only briefly to breed. The only time rabbits stay together in nature for any length of time is when a mother rabbit is raising her young. And even then, she only goes to them to feed them.

Click here for a good reference on this subject from a reputable source.

If you put them together, a doe will fight another doe and a buck will fight another buck. Sometimes even a buck and a doe will not get along and will fight if she is not “willing” or she is too young.

Depending on the disposition of the rabbit, most will socialize well with humans and we socialize with our rabbits regularly to keep them easy to handle and willing to be moved and touched. Some can become very nasty and can bite or scratch. Jessie had one she called “Grumpy Gus” as he had not been handled much when she got him. But he warmed up to her and became very sociable after she worked with him for quite a while. It was very difficult when she came home one day and found a neighbor dog had gotten in and been biting at his cage, scaring him which killed him with a heart attack.

Rabbits in the wild have a variety they choose from, but their mainstay are grasses. Therefore in captivity it is best to feed them grass hay and a little alfalfa.

 Here is a good list to go by when feeding things other than hay to rabbits. Hay or grasses make up 75% of their diet (about 1 packed cup per 2 lbs. of body weight per day).

 

*****Be aware that fruit & lettuce are things you only want to feed them occasionally…not daily…feed a rabbit a slice of apple or banana…but it can cause diabetes so it’s not something you want to do regularly. Lettuce can cause diarrhea and dehydration because it’s a diuretic and eventually will affect their kidneys and liver. Rabbits are susceptible to diarrhea…so if it happens…check what you are feeding them. *****

 

 LEAFY GREENS

These should be no more than about 15 % of the diet (About 1 tablespoon per 2 lbs. of body weight per day). Therefore a VERY small quantity is allowed in their diet.

 

Leafy Greens I (need to be rotated due to oxalic acid content and only 1 out of three varieties of greens a day should be from this list)

• Parsley
• Spinach
• Mustard greens
• Beet greens
• Swiss chard
• Radish tops
• Sprouts (from 1 to 6 days after sprouting, sprouts have higher levels of alkaloids)

Leafy Greens II (low in oxalic acid)

• Arugula
• Carrot tops
• Cucumber leaves
• Endive
• Ecarole
• Kale (all types)
• Spring greens
• Turnip greens
• Dandelion greens
• Mint (any variety)
• Basil (any variety)
• Watercress
• Wheatgrass
• Chicory
• Raspberry leaves
• Cilantro
• Radicchio
• Bok Choy
• Fennel (the leafy tops as well as the base)
• Borage leaves
• Dill leaves

 

NON-LEAFY VEGETABLES

These should be no more than 10% of the diet (about 1 teaspoon per 2 lbs of body weight per day).VERY minute amount per day.

• Carrots
• Broccoli (leaves and stems)
• Edible flowers (roses, nasturtiums, pansies, hibiscus)
• Celery
• Chinese pea pods (the flat kind without large peas)
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage (any type)
• Broccolini
• Summer squash
• Zucchini squash