Chance to have two free rabbits- we're totally clueless. Advice?

[Team Chaos]

So, it goes against my cardinal rule of the farm which is "never add an animal before you're prepared" but so far, just about everything has broken that rule. Our neighbor has two rabbits that his grandchildren can't move with them- they are some kind of dwarf/belted/ scottish ? (like I said, I know nothing about rabbits) and he has offered them to my daughter. He raises meat rabbits and cannot keep these little "pet" rabbits for long, so we've got to decide quickly. My daughter is 9 and I told her she needs to research and read rabbit basics today and be prepared to tell me her opinion and plan for keeping them if she decides she would like them. I, on the other hand, am throwing this up to the experts here before I run back out the door to take care of the animals who already live on the farm!
We have chickens, guineas, ducks, geese, sheep, cats, dogs and a horse- if that matters. I hate seeing rabbits stuck in cages high above the ground for their whole lives, but for all I know that could be a rabbit's dream. Can I tractor rabbits w/ wire on the bottom to prohibit digging? How cold hearty are they? We're in SW WI. Would we need to bring them in to the house for the winter? If you had to give someone a pro/con list of rabbit ownership, what would it be?

thanks so much!

 

[Denim Deb]

I don't know about keeping them outside where you are-it doesn't get that cold here. But, you can put them in tractors w/the wire bottom. Many people keep them this way. That way, they "mow" the grass in an area, plus fertilize it while they do so.

As for a pro/con list, I've had rabbits as pets for most of my life. Compared to other pets, they're fairly easy to keep. You can get them spayed/neutered, but don't have to. (I never have.) They're quiet, don't eat a lot, and are fairly cheap to feed. Some people only feed them pellets their whole lives, while others will give them scraps out of their garden, clover, hay, grass, etc. You don't need to age the manure like you do w/horse manure, so you can use it in your garden right away. You can even walk them on a leash. Some of them need quite a bit of work to "tame" them, others don't need to be messed w/much and some never get used to being handled. Quite truthfully, I have trouble coming up w/a con for having them as a pet, but I just may be prejudiced.

 

[DianeS]

Yes you can tractor them. But most people keep them in suspended wire-bottom cages because it keeps the poop from getting on their feet. All that fur on their feet collects mushy poop and packs it in, creating conditions ripe for yeast infection and other yuckies. So if you tractor them, it needs to be a largish tractor and moved often. Or, a large stationary pen with a wire bottom would work too - most rabbits choose a corner to go in and use it regularly, so if they have plenty of room to run around without stepping in the poop that will work too.

Consider predators, of course. You want your rabbits as secure as anything else small and tasty. They have the same predators as chickens and ducks do.

If you don't know much about rabbits, I'd start with a commercial pellet for feed. You can replace that with natural foods (if you wish) as you have time to learn about them. They do "mow" very nicely. They can eat most greens that you'd normally throw away (tops of carrots, tree trimmings, cabbage bases, etc) so mine get first dibs at things destined for the compost pile.

Keep males and females 100% separated unless you want kits. If they do get together, mating takes only seconds, then gestation is 31 days, give or take a couple days. Keep same-sex separated unless you want a fight. They can really only be together if each has something like 10+ square feet of space to themselves. They really are solitary animals. They don't get lonely if they can see each other, they don't need to interact beyond visually.

Most vets know nothing about rabbits. So be prepared to either find that you can't take your rabbits in to one, or find that you can but it costs an exorbitant amount for sub-par care. It's best to keep them healthy, and learn how to put one down yourself in case of emergency.

They are VERY cold hardy. Just give them a place out of wind and direct rain. A dog house type structure, or a tarp, is fine. I give hay to snuggle in if the temps get way below freezing, that's all.
It's heat you have to worry about. Make sure they are shaded all the time, and have lots of water. You can lose a rabbit in heat that would make a human just uncomfortable. When it hits about 85, if there is no breeze, I start putting frozen water bottles in the cages to keep them cool. Frozen ceramic tile works well too.

Some rabbits are friendly, some are not. Check out these if that matters to you.

And that's about it. They're pretty easy if they're for pets. Its when you want them to accomplish something on purpose that they become annoying. They sit up nights trying to figure out what to do next that will drive you the most nuts.

Post pictures if you get them!

 

[Denim Deb]

Keep same-sex separated unless you want a fight.

Not always true. I have 2 females that I got at auction-they came as a pair. And, I've never kept them separate. They get along fine. I've seen other people who keep them together as well w/no problem. But, others will fight, so you do need to be aware of this.

 

[Beekissed]

It seems your daughter has many outlets for animal love and these rabbits will only cost more money, cause more problems and won't yield anything of any use. Why not give this "opportunity" a pass? Problem solved.

If you had to give someone a pro/con list of rabbit ownership, what would it be?

Dwarf rabbits:

Pros~poop and sale of babies to others for pets, which I do not recommend. The shelters are full of unwanted rabbits as we speak. Same as having a puppy mill, IMO.

Cons~cost of setup, cost of feed, cost of maintenance, keeping water liquid during winter, keeping rabbits cool in the summer.

Meat Rabbits:

Pros~poop and food source, easier to keep and maintain that other livestock with comparative meat yields and proliferation.

Cons~same as for pet rabbits except the need for more cages for offspring to grow out for butchering, to keep mating bucks separate, to keep does and kits separate from other does.

 

[Team Chaos]

Thank you for the input, all of you! I really appreciate it! I ended up taking a page from Beekissed's book and let this opportunity roll on by. When speaking with my daughter about whether or not she wanted to take the rabbits, she told me that she didn't want the bunnies to be homeless but she really wasn't interested in adding them to our farm or to her chore list. So it was still a very valuable learning opportunity- thanks again!