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Rabbit Care Sheet |
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~ nocturnal, terrestrial,
herbivorous ~
Size:
The highly depends on
the breed. Most of the baby rabbits I sell in the store will
just be mix breeds, so there's really no telling what size, but
probably close to 4 or 5 pounds. The Holland lops and Lionheads
reach 4 pounds and the Mini lops reach 6.
Life Span:
Some say the average is
6 years, some say 7-9. Most will say up to and over 10 years if
under optimal conditions. Either way, quite a long time. It
really depends on the breed, the food, and how often you take it
out to get exercise.
Cage Size
Multiple (up to 6)
babies can be kept in a cage twice at big as what the parents
would be kept in for the first month after being weaned. 4 lb.
adults should be kept in a cage about 30'' x 24''. Having a
height of the length of the rabbit is not crucial, but it does
give the rabbit another way to stretch out and is highly
appreciated. 6 lb. adults will need a 36'' x 30'', and same goes
for the height. Just remember: the bigger the better - these are
only the minimums.
Heating
Rabbits don't need
extra heating - they will do fine in 0 degree temps as well as
80. Although they can survive in 80 degrees, I recommend
taking them in if you can. If you leave them outside for the
winter, just make sure you put a covered box that fits the
rabbit comfortably for the rabbit to hide in and keep itself
warm.
Substrate
You may use pine or
aspen if you really want, but pine causes RI (Respiratory
Infection) quite often. Aspen seems to be better in that
respect, but costs more. However, after trying multiple ways to
house rabbits, I HIGHLY recommend using a real rabbit hutch or
wire cage with a slide out pan in the bottom. Make sure the
floor wire isn't too thin or spaced too far apart for the rabbit
- certain breeds have more sensitive feet, like the
lionhead for an example.
Feeding
Rabbits should only be
fed once a day, and given the same amount at the same time,
every day. Growing baby rabbits may be fed more, but adult
rabbits at 4 lbs. should be fed 1/2 a cup of rabbit food (16%
protein is best, 18% for breeding mothers). 6 lb. rabbits should
be fed 3/4 cup food, and so on. If you are switching foods, make
sure you do it gradually. mix in a little bit at a time, and
increase amount of new food every day, and at the same time
decreasing amount of old food. Rabbit food has a pretty short
shelf life, depending on the brand, so make sure you put any
unused food in a zip lock bag in the freezer.
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