Putting Muscle back on rabbits

[jessie15273]

I have a couple does that have been bred a couple times, and have gone a bit soft. No one is fat, but they need to bulk up a bit. Normally I wouldnt worry too much, but my 4-H Club just decided to have a show.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could do? I have been giving them X-Pen time and getting them moving. I sure have some lazy mini Rex!

 

[DogCatMom]

Do they like to play with "toss" type toys? "catch and throw" type toys? Even in the ex-pen, there are opportunities for the rabbits to move in unusual ways. I'm training Parsley Graybuns (11.5-lb AmChin) to "sit up" (on hind legs a la prairie dog) for a sprig of parsley. It's a natural move for a rabbit, but doing it a few times a day is a kind of exercise. I also have a sea-grass cylinder I stuff with hay and roll towards him. He catches it with his nose and rolls it back to me. We roll it a couple of times and then he settles down for the real deal: chewing.

This site has some ideas on making your own bunny toys/exercise machines (two words for the same idea :wink: ). Good luck!