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If you take a bucket of hot water to the rabbits, you can melt ice out of the containers in a few seconds, without popping it out. The ice cools the hot water enough so you can just dip the container full and put it back in the cage. With rubber gloves, you can also warm your hands if the...

There's an old joke that says that we call it "linebreeding" when it is successful and "inbreeding" when problems arise. Breeding related rabbits intensifies whatever is in their genes, desirable or undesirable. Rabbits can tolerate generations of close breedings (up to 17 according to one...

My suggestion is to start small -- and keep it small while you learn. Two does and one buck are ample in the first year. Don't risk being overwhelmed with too many kits and being rushed into management issues you are not ready for. I don't recommend keeping intact bucks together. There is a...

Hi KelleyBee, Deep litter is a management method often used for chickens. Instead of cleaning the coop frequently, the waste is simply covered by fresh bedding materials. It is cleaned out completely at intervals -- maybe every 2 months in hot weather and a bit less often in winter. You can...

Glad you like it, Liz. It would be worth trying in hot weather in reverse. A slightly larger container would likely stay cold longer in the heat. I love low-tech, low-cost solutions to management problems, and I enjoy sharing them.

Can you purchase a good quality hay from a local farmer? I was able to buy square bales (about 40 pounds) of an alfalfa/grass mix for about $3-4 a bale. (Try Kijiji for finding a source.) I usually bought about 15-20 bales a year for about six breeders and their offspring. They did waste a fair...

You could try making a hot bed. https://modernfarmer.com/2017/04/how-to-build-a-hot-bed/

Is this a problem? I'd just change Rose's name to Ross and carry on. I would think the cat will either avoid Ross by jumping up on furniture or else give him a good swipe with some claws to teach him some manners.

I suspect your does' fertility problems are due mainly to obesity and possibly to a lack of Vitamins A and E, which are necessary for breeding desire and success. A doe can have too much internal fat and not seem overweight. An obviously obese doe has much reduced likelihood of producing kits...

Unfortunately, Dean posted only the messages in this thread. He hasn't been logged in since 2017, and we never heard any more about his colony.

Have you tried Homestead Organics? www.homesteadorganics.ca I've dealt with a company of the same name near Ottawa, but it was years ago. They made a good product. It did have soy, but it was not GMO. It's worth checking out, in any case. Your other alternative is to look at a pelletless...

In addition to rats and weasels, raccoons can be a big problem for rabbits. They will reach through the chain link, wiggle their fingers to entice curious rabbits, and then eat what they can grab right through the wire. In addition, they will stress the rabbits a great deal just by their...

If you use my idea, try wiring the holder a bit higher up on the cage wall. This should help keep the rabbits dry when they drink. Silly bunnies!

My sister lived in France for twelve years (village of Massignac in Charente, and later in Bordeaux) so I know roughly where you are. Heat is likely to be a bigger problem than cold. It would be a good idea to use the shade of the barn in the hottest part of the summer. Under no circumstances...

Hi Albert. Welcome to RabbitTalk. Good for you recognizing the problem before you lose kits. I think it is fixable though. Your ramps are very steep. I suggest adding a shelf -- like a veranda -- part way down and having two ramps running across the front of the houses. That would mean a...

I can't quite agree with this, RabbitsOfTheCreek. I understand that it was your experience, but it's not necessarily true of all colonies. If you have only one buck in the colony it is no more inbreeding than having one buck in a cage and bringing the does to him for breeding. It's true that...

Cosima, I've poked around on the Internet a bit on your behalf. One of the best greens for rabbits -- as food and to treat diarrhea -- is broadleaf plantain, also called common plantain. The botanical name for it is Plantago major. It grows nearly everywhere and you can definitely grow it in...

Sorry you're having these problems, Cosima. It's heartbreaking to lose rabbit after rabbit, especially when you don't know why it keeps happening. It's hard to offer good advice because you live in Indonesia and few of us have much knowledge about keeping rabbits in your part of the world. The...

I agree with Ladysown that in general they do not require more food in winter. I will say, however, that in extreme cold spells I sometimes made them an enriched mix to replace their whole grain ration. I'd mix a big bowl of the grain, large flake oatmeal, black oil sunflower seeds, pumpkin...

Oops, sorry. Cultural difference, I suppose. Canada's vocabulary is influenced by both UK and USA. We more often say "pruning shears" too, but it was late when I posted and "secateurs" was what came to mind.