Is there a rabbit breed that has these characteristics:

[Bunny]

:?: :bunnyhop: Is there a rabbit breed that has these characteristics:

In the summer will eat grass & help keep my lawn short if rotated frequently around the yard in a large movable cage (but wouldn't burrow out & escape).

Is easy to care for, at least somewhat tame & resists disease?

Would comfortably survive outdoors during a northern Delaware winter if given appropriate protection, food, water, housing & heat?

ps I'm just learning about rabbits & don't have any yet. If it's cruel to keep a rabbit outdoors as I'm reading on some websites I need to know that. It's just that, as an organic gardener who doesn't use ANY chemicals on my lawn, I get at least 2-4 wild rabbits a day camping out on my lawn during the summer; they love the clover. So since Rabbit Talk is 'for just about everyone' I thought it couldn't hurt to ask if there's a rabbit breed who would enjoy helping me keep my lawn trimmed if protected from the elements & predators.

Any suggestions?

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

that would be any rabbit.. what breeds appeal to you

 

[Zass]

My rabbits don't believe it's cruel to be kept outside, but they sure hate it when I bring them in!
Most like watching the weather and the world outside more than they like the loud music and dogs and noise I have inside. They also prefer temps a bit lower then most humans find comfortable.(all except for one, the V-lop who has a very short coat with very long ears. I prefer to keep her inside)

Honestly, it sounds like Silver Fox rabbits might be a good choice for you. They are generally very tame and easy to handle, there are many people already raising them on pasture so finding lines that handle that will be easier then with some breeds, and they have wonderfully dense coats that help them tolerate low temps too.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

In the summer will eat grass & help keep my lawn short if rotated frequently around the yard

Any rabbit.

but wouldn't burrow out & escape

A BOY rabbit.

Is easy to care for, at least somewhat tame & resists disease?

Again, male rabbits are usually more friendly than does, and they don't have hormonal swings like does do. Although they can get a little strange during puberty in some cases.

For disease resistance, you need to find a breeder that culls for health and doesn't routinely use antibiotics in their herd.

Would comfortably survive outdoors during a northern Delaware winter if given appropriate protection, food, water, housing & heat?

Rabbits are very cold hardy. We have members who have rabbits outdoors in Alaska and Canada. They just need protection from windblown rain and snow. And excessive sun in the summer months.

If it's cruel to keep a rabbit outdoors as I'm reading on some websites I need to know that.

Oh dear... you have been reading those "pet" rabbit sites, haven't you? :roll: I have about sixty rabbits living outside right now, and it is 25F and snowing. They are perfectly happy- it's me who is about to suffer since I have to de-ice their bowls AGAIN and my hands are going to get cold. But tis a small price to pay for my wonderful bunnehs!

I get at least 2-4 wild rabbits a day camping out on my lawn during the summer; they love the clover.

You may have to worm your rabbit every once in a while since the wild bunnies may have parasites.

So since Rabbit Talk is 'for just about everyone' I thought it couldn't hurt to ask if there's a rabbit breed who would enjoy helping me keep my lawn trimmed if protected from the elements & predators.

We already have one member, DogCatMom, that has a rabbit named Parsley Greybuns as her "gardening assistant".

 

[lonelyfarmgirl]

boy rabbits dig just as much.
rabbits are a wild animal and are not provided with heated houses by God.
a rabbit is only as tame as the time you spend with it, although some breeds are better than others.
a rabbit will starve to death on grass. even grass and weeds isn't enough. Been there done that.

 

[Cspr]

May I perhaps suggest guinea pigs? They don't dig and they'll keep your lawn trimmed for you. You need to provide them with shelter in their pen, but they'll huddle together and stay warm. I'm pretty sure their diet can pretty much be hay, greens (such as grass), and vegetable/fruit scraps with Vitamin C in their water. As most know, guinea pigs are quite tame and they also make noise, so they're sort of easier to locate if they escape. They come in plenty of colors and fur types. You can likely find some even at a pet store. They're hardy little things. Just make sure you get a few; lonely guinea pigs are depressed and not very active guinea pigs. (Also, if anything goes wrong, you can eat them. Taste like pork, apparently.)

 

[LilacGal]

G-pigs could work. They sure are cute little buddies.

 

[dayna]

Are rabbits really wild animals? I ask this question because they seem quite domesticated, and the wild ones seem to be hares or cottontails... And I don't think god has much to do about their housing situation.

Also my boy rabbits do NOT dig like my females do. Thank goodness, I'm able to keep them outside in the parrot aviaries without issue.<br /><br />__________ Thu Dec 12, 2013 7:13 am __________<br /><br />I agree with the piggies. Mine are such great lawnmowers!

 

[skysthelimit]

I think the point is even a domesticated rabbit came from wild ancestry. And we worry to much about them, they are outdoor creatures and are built to survive outdoor temps, except for the ones we've altered a great deal by breeding. Provide adequate shelter from the elements and they will do just fine.

 

[Bunny]

Thank you all for your help! I'll look into all of your suggestions. Really, thanks.

 

[michaels4gardens]

rabbits need the same thing all livestock need, Warm [or cool], dry, draft free-- if you can provide these things great-- if not any two of them will work OK. if you cant keep them warm [or at a comfortable temp.], then they need to be dry and draft free, --if you can't keep them totally dry , at least keep them warm and draft free, ---If you cant keep them draft free, then keep them at a comfortable temprature and dry.
--- Just my 2 cents--