Natural Rearing

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BunnyKinns

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Hi everyone
Thank you for letting me join your Rabbit Talk.
I’m a Natural Rearing Bichon Breeder and would like to follow the same practice with my bunnykinns. I’m hoping there are some Natural Rearing bunny breeders in this forum. If not I’m sure I could still learn an awful lot from many of you. I once owned a bunny many many years ago that lived till almost 10 years. She never got sick even once till just before she died. She never saw a veterinarian ever in her life either. Internet was in its infancy back then so I just did what I felt best to do. I am a avid researcher since I have the internet and have spoken to many homeopathic veterinarians so have learn a lot over the last 6 years on how to raise my dogs in their natural state.
I get my Babykinns the middle of May so I’ve been full speed ahead with all my research about rabbits raising them as much as I can naturally as I do with my dogs. However just like when I was learning about natural dog Rearing I need to speak with homeopathic bunny veterinarians and people that are naturally rearing their bunny’s, before I will feel comfortable doing this with my bunny’s. I can do so much but need the experience from someone that has done it already so I will feel more comfortable with my choices. I have made a blog with all my research for dogs and have been collecting information to eventually make a blog on natural Rearing bunnies. Thank you for listening ... God Bless
 
some of what you need to know is obvious,... .. like warm,[or an appropriate temperature] dry, and draft free ,- and Rabbits are burrowing animals, and this is how they accomplish this for themselves. Rabbits can dig a long way in a short time, so "boundaries" / fences need to be buried 3 feet into the ground.[I used a rented trenching machine] The "rabbit area" needs to be high enough above the surrounding area that water can run away from it, so they won't get wet in their burrows , or hop around in puddles.

DIET
Some aspects of the diet, are not among those things that are "obvious, or "common sense".
Opinions on the internet differ widely, and some are very incorrect, .. some dangerously so.

Domestic Rabbits, need a diet high in long stem fiber, as they age this becomes increasingly important ... rabbits consume bark, dry grass, weed stalks, corn stalks, and other sources of long stem fiber to balance this in their diet, - so these things need to be available.

If you have unneutered rabbits together , they will breed, and a pregnant doe, nursing does, and young rabbits,- require a diet higher in energy. This energy supplementation, is usually accomplished by eating soft bark with a thick cambium layer [willow is one example] , and digging for roots. [like jerusalem artichoke]

Disease, eventually finds its way to rabbits confined to an area, living on / in dirt. Consequently, an allium like garlic chives, or garlic , will need to be planted and maintained, so they can self medicate. [coccidiosis, and other infections]

These are just a few things that come to my mind right now, on this subject ...
 
One question that can come into play on how you raise your rabbits is, "What purpose are you breeding your rabbits for?". Are you breeding rabbits for competition in rabbit shows? Are you breeding rabbits for pets? Are you breeding primarily for meat rabbits? The answer to this question can effect the answers to other questions.
 
Welcome:)

Another important aspect is where you are raising rabbits. For example, I never had any problem with coccidoses although my rabbits are out grazing and digging a lot, and my wood hutch setup is a far cry from being sterile. That might be different in warmer, more humid climates.

Also the wildlife comes into play, not only predators, a wild european rabbit population is imho even worse, at least over here there is a Myxo outbreak every 5-10 years. I'm rid of that problem since I moved into a valley where a high predator population (fox and marten, I can deal with that) prevents wild rabbits.
 

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