Rabbits? for FFA?

Question

I am getting rabbits(2) on thursday and i have a few last minute questions.
1) What vegtables are safe to feed rabbits?
2) Can you feed rabbits olives?
3) Can you feed rabbits carrotinnies?(The little precut corrots)
4) Does a rabbit need to be feed hay? What kind?
5) I am getting a breeding pair. Do the two rabbits need to stay seperate or can they stay together and still have teh right outcome?
6) What is the temperment of tan rabbits?
-Thanks in Advance! :)

Answer 1

1) Someone has already posted a pretty large list, though I would stick to carrots every once in a while. While it's okay to feed rabbits vegetables, this doesn't mean that they will do best with them. Feeding vegetables will usually result in diarrhea which can be serious in rabbits. If you are raising them to breed, I would stick to feeding them normal pellets, and skip most of the vegies.

2) I wouldn't feed rabbits olives just because they are packaged and pickled with several different chemicals that shoulcn't be given to animals. There is a high acidity in most canned/pickled olives (and most olives have been canned or pickled) which isn't good for the rabbit's digestive system and could result in death.

3) Yes, I love to buy a bad of the small carrots because it is easier than having to cut large carrots down to size for each rabbit. Sometimes I just put one in each rabbit's feeder as a treat, but remember that that is what they are, a treat.

4) Rabbits can be fed hay, although they won't be lacking in their diets if you don't feed it to them. If you do give them hay, they will probably eat some of it but play in it mostly, then you have to ask is it worth the money for your rabbit to play with the hay. Buy Timothy hay, Alfalfa is too rich, so stay away from that.

5) Yes, your rabbits need to be seperated. You have to breed responsibly, meaning you need to note when they bred so that you can put in a nest box and be ready for the babies. Also, if the doe had babies with the buck in the same cage, he would probably eat them, as he doesn't know that they are his offspring (he has no instinct about raising children).

6) Tans are wonderful rabbits! They are high strung, therefore not the best lap rabbits, but they are a joy to raise and work with as well as a relatively easy breed to get started in. They are fun to watch when they run, they will kick their heels up and have a grand time stretching their legs (which I've never seen any other breed of rabbit do).

Hope it all works out!

Answer 2

Congrats on the new rabbits. I'm sure you'll find it to be an exciting project for you.

1. Here is a list of items you can feed:


* Apples (no seeds)
* Grapes
* Pears (no seeds)
* Oranges
* Strawberries
* Cherries
* Raspberries
* Blueberries
* Papayas
* Pineapples
* Melons
* Mangoes
* Peaches (no pit)
* Tomatoes
* Peas
* Beans
* Kale
* Carrots
* Carrot Tops
* Mustard Greens
* Dandelion Greens
* Sugar Beets
* Parsnips
* Parsley
* Potato Peels

2. Not sure on the olives, but I will ask why would they want to olives taste nasty :) All my girls love them though, they sure didnt inherit that from me!

3. Yes on the carrotinnies.

4. Your rabbit definitely need the hay. This "roughage" is a critical piece of their diet. Timothy hay would be the best. Most pelleted rabbit food already contains a portion of alfalfa hay.

5. I would recommend that you keep the rabbits separate. This way you can control the breeding. The doe can become pregnant shortly after delivering a litter. This would not be healthy for you doe.

6. The temperament issue is not a simple answer. We have a friend with tans and they are great rabbits. However, every rabbit is different within each breed. Generally if rabbits have been held from an early age, they will do very well as they get older.


These are all great questions to ask. I'm sure you'll make a great rabbit "parent".

Answer 3

Rabbits make wonderful pets. If you are getting a breeding pair they must be kept seperate otherwise they will fight ad have babies. If you are going to breed them the female must be removed from the males cage afterwards otherwise when the babies are born the male rabbit will eat them. A variety of vegetables and fruit are safe for rabbits including apples, silverbeet,cabbage,cellery,pears,etc and carrots are a must have as their teeth are constantly gowing and carrots keep their teeth at the correct size. Hay is also important as it is used as a beeding and as food especially during the winter months. I do not reccomend feeding olives to rabbits. The temperment of rabbits is usually placid nature, but when females get to about 6 months they can begin to get a little tempermental, but then again it depends on how well they were brought up and handled. I reccomend going to the library to get some books out or look on the internet on some imfomation on rabbits. Remember rabbits also need a costant supply of fresh water and a bowl of rabbit pellets.
Good luck and I hope you enjoy your new companions.

Answer 4

AnimalGirl gives sound bunny advice. To that I would also add to throw in s fresh stick or small branch sometimes, such as maple or willow, these are very good for keeping their teeth in good working order & they all get various nutrients from the bark. Hay is a must, it helps w/ their digestive systems as well as providing them w/ the aforementioned nutrients. Sadly I've had many mothers cannabilize their young, I don't know anybody who knows what causes this phenomenon. Make sure they get at least an hour out of their respective cages every day just to run around & play & receive & give lots of love & affection w/ you. Have fun w/ your new friends!

Answer 5

Rabbits can eat FRESH olives only!

The olives people eat are pickled and will make your rabbit sick.

Many rabbits won't eat even fresh olives.