Pet Rabbit Care

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Feeding Your Rabbit

At Simpson's Back Yard Farm,we
feed commercial pellets.We use
17% or better protein.A good
pellet offers all the nutrients a
rabbit needs.

We feed seven ounces to each
rabbit daily.Rabbits are night
creatures so here,we feed in
the evening hours.Our does
with litters are fed morning
and evening.We water twice
a day The water is essential
to the health of a rabbit.

We give our rabbits hay and
apples for treats.Our rabbits
are tamed and petted daily.
Giving treats occasionally,
helps with the taming of our
rabbits.We give small slices
of apple to each rabbit,and
a good handful of hay.We
only give treats once a month
or so.This keeps them from
expecting something to eat
every time we enter the barn,
and to much hay can give them
diarrhea.

With that said, giving hay when

a rabbit shows signs of diarrhea

can clear it up in two days.

Rabbit Signals

   High pitched scream
            ( pain )

    Cowering grunts
(fear,leave me alone)

      Nose nudges
         (love)

Stomping the back feet
(warning,feels danger)
(jealousy,pet me not her)

Rabbits are not social to each other,but once tamed they become very social with the human who handles them.A rabbit will be very loving to its handler, and turn around and attack a stranger.

Litter Training A House Rabbit

Rabbits are creatures of habbit ,especialy when it concerns their bathroom habbits.The hardest part of urine training a rabbit is you have to know where they choose to go. A rabbit picks a certain spot to urinate,and goes to the same spot each time.This is the hard part ,if your rabbit is allowed to freely roam your house he will urinate on the floor.The easy part is once you Know where he chooses to go,you can place a litter box in that spot and the rabbit will use it.

Rabbit Health
what to look for.

House pet dangers !
Rabbits like to chew wiring this can be very dangerous to a rabbit. They will chew the wires and can electrocute themselves.
They will eat the carpet,causing stomach problems.
They will chew on toys,also causing stomach problems.

Sniffles
Their are many reasons for sniffles.
Hair,allergies,colds,the last of which can cause death.

Constipation
A rabbit eating things that are not good for them can cause constipation.Watch for the rabbit's litter if it slows dramatically,and your rabbit becomes slower itself.Call a vet this can also kill the rabbit.

Diarrhea
Loose bowels can also kill your rabbit. Watch for signs of this and call the vet,if you notice it. A handful of hay for a couple of days

will most times clear this up.

Sore Hocks
Keeping the cage clean is the best defence against sore hocks. Keep sharp wires out of the cage,including broken wires on the cage bottom.

Link to :

Homesteader's Library Books,Magazines,Videos geared toward the homesteader.

Mr. Rabbit Farm

Simpson's Backyard Farm / Rabbitry

Pet Rabbit Care

On this page we will discuss caring for
your rabbits. Simpson's Back Yard Farm
is not a veterinarian and does not claim
any affiliation with a veterinarian.Here,
we are only giving the information we
have learned from the many years of
raising our own rabbits.

We hope you find this page useful.

We will be updating this page as we see a need.Please check back,or e-mail us at: bks@simpsonsbackyardfarm.com with any questions you have.We will do our best to answer your questions.

Handling Your Rabbit

To pick up a rabbit you need to run your
hands along the back of the head (as if
you were petting it) grasping the ears
and the nape of the neck together.With
the ears and neck skin held together the
rabbit can not scratch or bite.Gently place
the rabbit in the crook of your arm and
carress it as you release the hold.Carrying
a rabbit suspended in the air scares them.
They will try to fight to get free.

The rabbit cages should be kept clean and free of litter and urine.Too much ammonia can stress the rabbit causing illness.Here, we have concrete floors and we scrape the floors,removing the litter daily.We use lime to keep the urine odor down.The litter is spread on the fields of our farm.

Breeding

Breeding at Simpson's Back Yard Farm is done on a two week schedule.We breed to have bunnies to deliver at our pick-up time which is a two week schedule.

We do not use or condone force breeding!

We place the doe with the buck and let nature take it's course, if a doe does not take we return her daily until she does.(she will usually take on the second try.) We keep records on the breeding.
I have a calendar in the barn where I keep bred dates and due dates. We have more detailed records where we keep track of all activity concerning: breeding,kindling,babies,losses,weaning,and weight from weaning to delivery.

I have recieved a few questions on breeding. Here is what you have ask for.

Breeding

First Litters

Rabbits,like humans have no idea what to expect when they deliver their first litter.They are nervous and jump in and out of the nest,sometimes harming the babies with their sharp nails.They do not know how much fur to pull to cover their babies.Sometimes overheating,and sometimes freezing the litter.

I have started trying a new thing that has been working for me so far. (If I can be there close to the birth.) I put a handful of hay on her cage floor. This gives her something to do besides being over anxious about the new babies. It has worked the few times I have had the opportunity to try it.

Nesting Mistakes

The number one mistake people make with nest,is placing the nest in the pee corner. You should know which corner your rabbit has chosen,and never place the nest in that spot. A rabbit will not change her habits,even for her babies. She will urinate in the box if it is in her chosen spot .This can drown the babies,or cause their temperature to go down and freeze them.

The number two mistake is the nest size. The nest should be apportioned to the size of your rabbit. The nest should be large enough for the doe to get in,turn around,and stand over her litter to feed. She will usually place her babies in the center to keep from stepping on them. A nest that is to small doesn't offer her room to stay off the babies.

Checking the Babies

Some babies are just born weak!
You have to check the box daily for dead babies.
Before you ever touch the babies, you need to pet the mother first.This will put her smell on your hands,and not leave your scent on the babies. Rabbits know the smell of their babies,and if they smell human scent they sometimes will not accept their own ,because it smells different.

Rabbits are jealous of their human,and are not social with their own.Handling the babies to much while they are still with the mother can cause her to hurt the baby. I have seen a mother attack her own baby after I had it out,and put it back in the cage. I may be wrong, but this was one of my favorite rabbits that I handle a lot,and I believe she was showing jealousy.

Care of Outside Rabbits

Outside rabbits need a little extra care. You must be careful to make sure they have water, year round. Rabbits need fresh water in front of them at all times. They must have shade in the summer and a wind block in the winter.Covering the cages in the winter with a water resistant tarp will suffice.The cages need a cover over the top to protect from rain.You take chances of animals trying to get to them from the ground,such as dogs and cats.The cages should be placed high enough so an animal can not reach the rabbits feet from under the cage.Coons and possums will try to reach the rabbits by climbing.

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