Banny looks farm.

21/08/2021

02/08/2020

Rabbits are unique pets. They have specific needs in order to live a long, happy and healthy life. Here is a basic overview on how to care for a pet rabbit:

Step 1: Set Up Safe Indoor Housing

There are several options to house rabbits inside. They can live free-reign in a bunny proofed room/rooms, or they can be contained within a puppy pen, bunny condo, or large rabbit cage. If contained, their space should always be large enough so they can hop around, and they should be let out of their pen for at least a few hours everyday for exercise.

Make sure the primary location of your rabbit is not isolated from you and your family. A family room or living room is a good place. Learn more about indoor rabbit housing at Housing Your Pet Rabbit Indoors.

Step 2: Bunny Proof Your House

Rabbits need space to run around and explore. In order to create a safe space for your bunny and to protect your belongings, you will need to thoroughly bunny proof the area. This includes covering all wires with plastic sleeves or flex tubing, or lifting them 3-4 feet out of reach of your rabbit.

If you don’t want your baseboards gnawed, you can cover them with plastic guards, 2x4s or furring strips. You’ll also have to block off certain areas since rabbits like to chew the undersides of beds, items on bookshelves, house plants, and more. Basically, your rabbit will try to chew everything in reach. Learn more at Bunny Proofing Your House.

Step 3: Provide Fresh Hay

A rabbit’s diet should mainly consist of hay. Fresh hay should be provided to rabbits at all times. Baby rabbits should be given alfalfa, and adult rabbits should be fed timothy hay, grass hay, or oat hay.

Using a large hay feeder is helpful because it keeps large amounts of hay dry, clean, and accessible. Learn more about the importance of hay and where to buy it at Hay for Rabbits: The Basis for a Healthy Diet.

Step 4: Provide Fresh Greens, Fiber-rich Pellets, and Fresh Water

Supplement your rabbit’s hay with fresh vegetables, fiber-rich pellets (in limited quantities for adult rabbits), and fresh water daily. You can learn more about what kinds of food to feed your bunny at What to Feed Your Pet Rabbit.

You can also learn about growing many of your rabbit’s favorite vegetables at Bunny Gardening for Beginners.

Step 5: Set Up a Litter Box

Rabbits have a natural inclination to p**p and p*e in one area. Take advantage of this by setting up a medium-sized cat litter box or shallow storage bin near their food/water bowls and hay feeder.

Put a thin layer of rabbit-safe, recycled newspaper pellet litter at the bottom of the litter box. Do not use clay/clumping cat litter or wood shavings, as they are not safe for rabbits. Then put hay on top of the litter. Rabbits like to eat hay and p**p at the same time, so this will encourage good litter box habits. Learn more at Litter Training Your Pet Rabbit.

Step 6: Provide Enrichment

Rabbits can get bored easily. Not only do they need space to exercise, they also need mental stimulation. Cardboard castles are great because rabbits spend hours chewing new windows and doorways. Cardboard castles also provide a quiet refuge for the rabbit when necessary. Learn more at Building a Cardboard Castle for Your Bunny.

You can also provide a variety of toys for your rabbit to pique his or her interest. Learn more at Enrichment for Your Pet Bunny, Logic Toys for Rabbits, and Playing with Your Pet Bunny.

Step 7: Groom Your Rabbit

Rabbits are naturally clean animals and wash themselves frequently. But you still need to groom your rabbit on a regular basis. Rabbits go through shedding cycles a couple times a year. It’s important to brush your rabbit to remove all the excess fur. Otherwise, your rabbit could ingest it and have serious digestive issues. Learn more about keeping your rabbit looking and feeling sharp in our article, Grooming Your House Rabbit.

Regular nail clipping is also important.

02/08/2020

Rabbits are unique pets. They have specific needs in order to live a long, happy and healthy life. Here is a basic overview on how to care for a pet rabbit:

Step 1: Set Up Safe Indoor Housing

There are several options to house rabbits inside. They can live free-reign in a bunny proofed room/rooms, or they can be contained within a puppy pen, bunny condo, or large rabbit cage. If contained, their space should always be large enough so they can hop around, and they should be let out of their pen for at least a few hours everyday for exercise.

Make sure the primary location of your rabbit is not isolated from you and your family. A family room or living room is a good place. Learn more about indoor rabbit housing at Housing Your Pet Rabbit Indoors.

Step 2: Bunny Proof Your House

Rabbits need space to run around and explore. In order to create a safe space for your bunny and to protect your belongings, you will need to thoroughly bunny proof the area. This includes covering all wires with plastic sleeves or flex tubing, or lifting them 3-4 feet out of reach of your rabbit.

If you don’t want your baseboards gnawed, you can cover them with plastic guards, 2x4s or furring strips. You’ll also have to block off certain areas since rabbits like to chew the undersides of beds, items on bookshelves, house plants, and more. Basically, your rabbit will try to chew everything in reach. Learn more at Bunny Proofing Your House.

Step 3: Provide Fresh Hay

A rabbit’s diet should mainly consist of hay. Fresh hay should be provided to rabbits at all times. Baby rabbits should be given alfalfa, and adult rabbits should be fed timothy hay, grass hay, or oat hay.

Using a large hay feeder is helpful because it keeps large amounts of hay dry, clean, and accessible. Learn more about the importance of hay and where to buy it at Hay for Rabbits: The Basis for a Healthy Diet.

Step 4: Provide Fresh Greens, Fiber-rich Pellets, and Fresh Water

Supplement your rabbit’s hay with fresh veg

09/01/2020

Congrats to you all who made it to the 70th graduation rounds of a plouse.........!!!!!!!!!

07/01/2020

Types of Housing for Market Rabbits
Below are three common types of housing used in breeding productions - standing hutches, stacked cages, and suspended cages with barn cover.

Standing Hutches
This system is commonly used by beginner producers or those with fewer animals. It is also ideal for “testing out” the rabbit market in an area. It is strongly recommended that you start out with a system such as this.

Positives: Relatively low cost to build. It is ideal for a small production. Smaller units can be made portable with the addition of wheels.

Negatives: Because there is no exterior barn structure, choice of materials are essential and maintenance for the hutch is constant.

Stacked Cages
This system can be used outside (with proper ventilation and airflow which are CRITICAL for this system to work properly). However, this is preferably an indoor method.

Positives: It allows for a larger production while using less floor space because the cages are stacked. The regulated environment aids in reaching your rabbits’ production potential.

Negatives: It tends to be a more costly unit to purchase/make. Indoor production requires airflow (with air-conditioners) and extraction units. It can be costly to maintain and requires a greater amount of cleaning.

Suspended Cages with Barn Cover
This is the most common type of rabbit housing used for larger commercial rabbit productions.

Positives: The nature of this layout allows for reduced cleaning time, lower costs to maintain, and makes for easy expansion.

Negatives: Rabbits are more vulnerable to the elements than with an inside production.

05/01/2020

Rearing rabbits for big money
Saturday June 1 2019
Feed them on greens, hay, home-mixed grains, and commercial rabbit pellets to meet all their nutritional requirements. Hay is given to the animals to stop diarrhoea and to aid the doe recover faster after kindling. Never feed damp or mouldy feeds to the animals to prevent bloating



Joan Mugisha explains how
Joan Mugisha explains how to feed rabbits on your farm. Photos by Rachel Mabala
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Give the animals hay to stop diarrhoea and aid the doe recover after kindling. Never feed damp or mouldy feeds to the animals to prevent bloating.

There are three major issues to consider when one wants to rear rabbits for commercial purposes. These include building them nice cages where they live, feeding them well and proper breeding. A number of management practices are vital when rearing rabbits.

Feeding
Feed them on greens, hay, home-mixed grains, and commercial rabbit pellets to meet all their nutritional requirements.
Hay is given to the animals to stop diarrhoea and to aid the doe recover faster after kindling. Never feed damp or mouldy feeds to the animals to prevent bloating.

Overfeeding leads to a fat doe or buck that does not reproduce efficiently. An average doe needs between 115 and 170 grammes each day until kindling time.

Give it between 340 to 450 grammes for three to five days after kindling, and then give it full feeds until the bunnies are weaned.
Do not give replacement stock, dry does and herd bucks more than 115-170 grammes of feeds each day

03/01/2020

1. Rabbits are the third-most abandoned animals in shelters. Three words: adopt, don’t buy!

2. They’re all about territory. If you have a rabbit, you quickly learn that rabbits rule the roost. They need lots of space and will quickly decide where they like to eat, sleep and use the bathroom. I made the mistake of cleaning my rabbit’s area in front of him, and he grunted until I left!

3. Bunnies are nocturnal, right? Nope! Another question that people often ask me is whether rabbits sleep during the day or at night. And the answer is neither. They are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active at dusk and dawn.

4. Rabbits need special vets. Veterinarians who are rabbit experts can be more expensive than cat and dog vets as well as harder to find. Make sure that you find a quality vet who specializes in lagomorphs in your area.

5. Rabbits get bored. Just like humans, rabbits need socialization, space to exercise and plenty of toys to keep themselves entertained. I recommend stuffing a paper towel roll or cardboard oatmeal canister with timothy hay so that your bunny can roll, chew and play to his or her heart’s delight.

6. They’re not “starter pets” or Easter gifts. Many people think that rabbits are less of a commitment than dogs or cats. However, every rabbit parent I’ve ever met has told me that rabbits need even more attention and effort than their feline or dog companions. And they can live 10 years or longer, so make sure that you’re ready for the responsibility of a lifetime.

7. Rabbits purr when they’re happy. It’s not the same as a cat’s purr, though. It sounds like teeth chattering or light chomping. Every bunny mom and dad knows that this is the sweetest sound.

8. And they binky when they’re super-happy. What’s a binky, you ask? Only the cutest thing in the world.

9. Their nails and teeth never stop growing. Like humans, rabbits’ nails grow constantly and need a trim about every six weeks. Unlike humans, rabbits’ teeth grow constantly! This makes it imperative that your rabbit gets unlimited timothy hay and wooden toys to chew on. If your rabbit’s teeth stop grinding normally, he or she may find eating painful and starve. Be sure to monitor your rabbit’s eating habits. Even 12 hours without food can be deadly.

10. Outside is a scary place for bunnies. Outdoor rabbits are at risk of being hurt or killed by predators, even in a hutch. But other animals aren’t the only danger. My neighbor lost her rabbit after she let him run around her apartment’s grassy area. What she didn’t know is that pesticides had been sprayed the day before—and they poisoned her poor little guy.

11. They’re prey animals. Rabbits who are sick or in pain will hide it as much as possible. Rabbits who are afraid may run or jump away so quickly that they hurt themselves. That’s why it’s always important to pay close attention to your rabbit’s behavior and try not to startle him or her.

12. Rabbits eat their droppings. It took me years to find out that rabbits need to digest twice. Healthy buns eat soft cecotropes directly from their … you know, so some rabbit guardians never see these. The hard round pellets that you see are the second round of elimination.

13. Every rabbit has a unique personality. People often ask me if rabbits are like cats or dogs. I say neither! Rabbits are unique characters who take a while to get to know. One thing you should ask yourself before bringing a bunny friend into your home is whether your rabbit will get along with your current animal companions. Bonding takes a lot of time and energy. It can be dangerous to put two animals together who don’t know each other yet.

Think you're an expert on rabbits? Some of these facts may surprise you. Number eight is the best thing that I've ever seen.

03/01/2020

A rabbit gene has been inserted into common houseplants, giving them the power to filter toxic pollution from the air.

Scientists hijacked a process that breaks down alcohol in the liver to create plants they say could make ordinary households safer.

Homes often accumulate small pollutants known as volatile organic compounds, produced by everyday activities and items ranging from smoking to furniture.

These substances tend to be overlooked as contributors to air pollution, but some, such as benzene and chloroform, have been linked with cancer.

To remove these pollutants, a team of scientists harnessed the power of genetic engineering and the ability of mammals to eradicate harmful substances using a naturally occurring protein.

Engineered ivy has gene found in human livers involved in breaking down alcohol

03/01/2020

If a rabbit is to grow healthy and strong, then it has to put the work in, and that means dedication to eating its own faeces.

It has long been observed that rabbits display a preference for consuming their softer droppings rather than the hard ones. And a new study has revealed why.

The work, by scientists at Henan Agricultural University in China, led by Ming Lee, found rabbits’ consumption of soft faeces considerably aids digestion and helps rabbits gain weight and strength.

Experiment reveals nutritional impact of rabbits' own special dietary supplements

28/12/2017

And a happy new year