# What breed of rabbit should I get?



## Catalina (Aug 25, 2009)

I would like to get one or two bunnies for their wonderful fertilizer.
My chickens don't live with me anymore (long story) and I don't really want to haul their coop sweepings 15 miles from their new home back to my yard, so.......I have been thinking about getting a rabbit or two.

I have a nice coop and a grassy fenced in run that I could re-purpose into a rabbit house.

What breed of rabbit should I get?

I like the Flemish Giants, because they seem to be very calm and laid back, but they eat a lot? and are they more work than a smaller bunny?


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## big brown horse (Aug 25, 2009)

Catalina said:
			
		

> I would like to get one or two bunnies for their wonderful fertilizer.
> My chickens don't live with me anymore (long story) and I don't really want to haul their coop sweepings 15 miles from their new home back to my yard, so.......I have been thinking about getting a rabbit or two.
> 
> I have a nice coop and a grassy fenced in run that I could re-purpose into a rabbit house.
> ...


I looovvveee my Holland Lop.  This is my second one and both are very calm rag doll bunnies.  Totally laid back.  Yeah, they like to hop around, but when you hold them they melt in your arms.

Stay away from the smaller breeds as they are more hyper...IMHO.  We have a lionhead and she is like the taz. devil.  I love her, but she can't sit still...she climbs everything like a goat!!

Good luck and tell us what you finally decide on.


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## waynesgarden (Aug 25, 2009)

Careful with your fenced-in run. Unlike the hens, rabbits love to dig, the deeper the better. Re-read Watership Down. Better yet, watch the old movie "The Great Escape." Tunneling out of the camp is what bunnies live for.

Wayne


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## Catalina (Aug 25, 2009)

waynesgarden said:
			
		

> Careful with your fenced-in run. Unlike the hens, rabbits love to dig, the deeper the better. Re-read Watership Down. Better yet, watch the old movie "The Great Escape." Tunneling out of the camp is what bunnies live for.
> 
> Wayne


How deep does the fence have to be?
It's buried 6 inches deep right now.


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## big brown horse (Aug 25, 2009)

My rabbit that lives outside digs all sorts of tunnels in her "run".  Once my daughter left the gate open and she did hop out.  As soon as I finished panicking, I tried to catch her.  She ran right back to her burrow inside the run.  I've had her in there for almost a year and shes never burrowed out...if she did, I think she would still call it home and return when she senses danger.

I'm not saying all rabbits would be as good as she is, I'm just giving my side of the coin.


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## waynesgarden (Aug 25, 2009)

Actually, I'm not the right person to answer how deep they will burrow to escape since I've never raised them in earth-bound colonies but I do know for a fact that, worse then them escaping, a dog, raccoon or fisher will easily get under that 6 inch deep buried fence, at least in these parts. And any one of those nasty critters will leave nothing alive when they burrow out.

I'll keep an eye out for threads where owners of ground-dwelling colonies told their tales of woe, and get back to you if they post how deep their fence was buried.

If I had to guess, I'd guess a minimum of 24" but that is only a guess and there is a pretty impenetrable layer of stone here at about 18" so I'd be good at that depth if I raised them on the ground

Wayne


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## big brown horse (Aug 25, 2009)

waynesgarden said:
			
		

> Actually, I'm not the right person to answer how deep they will burrow to escape since I've never raised them in earth-bound colonies but I do know for a fact that, worse then them escaping, a dog, raccoon or fisher will easily get under that 6 inch deep buried fence, at least in these parts. And any one of those nasty critters will leave nothing alive when they burrow out.
> 
> I'll keep an eye out for threads where owners of ground-dwelling colonies told their tales of woe, and get back to you if they post how deep their fence was buried.
> 
> ...


Good point Wayne,

I have the luxury of a double fence system and also have a LGD that patrols the yard.  (Rabbit run is inside of the back yard fence.)

So far I've been quite lucky and preditor free.  Can only thank my dog for that.


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## trestlecreek (Aug 27, 2009)

We have Holland Lops and Netherland Dwarfs. The Hollands in general are calmer than the ND's.


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## Catalina (Aug 29, 2009)

What do you think about these breeds - Jersey Woolies or Silver Foxes?


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## rebelshope (Aug 30, 2009)

Rescue a rabbit  Go to your local animal shelter and see what they have. There are tons of great rabbits out there. I see them turn up on craigs list all the time. People get the cute bunny and it is not the pet for them. At the shelter you can get a taste for that rabbits personality. Find one you click with.

I had a great meat breed cross as a kid. I don't know what she was, big and black. She was a doll. 

Right now I have English Angora. . . wouldn't be really good for your situation.


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## trestlecreek (Aug 31, 2009)

Yes, for a pet, I would adopt too!
As a breeder, I do not care for the Jersey Woolies. IF you love brushing hair, then they may be the ones for you, however I did not care for the extra grooming they require.
Never had a silver fox.


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## Kooshie (Sep 10, 2009)

I kind of like the idea of Angora rabbits but they sound like a lot of work!  The I also like Dutch.  Rabbits are neat.


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## Blackbird (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm not sure.. I like my mini lops though.

If you decide you like the mini lops I have a doe due in a couple days, I'll let you know.


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## Lil Chickie Mama (Sep 11, 2009)

I was searching for the same answer a few nights ago and I read somewhere on here and also in a few articles that rabbits will basically burrow many FEET into the ground.  One person said that rabbits won't run out of room to burrow so it's pointless to try to do an underground fence.  Another article I read said one of the deepest rabbit holes they found was about 12 FEET but many are commonly 9 FEET.  Ack.  That's deeper than my fence is tall so I don't plan to buy another just to bury it.  But that's me...


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## Run-A-Muck Ranch (Sep 11, 2009)

as for the outside run/pen for a rabbit....we did it....

the only thing we did to prevent digging was to lay wire fencing down on the ground through the whole thing...that way the rabbits couldn't dig out...we used some old scrap fencing that we had...the holes weren't too big...larger than chicken wire openings....and of course alot thicker wire too.....
we never had a rabbit burrow out then, because they couldn't.......

as for what type of rabbit.........

we have 

flemish giants
champagne d'argents
lionheads
american fuzzy lops
dutch
mini lops
french lops

outta all of them the fuzzy lop and the lionheads need the most grooming(obviously the extra wool)

as for the larger breeds (flemish giants, french lops, champagne d'argents)....i would say they are my favorites....and don't really eat that much extra

the dutch and mini lops are cute, but don't really seem overly active. 

if I had to pick only one breed it would either be the flemish or the champagne's.....

i know our champagnes (as well as others who have them) can be a bit testy when handled though....


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