# Unexpected Rabbits, now what



## sodamancer (Jan 26, 2013)

We have two lovely does in our garage right now.  A slowly decaying way to expensive for what it is 2 story hutch and two does. Rabbits were part of our 3yr plan but we were planning to wait until after the new fencing and goats came this spring.  To keep it short, the rabbits were rescued from under a friends neighbors porch were they had been left without food or adequate protection from the cold when the original owners decided they didnt want them anymore.  

I have had a pet bunny before but it was a LONG time ago and i am not sure what i should do with these two. I am unsure of their age.  I only know they are both female. I was thinking of putting them in the same area as the chickens so the chickens can scratch the bunny yuck about and clean up the feed.  

Can they be housed together? 

How much sun area do they need?

Do they each need a "yard" or can it be shared?

I dont want to clean a poo tray.....what other options? 

We have plans to replace our fence and build a new goat shed and chicken area........does anyone have good small scale rabbitry pics that dont look like ......well umhappy bunny life?


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## sonnythebunny (Jan 26, 2013)

they look like a rex,


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Jan 26, 2013)

*The best thing to do is look on craigslist for some used wire cages and 2x4's, make a set-up like mine below. I take the trays out from underneath and put them on top for shade. In the winter I cover them with tarps. Just don't let them get too cold or too hot. They will be super easy to take care of, safe, and you won't have to clean trays. Just rake out underneath them every once in a while.  They should probably be kept separate as does can become very territorial. *


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## sodamancer (Jan 27, 2013)

Well turns out that one is a nuetered male. We bought hay and salt licks today.  I will keep my eyes peeled for used cages. I think i may put them under the ee of the new (to be built) coop OR just on our patio and put a poo rubbermaid under it to take to the compost pile or garden. The girls leashed them today and walked them about. they are quite sweet if somewhat shy.  I like your table set up.....i could just move them to where i want fertilized......hmmmm. let chickens do it, let a bucket catch it, or move tables.  I like to be a "lazy farmer.....i am leaning twards the chickens.


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## alsea1 (Jan 27, 2013)

Housing them with chickens I would be concerned about the possibility of them getting mites or other bugs from chickens.
they look like nice rabbits. bummer about the neutered part. he is kinda a waste of feed from a production stand point.


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## ZippyTheHappyChimp (Jan 27, 2013)

> Well turns out that one is a nuetered male.


Looks like you have your first entry for freezer camp.


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## alsea1 (Jan 27, 2013)

ground rabbit makes a really nice mild sausage. Just had some as sausage gravy and biscuits this morn.
We like grinding it because it makes it much more versatile. Great  casseroles


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## Bunnylady (Jan 28, 2013)

Your rabbits are Mini Rex. I had thought that the Broken Blue's head might be a tad wide for a doe - is that the buck? It seems a bit odd that someone would go to all the expense of neutering a buck, only to throw it out when they got tired of it. :/


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## sodamancer (Feb 28, 2013)

Bunny Lady, 

The broken blue? THe one facing the camera is the nuetered male.  Actaully he is about ready to head to my freezer as he is a meanie.  These are pet bunnies though and i dont think that puts them in freezer land. I need to build a new hutch/cage for them now as i found mites in the wood of the one they came with. The bunnies are debugged and the hutch met a bonfire tonight. They are now in a bity cage. I need to build them a new one ASAP but i am unsure of how to go about it. We now have 2 fiber buns coming to join our mini homestead in about 3 weeks. Sheesh animals are addicting.


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## Prairiechick (Feb 28, 2013)

I don't see blue, I think the one on the left is broken tort and the other broken black.  Is the black and white the neutered buck?  My bucks have always been the smaller ones, but with him being neutered it may make a difference.
If these are just for pet and fertilizer and they aren't mean, then why not keep them.  We keep dogs as pets and their poop doesn't compost like other manure. 
They both look to have nice, dense coats on them.  A little on the sparse for color though. 
It makes me angry when people dump pets.  Our neighbor came asking if we had one get loose because the found one in the ditch by their house.  Some idiot probably got tired of it and dumped it off.  It was a Broken Black Mini Rex.  It must have just happened before they found it, because around here with hawks, eagles, fox and dog all over, I don't think it would have lasted long.

You didn't say where you live?  If you are in a climate to keep them outdoors and can get a cage together to move around, that would be a pretty sweet deal for handling the poop.

Good luck!


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## Prairiechick (Feb 28, 2013)

Hmm, or a broken Chocolate?


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## greenbean (Feb 28, 2013)

Looks like a broken opal to me


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## sonnythebunny (Mar 1, 2013)

I agree, broken opal and broken black


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## BunnyRabbit (Mar 1, 2013)

I agree on the colors too.


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## Bunnylady (Mar 2, 2013)

Clearly, y'all are seeing something that I don't on the rabbit that I called a broken blue. I do not see light rings around the eyes, nor ear lacing, which would be indicators of the agouti gene (opal). There is a slight, lighter edge on part of the ear, but I have seen than on lots of broken selfs, and if you look closely, the "broken black" has it, too. At the base of this rabbit's ears, I am seeing a line of deeper gray, which looks to me like the rabbit is molting in a new coat. Dilute colors often fade quite a bit between moltings (often taking on a brownish or even orangish tinge), which is why I think this animal is a sun-faded broken blue.


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## greenbean (Mar 2, 2013)

Bunnylady said:
			
		

> Clearly, y'all are seeing something that I don't on the rabbit that I called a broken blue. I do not see light rings around the eyes, nor ear lacing, which would be indicators of the agouti gene (opal). There is a slight, lighter edge on part of the ear, but I have seen than on lots of broken selfs, and if you look closely, the "broken black" has it, too. At the base of this rabbit's ears, I am seeing a line of deeper gray, which looks to me like the rabbit is molting in a new coat. Dilute colors often fade quite a bit between moltings (often taking on a brownish or even orangish tinge), which is why I think this animal is a sun-faded broken blue.


I see what you're talking about.  It doesn't look to be molting to me though.  However I agree it definitely could be a sun faded broken blue.  

I wonder if the OP could get a picture blowing into one of the colored spots to see.


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## sodamancer (Mar 5, 2013)

Sure i could do that. Give me a few hours to find my camera and i will see what i can do.  I will also post my other lovely pets that have recently come!


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## sodamancer (Mar 5, 2013)

Prairiechick said:
			
		

> You didn't say where you live?  If you are in a climate to keep them outdoors and can get a cage together to move around, that would be a pretty sweet deal for handling the poop.
> 
> Good luck!


The keeping them was never really part of the plan.  Someone left them to die and our plan was to foster them till they found a home.  But when my neighbor inquired my daughter burst into tears. So now they are here to stay.  The lighter one is the male.  I live in the PNW and they are kept outside. When the weather turns in fall our buns will be moved into our insulated stick built shed.  

I want to collect the poo in bins so i dont have to move something. Now i have 5 buns and poo is abundant.  I cannot just move the a cage about my yard as my kids play back there.


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## sodamancer (Mar 6, 2013)

boy










girl


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## greenbean (Mar 6, 2013)

I'm not sure if it's just me, but all I see is a giant square with a red x in the upper left corner.


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 6, 2013)

greenbean said:
			
		

> I'm not sure if it's just me, but all I see is a giant square with a red x in the upper left corner.


me too


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## sodamancer (Mar 6, 2013)

Working on editing it now


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## sodamancer (Mar 6, 2013)

Fixed it i think.  Its a pain to get pics into this forum


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 6, 2013)

sodamancer said:
			
		

> Fixed it i think.  Its a pain to get pics into this forum


it worked


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## greenbean (Mar 12, 2013)

I'd say Opal still, but I'm not 100% sure.  I can't think of anything else it could be, but maybe someone else could.    I'm sticking with Opal.


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