# Rabbits in the house?



## GrowURown (Jul 5, 2010)

So, after much thinking this over, there is the potential that the rabbits could end up INSIDE.  The thoughts on this are as follows:

1) It is just the wife and I, we would need minimal rabbits as compared to a huge family (we are thinking for us 2 does and 1 buck would probabkly be plenty)

2) her family kept most things INSIDE when she was growing up - rabbits, guinea pigs, rats - they had a little zoo and the small furry stuff, well, each kid had something or several somethings in their room

3) daily cleaning of cages is obvious, but set up correctly not that time consuming 

4) we have a pretty big place for just 2 people, and a spare room that NEVER gets used by people - they could have it and be safe from the dogs and cats (they learned fast not to go in and I learned fast to keep the door shut - we have never lost a chick in there to a cat attack)

5) inside, they would be safe from EVERYTHING and much more easily climate controlled than an outside set up would be

6) NO GARAGE - so yes, inside the house.  NOT roaming the room, but in nice cages.  In my minds eye I can see it set up already.

I know some people have trained pet rabbits as house rabbits, but has anyone raised meat rabbits in the house?  Like I said, this will be totally SMALL scale - we ain't talking about a room packed wall to wall with rabbits.  Just enough to get a few litters here or there for consumption without the worry of the outdoor predators or the crazy Texas weather being an issue.  It is an 8 X 10 tile floored bedroom, the ventilation works POORLY (doesn't blow hard or create a big draft but keeps it comfortable) My wife usually broods the chickens in there once or twice a year when she hatches them, has her incubator in there, but that could be moved when the time comes.  Just saying - if her chicks can survive and it keeps the house mostly dust free, then I think rabbits would be comfortable as well.  Anyone? opinions? thoughts? Its always appreciated! Is this a crazy thought or a realistic one?


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## Bunnylady (Jul 5, 2010)

I'm not sure you have fully grasped the amount of waste generated by a doe and her  litter, and the resulting smell. I'm afraid you'd probably have to clean the cages _hourly_ to keep your whole house from smelling like a rabbitry! I don't have full-fledged meat breeds, the closest I get is Harlequins (at 6-9 lbs, a bit on the small side). I've never been curious enough to actually measure the volumn of a poop pile, but I can tell you, there's a considerable amount. As far as the liquid side of things, before I got a watering system, I used bottles like everyone else. A doe and her litter could get through the better part of a gallon of water a day. That's a lot of wet shavings! Baby bunnies pee in the nest box (sometimes does do too - grrr!) and that can get pretty rank.

I suppose you might be able to seal up the vent, and around the door, and do some sort of separate air handling with window units. That might keep the smell out of the rest of the house.

Rabbits (bucks in particular) spray urine around to mark their territory. Some aren't really bad about it, with others, it's like a hobby! I had one Jersey Wooly buck that, when I was grooming Woolies, I had to make sure I hadn't had any does on the table before him. Bucks, no problem; but if he smelled any doe smell, he'd write "Ziggy was here!" across my chest, every time! Buck urine isn't as pungent as tomcat urine, but it gets everywhere.

And then there's the pet/food part of the equation. The closer one lives with the animals, the closer one gets, if you know what I mean. I don't know if you've been eating your chickens, but a rabbit being furry makes it that much easier to identify with it. You'd be the one to determine whether that would be a problem for you or not.


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## GrowURown (Jul 5, 2010)

I will be calling my MIL later today to get her input as well, but I have pics of my wifes from when she was a kid and they had a house FULL of furry things - rabbits included.  Obviously, more rabbits make more waste.  But at least 2 - 4 months out of the year it's a chicken ranch in here with baby chicks in incubators and brooders and such anyways.  

Honestly, there comes a time when you don't notice the animal odor any more.  Of course, we DO clean everything regularily, which helps, but honestly, animals smell - there's no way around it.  One poopy in a freshly cleaned cage and it no longer smells as fresh and clean - that's just the facts on that.

I was thinking of building the cages myself - and adding flashing around the sides part of the way up to prevent any spraying of the walls.  This would be set up so it would drip down into the shavings tray (I am a welder, working with metal is my thing!)

The butchering thing - all roosters (and the occassional naughty hen) get invited to dinner besides her breeding roosters - we haven't had any attachment issues yet and she really does spend a LOT of time with her birds.  I hunt, grew up raising my dinner as well as hunting it, attachment for me is not an issue - my wife is a licensed practicing funeral director/embalmer - dying for her is part of living, and with the critters she seems to have a better grasp on it than I do sometimes on processing day.

The pros and cons are always good to hear though - definetely food for thought.  My major pros here are that it's basically predator proof as compared to the out doors and it would be texas heat/humidity/weather proof - both of these things (weather and predator) have been a small challenge with the chickens, and since we would want to keep the rabbits on a smaller scale, losing the only buck or losing even one out of 2 does, would seriously affect it - much more so than when she loses a few out of 100 chickens.

Big cons - poo and hair - but we already have that issue with the cats(litter box) and the dogs - pet hair galore!


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## Shiloh Acres (Jul 5, 2010)

I'm raising meat rabbits small-scale in Texas also. 

What predators are you concerned about?  Ours are in raised cages in a large fenced area that includes poultry and the fences keep out coyotes and dogs. The wire is small enough to keep out snakes and weasels. We keep a dog just on the other side of the fence in another yard which hopefully would warn us of raccoon-sized animals. With our setup, predators have not been an issue. 

Heat and humidity have been, though. I have just decided not to breed in the warmer months or so close before them that young kits are stressed. I do all I can to make them comfortable, but i have had losses due to heat. 

I'm really posting because I had TOYED with the idea of bringing my breeders inside during the hottest months, just to preserve them. My good does would be a tremendous loss if they died. I have not actually done it, but I do have a garage that half was converted into a large room with concrete floor. I could add a window ac unit and use it. 

So I wonder if just breeders inside part-time during the worst weather would work for you?  That's better than the tremendous amount of mess from a growing litter (with a litter of 9 kits you're talking about 10 times the mess of the doe alone). 

Of course, then you have rabbits acclimated to one circumstance being placed in a different one and frequent stress of being moved. I don't know if you'd really want to do it or if it even works for you, but wanted to toss that idea out there. I can't imagine 2 litters growing out as well as breeders inside the house. If it's at all do-able, I'd look to building them some sort of shelter of their own and putting a fan in there if they can't survive outside.


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## GrowURown (Jul 6, 2010)

it's everything and anything here as far as predators go.  Hawks - all the time, had one kill a chicken through the fencing.  Coyotes, in and out, though not as many recently.  Racoons, idk...will they go after rabbits? I assume, as they seem to love chicken, why not rabbit.  Our dogs are inside dogs, spoiled, not really good for much but loving...but the local dogs...well...that's a whole different story.

All these things have been overcome for the most part with the chickens, but the weather...that worries me.  Wife lost a few of her 'teen chicks' to the heat a few weeks ago - had to have been, they were fine at breakfast and by afternoon they were gone.  So I worry about something as fluffy as a rabbit.

Then you have the crazy winters we have been experiencing.  We NEVER blanket the horses, but we did run out and buy a few this year - the twice that it snowed out of now where and dropped to 15 degrees for 3 days - that was WAY out of the norm for here, and it was hard on the animals.  

We have also discussed keeping the breeding animals inside and moving the litters out during the grow out phase and of course only timing for litters during decent months.  Maybe that will be the final outcome.  It is the potential loss of the breeders that seems the mst devastating - with only 1 buck, if he were to go, then it's time to start over.

My biggest goal is also to keep this small - the wife had a hard time with that and her chickens, but it is super easy to sell eggs, not as easy to sell rabbit meat (laws, etc being what they are). So while it seems somewhat logical to do 'rabbit math' like my wife does her 'chicken math' and get more than one buck and just set them up outside...it really isn't logical to me. Who knew all this planning ahead could be so hard?


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## Shiloh Acres (Jul 6, 2010)

I know what you mean. 

Fencing might help a lot with predators. Especially dogs and coyotes. I honestly don't know if raccoons will go for rabbits. I've never heard of wild raccoons (or skunks or opossums) eating wild rabbits so they may not see them as prey. I just don't want those in my poultry/rabbit yard. 

We have TONS of hawks here but surprisingly have not had problems with the poultry. While I'm sure a hawk would see rabbits (if small enough) as prey, it seems the roof and shading trees block ours from view. Cages should protect them as well, at least from the hawks actually GETTING to them. The problem is that many or most rabbits are so skittish that being frightened enough can kill them, or cause them to kill themselves. 

I'm not sure what to think about that I seem to have basically very calm rabbits. They get very excited about each other and about changes in the weather, and my buck is very hard on his cage wire, but predators don't seem to phase them. I've pulled off snakes trying to get into the cages, and my rabbits are not afraid of dogs barking or nosing around them, or cats. They came from a show home with other pets and lots of travel and activity though, so maybe it's just mine. They really don't seem perturbed by any other animals. 

As far as getting more than one buck, that's really up to you. One buck can service more does than you would need. Unless you want different types or a larger genetic pool there's really no need. It DOES  mean that if you only have one buck and anything happens to him, you are out of breeding until he can be replaced. Have you found out how available breeding meat rabbit bucks are in your area?  

As far as just my own opinion, a doe that produces large litters and takes good care of them is worth a great deal, and can't be quickly replaced out of just any old young rabbit quickly. For the buck's part, he just needs to be fertile and throw meaty kits. That's easier to find and can be managed by a younger rabbit than a mature good mothering doe. Again, strictly just my opinion. 

And as others have said, I think the rabbits work out to wonderfully economic meat. Especially if the litters are large and grow meaty quickly. Our California does usually produce ten kits per litter (down 1-3 by butchering age) and grow well, even though they were bred to show. The extra laying breed roos, which DO get slaughtered, seem to cost us much more in chick starter and grower than the kits do, although I don't keep detailed records. Besides, I keep a pocket full of rabbit pellets for treats for the other various animals and as bribes/distractions so the rabbits are not the only ones getting it. And I have yet to completely solve the problem of blown-in rain making the pellets clumpy and the chickens get whatever I have to knock out of the feeders. I suspect the buck of somehow actually sabotoging his LOL ... maybe I need to find a way to get the water bottle much further from the feed.


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## Citylife (Jul 8, 2010)

I find this discussion interesting as before I bought the place I was in I concidered rabbits in the house.  I personally chose not to.  I read about the NZ's and CA's and thought about exactly what we are hearing in here.......  big rabbits give you lots of waste.  I did not want that in the house.
As I researched more andread Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits I learned about a smaller rabbit and became fasinated with the Florida White meat rabbit.  There are only 2 of us in my house hold and one nice FW will feed the two of us one meal.  I have a nice outside set-up that you could most likely duplicate and modify for either inside or SAFE outside.  
The FW is a much smaller meat rabbit and you will want to butcher it at 10-12 weeks instead of 8-10 wks.  There is less waste due to size of animal.  Now that I have them outside, I can see where on buck and 2 does and a grow out pen could be handled indoors.  I would schedule my litters so the grow out pen is busy all the time.  I have 3 does and a buck.  One doe is a pet quality dutch and she has 2 kits that will be good meat rabbits.  The other 3 will be good meat rabbits for my dogs as they eat a raw diet.  They have more the body style of a netherland for some reason.  
I looked at the pro's and con's and what my particular household needed and made my choice.  So far, I am more then happy with the set-up I have and am adding onto it this next weekend as I will already need more room then I was expecting.  And like I said,  I have only 3 does.  
I have started to see the reality of what I am going to have in quantity and realize I will most likely have rabbit once a week and my set up will more then supply us once we get to the first butchering date.  I have my breeding program scheduled out for a year so I can keep good records of my project.  
I think your on tract by not just jumping into it and concidering all options.  I jumped right into my chickens and I think my first egg cost me around $400 
I planned my rabbit project for well over a year and now I am happy as a lark and not in the panic mode I was in with the 4 chickens I have.  And they give me more eggs then we can eat.  I think the rabbits will be the same way once we really start rolling.  
With my outside set-up, if I was worried about predators I would probably inclose the front and sides with hog panels and then welded wire.  I have a spot in my backyard that has a fenseline that has the trees grown into it and blocks off a lot of weather.  The wind & weather comes from the back of my rabbit shed and there is plenty ventalition on  3 sides and even on the back, but still protects them from most blowing snow and rain.
We have extreme heat and humidity here in MO, and I know we have had some winters -10.  So far, they are doing well.  No losses due to heat on rabbits or my 4 chickens.  I will give the rabbits frozen water bottles "if"  they appear, to be starting to stress.  I am trying hard to slowly and safely acclimate them to my set-up.  The original breeder of my livestock had a nice out building with lots of fans and a bit of heat for the winter, but not much. I am very happy with my purchase that is for sure.
Good luck to you and I look forward to hearing about what you decide.
Here is another page of mine on another forum related to this one.  Hope you enjoy.

http://www.sufficientself.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1834




the lady w/ 4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits, thier kits and a lizard........ oh, and the emaciated kitty the dogs found.  She is doing better.


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## GrowURown (Jul 9, 2010)

The part about the first egg....oh yeah, I feel you on that one! I think my wifes first egg cost twice that!Of course, she gets WAY into everything she does too! The chicken coop is almost nicer than the house! And she has never had less than 20 chickens at any point in time -a little addicted? Not her...

I guess we are thinking inside with the rabbits because of the weather and like I said, growing up they had all kinds of stuff living in her parents house.  Her mom said keeping them clean daily was the biggest issue.  Beyond that it wasn't that bad.  At the height of the furried frenzy, my MIL told me they had about 6 guinea pigs, 2 rabbits, and at least a dozen different rats that were all inside only and pet only animals.  She says she did notice that because the house was climate controlled, the inside animals went through less water and therefor had less liquid waste than the feeder rats that lived outside (they had snakes as well, and produced their own meals for them). She claims she would do it all again, and even though everyone is grown and gone, she still has one guinea pig in the house (Mr. Piggles) so I do believe she would.

I figure a spot on the porch (covered, wrap around style that we have) for the last stages of grow out for all babies should handle the end of things, I think giving the breeders their own room maybe the final answer.  If not, every time a hurricane happens (not often, but once is all it takes) my wife will have them in the living room.

When we look back to hurricane Ike, even being 90 miles from the coast, it was a fiasco.  The horses did just fine - but they are also 1000 lbs each.  Several chickens that did not show up for the 'final round up' were never seen again.  Most of the breeding chickens were in the bathrooms here through the storm, and the clean up was awful, especially without electricity and running water for a WEEK.  But there were at least a dozen yard chickens (ones that just kinda roamed 24/7) that we never saw again - so my wife was happy to be cleaning chicken poo out of the bathroom and getting a full head count in return.  I personally would rather be adjusted to having the rabbits inside, then having to move them in last minute like we did with my wifes birds.  She is way too over protective, especially with the smaller animals, and I dread hurricane season every year because of that.  If the feeder hogs don't reach at least 100 lbs she has already said they shall weather the storm in our horse trailer - so for that I am thankful! I was a little worried she suggest they sleep with us!

Of course, she is from California - so the hurricane and tornado thing has taken some adjusting to for her, as has the humidity here.  It's still all just a thought process at the moment...but soon we shall be putting things in motion no matter what we decide...it is good to get the feedback here - it gives me things to contemplate!


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## DixiePride (Jul 9, 2010)

I didn't have time to read all the posts on this but I did want to say, when I was growing up I raised rabbits for show and we had a shed with a tile floor and I litter trained my rabbits and they always peed in the litter box and they did poo where ever they hopped but they are just beebees and they sweep up, I would go out every afternoon and I had about 5 litter boxes and I would clean them out and sweep the floor and good to go... I never had a problem with the males wetting on everything becasue they were friends with the other males and they played together so there was no marking territory.  I had a divider down the middle of the room so I could keep the does seperate from the bucks and when i was ready to breed them I would put them together in a small cage with a towel over it for their privacy... rabbits are not as nasty as people make out, true they stink when they are outside because of the heat and the bugs, anything stinks in the heat... I found rabbits were the easiest thing to keep inside... another thing about rabbits inside is that they don't bark or make any noise except for a little thump here and there...


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