Offered rabbits, I know nothing about them but have to decide quickly

[TeamChaos]

So, it goes against my cardinal rule of the farm which is "never add an animal before you're prepared" but so far, just about everything has broken that rule. :/ Our neighbor has two rabbits that his grandchildren can't move with them- they are some kind of dwarf/belted/ scottish ? (like I said, I know nothing about rabbits) and he has offered them to my daughter. He raises meat rabbits and cannot keep these little "pet" rabbits for long, so we've got to decide quickly. My daughter is 9 and I told her she needs to research and read rabbit basics today and be prepared to tell me her opinion and plan for keeping them if she decides she would like them. I, on the other hand, am throwing this up to the experts here before I run back out the door to take care of the animals who already live on the farm!
We have chickens, guineas, ducks, geese, sheep, cats, dogs and a horse- if that matters. I hate seeing rabbits stuck in cages high above the ground for their whole lives, but for all I know that could be a rabbit's dream. Can I tractor rabbits w/ wire on the bottom to prohibit digging? How cold hearty are they? We're in SW WI. Would we need to bring them in to the house for the winter? If you had to give someone a pro/con list of rabbit ownership, what would it be?

thanks so much!

 

[cattlequeen]

I live in Minnesota so winter here is pretty cold. I have about a 20 hole rabbitry at the moment. My rabbits are all kept in a small shed. In the winter, I supply hay and old clothes that don't fit anymore to keep the rabbits warm.

If you decide to keep the rabbits outside for the winter, in a non-heated place, DO NOT bring them in the house! Rabbits can get sick because of the change in temperature like that - going from freezing cold outside to a warm house, so DO NOT BRING THEM IN. Hope this helps! Good luck!