What are the daily chores for owning a rabbitry?

[starlight012]

Hi! I was wondering what the daily chores are for owning a rabbitry? Also, I was wondering how often should you clean your rabbits cage? Thanks!

~ starlight012

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I feed and water every day once in the morning, takes about 30 minutes. (I have about 20 rabbits ATM). I also go over every cage and check everyone briefly.

Once a week I rake out under the cages (I have open/ wire bottoms) and scrub feeders and waterers and pull the buns out and go over them real well, check their teeth, nails etc.

During birthing season I feed/ water twice a day so I can check on the kits more often.

 

[sodamancer]

I feed and water every day once in the morning, takes about 30 minutes. (I have about 20 rabbits ATM). I also go over every cage and check everyone briefly.

Once a week I rake out under the cages (I have open/ wire bottoms) and scrub feeders and waterers and pull the buns out and go over them real well, check their teeth, nails etc.

During birthing season I feed/ water twice a day so I can check on the kits more often.

Great advice. This is exactly my routine except i let my bunnies out on a rotation into a play pen for about an hour a day. i have not bred but i like the advice.

 

[DianeS]

I feed and water every day once in the morning, takes about 30 minutes. (I have about 20 rabbits ATM). I also go over every cage and check everyone briefly.

Once a week I rake out under the cages (I have open/ wire bottoms) and scrub feeders and waterers and pull the buns out and go over them real well, check their teeth, nails etc.

During birthing season I feed/ water twice a day so I can check on the kits more often.

This is true, and this is most of what it is. But don't forget to factor in when things go wrong! For instance, when a rabbit has a claw that keeps overgrowing and you need to clip it (like clipping a dog's nails). That can be a struggle. Or if you have a bun with diarrhea or other seemingly mild health issue. Checking on them extra, maybe moving them somewhere else for isolation or for keeping them warmer/cooler - setting up something like that takes time, and then having to keep that area clean in addition to the regular area. If your rabbits get ear mites, then you're either treating with chemicals which takes 5-10 mins per rabbit depending on how still they hold, or it takes 5-10 mins per day per rabbit for about 2 weeks to do the non-chemical treatment. And depending on where you live, giving cold tiles or ice bottles in the summer to prevent heatstroke or giving hay in the winter to prevent cold drafts takes time too.
And kits - yes most of the time rabbits mate easily. But when they don't, you spend 20-45 minutes a day supervising two rabbits that might or might not eventually mate before you give up.
And laundry - if you have a male rabbit that sprays (like I do!) you might choose to have special rabbit clothing that you change in to and out of each time you go out to work with them. That adds a surprising amount of time.

I'm not trying to be a downer, just realistic. Most of the time you will spend maybe 30 mins with them a day. Tops. But things do go wacky with rabbits, and if you are actually *limited* to the expected 10 or 15 minutes, it can cause problems. I remember the night I was outside with a flashlight for over an hour, hunting my herd sire that had gotten out of his cage. I could see him, but he kept running. We have owls - if I left him outside overnight I wouldn't have had a rabbit to retrieve come daylight! By the end of that hour, putting him in the stew pot was feeling really good... my hubby finally caught him. Extremely funny in retrospect, but it wouldn't have been funny if I had counted on the chores only taking 15 minutes that night, and I had plans or something to get to.

So always leave more time than you "should" need, because rabbits are funny creatures that sit around at night and discuss which one will take the next shift at driving you crazy.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

True, good addition!!!

 

[lastfling]

So always leave more time than you "should" need, because rabbits are funny creatures that sit around at night and discuss which one will take the next shift at driving you crazy.

Truer words have never been spoken!.

I normally check mine twice a day. Once in the morning before I go to work. This is mainly a water / hay check to top off or replendish as necessary. The evenings is when I do feeding, watering.

Once a week trays are emptied, scrapped clean and new wood pellets added in the pee spots. Waste wheel barrowed to compost pile and shoveled in. The other maintenance items such as nail clipping, tattoo's, etc are normally reserved for weekends. With daylight savings time coming on this weekend, some of that may be accomplished during the week.

 

[seanthedirtworshipper]

Automate what you can. A five gallon bucket and bite valves makes the water lots easier to deal with. Especially when you have more than a handful of rabbits.

I feed morning and night. The 30 min a day estimate is probably a bit high but does allow for "bad" days. i probably spend more like 15 - 20 min a day except when it is cleanup time. That can easily take 30 - 40 minutes by itself.

 

[GD91]

I am a rabbit nut, so I check mine 3 Times a day & check feed & water twice a day. Health checks are daily. Thorough health checks are weekly.
Depends how much time you are willing to dedicate. Definitely plan extra time though, just incase.