Which Is Right for You? While individual personalities vary greatly, there are a few general differences worth considering.

Bucks are often known for being easygoing, affectionate, and people-oriented. Many owners find that bucks are relaxed companions who enjoy attention and handling. They can be especially popular as first time pets due to their laid back nature. We highly recommend bucks for new rabbit owners and children wanting to get into 4H showing. Bucks tend to stay in condition longer and do not go through the same hormonal phases that does will.

Does tend to be more independent and at times territorial, particularly if they are not spayed. They are often intelligent and interactive but may be less tolerant of unwanted handling. Some does develop nesting behaviors as they mature, even if they have never been bred.

Ultimately, a rabbit's personality is influenced by genetics, socialization, and environment far more than gender alone, but if you are a first time rabbit owner or looking for something “snuggly” we HIGHLY recommend a buck!

Indoor or Outdoor: Housing your outdoors is acceptable depending on your climate, so long as the rabbit is protected from the elements (wind, sun, rain, etc.) and predators (dogs, cats, rats, raccoons, etc.) at all times. For indoor rabbits, ensure the area is free of cords, wires, and toxic household plants. For outdoor rabbits, ensure the area is protected within a secure fence or barn against wild and loose animals. Rabbits do very well in colder temps but may need help staying cool in the summer (frozen water bottles, tile resting mats, fans, a/c.) Our rabbits are maintained in a temperature controlled environment and are are most comfortable between 45° and 65°. Rabbits exposed to temperatures over 80° are at a high risk of heat stroke and/or death.

Cage/Enclosure: Your rabbit’s enclosure should be a minimum of 24x24” but preferably larger, and considerably larger if you plan on housing more than one rabbit together. If you are getting a young rabbit from us, we highly recommend the 24” size so that they feel safe while growing & learning their new environment. Wire-bottom cages are best used to protect your dwarf breed against hutch burn, sore hocks, and general uncleanliness, as well as keeping them from sitting in bedding, which can cause respiratory issues. We do not recommend plastic-bottomed cages filled with bedding as these are generally too small, cause hock issues, and promote bacteria build up. We use resting mats in all of our wire cages. We have never had a case of sore hocks! Our rabbits feet stay extremely clean and white on their own with our methods.

Bedding: Paper-based beddings such as Yesterdays News, Carefresh, and horse stall pellets are the safest options for rabbits. Avoid cedar, fine pine shavings and clumping cat litters as these can be dangerous for your rabbit. For drop pans and litter boxes where the rabbit does not have access to the bedding, we recommend using Sweet PDZ granules to help cut down on urine odors.

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BABIES UNDER 5 MONTHS: Keep the diet BLAND! Their digestive systems are extremely fragile while they mature and feeding outside of our recommendation can cause illness or death. Loose stools caused by poor diet for a baby is a life threatening condition & requires immediate attention. Offer unlimited alfalfa pellets & grass hay as the primary diet. The ONLY treats we recommend for babies in small quantities is plain dry old fashioned oatmeal or whole oats, dried/dehydrated herbs (raspberry leaves, dandelion, etc.), and any of the Oxbow biscuit treats for rabbits. We strongly urge against feeding babies fresh fruits or vegetables. These foods can be slowly introduced in small quantities once the rabbit is 5-6 months of age.

Pellet: Feed a plain alfalfa-based pellet that does not contain cereals, nuts, or treats. We do NOT recommend feeding a pellet that is timothy-based, as it does not give our rabbits enough nutrients to thrive. We currently feed ADM PenPals Show formula which can be ordered through Chewy. Other feeds we recommend are Lakeland R&C Heritage Blend, Manna Sho, Haystack, and Purina. All of our rabbits will go home with transition feed to help them adjust in their new home.

Pellet Quantity: For rabbits under 3-4 months old, offer free access to pellets. For rabbits 3-4 months and older, you can start rationing pellets to around ½ cup per day. Monitor weight gain/loss appropriately. Some rabbits are able to be free-fed as adults and some will simply overeat. We currently ration our non-lactating adults at ½ cup per day and juniors and lactating adults at 1 cup+ (free fed.)

Hay: Offer free access to a quality grass hay. Timothy, Orchard, or Brome are all acceptable variants. Choose a hay that is rich in color, fragrant and soft to the touch. Oxbow Harvest Stacks and Grandpa’s Best Timothy Treasures are made from compressed hay are an excellent alternative to loose hay for those families with hay allergies. Our favorites are Yellowstone Feed Co’s hay cubes (available at Murdochs) and Grandpa’s Best or Blue Mountain loose boxed orchard hay (available in our amazon storefront.) We offer our growing juniors hay daily, and our adults 1-2x per week.

Supplements: To help transition your rabbit into its new home, sprinkle their pellets and/or hay with a generous offering of dry old fashioned oatmeal and/or calf manna. This will help stimulate the appetite and prevent any loose stools caused by stress. When your rabbit naturally starts to molt (1-2x a year) offer oatmeal and a pinch of black oil sunflower seeds to help prevent fur blockage.

Treats/Fresh Foods: You can offer fruits, vegetables and treats on a VERY limited basis and in VERY SMALL quantities to avoid digestive upset, which can quickly turn fatal in dwarf breeds. DO NOT feed these foods for rabbits younger than 6 months. For adult rabbits, you may SLOWLY introduce fresh fruits and greens such as banana, blueberry, spinach, dandelion, etc. in SMALL amounts. This is extremely important to prevent GI Stasis! We choose to only feed our rabbits a narrow variety of dried plants directly from our garden - our favorites are raspberry, dandelion, and strawberry leaves. Our preferred treats are EnjoyYums Apple flavored horse snacks and unsweetened dried banana slices.

Clean Water: Provide clean, fresh water to your rabbit at all times. We do our best to ensure your new rabbit has had exposure to both water bottles and water bowls to ensure an easier transition into their new home. Always use caution when using water bottles to ensure that the rabbit knows how to use them and that the product is not faulty or leaking.

Handling: Touching and holding your rabbit daily is very important for desensitization, health monitoring, bonding, and stress-free vet visits. Our rabbits are handled and checked daily and we strongly encourage our new owners to continue with the groundwork we have done to ensure that your rabbit grows up to be a well adjusted, friendly companion. Recommended activities for desensitization include, but are not limited to: holding your rabbit, restraining your rabbit, touching the whisker bed, checking the teeth, applying gentle pressure to the toes, checking nails, checking under the tail, checking the ears, exposure to different types of sounds and noises of various volumes, everyday household noises (changing a trash bag, slamming a door, pots and pans, vacuum noise, etc.) Keep all sessions extremely short to begin with - 20 seconds or less, and then build duration.

Playtime: Your rabbit will need supervised exercise time outside of its cage on a regular basis. Wire or fabric playpens made for dogs are excellent choices for this purpose. Please beware that lops and dwarfs WILL squeeze through playpen wires until they are adults! NEVER let your rabbit have free run of your backyard without properly rabbit & predator-proofing first.

Toys: Our rabbits love little cat balls with bells inside, pinecones, blocks of pet-safe wood, grass mats, toilet paper rolls, and a variety of hanging toys. Avoid woods and toys that have dyes that may transfer or bleed or woods that have been chemically treated or painted. Natural types are the best!

Companionship: Though rabbits are social animals, they can often become territorial and aggressive when housed together. Please take into consideration the time and knowledge required for housing two rabbits together and how to deal with potential scuffles. Both rabbits should be spayed/neutered early (4-6 months old) and your setup space should be large enough to house two rabbits comfortably. (The larger the better.) We will NOT sell boy/boy pairs.

Spaying & Neutering: Our rabbits are NOT spayed/neutered prior to leaving our rabbitry. If you plan to house multiple rabbits, it is mandatory to spay or neuter each of them. This prevents unwanted aggression, accidental breeding, the possibility of spraying in males, and overall keeps your rabbit more even-tempered. If you are only housing one rabbit it is less vital to spay/neuter, but consider the pros and cons for both you and your rabbit when deciding if spaying/neutering is right for your situation. If you do decide to spay/neuter, we recommend surgery no earlier than 4-6 months, depending on your rabbit’s size.

Molting: Our dwarf rabbits require very little grooming if their diet is good and their cage is kept clean. Your rabbit will "molt" or shed heavily once or twice a year. During this time lightly spritz the coat with water and use a soft cat bristle brush or a sticky lint roller over the fur. Keeping them groomed during this time is important to keep them from ingesting too much fur which can cause dangerous blockages.

Nail Trimming: Your new bunny’s nails will need to be clipped every 3-4 weeks. This is an often dreaded chore for new owners, but it doesn’t have to be! Lay a towel across your lap and place the rabbit on its back, applying gentle pressure with your legs to keep the rabbit in place and feeling secure. Your rabbit has been exposed to this several times in our rabbitry and if you continue with this training, nail trimming will be easy. This method will allow you to work freely and quickly with both hands. Gently press the foot to expose the claw and clip only the tip of the nail at about a 45 degree angle, just before the quick. The quick is the blood supply to the nail and easily visible under bright light, even on the darkest nails. You can apply a dab of cornstarch or QwikStop if you accidentally clip too much. NEVER neglect nail trimming in your rabbit, as this is the quickest way for your rabbit to either pull a toenail completely out or break a toe.

Worming: Your rabbit will be wormed prior to going to their new home. If you plan on allowing your rabbit to play outdoors or have access to areas where dogs, cats, or birds have been, you may want to consider worming once or twice a year, whenever parasites are present or when your rabbit is lacking condition. We use Safeguard (for goats/horses), which you can pick up at your local feed store.

Litter Box Training: All of our baby rabbits are started on litter box training to help make training for you easier! Rabbits will naturally choose one corner of their cage to go in. Watch to see which corner your rabbit prefers and put the litter box there. You can help encourage them to use this corner by placing their hay in the same general area, preferably elevated above the box. Keep in mind that a rabbit that has a larger territory (ie a full bedroom or giant cage) may need multiple litter box areas. It is best to start in a smaller space and work your way up as they successfully use their box. Please note that box training is primarily for urine, and that many rabbits may still leave small droppings behind.

Litter Box Design: Choose a litter box with some sort of grate above the bedding so that your rabbit isn't sitting in its own mess - this is the quickest way to give your rabbit painful hutch burn and make your rabbit smell sour! We recommend buying a basic cat litter box and placing a wire cooling rack used for baking inside. This method is extremely easy to clean and keeps your rabbits elevated just enough off of the bedding. NEVER pile your rabbit’s hay on top of a litter box without a grate, as this will contaminate your rabbit's feed and promote coccidia, a serious intestinal tract infection.

Bonding with your new rabbit: As exciting as a new family member is, your rabbit’s first week at home should be kept very boring! As natural prey animals, rabbits can become overstressed very easily. Avoid over-handling and allow your rabbit to get acquainted with their new home on their own for the first several days. Talk to your rabbit and play a radio or tv in the room to get them used to your everyday noises. Introduce handling slowly, for short intervals several times throughout the day. We recommend winning over your new baby with the oat, dried banana, and calf manna treats provided. Remember that being picked up and cuddled is an unnatural act for a rabbit, and they may kick or squirm until they get used to you and their new surroundings. Introduce your rabbit to these behaviors by gently holding them for short periods of time, and letting them sit on a blanket on your lap.

Rabbit Proofing: For your indoor rabbit, prevent access to cords, toxic plants, and small objects that can be chewed or ingested. Do not allow your rabbit free roaming access to your carpet or walls without proper training and rabbit-proofing… they WILL chew, dig, and poop!

Supervision: ALWAYS supervise your rabbit when they are outside of their cage, both indoors and outdoors. Keep in mind that rabbits WILL dig and jump, and can very quickly escape an enclosure that is not properly fitted to your rabbit.

Heat/Cold Exposure: Rabbits do better in cold temperatures than they do in warm. NEVER leave your rabbit in a hot vehicle when transporting your new pet home - even a few minutes can be fatal to a young rabbit. Always keep your rabbit out of direct sunlight, wind, rain and snow. Winter wind drafts can be very dangerous to rabbits kept in an outdoor hutch.

First Aid: Familiarizing yourself with your rabbit's habits and recognizing abnormal behavior can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. The sooner you identify a potential problem, the easier it is to treat. This is why keeping a medical kit on hand is so important. Some of the basic things to keep on hand are: Probios (a probiotic paste for livestock), Nutridrops or CriticalCare (rapid response nutrition), Electrolytes (for hydration), Baby Gas X (for GI Stasis & bloat), Safeguard (wormer & wry neck treatment), Toltrazuril (for coccidia), and VetRX (for congestion or difficulty breathing). See our Medicine Cabinet page for the items we keep in our first aid kit.

Yearly Preventatives: If you allow your rabbit access to the outdoors or have interactions with animals that do (cats, dogs), or travel, consider a yearly or bi-yearly worming regime to ensure your rabbit does not become infected with parasites. We recommend worming whenever parasites are present, after exposure to other rabbits at shows, or when your rabbit may be losing flesh and coat condition not associated with molting.

Vaccinations: Unlike dogs, rabbits do NOT have a required or routine vaccine schedule. There are only two approved vaccines on the market for rabbits. BunnyVac is designed in the prevention of pasteurella (aka “snuffles”) and RHDV for rabbit hemorrhaging disease. Whether or not you choose to vaccinate is a personal preference and never required. Our rabbits are NOT vaccinated for either for the following reasons: they are not 100% effective in guaranteeing prevention, they often cause permanent cysts at the injection site, we maintain a biosecure environment and strict quarantine protocols to reduce our risk of exposure.

We take pride in the fact that our relationship with our bunny owners does not end when you take your new bunny home. As a conscientious breeder and steward of our dwarf breeds, we are always available to answer questions and help with any health concerns that may arise. If for ANY reason you can no longer keep or care for your rabbit, no matter its age, please keep in mind that we will ALWAYS take the rabbit back and/or assist with rehoming. With this lifetime safety net, we ensure that our rabbits will never end up in a shelter or rescue situation.