So You Want A Bunny: Inside or Outside?

So, you want a bunny, but where will you keep it?

One of the first things you need to decide when preparing for your new bunny, is what kind of home it will live in.

Domestic rabbits can live inside or outside. Both have pros and cons.

Inside

If you want an inside rabbit, it will be kept in a cage. Most indoor cages are all thick metal wire, but some are wood and wire.

Cage floors should be wire, to allow droppings and urine to fall through onto a tray so your rabbit does not sit in its own filth. Be sure to clean out the tray often and provide ventilation, so the ammonia fumes from your bunny’s urine will not make it sick.

Indoor cages should be cleaned frequently, to insure a healthy and odor free environment.

Your rabbit can be trained to use a litter box to help make cleaning easier.

Be wary of letting your bunny roam free in your house.

Rabbits will chew on wires and other objects on the floor, like toys, food, or house plants, which can be very dangerous to them. Always use caution if you have other animals in your home. Dogs and cats may seem friendly, but they can easily hurt your bunny, even if they don’t mean too.

All rabbits need exercise, but since indoor cages are typically smaller than outdoor hutches, make sure your bunny has a place to stretch its legs.

Exercise pens are great for both indoor and outdoor use.

Outside

All of my rabbits are kept in outdoor hutches that I have built myself. They are the most natural, safe, and beautiful home for my outside furry friends. I love to watch them basking in the sunshine or listening to the birds.

If you want an outdoor rabbit, it should be kept in a sturdy hutch to protect it from predators and extreme weather.

Our hutches are made of wood and wire and are painted to protect the wood from rain and sun so it will last for years.

Our hutches have two living sections; the large main living section, with a welded wire floor, wire doors and a wooden back and sides. The wire allows droppings to fall through and keeps the hutch well ventilated.

A wooden board, tile, or plastic snap-on mat will give a nice resting place from the welded wire for your rabbit.

Your bunny will also love to bask in the winter sunshine!

The other section of our hutches is a small wooden box attached to the side called the “nesting box”.

The nesting box will give your bunny a warm place to sleep in the winter, an extra dry place when it rains, and relief from wind.

Line the floor with straw or shredded paper bedding for extra insulation during the winter months.

If your hutch does not have a nesting box, a wooden box can be set in the main living section and filled with hay or bedding.

Your rabbit’s hutch should be tall and off the ground.

Height will keep your bunny away from predators, the cold ground in winter, and will make it easier for you to pick him/her up and give him food and water.

Rabbits thrive in cool temperatures.

A rabbit’s favorite outside temperature is around 50 degrees.

Their thick coat provides them with plenty of warmth, but they still need proper shelter.

Make sure your hutch is facing the sun and sheltered from the cold winds. This will help to keep your bunny warm.

In the summer place your rabbit’s hutch in a shady location with good air flow to help keep them cool.

Rabbits, even breeds with short hair, can overheat very easily.

During extreme temperatures (single digits or 95 degrees or above) I temporarily move my rabbits inside into cages, in my insulated garage, until the temperatures return to normal.

If you are interested in purchesing one of our beautiful hutches for your outdoor furry friend, please contact us here, https://www.rustybellfarmgarden.com/contact.

From a fellow bunny lover,

Emma

So You Want A Bunny: My Story

I don’t remember why I wanted a bunny.

But I wanted a bunny.

I had spent my whole life around dogs, I had owned goldfish and guppies, I had fed the wild birds in our yard. But I wanted a bunny.

Maybe I had gotten the idea from a book or a movie, or from looking in the pet store windows?

I remember sneaking out to our garden, where a mama rabbit had tucked her babies away under the carrots, and despite my parents warning, running my fingers across their soft, silky fur.

This is Espresso. He hopped to new adventures with his new family.

Somewhere along the line, I asked my parents if I could get a bunny. I promised to take good care of it and love it and hug it and feed it carrots. But my parents were smart and knew not to give in to my fancies so easily. They told me that I could get a rabbit if I read about them for a year.

A whole year is a very long time to a ten year old, but I agreed, never knowing if they would keep their promise, but always hoping.

They bought me books, and let me collect a pile of toys, tunnels, bowls, water bottles, and food. I spent what seemed like hours researching, all the while dragging around my stuffed bunny companion and dreaming of my real little bunny.

Long before I had seen him, I had a name picked out, Blitz.

Before I knew it, the year was up. I went to my parents and asked, ‘When can I get my bunny?’

They sighed and reluctantly (for them), the search began.

I remember running down the hallway jumping for joy, when we were able to look at our first bunnies. We looked at a few different breeds, before settling on Holland Lops. I had learned (from my year of research) that they were perfect for first time rabbit owners and I loved their floppy ears!

Cap, my little chestnut harlequin bunny.

It wasn’t long before I found the bunny of my dreams.

He was an unwanted Tractor Supply rabbit, that was two hours away. He scratched my mom when she held him, but he was calm in my arms. To me, he wasn’t just a brown, stubborn rabbit, that thumped at me and ran away. He was soft and cuddly. He licked my arms and chewed holes in my shirts. He peed on my bed and nibbled my fingers when they smelled like strawberries. Yes, Blitz, was perfect.

Blitz, my first bunny.

He taught me to love and cherish a relationship with a living creature.

Blitz taught me everything that I know about rabbits. He was patient with my mistakes. He taught me to be quiet when I was around him, to respect his space and leave him alone when he wanted to be alone. He taught me to never walk a rabbit on a leash, because they will slip out and almost run away. He taught me to not hold them for so long on my lap, or he’ll pee on me.

Blue and Tank.

About a year after I got Blitz, we adopted Winston, an American Fuzzy Lop. And then Tank and Blue, Holland lop brothers.

Before we knew it we were forever rabbit owners.

Seven years went by, and Tip and Top were added to our warren. Followed by Kuyper, a Thrianta rabbit, and Nutmeg, my first harlequin Holland lop female.

I had come to love Hollands so much, and was so tired of driving two hours to pick them up, that I wanted to take the next step and breed them. Again I dove into research and emerged with the confidence that I could do it. I mean, how hard could it be? The saying, ‘multiply like rabbits’ must be right, right?

Nutmeg was small and soft when we brought her home.

She lived in a hutch painted with pink flowers and had a little pink bowl. I had great hopes for her. She was going to grow up to be big and give me pretty babies.

My handsome buck, Nuddy.

But I had one little problem. Nutmeg wasn’t a girl! That’s right, my little girl bunny, wasn’t a girl after all. And so Nutmeg became Nuddy. My little soft, handsome boy.

The search began again for a doe, this time to go with Nuddy.

I found Coffee, (still two hours away), a beautiful chestnut doe, who had already had a healthy litter. I breed her and the kits came, seven healthy, chubby, little nuggets.

I treasured watching them grow up so much that I can’t stop now.

In six months, Cap and Tchaikovsky, Coffee’s daughters, and Nightengale, Honeysuckle, Chicory, Weezie and, last but not least, Wilbur were added to our not-so-little warren.

Yes, I’m addicted to bunnies And I’m unashamed.

I’m looking forward to all the new bunnies in my future. If you love bunnies like I do, keep checking our Nest Box for new litters!

A bunny lover,

Emma

This is Wilder. He hopped to a new home with his family.

My Favorite Hot Cocoa Recipe

Yep, it’s January again.

The air is cold and crisp and, once in a while, we wake up to a glorious sunny morning. The kind of morning with shimmery frost or sparkly snow cover.

Those mornings are my favorite winter mornings.

January is a time for rest.

The farm chores are narrowed down to a bare minimum.

The flowers are resting in the gardens, it’s too cold to worry about weeds, and there is no growing grass to mow.

This is the time to nestle down into my comfy chair with a mug of my favorite hot cocoa, read through all of the seed catalogues, and dream of my January Garden.

Hot chocolate evokes so many warm fuzzy memories for me.

Childhood memories of ice skating, snowmobiling, skiing, and snow forts.

Recent memories of playing outside with ours kids in the snow.

I used to make this hot cocoa recipe for our children when they would come in from sledding and snowball fights.

It warmed them up right down to their toes and filled them with happy childhood memories.

I’d like to share this recipe with you because it reminds me of one of the best memories of home.

My Favorite Hot Cocoa

Makes 2 servings

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 Tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small sauce pan, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, and milk while heating on medium heat. Stir continuously to prevent the milk from scalding. When heated to the desired temperature, stir in the vanilla, remove from the heat, and serve in mugs.

Add marshmallows, whipped cream, or a peppermint stick for even more fun!