- southernontariorab
What else should you have for your rabbits?
None of these items need to be fancy, but it could be worth your time and money to buy specific ones.
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Bowls
These are the cheapest option and you can find them anywhere. You can get any size you like. Thin plastic will be chewed on and eventually wrecked in most cases. You can get stainless steel. These will hold up well, and can be easily cleaned and disinfected. A downside about bowls is that they are easily knocked over or dumped. I have given my rabbit a full bowl of pellets and he immediately went to it and purposely bit the lip of it and dumped it. This is wasteful and messy. If your like me and your trying to raise meat to be self reliant and save some money on groceries, the last thing you want is to have your rabbits dumping full bowls of pellets on the ground. Another issue would be them dumping their water bowls. On a hot day, no access to water is a death sentence.
There is an option to still use bowls but have them secured to the cage wall. These types of bowls are popular with people who ship pets in crates, or who travel with smaller dogs. You can secure them to the dog crate door and not worry about them getting knocked over or dumped.
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Traditional rabbit J feeder
Commercial and larger scale operations tend to use J feeders. They come in a variety of sizes suitable for one rabbit or a litter. You can fill them up if you are free feeding, or you can add a measured amount.they are designed to it on the outside of the cage with a hole through the cage just big enough for the mouth of the feeder to fit through so the rabbit can eat safely from them. They save time by allowing you to fill them up outside the cage and not having to fuss with the rabbits themselves as your doing it. There are standard models, and then there are ones with lids for when your not filling them up, to keep bugs and water off the food, and also you can get them with a sifter bottom that allows crumbs and dusty from the pellets to fall through. I personally think both of those options are a must for the little extra money they cost. They will save you from soggy wasted pellets and from crumby dusty debris collecting and potentially attracting bugs.
Waterer
Rabbits need access to clean fresh water. You can use a bowl, but again you run the risk of it getting spilt. Another concern with using bowls is dirt and debris getting into the water. Waterers take away the risk of debris getting into the water and as long as it is securely attached to the cage, there is little risk of them getting knocked off the cage. You can get a variety of different sizes and types. You can get ones that empty into a bowl type area, or ones with just a nozzle that they kick to release the water.
If your looking into a more automated system, you can get automatic waterers. I will write an in-depth article on those in the future.
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Nesting box
Nesting boxes are required for your does if you are breeding them. They need a save place to deliver their kits and raise them for the first couple weeks. New born kits are small and if not kept in a safe place, they can fall through the wires in some cages, possibly get too cold, or miss feedings. All of these things are potentially life threatening to new born kits.
A lot of homesteaders and rabbit breeders make their own nesting boxes out of plywood. They will be chewed on and take some damage over time, but they are relatively cheap and easy to make.
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Sticks or chew toys
Some additional items you may want are a stick or chew toy of sorts for your rabbits. Rabbits love to chew on fruit trees. If you take a walk early spring and inspect your trees, any young fruit tree will have bark peeled off it. You can give them a branch after your done pruning your tree, of you can purchase an assortment of chew toys that help with boredom and help prevent their teeth from growing too long.
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Hay feeder
Your rabbit needs a constant supply of hay to help ensure they haven' enough fiber in their diet. Putting it directly on the cage floor can be messy and wasteful. You can get different holders that help to minimize waste.
These are a common design that keeps it well contained. Another design is a bag that you fill with hay and your rabbits can pull the hay out as desired. The bag is hung from the cage wall
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A hiding spot
It's not required, but rabbits do like to have a secure place to hide or to get out of the elements. Basically like a dog house for your rabbit. You can build it out of plywood, use a small upside down tote with a hole cut in it for a door, or you can buy a rabbit hide out.
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