Hi, newbie here! 👋

[Miranda.m.davenport]

Hello everyone! I just found this forum.

A little backstory...As a kid until my teen years, I had mainly dwarf rabbits (with the exception of one Flemish Giant). I started off with one given to my by my neighbor. (My neighbors boyfriend was an architect and built an amazing rabbit hutch that she gave me also.) She was a albino dwarf and I named her Jazmin. Soon after, I found her a mate from my local fair. He was also a little dwarf and he was a light grey. I named him Aladdin. Yeah, original, right? Lol Anyway, they had a few litters over the years. They lived in the same hutch but were kept separated by a barrier. The first litter was due to Aladdin somehow climbing over the barrier (wire mesh) and squeezing through the roof area. What a surprise! Anyway, that hutch was super sturdy and great for over wintering as it had built in heat lamps, etc. (And I fixed the spot he could climb over.)

Fast forward to 20+ years later and I am thinking of getting another bunny. I probably won't breed any this time around. I realize now, as an adult, there's a lot more to pedigrees now.

My and my husband are in the process of making our yard organic and phasing out any and all chemicals. Anyone have any recommendations on how long we should give the yard to basically turn organic? We were thinking about getting one next year or so.

In the mean time, I plan on researching hutches, care and all that good stuff.

If anyone has any recommendations on the best breed for temperament, housing, etc, I am all ears.

Thanks for allowing me to join!!

 

[Blue eyes]

Since you said you don't plan on breeding, I assume this will just be a pet rabbit? If so, I would highly recommend housing indoors. You may well be surprised to see just how fun a rabbit can be when they are housed indoors and become a family pet. You may be as surprised to know that indoor rabbits can be kept without odor -- seriously.

Since you won't be breeding, you'd be best off getting an already fixed rabbit. This will save you the crazy costs of spay/neuter if you were to get a baby. It will also allow you to check out the temperament of the individual rabbit. By checking out a rabbit rescue (different than generic shelter) you'll be able to see the true personality of the individual rabbit. [Personality is based more on the individual than on breed.] Since a baby rabbit's personality can change with the onset of hormones, a baby is not the best choice--if you are looking for a particular personality.

The following site shows and explains what it is like to house a rabbit indoors:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/


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[Lionhead owner]

I have a lionhead. The monthly health insurance costs for this breed is the cheapest. I found this out after I’d bought her, so maybe this is a good breed to choose possibly.
She’s clever and the vet says might live for between 7-9 years if we neuter her.
Could any breeders out there give us all tips on the possible health risks of different breeds please. It would really help us. Thank you so much guys.