ISO advice about Flemish Giant

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ZoeLovesButtercup

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We just got a female Flemish Giant, who will live outside in a hutch. As a new rabbit owner, I have tried to do as much online research as I can to determine things like how much space she needs, what she should be eating, what to use for bedding, etc. Most of the information I find is not specific to Flemish Giants, and a lot of it is just contradictory.

I would very much like to make contact with an outdoor Flemish Giant owner who has experience with these things. Is there anyone out there who can share the benefit of their experience?

Thanks!!
 
Well what are the questions you're looking for answers too?

Many things will be contradictory just based on who you talk to, even within Flemish owners. Everyone has their own personal preferences.

You can start by posting your questions and people will answer just based on that. Many answers are correct.
 
So many questions!
- How much living space is needed; what type of hay should we be feeding her, and how often does it need be completely replaced vs. just giving her more?
- Should the hay be her bedding as well, or what other types of bedding are recommended?
- How much hay and how much bedding should be in her hutch?
- How many pellets should we be giving her each day?
- Are treats OK at this age (she's about 7 weeks old)? If not, when? What kind?
- We're planning to set up an indoor space for her to bring her to when the weather gets super cold or it's actively storming out. It'll be in the garage, which is not heated, so she won't be suddenly in real warmth. How cold is too cold out there? How big would the indoor cage need to be, considering she won't be in it all that much?
- We've been bringing her inside the house to play. Will that still be OK when it's really cold out, or is the shift from cold to warm not healthy?
- Is there a playpen sort of thing you'd recommend for her to hop around freely but safely when in the house? I've seen many online, but the only ones that seem large enough are actually made for dogs, and I'm not sure if the materials are bunny-proof. We were looking at this one, for example: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051M7XP2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
- Is it OK for her to get less exercise in the winter? In the wild, would she be burrowing all winter anyway? In better weather we can set up a play yard in the grass, but in the cold and early dark that's more difficult.
- As a new bunny owner, is there anything else you think I should be made aware of?

(Incidentally, I have looked into every one of these questions in blogs, websites, and forums, and gotten contradictory answers to all of them. It's left me feeling a bit paralyzed.)
 
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My buns are kept indoors so my advice will be limited but I will do my best.

At seven weeks a bun should only be fed hay and pellets. It should be unlimited hay and unlimited alfalfa pellets. You should also make sure the bun always has fresh water available as buns can dehydrate quickly. I have always fed my buns timothy hay. When the bun is older you will want to start limiting the pellets but always provide unlimited hay. The hay helps move things through the gut and also helps to wear down the teeth which are always growing.

If you want to change the buns pellets from what the breeder was feeding then you want to slowly transition the bun from one to the other by adding just a tiny amount of the new food to the old food and increase the amount of new food added to the old over time.

To add a completely new food to the buns diet such as a veggie then you want to start with a small amount and then wait a few days while watching for any changes in the bun such as soft poo. Over time you can feed more of the new food as long as there are no signs of upset.

Buns that age should be fed only pellets and hay. I would wait until the bun is at least 3 months before feeding any treats which could be any rabbit safe veggies, herbs or fruit. Some of these foods are safe to give in larger amounts, others such as those high in sugar should only be given in small amounts and only occasionally.

You could look into getting a dog exercise pen for inside as a playpen sort of thing. Many people use them on this site and as they are made of metal buns can not chew their way out. For a Flemish the taller the better as they get so big. I have one myself I use to keep my female buns from my male. I bought it off of ebay and spent a lot less with shipping than I would at the pet store and it was brand new.

I am also a member of a flemmish giant rabbit breeders group on facebook. It is open to those that do not breed and just have pets. You could try joining the group to get answers to your more specific questions as to flemmish giants or to keeping buns outside.
 
Hi there and welcome. I'm not a flemmish owner but I'll answer some questions anyway :)

-You can feed her alfalfa hay until about 6 months old at which point you should change to Timothy. But you can just use timothy from the beginning too.

-I give Bandit two fresh servings of hay a day (large amounts almost as big as he is). He hasn't always finished the last amount but he seems to enjoy the "fresh" hay better. She will need hay available at all times, so give her plenty. If you wanted to clean out the old hay, once a week would probably do it.

-Bedding is not needed or often recommended for rabbits. Rabbits can be litter trained and if you want a litter box in the hutch, having bedding elsewhere will just serve to confuse her. However, if you do want to use bedding, you can use hay, or even fleece blankets (fleece is fine, towels are not because of the long fibres) or something like carefresh. Many people use wood stove pellets for litter.

-At this age, unlimited pellets are the way to go, as she hits about 6 months, perhaps a little older like 9 months (as flemmies take longer to reach full size) you will want to start limiting them. The recommended adult amount is usually about 1/4 -1/2 cup of pellets per 5 pounds of rabbit a day.

-There is much contradicting information on treats, but to avoid stomach upsets most people say not to introduce treats and greens until at least 3-6 months of age. Some rabbits tolerate it better than others so you could try introducing very, very slowly at 3 months and if her stomach gets upset wait a month before trying again.

-Rabbits handle the cold much better than they do heat. They have that lovely fur coat after all. Many people keep their rabbits outdoors during winter, even with snow, you just have to make sure they're protected from the wind and rain and snow obviously. It would be good to provide lots of bedding during winter if they will be outdoors at this time.

-I would not buy that playpen, it is going to get chewed on and dug through and your bunny will be out and about in no time :) If you have a hallway or similar area that you're ok with your rabbit being out in you can use baby gates to fence her off. Otherwise, the metal playpens are the best options, you can always put a heavy duty tarpaulin or rubber or foam mats underneath to protect the flooring and you can adjust the space to fit your space however you like. As for the size of an indoor hutch, in any case with rabbits, as big as you can make it is best. I've heard of a "rule" that mentions having a cage/hutch that is at least three hops long and two hops wide (obviously as your rabbit grows this will change) but if you can fit/afford a bigger cage, then get as big as you can go, your rabbit will appreciate it :)

-She should get the same amount of exercise year round, bunnies love having time out to run and jump and play and I find the more you give them, the more rewarding it is.

-The only other thing I can think of, is that if you're having her outside in a hutch, it's a good idea to have the hutch or at least a second level of the hutch raised off of the ground so that the bunny is higher than any potential predators. Also, even if the hutch has a shaded/hidey hole part, it should be placed in the shade, otherwise they can get much too hot in the sun.

Hope that helps :)
 
I have a friend who shows and breeds Flemish that live outside. She keeps hers in solid bottom hutches. Everyone else did a good job answering your questions
 

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