What do I feed my babies?

[Hanna Pearl]

Hi, I have had my bunnies for a few months now and believe my 2 girls are pregnant. They both have the patch of hair and I've noticed that they're starting to pull it out. I have bred many animals, but never rabbits. Needless to say, I'm so excited! I'm just wondering what I need to feed my little ones? When is it okay to start feeding fruits, veggies, and hay?

 

[LakeCondo]

Not anytime soon for fruits or veggies.

 

[Imbrium]

they'll be on mom's milk for the first couple weeks or so... once their eyes are open and they start coming out of the nest box, they'll start to eat mom's pellets and hay (alfalfa is ok for babies and pregnant/nursing mothers, but otherwise should only be given to bunnies under 7 mos of age... grass hays are fine for rabbits of any age). you shouldn't let them gorge themselves on her veggies when they're super young since their digestive tracts are still developing, but it's not a big deal if they snag a few nibbles here and there. I wouldn't introduce fruits or feed large amounts of veggies until around 12 weeks of age.

 

[Hanna Pearl]

What about nest boxes? What size and material are the best to use? I've read that even shoe boxes are okay. Is that so?

 

[Imbrium]

the size of the nesting box depends on the size of the does... I wouldn't use a shoe box, I don't think they'd be sturdy enough (particularly if they get peed on). some nestboxes are metal, though it seems like ones made from untreated plywood are most common. I've never had a litter of kits (I just pay a lot of attention to breeder talk ), so I can't really give you any opinions on the pros and cons of the different materials.

here's a site with info on nest box sizes that even has instructions on how to make one (ofc, you can just buy them, too):
http://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/documents/rabbitnestingbox.pdf
this site has a pattern for kind of mass-producing them out of one sheet of plywood, which could be useful if you're starting up a rabbitry and will need more later (or if you need to replace ones that get soiled)... it's got a different design for the bottom, which I think would actually work a good bit better than the pegboard the first design uses:
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/rabbit-equipment/build-nestbox-wood-plan/

 

[Blaze_Amita]

Yes, what size are your does? I see you're from Kentucky, as am I, Hello!!
Where in KY are you??
I have diagrams to 3 different sizes that I use myself. I could email them to you. I make mine out of 5/8" plywood and fasten with finishing nails or brads(I got a crazy cool little air gun for staples and brad nails! I'm dying to try it out this spring when I make some new nest boxes)

 

[Blaze_Amita]

Oh and as for what to feed them, all of my babies I do wait until 3 months of age to introduce any fruits/veggies that mommy didn't have when nursing them. If it's a veggie I fed momma while she was nursing (Mine get collard green throughout the summer) and if momma had it I didn't worry about the babies chewing on it when they come out of the box and start nibbling.

 

[Hanna Pearl]

Thank you! I didn't really know about the shoe box thing either. Lol. Blaze_Amita, I'm in Annville, which is close to London, an hour and a half from Lexington. I think my girls are pretty big. I'm still learning about what a normal size is! Lol! I'll see if I can figure out how to post some pictures of them and I would really appreciate the diagrams! That would be great!

 

[Hanna Pearl]

This is Sophie, she's my younger doe. This will be her first litter.

 

[Hanna Pearl]

And this is Phoebe, my older, more experienced girl. These pictures are a few months old, they're much fatter now! Lol

 

[KittyKatMe]

Holland Lops are small bunnies. Are you breeding for show? Pet? I was lazy and used a store bought nestbox lol.

 

[Hanna Pearl]

I have looked at store bought ones, but I wasn't really sure what would work. I'd like to eventually show, but I literally know nothing about that, so for now I will be breeding for pets. The breeder that I bought both of these females from said that Phoebe doesn't produce show quality bunnies and Sophie doesn't have show characteristics, so if I do start breeding for show, I'm sure I'll need to find some different mommas. Lol

 

[Imbrium]

if I were you, I'd start doing a lot of research on what you'd be looking for in a show bunny, just in case - you never know, one of them might throw a great kit or a kit that would be a good addition to a breeding program.

fwiw, there's little to no money in breeding rabbits, so you may as well work towards getting show-quality bunnies from the get-go - there are plenty of pets to go around, anyway. it'll probably take quite a while to breed a champion, so you'll have time to learn the ropes of showing them by the time you've got a great show-quality bunny.

 

[wendymac]

Is there a huge market for pet rabbits in your area? I'd highly recommend that you go to a few rabbit shows, just to watch all the Hollands being shown. The judges give comments on every single rabbit on the table, so you can hear/see the good/bad and start to figure out what you're looking for. Then I'd talk to the breeders that seem to always do well and see about purchasing a trio to start off with. Hollands are a VERY common and competitive breed, and starting with rabbits that you know aren't up to par is going to be a very long and frustrating process.

As far as nestboxes, I wouldn't use a shoe box. The cardboard is going to get soaked with urine very quickly, and then you'll have a big old mess. I use metal boxes with wooden bottoms in (bought from TSC) for my daughter's Californians. For my French Lops, I use the big kitty litter pans with detachable lips. For Hollands, you could probably find some plastic containers at a Dollar Store or something. I do drill small holes in the bottom of litter boxes for drainage, and replaced the solid wood bottoms of the TSC ones with peg board. I, personally, don't care for wire because I use shavings in the bottom and don't want them all falling out. Plus the wire will let more air up through...good in the summer, not so much in below zero temps.

Most of all, have fun! The whole rabbit showing/raising thing is a LOT of fun and you'll meet a lot of really cool people at the shows.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

I'd like to eventually show, but I literally know nothing about that, so for now I will be breeding for pets. The breeder that I bought both of these females from said that Phoebe doesn't produce show quality bunnies and Sophie doesn't have show characteristics, so if I do start breeding for show, I'm sure I'll need to find some different mommas. Lol

Many people have worked very hard for generations upon generations to bring Hollands to where they are today, as one of the most competitive breeds recognized by ARBA. It is not uncommon for Hollands to take BIS/RIS which speaks to their quality because that is a tough title and it is TOUGH to produce that kind of quality in Hollands. They're very inconsistent producers, as a whole.

For that reason, I urge you to start attending shows, learning what makes a quality Holland, and working with a top reputable breeder to obtain a pair or trio of nice starter rabbits.

Breeding pets will unfortunately only reverse the progress that others have made in the breed. However, the breed can always benefit from more knowledgeable, reputable breeders with a passion for improving the health, conformation, temperament, and consistency of the breed. I hope you'll be encouraged to get involved. Even if you don't show regularly, or even at all, the breed will be better off for another quality breeding program.