lookingglassrabbitry

Husbandry

Angora bunnies require good animal husbandry management to thrive. If released into the wild they will not be able to survive.

• Good Ventilation. Fresh air moving through the rabbitry.
• Ample cage size for bunnies to exercise while they are in their cage. Our large German Angoras have 48"x30".
• Fly control, we use fly strips and a continual metered dose fly repellant. The active ingredient is extracted from chrysanthemum flowers. We clip the bunnies vent area to keep it clean and free from soiling. Making them less attractive to flys.
• Protection from predators and elements. Our rabbitry is fenced. Our rabbitry is situated to provide protection from the elements. In the summer months we also use a misting system and 0.5 to 1 gallon iced water bottles for cooling. If temperatures are to extreme we move the bunnies indoors for air conditioned cooling.
• Exercise on the lawn for physical and mental health. Our bunnies exercise in an exercise pen w/ water available at all times. The pen is to protect the exercising bunny from predators. During the dryer months in our NW climate bunnies are rotated on a daily basis to obtain exercise
• Socialization. Some bunnies are compatable to exercise together in the exercise pen. Other bunnies are placed in exercise pens next to each other for socialization.
• Grooming. German angoras do not require a lot of brushing. They do require shearing four times a year at 90-day intervals. This helps to prevent gastrointestinal wool related problems. Toenails are trimmed.
• Treats. Our bunnies receive treats. They look forward to their teaspoon of treats each evening. Treats are taped down in the summer months. They also recieve chew treats. Bunnies love to chew. To this end we provide fresh willow and apple branches which they devour with Gusto!
• Interaction. We are a small rabbitry. This allows us to interact with our bunnies on a daily and individual basis. Like all animals bunnies crave attention. This helps us know our bunnies. If a bunny has a behavior change we begin to look for problems.