Thursday 20 June 2013
Friday 7 June 2013
Saturday 25 May 2013
The bunny challenge step two exercise post 2
This post is addressing the daily task of keeping our little nibblers occupied. In the wild, rabbits can run up to 5 miles a day! It is essential in keeping a rabbit fit and healthy to have access to an exercise run . This is important as your rabbit need to exercise for 4 to 6 hours a day, for more information on rabbit runs click Here. Rabbits also need a lot of mental stimulation, they are intelligent, playful beings which enjoy human interactions and games. People believe that rabbits don't play.Well, they do. They just play differently to say a dog or a cat.
In this post I am sharing some DIY bunny toy ideas, enjoy and please comment.
Before starting your project, remove any tape or staples from the cardboard. Always make sure that any materials you use are bunny safe.
A great first project :cardboard carrot and "toss and chew" toy.
A great first project :cardboard carrot and "toss and chew" toy.
The "daisy"house!
I used a non-toxic kids glue to stick the daisy to the cardboard but if your bunny is a big chewer don't use any glue at all.
the bunny rocket
Great if you want something different in your bunnies run, cool and very unique!
Don't do what I did . I underestimated my bunny's waistline...A bit of a technical hitch at the photo shoot.
The Tutankhamen's Egyptian pyramid.
Quick And easy to make, great for bunnies that love chewing.
Videos and links
http://rabbit.org/more-than-just-a-chew-stick-2/
The best shop-bought toys, you could ever get your rabbit.http://pet-rabbit-toys.com/store/
http://rabbit.org/more-than-just-a-chew-stick-2/
The best shop-bought toys, you could ever get your rabbit.http://pet-rabbit-toys.com/store/
Saturday 11 May 2013
Wednesday 8 May 2013
Science Selective Rabbit food review
From their website
Vets believe that high fibre is most important when recommending a rabbit food*. Wild rabbits mainly eat grass, which naturally contains 20-25% fibre and rabbits’ digestive systems have evolved to need a high fibre diet. Supreme has raised the levels of fibre in Science Selective to 25% so you can provide your rabbits with an even higher fibre, tasty diet that will help to keep them in the very best of health, naturally.
With forage as the main source of fibre, Selective contains lots of other tasty, natural ingredients too – linseed with Omega 3 & 6 that help to keep your rabbit’s skin and coat in tip top condition, as well as natural prebiotics to help promote friendly bacteria.
My verdict:
My pets's usual food is the "Excel rabbit food" so I hoped my bunnies were excited to try a different brand of nuggets. The size of the nugget is bigger than Excel ones are, I prefer the larger size, there is less possibility for your rabbit to choke on a nugget. There were a few small holes punched at the bottom of the packaging and the powder which was at the bottom of the bag made a mess all over the place.
I mixed some nuggets of" selective" in with their usual food, it did not upset their tummies and they didn't seem to have a preference.
Excel ingredients.
Nutritional ValuesBeneficial
Fibre39%
Crude Fibre19%
Protein13%
Vitamin C50mg/kg
Vitamin D3 *1,500 iu/ kg
Vitamin E *120mg/ kg
Copper **12mg/ kg
Vitamin A *15,000 iu/kg
Oils3%Ash5.5%
Calcium0.90%
Phosphorous0.51%
Ingredients
Grass, Oat Bran, Wheat, Soya Bean Hulls, Lucerne, Peas, Yeast, Molasses, Mint, Soya Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Ligno-Cellulose, Fructo-oligosaccharides 0.25%, Salt, Vitamins and Minerals, Contains Natural Antioxidants. No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Vitamins are guaranteed until Best Before date.
Selective ingredients.
Alfalfa meal, soybean hulls, wheat, wheatfeed, flaked peas, linseed, beet pulp, soybeanmeal, soya oil, monocalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate.
NUTRITIONAL ADDITIVES/Kg
Vitamin A 15000 IU, Vitamin D3 1500 IU
ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS
Crude protein 14.0%, Crude fibre 25.0%, Crude oils and fats 4.0%, Crude ash 8.0%, Calcium 0.6%, Sodium 0.3%, Phosphorus 0.4%.
The ingredients list seems quite similar on both brands, but we can note that "selective" has 25.0% crude fibre compared to 'Excel"with 19%.
I prefer a selection of flavoured nuggets for picky bunnies .
My rabbits agree "supreme selective rabbit food" is a good all-round nugget rabbit food.
It s available in Science Selective Junior Rabbit, Science Selective Rabbit,Science Selective Rabbit Mature, 4 years+.
So it comes down to your bunny tastes.
Thank you to Science pet food for supplying me with a sample of their Science Selective Rabbit food.
Thursday 25 April 2013
The bunny challenge step two exercise post 1.
Bunnies in the wild can run up to 5 miles a day so making sure that your rabbit is getting adequate exercise is very important to its overall health. If a bunny does not have adequate exercise it will become obese and have muscle weakness. Bunnies need an exercise area in addition to a hutch or similar sleeping quarters. A run allows them to stretch their legs and also provides room for more toys to play with. Ideally Having a large run connected to the rabbits hutch will allow your rabbit to exercise freely.If your run is not connected to the rabbit hutch your rabbit should be let out 4 to 6 hours a day.
I consider the minimum rabbit run size is 7' x 5', this is the minimum however and your rabbit will certainly appreciate being provided a larger area. The rabbit run should be tall enough for your rabbit to stand upright on its back legs.
Here are some runs I recommend :
Rectangular Wood & Mesh Run thoroughly recommended.
A wooden frame covered in mesh is the most common type of rabbit run. These can be made in any size and are easy to build yourself. Placing the mesh on the inside of the wooden frame will protect the wood from gnawing.
Aviaries are commonly used for keeping birds but are great for keeping rabbits in whilst they exercise. It also makes access easier as they are no small doors to catch your rabbit through and they can't climb over the sides.
Wire Pen (Puppy Pen) recommended only for indoor use, buy the largest size that you can find.
These are pens made by joining multiple wire panels. By combining multiple packs, you can cheaply create an extremely large temporary enclosure. However, as it has no roof, rabbits should never be left unsupervised even for a few minutes.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Galvanised-Rabbit-Guines-Enclosure-144x116x58cm/dp/B000V6C7DQ/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1366124050&sr=8-8&keywords=rabbit+runs
Metal Run recommended only under supervision,buy the largest size that you can find.
There are a few all metal rabbit runs available which include lids. Where it is possible to combine multiple runs they are a good alternative to puppy pens for creating a large exercise area. Make sure you firmly anchor the run to the ground though as they are lighter than wooden framed runs.
Don't buy this kind of run.
This is a triangular run made from wire and mesh. Most have a covered area to provide shelter and fold flat for storage. This style of run is limited in size by its design and the area is reduced further by the low slopping sides. All the apex runs that I have seen are far too small for bunnies.
In my opinion it is better to pay someone to build you a run, an aviary or build it yourself because the vast majority of runs on the market are far too small for bunnies and are made of poor quality materials. It will cost you more at first but you will save in the long run.
I hope you enjoyed this bunny challenge post as always feedback is always appreciated,you can send me a photo of your bunny to be included in the next post, you can find my contact details at the contact button at the top of the page.
Saturday 20 April 2013
Home-made bunny treats
We have been baking bunny treats. I am not a good baker by any means, when ever I bake something it always ends in a disaster but these treats are really easy to make and super inexpensive and the bunnies loved them.
Top tip
when it's time to grind up the pellets wrap them up in cling film and whack them with a rolling pin.
for this recipe click here
In this recipe it tells you to use grass but I looked out at my lawn and decided that there wasn't any grass to cut so I substituted with hay instead. It took a lot less time to cook and my bunnies told me it still tasted good.
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