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LiLJohnMagic New user Orlando/Apopka 25 Posts |
Anyone know a good cage ( to keep a rabbit in while at home ) in.
What is the best sort of rabbit that you have used? Easiest way to train them? Thanks for the help! |
mrmagic9112 Regular user 138 Posts |
Check out a farm supply store such as Mill's Fleet Farm. I bought a very nice wooden rabbit hutch(home)there in fact I have two. One for my rabbit & One for my two ducks. THye love them. They are roomy and I have them in an enclosed shed outside. That protects them from the inclement weather and the cold during the winter. As far as rabbits are concerned, I use a blue belt dutch rabbit. I have for years. I have a local breeder and they seem to be very calm and relaxed. I don't do a lot of training with them, just handle him alot. I use him in a production in my shows. I allow the kids to come and pet him after the show and he does very well. He is not skidish at all. I have had really good luck with the dutch rabbits I have used. Hope that helps.
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Regan Inner circle U.S.A. 5726 Posts |
John, My father and I built my rabbit hutches. As for the best bunnies, I prefer Netherland Dwarfs. Also, I recommend bucks over does. Whatever breed you decide to go with, you need to make sure they are of the dwarf variety. Most production/vanishing props are built for small livestock, so unless you are building your own custom-sized props, you need a dwarf. Make sure you buy from a reputable breeder, and I would suggest that you get a book on the type of rabbit you decide on. If you read up before you buy you will know what to look for and how to care for your new partner. Beware of rabbits that are not 100% pure dwarf too, because you can get a so-called dwarf mix that may turn out to be big!
Good luck! Regan
Mister Mystery
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LiLJohnMagic New user Orlando/Apopka 25 Posts |
Thank you so very much, Helped tons
Just a quick added Q lol, How are ducks? |
LiLJohnMagic New user Orlando/Apopka 25 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-09-04 09:59, Regan wrote: So I take it a small lop would probably be out of the picture here? |
Regan Inner circle U.S.A. 5726 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-09-04 10:16, LiLJohnMagic wrote: Oh, no! I just stated my preference. Many magiacians use Mini Lops. If you like them best, then go for it. I do not know as much about the Mini Lop breed, so I'm not sure some of the things I stated about Netherlands hold true for Mini Lops.
Mister Mystery
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LiLJohnMagic New user Orlando/Apopka 25 Posts |
Oh okay, The reason I said anything about the lop was, I know at least from my past that everyone just goes " aww" over it so I thought might make a good animal for this, plus you cant go wrong with them ears!
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Regan Inner circle U.S.A. 5726 Posts |
If that's what you prefer, than you should get one. I personally like the ears to stand up like a more traditional magician's rabbit. Netherland bunnie's ears are very short, so they are not exactly like traditional rabbit ears anyway.
Don't sell the Netherland short on the "aww" though. They get plenty of those too!
Mister Mystery
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RJE Inner circle 1848 Posts |
We've used the lop, the Netherland Dwarf and just recently added a Dwarf Hotot. They all seem to get a good reaction.
If you can keep more than one rabbit, consider having 2 or more that look similar to open up lots of fun magical transpositions in your show. During the warmer months, we keep them outside in a wooden hutch. For the colder months, they're inside in large wire cages purchased from a breeder. We also have a chicken wire run for them when the weather permits. If you're going to make a run, consider this: They can jump and a cat or dog can be a predator, so keep a lid on your run to keep rabbits in and unwanted critters out. Also, they are diggers. Your run has to have a mesh floor to prevent them from tunneling out. |
mrmagic9112 Regular user 138 Posts |
My ducks are awesome and are a big hit in my family shows! The draw back is that they are dirty and smelly. They do clean themselves very well but duck droppings are very smelly and acidic. There home needs cleaning evry couple days. I use white call ducks and the one I am holding in the picture is full grown. They don't get big like pekin ducks do.
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LVMagicAL Elite user 460 Posts |
I have what I thought was a Netherland Dwarf, but turns out is actually an Albino Satin. I recently added a Dwarf Hotot. The Satin (which looks a lot like a Netherland Dwarf but gets a bit bigger) ALWAYS gets a GREAT reaction. Size DOES matter as you really need a small rabbit (<3.5 lbs) to work in most livestock prop devices. When I bought my most recent bunny, I purchased a magazine called the 2008 Annual Rabbits USA Guidebook. It lists a very informative website: http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/ which will tell you a great deal about the various breeds, how to care for them, etc; A GREAT resource for those with bunnys or thinking about adding one. They are great deal of work to care for, but in my opinion, well worth the effort! Good Luck!!
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jawa185 New user 21 Posts |
I swear it would be easier to get a gun in a maximum security prison than getting a rabbit in Brisbane,
first you need to go across to border to get one then you have to get it desext you nead Photos/diagram/description of the rabbit enclosure that are ok by department of natural resources You need an escape plan and the phone numbers you need to call in the event of the rabbit escaping as well as how the welfare of the animal is taken care for references of people you have preformed fore to make sure you are a legit performer a $100 fee a every 2 years and you need 10 million dollars liability insurance. |
Chrystal Inner circle Canada/France 1552 Posts |
Hi,
You also want to make sure that your rabbit is neutered as males do tend to spray as they mature and overall is better in terms of bunny health in the long run.Please also don't forget that bunnies need straw for bedding or Timithy Hay which they will nibble on and need for roughage in their diet. Rabbits without this tend to die a painful death called statis which is in simple terms bowel obstruction. Another interesting thing about rabbits is they have two different kinds of poops - one is round and circular while the other is oblong shaped called caecotrophs. Rabbits need to redigest these caecotrophs as it serves as a natural antibiotic. Sadly many people who have rabbits in hutches or cages with wire mesh bottoms are usually unaware of this and the rabbits are never given the opportunity due to the wire bottom hutches or cages. Rabbits are very easy to litter train and will always go in the same corner so simply placing a litter box of wood stove pellets in the corner will make cleaning a lot easier. Viewing what your breeder or pet store is using is not the best example as they will try to have as many in as limited space as possible. Many rabbits make great housepets as they are easy to litter box train but careful as they tend to chew and need to be observed when on free run. Rabbits also are very prone to extreme heat or cold and need shelter from the elements - a outdoor hutch rabbit is usually out of sight out of mind. However, it's been my experience that many magicians take very good care of these little creatures compared to the general public as a whole. Our shelter alone has over 50 special needs bunnies that have suffered from being left alone in hutches..missing ears, injuries to their paws from the mesh, ect..The out of sight out of mind mentality. As for food - you can purchase some high quality rabbit pellets 12 percent avoid Iceburg lettuce which has no nutritional value as it's mostly water, but food like Kale, carrots, and parsley along with the pellets are excellent and high in vit C which is great for overall health. Good luck with your rabbit and please don't hesitate to ask for any advice or if you have any questions once you bring him/her home. Good advice given as well regarding checking out some sites in regards to overall rabbit health. A happy healthy rabbit can live up to 10 years. Chrystal |
satcom New user 78 Posts |
I have a pet rabbit. It stays indoors at all times and lives in a Wabitat, bascially a cage. I have it litter box trained so it is very much like a cat, so while I am at school or whenever I leave it out and about. If it needs to go it goes into its open cage and does her business, and goes in there to eat and sleep. The 1 thing about a cage is to make sure your rabbit can go on its hind legs and stand up and not quite hit the top of the cage.
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jimhlou Inner circle 3698 Posts |
How long does it take to "cage train" a rabbit. Is it a hard process?
Thanks, Jim |
satcom New user 78 Posts |
Mine came already litterbox trained, but from what Im told, its easy. Put its litter box in the cage and put hay in the corner of the litterbox. When they eat the hay they will poo in the process, and eventually pick up that they should use the box to go.
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