In Memoriam
We had the angoras until they got too old on 2018. We got them on May 2014 and gave up on August 2018. We put them down before the next cold season and hard winter, when the night frost had started. It would have been cruel to ask them to stand one more year when I noticed their wool production had started to fade and it was not it what it should have been by that time of the year. At the end we live arctic so the cold is something we didn't want them to suffer from. The deserved happy and warm days also at the end of sun set of their lives.
This is how we raise them:
The welfare of the animals is very important to us. That's why it is fair to show you how our Angora Rabbits live. From this blog you can read how they are doing from the posts. Here at BunnyBarn you can see the environment they live on.
According to the evolution theory no animal was born in a prison so a cage should never be a life time place for any animal. Our rabbits spend their time in BunnyHouse where they can be with other rabbits. They have activities in there and places to hide.
Angora Rabbits' fur should not get wet otherwise it would be spoiled and get felt up. That harms the animal a lot and can lead to the fact it must be put down. That's why our rabbits get garden adventures only on dry days.
They have outdoor fence for expanded adventures. There is access from BunnyHouse to the outdoor fence. In the house and fence they are free to play, dig and jump around despite they are still under our control to protect them from the wild. The wild soulds great. But it means other pets that are running free. It means hawks and other flying beasts. It means foxes, martens, wolves and other wonderful creatures that would love to have a rabbit pie.
That's why there is BunnyHouse and covered outdoor fence in the garden. That's why there is closed areas. That's why there is freedom but supervised. Ethic produced angora wool is not a cheap trick. It is a serious matter. So, please, peek into our BynnyWorld!
BunnyHouse
On 26.4.2015 our rabbit girls moved into BunnyHouse. The BunnyHouse is old GreenHouse which we decided to use for bunny purposes. It is 2x3 meters so the floor area is 6m2. There lives 4 AngoraRabbits and 1 Continental Giant rabbit.
(My buck Angora Rabbit Gynter stayed at BunnyHotel and still lives next to his dear friend Rasputin.)
The outdoor fence is 3x3 meters which makes the floor area to be 9m2. All together my 5 rabbits have 15m2 area to live on when the weather is dry enough to use the outdoor fence.
The outdoor fence has water proof roof so we are not in a panic because of one single rain drop. The fence walls don't have water proof covers so when it rains, the rabbits are closed into the BunnyHouse where they spend also their nights.
PS. You can teach the rabbits come to you like the dogs so we really have no trouble getting them inside in a second. One word oats can make miracles. They love it so much and it is so rare and small amounts that when ever they think I might give them a grain they jump immediately to me so that I am afraid of stepping on them!
Please, read on to find out how my rabbits lived before!
SummerCottage
When we got our first Angora Rabbits on 17.5.2014 they moved into Summer Cottage.
The building and cages protected the rabbits from the other animals and
weather and the lock kept unwanted visitors away.
The boys had one floor cages sized 62 x 130 cm (height is 50cm). The cages have wooden floors and roofs. One cage has 0,81m2 area and in one cage was one male rabbit. Our cages are much bigger than our law requires. According to the law 0,7m2 was just fine with Rasputin (3,3kg) and 0,7m2 with Gynter (4,3kg)
The girls had cage with two floors. There was ladders for them to go up and down. The hole that leads to the ladders can be closed by human if needed. The size is 73 x 160 cm on both floors. Total height is 120cm. The cage has wooden floors and roofs. One floor has 1,17m2 and all together it makes 2,34m2. According to the law 0,7m2 would be just fine with both of them all together so they had much more space than that.
All the cages are home made.
RoomService
RoomService is available with all the desires. The factory made cage is 54 x 100 cm (height 44cm). The floor area is 0,54m2 which meand according to law 1-2 rabbits unger 3kg can live there. This is our smallest cage and only for RoomService purposes. Meaning poor weather exercise indoor (the rabbit can run free in the house but can also be set inside the closed cage) and occasions when a rabbit needs special care. Our rabbits don't live with humans but can be taken in when ever needed.
In this cage there is not a permanet hiding place but it can be arranged easily. In the room area there are several hiding places -the most popular one is under the bed close to the table where it safe to watch around but hide enough. Also this cage can easily be covered by a blanket so that it gives more expression about a nest or a rabbit hole.
BunnyHotel
22.9.2014 our rabbits moved into their BunnyHotel. There are 4 boxes sized 0,95m x 1,4m (1,33m2). The girls -Lulu and Viola- shared 2 boxes between which is a doorway that can be closed up when ever needed. Both boys have their own boxes.
.JPG)
The boxes have been built in the way that the bunnies are able to have social behavior despite they are separated. Between Rasputin and girls there's secure net to avoid unwanted pregnancies. So, there's rabbit net and two layers of smaller net (one on each side) to prevent rabbits to be able to bite and broke the net.
.JPG)
Between Rasputin (on the right) and Gynter (on the left) is just a rabbit net. Through the web the boys are able to pamper and take care of each others; which they daily do. They love to lay down beside each others like this. They seem to get along well but I am sure the situation would be different if the net would be taken away. They have not been friends since birth so for sure they would fight. Now they both have their own territories and when wanted they can get some social life too. That is just fair to keep them in their own boxes but allow this social behavior.
.JPG)
Gynter has also another friend. It is Mr Mirror who won't bully him.
.JPG)
.JPG)
Despite of the social action, tunnels and nest; the best thing in BunnyHotel is the hay basket! Oh they love the smell of it. Oh they love the size of it. And oh they wish to have it all in their box, not outside.
(Our hay comes from Lapin Ratsastuskeskus Oy)
