# Fencing for rabbits question and my bunnys!



## oscar1658 (Oct 5, 2012)

We've given up a large portion of our garden to our new bunnys as they'd love the extra space, problem is the fencing to patition the run off is too short, even though the overall garden is secure and bunnys have no interest in the other side of their fence i just dont fancy playing herd the bunny back into the hutch  so we want a secure fence in place but my question is how high would you have the fence? its a 'how long is a piece of string' type question really but what would be your maximum to avoid hopping over? thanks  
Also a diet question, pulling my hair our at this diet thing. Ive been doing my research and i was told a more natural diet of hay and greens is a good idea, they got lots of fresh hay and two large bouts of greens and although twinkle, female was thriving on it, twiglet, male, wasnt at a great weight one week and great the next week, (dont worry though he was always eating great and never lost dramatic weight at all or he would be at the vets much faster) i suspected it was the female bullying him out of food as she really does but i cant tell so off he went and at the vets he had a check up including teeth etc and the vet said he is alittle under weight but he doesnt suspect its anything dangerous as of now and reccomeded excel rabbit food with his greens and hay too and to come back in two weeks for a weigh in so ive followed advice and as of now twiglet has stayed at a good weight as his vet visit is friday but i'm confused, was it the diet that he didnt prefer? the female has kept at a good weight through out and both have strong appetites and...well...they poop the amount like horses  any ideas? gosh their diet is something isnt it?  What are your guys fed daily?


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## Louiseandfriends (Aug 21, 2011)

I feed a few Science Selective pellets everyday, lots of hay/grass and fresh greens every few days.  xx


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## oscar1658 (Oct 5, 2012)

have you had any problems with that diet at all? sorry if its abit of an awkward question :001_unsure: appreciate yoiur reply


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2012)

I currently feed [email protected] nuggets unlimited hay, grass throughout the daytime and some greens occasionally  This diet suits Roger and I am very pleased, he has a lovely plush shiny coat, loves his food, output is good and is very active and healthy


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## Louiseandfriends (Aug 21, 2011)

oscar1658 said:


> have you had any problems with that diet at all? sorry if its abit of an awkward question :001_unsure: appreciate yoiur reply


So far, I think it works out for both of mine, baring in mind that I have one incisorless bun and one bun with a sensitive tummy- so I can't overfeed greens. Science Selective is the best pellet brand as they have the highest crude fibre content. xx


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## oscar1658 (Oct 5, 2012)

Glad its going well with yours  no teeth problems? it sounds as if ive got a good diet going on as its the same as yours, i heard pellets dont help their teeth but the vet said it was best for twiglet, what do you guys think to pellets?


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2012)

Mine get a handful of pellets a day with unlimited hay and then get a bowl of greens once a week (apart from one who can't tolerate any greens due to a poor diet before I rescued him).



oscar1658 said:


> Glad its going well with yours  no teeth problems? it sounds as if ive got a good diet going on, i heard pellets dont help their teeth but the vet said it was best for twiglet, what do you guys think to pellets?


You're right pellets don't help the teeth, however they are full of the nutrients that a rabbit needs to stay healthy.

Unless you are walking for miles to forage for lots of wild plants and flowers we can't hope to give a proper balanced diet so it is best to give a few pellets to make sure they are getting everything that they need for a healthy gut flora


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## oscar1658 (Oct 5, 2012)

So the hay soley gets those teeth down? is there any other things that keep them down? bare with me, ive heard many things for a rabbits diet :001_unsure: so how can you be sure they are having enough hay? twiglet is a great hay eater, he runs straight to me when he sees the hay bag  but twinkle isnt as much, i hardly ever see her eat hay..


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2012)

oscar1658 said:


> So the hay soley gets those teeth down? is there any other things that keep them down? bare with me, ive heard many things for a rabbits diet :001_unsure: so how can you be sure they are having enough hay? twiglet is a great hay eater, he runs straight to me when he sees the hay bag  but twinkle isnt as much, i hardly ever see her eat hay..


Yep hay and grass keeps the teeth in check 
Mine are all hay monsters so I just make sure they have fresh hay at all times  If you have a bun that doesn't eat much hay it might be worth trying out different types to see if you can get their interest back, Hay 4 Pats does a sample bag of different types so you could get one of those to see if Twinkle is just being fussy


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Ours have unlimited hay, and a small amount of Science Selective pellets (I would avoid the Burgess Excell, even though they are well known - they can upset tums)

This encourages the bunnies to eat loads of hay, which helps wear teeth down (we get ours by the bale, and keep it in the garage).

We don't feed ours greens. But we do give them treats, such as - apple, rose leaves, brambles (spiky bits trimmed off), grass off course, dandelion leaves (not too many - diuretic), willow and apple twigs to chew, parsley, basil, organic carot tops, an occasional craisin - and treat hays and herbs.

Sometimes we add dry oats if we want a bun to put weight on.

That's it really - no greens, no carrots


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

fence height.......... i would actually add a roof, a roof will protect your rabbits from predators such as stray cats, birds of prey and dogs, we have had a dog jump into our garden before, and we have 7ft fence all the way round!!


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

I agree about a roof - ideally at a height that lets you walk in comfortably. That protects them from predators, and clever bunnies jumping up, on, and out.


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## oscar1658 (Oct 5, 2012)

what do you guys do about grass in the winter? i guess its just cut down to hay then? and best be off to get quotes on this run then  and wow how did the dog manage that? cats are another problem arnt they, thankfully there isnt a lot in our neighourhood and so far ive seen no foxes..


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

she just took a running jump at it, was pretty amazing seeing her do it though :lol:


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## oscar1658 (Oct 5, 2012)

haha well i guess if they do try enough


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## Hel_79 (Jun 14, 2011)

oscar1658 said:


> So the hay soley gets those teeth down? is there any other things that keep them down? bare with me, ive heard many things for a rabbits diet :001_unsure: so how can you be sure they are having enough hay? twiglet is a great hay eater, he runs straight to me when he sees the hay bag  but twinkle isnt as much, i hardly ever see her eat hay..


It can help if they have access to things they can gnaw as well- willow sticks seem to be a natural favourite.


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## Hel_79 (Jun 14, 2011)

I feel as if I might be in a minority, as I give Buddy a small amount of fresh veg everyday. This is usually spring greens/broccoli, sometimes kale and parsley. This is in addition to an egg cup full of pellets each day and unlimited hay. He's a real eating machine. I am watching his weight - if anything, I may have to cut his food down slightly if he's less active over the winter. At the moment it's a good balance because he's got a large run (with new levels!) and spends a lot of time leaping about and exercising.


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## kiania (Feb 21, 2011)

When we looked at what height to put the dividers in our indoor run up to, estimates of bunny leaps ranged from 3ft up to some bunnies easily clearing 7ft! We ended up going for 5 foot, as it is inside a shed, and so not a hopeless disaster if they manage to spring out (although obviously not ideal), but should keep in all but the most determined Olympic athlete buns!

Foxes can clear 8 foot walls (with a run up and a bit of scrambling), they are scarily competent at pretending to be an army-squirrel 

That said, a roof would be your best option. When I have the funds, I plan to remove our runs and swap for full height ones. The difference between cleaning a hutch (where I'm kneeling on grass and half-climbing into the hutch to reach with my brush and cloth!) and cleaning out a pen in a shed (where I can stand up!) is...well, shall we say that the shed is blissful, and the best decision I ever made bunny-boarding-wise  Same thing with the runs. It isn't quite so bad, as there is no bedding out there, and because they are outside, they can get pressure washed, plus I have a long-handled broom for scrubbing...and most of the lid comes off for standing in...but even so, full height all the way  Would stop my hilarious antics as a short person clambering over the side of a high run


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