All bunnies are able to go to their new homes from 8 weeks of age (unless I feel this need to be longer). However exciting you may think it is to get a new bunny there are factors that need to be taken into consideration once your new bunny is home with you.
Housing your new bunny;
By the time your new bunny is ready to home you should have a hutch set up with substrate (sawdust or finely cut straw such as ‘medi bed’ I fine works the best) bedding, straw, hay, toys etc. The accommodation for your bunny should not be in direct sunlight and should be put where rain cannot pour into the hutch. The hutch should be as large as possible to accommodate your bunny.
If you decide that he/she is going to be an indoor bunny you need to ensure that all wires are out of reach and anything you don’t want be chewed is protected.
Let them settle;
Once getting your bunny home it is best to leave him/her to it in their new enclosure so they can adapt to it. You will generally see them rubbing their chin on all surfaces; this is them marking their scent.
You are best to leave their urine and faeces for a couple of days so the hutch has their smell and feel of home.
Cleaning out;
You need to prevent your bunnies hutch from getting too dirty especially in the summer months. Fly strike is a big problem in rabbits and if there hutch becomes dirty then this can be a problem for you and the rabbit. Fly strike is where flies lay their eggs in your rabbits enclosure OR on your rabbit usually the bum end. These eggs will then hatch into maggots and will basically eat him/her alive causing the rabbit a lot of pain. This can be prevented with regular cleaning out and disinfecting the hutch. It is best to clean dirty areas daily and a full clean weekly.
Feeding;
Feeding your new bunny is one of the most important factors there is, young bunnies can easily get upset stomachs if they get stressed or their feed is changed too suddenly.
I feed all of my bunnies on a home made mix of feed including allen and page natural rabbit pellets, graze on, barley rings, rolled oats and micronised peas. I will supply you enough feed for over a week so you can gradually change him/her over to feed that you wish for them to be fed on. This should be done slowly and I would suggest for the first few days to continue feeding the feed I give you alone and then slowly add more of your feed into the mix, gradually increasing your feed and decreasing mine. Hay and water should always be available for your bunny to ensure they can forage if they wish and this is also good if your bunny has an upset stomach. I cannot stress enough how important hay is in rabbits, even more in young ones.
I would advice not to put your bunny straight onto grass for long periods of time, although they have been on my grass I only allow for short period of time so not to upset their little stomachs. All bunnies will be used to very small amounts of carrots and I would advice to go slowly on any greens you wish to feed ‘staying well away from lettuce’. Greens can give young bunnies the runs if they have too much in a short period of time and it is best to not start feeding them to your bunny until they are around 4 months of age.
If your bunny does get a slightly runny bum, give them extra hay and only feed a small amount of dried feed and no other feed and supply fresh water, I find it will generally clear up within a day or so if this is done.
Other pets;
If you have other pets in the household I would introduce them to the bunny slowly and you should let him/her settle for a week first before introducing to reduce stress levels.
Bunnies leaving me are used to many noises and all different types of animals including dogs and cats.
Most bunnies are fine moving into a new home and settle straight away although you do get the odd ones that take a few days to adjust and you should allow this and not stress them more. The quicker and less stressful they settle the more confident they will become and you will have many years of enjoyment with them.