Mini Lop Rabbits on the Homestead

1 . Baby Mini Lops

Baby Mini Lop Bun Buns

Our newest babies on the homestead. These 2 babies are a week old, and they are thriving. Even though we have had freezing temperatures, the momma is doing a great job keeping them warm and happy. The momma didn't do so well her first time around, she ate her babies. This is her second litter ever and she is doing amazing! I have heard by several people that you are not supposed to touch the babies, however I have touched them and this momma hasn't had an issue with it. The catch is, I am who she is used to. I am the one that takes care of them daily, and she is used to me and trusts me. I don't allow anyone else to touch them yet. It is so amazing how well the momma is caring for these babies. To help ensure she would do well, I provided plenty of fresh hay for her to build an amazing nest in. She also pulled her hair (as all rabbits should) and tunneled inside the hay and used her hair for a lining. The little babies are snug. I have also increased her feed while she is nursing the babies because I want to make sure they survive. I considered putting a heat lamp in the rabbit shed, but I decided she could keep them warm enough with good hay. Also, heat lamps are not the best solution, they can cause fires unfortunately. This is our second momma to have babies, so we are still learning about what works and what doesn't. We have successfully raised 3 babies from the first litter (a different momma than this one.) We thought rabbits would provide an extra income on the homestead, but so far we haven't had much luck at that.

2 . Our Setup

We built an amazing setup, with hanging cages. Each cage hangs on the edge of the shed, and on the wall is a tarp to keep the wall protected from urine and poo. All their wastes goes directly on the ground, and then we can clean it as needed. We have also considered using the rabbit poo directly in our garden because it can be used immediately without having to compost it. We currently have 6 hanging cages we use.