Nearly two years have passed since this article was written.  It never, as far as I know, made it to the Domestic Rabbit despite its submission, which was requested by our ARBA chief. :(
 
Last month, one of the foremost Mini Rex breeders was taken down by odor complaints and an inflexible animal control in Indiana.  Nearly four hundred prime show animals were taken without compensation, spayed and neutered, and dumped into the rescue system.
 
Could this article have helped the owner prevent the seizure?  Read on, and you tell me.
 
Crossposting permission granted with proper citation/credit as below.  Hope it helps! :)  PA
 
******************
 
UNDER ATTACK: Are You Ready?
 
Copyright 2011, rev.2013 Pamela Alley, Director, 
Rabbit Industry Council   RIC@cncnet.com
 
    The business and hobby of rabbits and cavies is under attack.
 
    Daily we hear of more visits from animal control agencies based on complaints from neighbors, other breeders, even passers-by (and sometimes, people who have never been to our places!).
 
    What can be done? How will we continue to raise and love our rabbits and cavies with more legislation aimed at eliminating breeding of all kinds?  Laws which enable animal agencies to confiscate our animals and immediately charge us huge up-front amounts to retain title until we are proven innocent in a court of law?
 
    There are three main groups working on the rabbit end of things: ARBA, the Rabbit Industry Council (RIC), and the Rabbit Education Society (RES). Other groups, such as the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), the Grange, and the Farm Bureau, are also working to deflect the impact of such legislation upon animal trade and enterprise of all kinds.
 
    Despite this, there was a recent case in Colorado where a breeder’s establishment was entered and the animals immediately confiscated in defiance of all apparently applicable state and local laws. Due to this incident, a Responsible Animal Owner Legal Defense Trust* was established,
and I recommend you donate to it...it might just be there for you, one day.
(Note: the status of this trust is unknown at this time--7-2013.  If you have an update, please contact me as above!)
 
    Do you know your local laws? State laws? How about your county’s ordinances regarding rabbits as food, or pets, or both?
    When was the last time you walked out your driveway, turned around, and played Animal Control or Code Enforcement Officer? I’m serious! Do it one day every few months, and pretend that you are the hardest-nosed inspection officer on the entire planet. Take a notebook and pen, and do this:
 
    Stand in front of your property, as if you were a passerby. What do you see?  What do you smell? Hear? Write down every negative thing you see, smell, or hear, and BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF. This isn’t for the record, this is for your information so you can fix the issues most likely to cause you problems should an inspector appear.
    
    Walk to your gate or front door, just as an inspector would. Observe. Are your plants reasonably tidy? Toys and equipment visible or put away? Any fire hazards or trash lying around? What about visible animals, like your dogs? Good health makes a nice first impression, as does tidiness.
 
    Once at the door or gate, proceed around the house and barn completely. Give it a score on how tidy it is (or not!), and make notes about things like trash, clutter, equipment storage, mud, overall impression, smell, sight, and hearing. Don’t fool yourself; you are THE INSPECTOR and it has to be PERFECT! (Seriously. Some people are like that, and it’s a lot better to be
safe than sorry on this stuff.)
 
    Evaluate EVERYTHING. Footing. Paint on the buildings. Trimming of the trees.  Make note of things that you find frustrating day to day that might be fixed to make life easier. Doesn’t matter if it’s likely to happen, just write it down.
 
    Now enter the rabbit area. How does it look? Is it tidy? Cages clean and clear of things like corner piles, fur mats, old hay, chewed-to-death toys?
    Any dead stock? Are all the feeders clean, filled as required by the rabbit, and waterers sparkling clean and full?  Again, think like an inspector who's just ITCHING to find things wrong.  One of the things in Indiana cited was 'black water'; 'feces in water'; 'empty dishes'.  So if you have a rabbit who fouls their food/water or dumps it regularly, it's time to find another way or tie that dish down!
 
    Are cages marked clearly with who’s in them? How can you make it better?  It’s recommended that you mark rabbits with known health issues, perhaps with a card that gives the basics of what’s going on, what’s been done, and what’s planned to fix the problem.
    An example might be: A rex with sore hocks. You’ve put a resting board in and it was last cleaned two days before, and is due again tomorrow. The card might read something like: SHRBCx3d (Sore Hocks, Resting Board, Clean every 3 days). You know what it means, and unless a real inspector sees the problem, there’s no need to explain....but if your inspector *does* catch the problem, you can show that you know, you are doing something about it, and there’s a plan for treatment.
 
    Same goes for medications.  Have a specific card, have the dose and schedule marked, and checkboxes for done doses if multiples are required.  Colors work well to differentiate various cards.
 
    Back to cages and appearance, now...how many spiderwebs are up in the cage corners? Along the ceiling, or on the fans? Are the fans, if any, clear of fur, hay, and dust? Are the feeders clean and water dishes/bottles/nozzles clean and dispensing cool clean water easily? In winter, what are you doing for water, and how often? In summer, what about cooling?
 
    Under the cages, you must make sure that there are no rabbits with any direct contact with fecal material. In the case in Colorado, fecal matter under the cages in the trays was cited as being a sign that the cages were filthy! Yet there was no contact between rabbit and fecal material. So how clean can you keep it? Are you keeping it clean, or just clean enough? Is it reasonable to expect better?  Remember, you are THE INSPECTOR.  Nitpick!
 
    How do you deal with your manure? With odor? Check what you do, and find ways to improve if you can. Pest control, vermin prevention, all of these are important things to take into account as you go through.
 
    Remember...write it ALL DOWN, so you can go back over it and work on the problem areas.  Dead animal management is a major issue when an inspector comes with a warrant to see everything, including your freezer, for instance. To them, a dead animal there is a sign of something very wrong, not of proper storage for later use or disposal! Double bag or wrap every dead animal that you opt to freeze, and clearly mark it for its destination: ZOO FOOD. DOG FOOD. HUMAN CONSUMPTION. CREMATION.
 
    Don’t forget the date–and make a note somewhere of why it died (died-heat, died-cold, euthanized, etc.) so that in case of need, you can show your records to the court proving that the animal died of thus-and-such, and was destined to be disposed of as whatever.
    
    Make sure you know your laws and regulations! Your methods of euthanasia need to be as humane as possible, reliable, swift, and safe to use. Be prepared to prove it at any time...because in today’s climate, you may have to.
 
The upshot? KEEP A GOOD RECORD OF ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. I heard that ‘yeah, right!’ from the back bleachers! It’s possible. Do the best you can, and strive to improve as much as you can. The MOST important thing is that the animals are healthy, well-kept, and loved.
 
What else? KNOW THYSELF AND WORK TO FIX PROBLEMS BEFORE YOU NEED TO! Be proactive about problem areas. Take the time to get the spiderwebs down, to clean the fans, to wipe down the feeders and label them.  Don't forget to get all the hay, urine, and so forth off the outsides of the cages, too.  Make the time to get everything really, really CLEAN and RGANIZED once or twice a year.  Maybe even more.
 
I know it sounds totally overwhelming, and believe me, when you see that first list, you won't believe how much there is to do!  But it is absolutely worth bringing your place up to snuff regularly--and the joy you can take in knowing that you are truly doing the best you possibly can by your animals is just the trick for those blue days when everything seems to be going wrong.
 
It’s a whole lot more fun to do rabbits and cavies when the place is something you can truly be proud of, no matter who’s doing the looking. You should be proud of being a responsible animal owner!

So the picture above comes from THIS LOCATION.  
breeds pictured range from the Flemish Giant down to the netherland dwarf.   
So now people can see, to a certain extent, size proportions with bunny breeds.

Rabbits are
Flemish Giant (or one of the giant breeds).
English Lop
French Lop
Standard rex
English Spot
Harlequin - note a harlequin is smaller than an english spot so not quite in the right order.
English spot
English Angora
Mini Lop
Silver marten?
Dutch
This bun looks Californian but is most likely a pointed mini rex.
Mini Rex
Holland lop
Lionhead
Jersey woolie
Dwarf hotot
Netherland dwarf
Polish


If you want to see pictures of all the recognized breeds from the AMERICAN rabbit breeders association you can go here.   it might help with figuring out rabbit sizes. :)  

Average pictures of rabbits I raise below

This is Blossom a harlequin doe I had a while back.  She was standard for her size.  about 9 lbs.  Though I've had big does of 10-11 lbs in harlequin, those are unusual.   Most does are 8-9 lbs.

This is Mitch, he was a tiny buck I had that MIGHT be coming back to me in July.   He was registered and grand championed and just a tiny boy, i have a son of his who is also quite tiny.   He came in a just 2 lbs.   Most of my polish sit at 2.5-3 lbs as mature rabbits.   

This is WhizBang.  She went to a pet home.   Nice rabbit, finished at 3.5 lbs.  
My holland lops aren't at great show quality yet but I've worked hard to get their size down, now I want to get their ears just where I want them.  It continues to be a work in progress.  :)   Can I breed colour and still have a decent enough rabbit?  Holland lops for me currently sit at between 2.5 and 4.5 lbs.  Depends very much on the individual animal.

I am NOT a huge proponent of having much to do with the House Rabbit Society.  I find they teach faulty eating habits, and focus too much on making bunnies happy.

But....there are some things they do well.

• Teaching people to watch their rabbits to understand their body language.
  
• Helping people form bonds between rabbits.
  

you may find the following links helpful

Love Match

My Secrets to bonding my bunnies.

Bonding Pet Bunnies.

One thing you MUST remember....each rabbit is an individual.  Some rabbits simply DO NOT like to be around other rabbits.  Some rabbits do not make for good companions with each other.

Hormones can mess with rabbits and how they get along with each other so removing hormones from the equation can be an aid in bonding.

Sometimes you simply need to let two bunnies work it out between themselves.  As long as no blood is drawn I tend to be fine with bunnies figuring out the pecking order.

regardless of what you do though, remember you will always need to monitor your bunnies.   The thing I read over and over again is about "bonds breaking".   Rabbits decide they don't like each other, or they just need time away from each other.

the more room bunnies have to hang out in, the easier it is to bond them.

bonding young bunnies is easier to do than older bunnies.

When I mix weanlings together I dump a bit whack of hay in the cage and by the time they are done eating they all smell like each other so life is good.   BUT I still need to keep an eye on them.   As bunnies mature hormones start to mess with their heads so they can scuffle.  Again....if not blood is drawn and both are healthy I don't worry on it....but it means I need to be aware of the potential for damage.   Buns can hurt each other quickly so it's imperative to keep a close eye on them.

this is a slow but steady way of trimming nails that some folks might feel is a more comfortable way to trim nails.   It's definitely thinking outside the box. 

I play with bunny feet.  I play with them when they are little.
I flip them on their back, holding them securely so fright is not an issue and make sure they are calm.     This is a regular event for them so they are not freaked by it.
I train ALL my pet people to do this as well. Playing with bunny feet helps them to chill out.  I also remind them to get them used to the sound of the clipper in action.  (I really like that spaghetti idea and therefore may encourage that).

I do my first nail trim at three months, some folks like to do it sooner.
Then it happens every 4-6 weeks thereafter, though I tell my pet people to do it monthly and NOT TO FORGET the small one on the front feet as it will curl in and hurt the bunny foot pad.

the advantage to doing it monthly is 
1. it's a regular event and therefore doesn't get forgotten
2. it makes the job so much easier as you just have to take a little bit off.
3. since it is done regularly it keeps nails short which helps to prevent ripping or tearing from caught nails.

This video shows a similar method to how I do it.  Though I don't use "quick stop", I have  small bowl with flour handy.   Flour works just as well as a quick stop clotting type agent.   I've heard of breeders using cornstarch as well.

1. Choose your area
2. get set up: nail trimmers  - I use cat trimmers after 6 months of age.  For small rabbits toe nail clippers for people will work well for their whole life.    Chair or floor area.
3. flour, cornstarch or styptic powder to use as a clotting agent.  
4. blanket if needed to hold bunny and keep bunny calm (I tuck rabbits head under my arm/against body and that keeps them very calm.   You can always cover their head.  :)

This video has some good points in it as well that you may find useful.

There are a variety of ways to litter train a rabbit.

My choice of bedding is wood stove/horse stove/or a pellet based cat litter.

I find what works best for YOUNG rabbits is to line their cage with your bedding of choice, and then encourage (via placing hay in the corner that you want bunny to use) bunny to use ONE corner to do his business in.   Once bunny is using the corner then remove some of the dirty bedding, place it in the litter box and voila bunny should be using the litter box.  Usually takes about a week for a young bunny.

With an adult bunny the training is usually quicker and easier.  :)

Do note: the some bunnies are harder to train than others.  Then I recommend you place the litter box where the bunny has chosen as his spot.  Bunnies, unlike cats, choose where they  want to do their business.

Here are some videos you may find helpful.

I'll be right up front.. I tend not to worry about litter box habits since
1. my rabbits are housed in hygienic wire bottomed cages.
and 
2. whenever I've had to litter train a rabbit it has been so unbelievably easy to not even be an issue.

When I've advised people on litter box training I tell them NOT to put the litter box in right away, but give bunny a chance to pick their potty corner (with young bunnies can take a week or so) THEN take the dirty litter, place in litter box, put litter box in the same corner.  Hanging hay in the corner seems to help.

With adult bunnies I just take some urine based litter put in a litter box whereever I like and the adult bunny will use it without fail.

BUT recently I had a lady email.  She's having trouble getting a 100% litter box trained bunny.

Well.. I've been talking with folks.  Getting a 100% trained bunny is not generally going to happen.   You see what happens is that rabbits scent mark.   They will almost always leave some bunny berries behind as they explore their living space.

Bunny berries are REALLY easy to clean up.  Just sweep 'em into a dust pan and into your composter if you have one, or garbage if you don't.

NOW the problem may be that your young rabbit is maturing

Maturing rabbits, just like maturing teenagers, sometimes have less than ideal bathroom habits.  They have to deal with hormones and learning (or re-learning) correct habits.   Give them time to sort it through OR if it's being problematic... Get a neutering job done.   Neutering helps get rid of the hormones (particularly in a boy rabbit) and will in a girl rabbit as long as the job is done completely.

I had this question asked of me today.

Why do you have a health guarantee?

My response was "because I don't know what kit is going to stress at being in a new place and which ones won't".

A kit that stresses...you know within 24 hours.     They stop eating, they pout in a corner, they are basically saying I'm an unhappy rabbit.   

99% of all rabbits...they move to new digs and they are perfectly fine with the change.  This assuming that their needs are being met.   Clean cage, no food changes, no unusual treats.

BUT that remaining 1%.... I don't know why but they stress.  I subject my kits to cage changes, time away from mom, new roomies, feed changes so I expect them to be good to go when they leave home.  And most of them are, but sometimes you get a kit that just doesn't like being away from home.   THAT is why I have a health guarantee.

NOW what to do if you have a stressy kit.
1. tempt them with safe greens.  I generally recommend parsley.  Tends to go over really well with bunnies.   And if it is soaked in water first, also gets extra fluids in them.
2. don't bug 'em.  Give 'em a safe place to be and just leave them alone.

Generally that's all they need.  IF it continues into day two I tend to recommend people bring them back and I'll get them the first available next kit of similar value. (my choice on that kit).

The question was asked.  "I found this information on-line, it's different than what you say.   Who is right?"    

The facts are: there a numerous ways to feed rabbits.   BUT what the house rabbit society people recommend is not healthy for rabbits.

Pellets are not necessary in a diet that consists of hay and a wide variety of vegetables. However, if your rabbit is accustomed to pellets and you wish to keep them in his/her diet or to insure that your rabbit gets all the necessary vitamins and minerals, give Timothy hay-based pellets that are high in fiber, 18% or more, and low in calcium content. RabbitWise recommends Bunny Basics/T made by the Oxbow Hay Company. They are available in some vet's office who treat rabbits and from the Oxbow web site (see link this page). 

The amount of pellets fed should be based on the rabbit's body weight: 2-4 pounds, 1/8 cup daily; 5-7 pounds, 1/4 cup daily; 8-10 pounds, 1/2 cup daily; 10-15 pounds, 1/2 cup daily. OVERFEEDING OF PELLETS AND FEEDING OF POOR QUALITY PELLETS ARE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS IN RABBIT HEALTH PROBLEMS.  

I know that natural feeding of rabbits is quite possible, BUT I also know, from reading, research and doing limited rescue how easy it can be to mess it up.

There are things in the above statement that I agree with.

1. overfeeding of pellets causes problems for rabbits.   
2. poor quality pellets are a reality.  
3. pellets aren't a necessity for a WELL BALANCED diet.

Points of disagreement

1. timothy does not NOT provide enough protein for a rabbit.  You NEED to feed alfalfa hay. 
2. you need more than a wide assortment of veggies.  you need a wide assortment of a variety of greens.
3. herbivore does not mean vegetarian..it means HERBIVORE.  that means rabbits eat tree branches, bark, a wide assortment of vegetation.    it does NOT mean carrots, celery, and such like.   Greens, greens and more greens.
4.no mention is made of the need for a salt and mineral wheel.

Points of Concern
The amount of pellets fed should be based on the rabbit's body weight: 2-4 pounds, 1/8 cup daily; 5-7 pounds, 1/4 cup daily; 8-10 pounds, 1/2 cup daily; 10-15 pounds, 1/2 cup daily. 

if feeding a pellet based diet these amounts would lead to the starvation of a rabbit.   FACT!

Correct amounts would be as follows based on a 16-17% protein diet.
2-4 lbs - 1/4-1/2 cup
4-7 lbs - 1/2  cup
7-9 lbs - 1/2-1 cup
10 lbs and up 3/4 cup to 1.5 cups

this based on feeding pellets ONCE per day. 

I've seen ads up on kijiji with people giving up their bunnies due to their personal hay allergies and I've had people ask me what to do if they have a hay allergy.

Here's my first response:
you don't HAVE to feed hay IF you are feeding a good pelleted diet.   You really don't have to.  

So what exactly is a good pellet diet?
Well first I'll tell you what it is not: it's not the feed that comes with sunflowers, corn and bits of coloured stuff in it.   The coloured stuff tends to be flour and fat with food colouring.  Why on earth do you want to feed that?   Corn has it's advocates and dissenters.  The biggest problem with corn is it can carry mytotoxins in it which is not so good for bunny tummies.   It's not the stuff that is barely 12-14% protein.  Rabbits need a certain amount of protein to be healthy.

A good pellet looks and smells fresh.  it has a nice green colour.   It is 16% protein with a decent fibre.  As odd as it sounds, the best way to tell how much long fibre a pellet has is to much on it.  just a little and it won't hurt you...but if you have longish bits in your mouth, it has good fibre. :)

BUT let's say you don't want to give up giving your rabbit SOMETHING good to munch on.

well you have some alternatives

Remembering to think green or treelike since rabbits are herbivores NOT vegetarians..

1. carrot tops, parsley, beet greens, kale, romaine lettuce
2. apple branches tend to be fairly easy to find, the sisal houses, and wood chew toys.
3. green grass, dandelions,

all these things have fibre.  perhaps not as much as hay does (as it is dry and therefore more fibrous) but they still have fibre and are good for bunny tummies.

What if bunny says BUT I WANT MY HAY!!!!!
consider giving hay cubes.  These are compressed mini bales of hay and for some reason, those allergic to hay often find they work best.

Or consider treating your bunny like a spoiled toddler and put up with the temper tantrums.  Bunny WILL adjust.  He will.  And a good transition as he adjusts is to give a small treat of regular kitchen oatmeal.   Just a tsp.  but it's enough and has fibre in it as well.

Love your bunny but work with what your allergy tolerances will handle.   Your bunny will be adjust to what is best for you.  :)

I am hoping to do a "questions asked" series.

I"ll first address one I get through my classified ads and/or respond to frequently on rabbit boards.

Can I put two rabbits together?

This is often phrased in the following manner
1. I have a neutered doe, can I get a buck?
2. I have to have a certain gender rabbit as I have  the same gender rabbit and I want her to have a friend.
3. if I buy these two boys/girls they can be friends with each other,

A frequent response is that they MIGHT.

Overall in the breeding rabbit world rabbits are raised individually.  One rabbit per cage.  There are some who will raise rabbits in a colony, but they generally start with young rabbits of similar ages, they provide tons of hiding holes, sitting area and more than one feed station.   But the over whelming majority in the rabbit breeding world one rabbit in one cage.  Why?   Because does (girls) get space protective and bucks (boys) want to eliminate the competition.    MOST of the time they get separate cages starting around four months.

So when people say they want to have two boys or two girls together I do mention that at around 16 weeks they might need to separate them.  That they will need to watch for aggressive behaviour.

I always always add this caveat.
Rabbits are individuals.
They are very much their own little being, just like people, cats, dogs, anything.  Each rabbit is different, so how one particular rabbit (or two) might respond to any given situation varies with the rabbit(s) involved.

I have had two boys live together quite nicely up to nine months of age (so well into maturity) without there being a problem AT ALL.
I've introduced two adult males together and once they figured out who was boss they lived together quite peacefully for three months.   Only one was used as a breeder (the boss) but I was able to save cage space and two boys had company and did just fine.
I've done exactly the same thing with does...but does are trickier.  They can be fine one day, then hormones hit and they are often then NOT FINE.

On the other hand, I've had young bucks as young as six weeks of age suddenly go on a tear and want to beat the poop out of their brothers.   remove the troublemaker and all is calm again.   Go figure......

I have learned that if a person takes two young boys with the intent to raise and keep them together to explain what to watch for AND to keep the two boys together ALL THE TIME.   So if you take one to the vet, take both.   If you let one out on the grass, let out both.  If you let one run around your house, let both.   It simply keeps them together and very much aware of each other which strengthens their bond with one another.

So can two rabbits of the same gender live together?   For certainly they can, BUT they can just as easily NOT live together.

And if they decide they don't want to live together, the fight can be to the death.   

This means that typically I will STRONGLY recommend that a person start with a neutered rabbit, and then add a baby of the opposite sex.   This tends to promote the strongest "bond" between two individual rabbits.

The next best thing is to have two rabbits in their own cage, side by side.   Then gender matters not, everyone is kept safe, and they can be best buds, safely through the wire.

So what question do YOU want answered next?