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Dutch rabbit

Dwarf Rabbit

If you have baby Dutch rabbits or are planning to get Dutch rabbits as pets, then the following bits of info should come in handy. 

  • Facts about American Dutch rabbits: The average life span of these rabbits is five years or more.



    These rabbits begin to breed between the ages of 5-6 months. The female gives birth to her first litter when she is a year old. They shouldn’t have any more litters after the age of 3 years. Each litter has an average of 3-5 young rabbits, and the gestational period us 38-31 days.
  • Physical appearance: The Dutch rabbit is quite small and has ears that are very erect.



    Their back legs are powerful and longer than the front legs. These rabbits are white with splotches of some other color. Dutch rabbits are very popular as pets. The average weight of these rabbit is 2.3 kg.
  • Feeding: If you plan to get a Dutch rabbit as a pet, then do remember to give it a lot of fresh hay as well as pieces of vegetables and fruits, a balanced dry rabbit food mix as well as a lot of fresh drinking water.



    Since rabbits have a delicate stomach, you might like to add a vegetable or fruit, one at a time to its diet. In case they have diarrhea, then eliminate the vegetable that you last added to their food from their diet. You can use earthenware bowls as feeding dishes.
  • Cage and bedding: If you are planning to keep your rabbit outdoors, then a wooden hutch is advisable. The hutch should be raised off the ground, water proof and made with heavy wood. Make sure that the cage is large and they have enough place to exercise. Provide bedding material during winters. You can place a bundle of hay over wood shavings to make its sleeping area. Clean the hutch regularly with a safe cleaning agent.
  • Exercise and toys: Your rabbit will need things to chew, dig, crawl through and climb onto. You can use household items to the rabbit – boxes and toilet roll tubes are good toys for a pet rabbit. You can even build ramps against the boxes.
  • Temperament and handling: While the Dutch rabbit is a suitable pet, you need to know how to handle rabbits if you plan on getting one. If you want to gift a pet rabbit to your child, then get them one if the child is above 10 years of age. If your children are younger, let them handle the rabbit under adult supervision. The Dutch rabbit is good-natured and very energetic. These intelligent animals tend to get bored easily. It is advisable to train the animals.

 

 
  Submitted on June 10, 2010