Bunnies everywhere, and multiplying!

[saddleup]

My next door neighbor’s place has suddenly become home to an assortment of rabbits. They are obviously the domestic type, not wild jackrabbits, but they’re multiplying rapidly and have started to come over to my place. I know they aren’t their rabbits, but someone obviously turned a pair loose and they’ve decided it’s really great to live by us. While they’re not tame, they’re also not afraid of me or my horses, and I’m afraid if they’re not captured and rehomed somewhere we’re going to be overrun by rabbits. And my aussie is dying to get at them, which I don’t want.

What do I do? I know nothing about rabbits. But I know I don’t want them here. Set traps? Then what?

[candyappy]

Not much you can do really. Trapping and then releasing is something to try but rabbits populate way faster than you can do that unless you set a lot of traps.

Then were are you going to put them all?

Natural predators will thin them out eventually. Some years we are overrun with rabbits and some years I hardly see any. They really don’t bother anything here . Part of living in the country.

[trubandloki]

I am surprised that nature has not thinned them for you already.

For the record, the rabbits at my place (which like Candyappy, some years I see lots of, some years I see none of) seem to not be bothered by me or my horses either. They, like most of the wildlife that sees me twice a day, every day just hang out doing their rabbit thing while I do my human thing. Unless I get really close they do not seem to care I exist. If the cat comes around they do care.
My point is, just because they do not run away because you appear does not mean they are domestic rabbits.

[wsmoak]

What color are they? There are wild cottontail rabbits out west, not just jackrabbits.

Domestic rabbits usually don’t last long in the wild, especially if their coloring shows up well.

[Scribbler]

Yeah if they are all light brown they are wild rabbits, if it’s a mix of white black Dutch spotted etc then feral domestic rabbits.

Feral rabbits can multiply like crazy in an environment like a park or college campus with no predators. If they are in a more rural area eventually the Coyotes will move in and clear them out for you. In the meantime you will need chicken wire around your vegetable garden.

[saddleup]

One’s black, a few are white, a couple are black and white. They really are quite beautiful, to be honest. They definitely don’t look like wild rabbits. Not a brown one in the bunch.

[wsmoak]

If it’s been a while and your local predators have not noticed the free food, I suppose I would start setting traps.

Maybe post an ad on Craigslist and see if anyone is interested in taking them off your hands? Just don’t ask too many questions about what they plan to do with them.

The problem may solve itself depending on how feral they are… rabbits can literally be scared to death. So don’t be too surprised if they don’t survive trapping.

And be careful handling them. I raised meat rabbits years ago and still have scars. And they were fairly tame!

[Scribbler]

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/mobile/bye-bye-bunnies-uvic-declared-a-rabbit-free-campus-1.613232

[clanter]

coyotes, hawks and owls will thin the crowd

[4horses]

Your options are limited.

You can leave them be and hope nature takes care of the problem. You can trap and either give them away or set up pens to keep them in- assuming you can separate the sexes. You could get some cats. Most cats will eat young rabbits, but not usually adults.

Rabbit holes always make me worried about my horses stepping in them. There’s only one rabbit around here and he is not welcome. I always encourage the dogs to chase him, but he comes back often. Just have to keep an eye out for holes.

We have hawks and owls but so far Mr. Rabbit has avoided detection. Or they simply aren’t interested or hungry enough to go after him.

[OverandOnward]

Rabbit holes are a big problem for the horses.

However, rabbits in the horse pasture may help desensitize your horses to movement on the ground. Horses I’ve known from areas with a lot of rabbits and ground squirrels are impervious to scary things and movement on the ground. For whatever that’s worth.

[chestnutmarebeware]

Too bad you’re not closer to me! I’d take a couple off your hands—I miss my late house rabbits!

[MissCoco]

Does your local area have any kind of house rabbit rescue?
That might be the easiest way to get some person involved who may have some resources on dealing with similar situations. Unfortunately, rabbit dumping isn’t exactly unusual.

I found a few different lists of rabbit rescue organizations, on the house rabbit society website, hopefully there is one somewhat near you.

https://rabbit.org/hrschapters
https://rabbit.org/hrs-allies/
https://rabbit.org/independent-rabbit-rescue/

They also have this page on what to do about a pet rabbit running loose:
https://rabbit.org/faq-how-to-rescue-a-rabbit-running-loose/

[Sandysmom]

@OverandOnward

Rabbit holes are a big problem for the horses.

However, rabbits in the horse pasture may help desensitize your horses to movement on the ground. Horses I’ve known from areas with a lot of rabbits and ground squirrels are impervious to scary things and movement on the ground. For whatever that’s worth.

Rabbits really don’t make holes. They nest in depressions in the ground.

[anon6003733]

del

[Mosey_2003]

Are you sure your neighbor didn’t loose them on purpose? I know more than one person that has bought rabbits at auction and then set them free, with the intention of hunting them or their progeny later on…

[Simkie]

@Sandysmom

Rabbits really don’t make holes. They nest in depressions in the ground.

True for cottontails, but domestic rabbits do dig burrows.

@saddleup has the neighbor confirmed they’re unwanted? People do keep domestic rabbits for meat…maybe they’re trying an “all natural” colony approach? :-/

[streamline]

My father in law offed about 20 wild rabbits… they were destroying his garden. insert old man farmer joke

Id think that animals of prey would get them, especially black and white ones. I know when I had house rabbits they chewed on every and any cords.

[StormyDay]

You might be able to catch them and give them away on Craigslist or something… as long as you are sure they aren’t actually cottontails!
But they will probably be eaten and the population will level out. Rabbits are pretty darn fast so I don’t think your dog is going to catch one without some very good luck.

[Melissa.Van_Doren]

If you’re living in a suburban area with fairly close neighbors, it’s unlikely predators are going to thin that growing population fast enough to outstrip more arrivals. Domestic bunnies are fertile at 6 months and can produce a litter of up to 14 about every month after that.

I suggest you call Animal Control. They may be able to set humane traps for you, or give you other suggestions. I appreciate you don’t want your dog to get them. Domestic bunnies are not very adept at avoiding predators, even if they’ve been living outside for a while. A dog attack is not a nice way to go.