Domestic dogs are often the biggest predator problem with rabbits as well, although depending on where you live you may battle raccoons, weasels, coyotes and feral cats. You may also have human problems, as vandals and animal rights activists are known to open cages and "set free" domestic rabbits, usually sentencing them to death.

Outdoors, a good solid hutch or cages under a tarp, carport or shed roof will do fine. Some people allow their rabbits to run loose in a fenced yard, which is fine as long as housing is available to the rabbits to get warm and dry.

Most breed and show rabbits are housed indoors in wire cages. This is the easiest set up as you can control temperature and keep it clean. Wire cages have their problems, however. Many rabbits get sore hocks on old sagging floor wire. You must keep up the cages and provide a place for the rabbit to get off the wire. Some breeds, like the Flemish Giant and French Lops, just do better on solid floors due to their size.

The benefit of wire floors is that urine and manure falls through the holes and keep the rabbit clean. Some prefer a tray under each cage and some hang their cages. We have a cement floor in our barn, so our cages hang on rails above the cement floor. This makes it easy to pick up the mess under the cages, scrub the cage floor with disinfectant and disinfect the concrete. If you choose to hang your cages, you need to watch the pressure points on the cage and that it remains level (cages hung on nails tend to pull downward easily).

Size is important. We allocate about 2 X 2 foot cages per 7 pound rabbit. The cage must be larger if the doe is bred. Most of our brood does are in 2 X 4, 2 X 5, or 2 X 6 foot hutches with a shelf for kits to climb and play.

Bedding can be paper, wood shaving or pellets or straw. Its important not to use cedar of any type; although aromatic, the essential oil in cedar is potentially toxic to most small animals.

Methods of watering range from simple cups to water bottles to automatic watering systems that can be heated and have additives placed in the water. We choose a combination of EZ crocks with flip top water bottles hanging above the crocks. The crocks allow the rabbits to get fresh water in freezing weather and provide extra water in hot weather. The flip top bottles make it quick and easy to fill waterers and an easy assessment of the rabbit’s water intake.

Feeding has similar choices. "J" feeders are popular but we have found they tend to clog easily. Crocks take up more cage space but the rabbits have easier access to their feed. We use EZ crocks (white for feed and blue for water).

We typically feed hay on top of cages but some breeds cannot easily access the hay in this manner. For those rabbits we put a homemade hayrack of vinyl coated chicken wire in the corner of the cage. Placing the hay in the cage without a hay holder usually wastes the hay and starts a pile up of litter.

However you choose to keep your rabbits, cages and floors should be kept clean and periodically disinfected. The more you bring rabbits in and out of the environment, the more potential for bacteria, viruses, etc., and the more you will need to use a disinfectant.

Ventilation is important in keeping rabbit indoors. The ammonia in urine can become a health problem. Not only should quarters be kept clean, but good ventilation is essential. Not sure if you have good ventilation? Put your nose where your rabbit’s nose goes in the cage, and that will tell youJ

Feeding Rabbits
Many people feel very strongly about how they feed rabbits and the brand of feed they use. There are basic rules to follow with feeding.
Water: Rabbits need fresh clean water available to them. They will not eat if they don’t have enough water. You should check water supply twice daily and more frequently in summer or hot weather, and /or place multiple waterers on the cage. Bottles and crocks should be clean, especially if you see green algae build up as this is toxic to rabbits. Rabbits also don’t like changes in water (non-chlorinated to chlorinated) or change in color, smell, or tastes placed in the water (like vitamins or electrolytes). The key is to slowly get your rabbits used to a sanitizer, like Vanodine, and nutritional supplement such as NutriDrench. That way the rabbit will drink treated water when necessary.

Fiber: Fiber, not protein, is the next important essential for rabbit diet. A rabbit can live on hay and water without any pellet or grain. If you do feed a grain or pellet, a low protein hay should still be fed free-feed. It’s also a good idea to have your rabbits eat vegetative matter regularly. Many books will caution you not to feed your rabbits greens – but this applies to feeding a rabbit who has been on a pellet diet a sudden diet of greens.

Protein: Most show rabbits require a high protein diet (14-18% percent depending on age and breed) to reach the ARBA "Standard of Perfection" for that breed. Kits and nursing does are often free-fed a high protein pellet. While there are many commercial pellets out there for rabbits, you can feed your rabbits whole gain oats and barley with added sunflower seeds for protein and a mineral mix/lick for essential minerals.

Basic Care:
A clean well-fed rabbit require little care. You should check their teeth, nails, hocks, weight and consistency of manure for health issues. A rabbit off its feed, losing weight, losing condition or fur, one scratching its ears or shaking its head, or one with sore hocks requires medical care.

Usually an occasional nail trim and once over with a slicker brush is all they need. Some breeds, such as the Angora, require much more care to maintain the wool. Some individual rabbits will be "slobbier" than others and will need more grooming. Bucks may also need more grooming and deodorizing if they are spraying. Pay attention to those rabbits residing next to bucks, who sometimes get sprayed on, too. Rabbits kept in a yard or in colonies will need more attention, as they are higher risk for injuries from environment and fighting.

Basic Equipment for a Rabbitry
Cages/hutch
Cage identification (we like the plastic hanging cage tags that can be moved and re-used like a white board)
Cage Kit 
    Extra cage wire, clips, clip pliers, wire cutters
Sit boards or mats for cages
Toys – clean empty tin cans, golf balls
Feeders (we like EZ crocks)
Waterers (we like EZ crocks and flip top bottles)
Feed (see below)
Disinfectant (we like Vanodine – its ecofriendly and multipurpose)
Scrub brush and wire brush for cage cleaning, bottlebrush
Pest proof containers for feed (we use galvanized metal trash cans with lids bungeed down)
Water source and hose (a hose head with different spray setting is great)
Bedding
Table or place to groom and examine rabbits
Fire Extinguisher
Fans (for ventilation and/or cooling in warm weather)
Water bottle misters for cooling in hot weather
Heat lamp or similar heat source for extreme cold or sick rabbit
An extra cage for quarantined new rabbits or sick rabbits
Broom, shovel, manure bucket or barrow
Misc. Helpers
    Permanent marker for cage tags, equipment
    Scissors
    Duct tape
    Zip ties    
    Plastic storage bags
    Medical Kit (see below)
    Hand sanitizer
    Towels/rags
    Fly strips

Rabbit Feed & Supplements
Hay (grass or timothy varieties)
High quality pellet or homemade feed
Oats
Sunflower seeds
Nettle hay
Dark leafy greens, grass, fresh herbs, vegetables, fruits
Probiotics and Electrolytes (we use Probios and Nutridrench)
Fennel
Fenugreek
Garlic
Wheat Germ
Kelp
Diamatecious earth
Dolomite
Cider Vinegar
Water Sanitizer (we use Vanodine)
Measuring cups and spoons

Extra Equipment for Showing and Breeding
General note – alighted, indoor or covered rabbitry with running water and electricity is really helpful, if not necessary for a show rabbitry
Radio (having rabbits used to a noise in the background reduces show stress)
Copy of ARBA Standards of Perfection
Cage carriers for travel to shows
Nest boxes sized for your breed
Straw or grass hay for nest box
Timer for winter lights
Towels, blankets, heat lamp or pad for litters born in the cold)
Scale (analog will do but digital is ideal)
Grooming kit (see below)
Table with carpet squares for care and grooming
Tattoo kits (clamp or pen, ink, wipes, ointment)
Pressure washer for deep cleaning cages and nest boxes
Blow dryer
Trunk or large rolling tool chest for show supplies (see below for show supply list)
Record keeping system for breeding and pedigrees (we use Evans software and keep hard copies in clear page protectors inside 3-ring binders)
Probiotics and electrolytes to prevent travel and show stress (we prefer NutriDrench products)

Show Checklist
Tattooed rabbits in carriers with bedding and crocks for food and water
Feed
Hay
Water
Vanodine & NutriDrench
Extra crocks
Extra carriers
Bungees and cage clips for carriers
Cage ID cards
Medical kits (human and rabbit)
Grooming kits (1 per person showing, organized in a plastic box)
Tattoo pen, extra rags, ointment
Copy of show entry
Copy of Standard of Perfection
Cart(s) to haul cages in and out of the showroom
Table and/or Grooming table
Rabbitry signs or banner, business cards
Pedigrees
Pens, pencils, markers
Grooming coat or apron
Waterless hand cleaner and hand lotion
Extra clothes for people
Food and water for people
Folding chairs
White board and markers for sale signs
Extra cash for that rabbit you buy J
Receipt book
Pedigrees, health info and food for sale rabbits

The Grooming Kit
Carpet squares for the rabbit to sit on
Brushes (slicker, soft, wide toothed)
Nail trimmers (make sure they are sharp!)
Tooth trimmers (hopefully you will only be using this on PET rabbits and not a breeding rabbit or you will pass on this genetic defect)
Kwik stop or styptic pencil for nail nicks
Spray in shampoo, regular shampoo
Towels in all sizes
Hair dryer (we splurged on one with a stand for pets so we can dry a wet rabbit while we work on something else)
Baby wipes
White vinegar & baking soda (for stains and deodorizing urine smell)
Corn starch
Spray bottles

For Angoras
Shears (don’t bother with electric clippers or special shears – we have several sets of good sewing scissors and get them sharpened and shear by hand – its easiest and least expensive)
Mini dog or baby sweaters or shirts for a bunny sheared in cool weather
Blower (you can buy an expensive blower for pets but a shop vac with reverse works too…just dedicate it for being a bunny blower J )The

Medicine Chest
Thermometer (flexible plastic and digital) and lubricant
Stethoscope
Electrolytes and Probiotics
Syringes to give oral remedies
Alcohol (to clean instruments and ears, not wounds)
Wound disinfectant (we like our own Herbal Disinfectant)
Wound Ointment (we like our own Herbal All Purpose Healing salve)
Cat flea powder (we like our own Herbal Flea Powder)
Mineral oil (for ear mites)
Mint
White Willow Bark
Comfrey
Infant Anti-Gas drops (for GI stasis)
Papaya tabs and Meat Tenderizer (for fur block)
Black tea bags (to make an eye wash)
Vitamin E and Activated Charcoal (for poisoning)
Vanodine solution for disinfecting and wounds
Herbal and Homeopathic wormer
Echinacea tincture
Valerian tincture
Homeopathic anxiety drops
Cotton balls, q-tips, squares
Vet wrap
Gauze squares

Medicines to Have on Hand:
Ivomec 1% injectable – used for infestations of external parasites including fur mites
White paste wormer
Corrid (for Cocci)
Biomyacin

Processing Equipment
Good processing knife and hook (you can buy combination knife/hook)
Hose
Place to hang the carcass
Bin or bucket
Clippers
Scale
Freezer wrap and plastic wrap
Tape and permanent marker