The benefits of a bunny mower

The most enjoyable part of Kiwi life, to me, is gardening.

Each time I look through my kitchen window at my backyard with its lush lawn, flowers and vege garden, I feel blessed to have a nice home.

After living in my nice home for nearly three years, I felt I needed something to make it even nicer. I chose rabbits!

My rabbits, a boy and a girl, are gentle, quiet, pretty and friendly. More importantly, they mow my lawn, produce material for compost and their poo can directly fertilise our gardens. I'm excited that they eat many kinds of weeds and grasses.

The original cage did not offer them enough space and food. Also, the grass roots got burnt because the rabbits could only pee in that limited area.

So I built two bigger cages with untreated timber and wire netting. Ring and Drum can easily get together.

Diana Leu with her two lawnmower rabbits Ring and Drum.

Two square metres is enough space for two young rabbits. Moving them once a day will have your lawn mown quite well.

Each time the rabbits are moved, they first eat the grass farthest from their nest and use the previously munched area as their place to poo.

I give them both a carrot each evening. Cabbage, broccoli, radish leaves, celery and even tender bamboo shoots are their favourite foods besides grass and weeds.

These rabbits eat mostly during the night. They snooze in the daytime. They have good hygiene practices like licking themselves in the sun.

Their poo needs to be collected. You can use it in your garden instead of it feeding the lawn.

Remember to talk to your rabbits and touch them. They will love you if you love them.