Now that winter is in full swing, it is a good time to buy a plastic kid's sled. You can haul hay or shavings from your vehicle to your barn more easily. Or if moving carriers of rabbits more safely if you are pulling them in case you take a slippery fall.
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Here are some more economical rabbit keeping tips that may work for you.
Cloth Dish Dryer Mats - Use on a grooming table, instead of a rug remnant. If you use a plastic transport kennel, place a couple of them inside. It will give your rabbit some traction and be less messy than shavings. They are much easier to wash than rugs and attract less fur. Water bottle freezing problem – If possible, have 2 sets of water bottles so you can swap them out. Place frozen bottles in a utility sink with a light bulb, insert a cover board. (CAUTION - Monitor so it is not a fire or electrocution hazard). No sink? Bring 2nd set inside overnight. Basic Care Flyer – Create your own rabbitry’s basic care flyer to give new owners. Provide general care instructions including your grain product name including protein %. If you provide any type of health guarantee or just as important, if you do not. Provide your contact info, local club listing, special websites or groups you recommend. Attach an ARBA, Specialty Club or local club application with your name as the referral. Shavings – If there is a wood mill in your area, ask if they sell shavings in bulk. We’re lucky to have one locally. We put boards on the sides of the truck bed that allow us a cord of shavings in one trip. The mill uses a bucket loader to fill the truck. Our shavings bin in a back corner with an accessible “window” that strategically opens out at truck bed height. This allows standing in the truck bed to shovel directly from the truck bed outside, no bending and reaching. We get a lot more shavings than by bales for less at $45.00 per cord. Another source is a wood crafter who may have trash bags full of shavings to dispose of. Newspapers – Ask friends and neighbors to save newspapers if using in carriers or litter pans. Handle with Care comfort – Purchase luggage handle wraps for buckets, wheel barrow handles, carriers and carts. (measuring first for a perfect fit) Show Organization – Group your carrier holes by class if possible. Saves time and helps others who may need to pitch in getting your rabbits to or from the show table. Always label carrier holes with Class and Ear #. (Example: Solid Senior Buck would be “SSB Ear #V97”.) This helps to prevent forgetting a rabbit at home or at the show. No MIA’s! You can go a step further and use pink or blue labels or use highlighter pens. Anyone helping you, thanks you! Finding Your Bunny Tribe
By Debbie Vigue So many breeds of rabbits, so many choices! How will you ever choose? Here is a short list of the most popular rabbit breeds.
One of the best ways to see a multitude of rabbit breeds in one place is by attending a rabbit show. Rabbit shows are open to the public for free. To find a show near you go to the American Rabbit Breeders Associate website at: www.arba.net, click on Member Resources and in the dropdown choose Shows, then search by State. Walk around and peer into the show carrier cages. Be mindful to keep your fingers out of the cages, even though it is very tempting. Bunnies and their owners may not appreciate this trespass. There’ll be time enough later for the up close and personal meet up. Some cages may have For Sale signs on them but first things first. You want to find which breed interests you the most and is one that is the best fit for your household. Balance the heart (your interest) with the head (logical fit). Just hope the best one wins out! Exhibitors, when not busy showing, will love to talk about their particular breed. After all, it is why they raise and show them. This is where you can find out the most information about a particular breed. When you talk to several exhibitors showing the same breed, you will learn different things. Everybody has their own story of why they think their breed is tops. Now is the time, feel free to ask questions. If the breed appeals to you and the owner makes you feel comfortable, take their contact info. If your State allows Pet Store rabbit sales, don’t go that route. Few employees will be able to give you advice after the sale. It’s not their fault; they just don’t have rabbit keeping knowledge. You may decide to do an internet search for local breeders or by going to a Facebook rabbit group. Either way, now it is time to go home and get ready. Decisions, Decisions Once home, if you are undecided on one certain breed, you can weigh all the pros and cons of each breed. You’ll need to ask yourself these questions: Rabbit size - Dwarf size, mid-size or large rabbit Fur or Wool - Normal or Wool Color, Age, Sex – Does it matter? Housing – Cage size and location – Indoor or Outdoor Once all that has been sorted out, it’s time to prepare your home to become your bunny’s home also. Bucks vs. Does Most people prefer male (bucks) rabbits over females (does). The males tend to seek attention more. They are easier and less costly to get neutered than females. Occasionally you get a buck that may spray but it isn’t predominantly so. Some does may get cranky when they reach sexual maturity. But don’t completely discount does as they can be very affectionate too. If does are not spayed they could get pregnant if exposed to males. Double the Fun? Not Always While humans like the idea of company all the time, rabbits don’t always. If you are thinking of keeping two rabbits in a single cage so they can keep each other company, think again. While a rabbit may enjoy having another of its species nearby, that doesn’t mean it wants to be in the same cage. Of course, bucks and does will mate and/or fight. Two bucks will definitely fight and two does may fight as well; even if they were littermates. If both rabbits are neutered, they may get along just fine or they may not. Sometimes you can get a pair bonded and sometimes they don’t get along just as some cats or dogs don’t like each other. It isn’t necessary to keep more than one rabbit when giving it the time and attention it deserves DAILY. You are making a commitment to this animal to be part of your life as much as it is part of yours. Learn Your Breed To learn more about a particular breed, do an internet search using the breed’s name with the word “club”. Each specialty club will have more info pertaining to their breed. Later if you decide to join, their memberships often offer a free guidebook and newsletter or magazine. It can definitely put you in touch with other enthusiasts. There may even be a regional specialty club in your area. Preparation Countdown Now is the fun part of transforming your home to become your rabbit’s home as well. Rabbits can live indoors or if outdoors in some type of shelter. You will have to decide on which as acclimation to their environment will keep them happy and healthy. Which location will help determine the necessary set-up. Things you will need: Cage or Housing Feed & Water dishes Bedding Grooming tools Well, Hello There Okay, now you’ve set up an appointment to check out the rabbits. Which one is the possible fit to come home with you? When meeting prospective bunnies, remember that while your intentions are kindly, the bunny doesn’t know that. You are a stranger to them. We humans look mighty big to their small inquisitive eyes. Rabbits are prey animals whose first instinct is to flee from any perceived danger. That is why it is best to take things slowly and quietly. If taking your children on the “bunny hunt”, prepare them ahead of time. Tell them the bunnies may be scared easily, so use their inside voices, even during this super exciting time. No running around the rabbitry or sticking fingers inside the cages. Rabbits are generally friendly and will come up to the cage door to check you out. Let them sniff your hand. They may jump back if you bump their whiskers with your hand. Their whiskers are their “seeing radar”. Don’t put your fingers near their mouth, fingers may smell like food. Young bunnies may lack confidence and hang back. Don’t take it personally. Ask the owner to take one out of the cage and place on a piece of carpet or on a grooming table. This is better than trying to hold them, that comes later. Right now you both can get a good look at each other. Now you can inspect that its’ eyes are clear and bright, its’ fur clean and no nasal discharge. Have the owner turn the bunny over to inspect that its’ teeth are correctly aligned (top teeth closing over bottom teeth). Now is a good time to check that it has a clean bunny butt. Have them show you the sex, if it is a buck or a doe. On very young bunnies, mistakes can happen and if you have your heart set on a boy (buck) or a girl (doe), find out now. Don’t choose a rabbit solely on it being a “baby to bond” with. Many adult rabbits are just as bondable and loving. The benefit of an adult rabbit is that by that time they have developed a steady personality and are more comfortable with people and handling. The breeder can tell you much more about a particular rabbit to help determine if it is a better fit for you and your lifestyle. If they are youngsters, they may not have been handled a lot. Easy Does It At any age it is important that your rabbit is picked up and held properly to feel safe and secure. Never pick up a rabbit by the scruff of the neck, they are not kittens. Never pick them up by their ears. Yes, sadly some folks do. Always have the rabbit facing you when picking it up. If he is back to and you try to pick him up, he will pull away and learn to evade you. The more times they get away from you, the harder they will be to pick up the next time. Not only are they are a creature of habit but you are actually teaching them that they can evade you. Now comes the somewhat tricky part of picking them up. Don’t worry, this gets better with practice. Place one hand under and behind the front legs. Scoop up the hindquarters with your other hand. Bring the bunny to your chest and rest the hindquarters in your palm. Move your hand from under the front legs to across its’ back over the shoulders. If you are holding a rabbit and it panics, tuck its’ head between your side and inside your arm. Think football. Once its’ head and eyes are covered, it will feel safe. Think ostrich. Continue supporting the hindquarters, don’t let them dangle. When putting a bunny back into the cage, always put it in hindquarters first. That way it won’t leap forward when seeing the doorway. Time to Learn More If you find your “soul bunny”, ask if he/she has any quirks or favorite toys or treats. Find out the brand name and protein % they’ve been fed. Be sure to ask for a baggie to tide you over until you buy some. If you have to switch to another grain, do so gradually, mixing 50/50 old to new. Treats are not necessary, but fun for both of you. Feed treats SPARINGLY, as in “Gone in 60 Seconds”. Otherwise it is a meal and not a treat. Never feed cabbage or broccoli (too gassy), lettuce (too watery), or you will have a very sick rabbit who may not recover. Rabbits have sensitive stomachs and cannot vomit. Research other no-no’s. Generally just grain, good quality hay and water are all they need. The treat thing is mainly in our human heads. Patience is a Virtue When first getting home, give the rabbit some quiet time to adjust to the new home. Keep other pets away for now. Introduce slowly, carefully and always supervised. No offense but some cats and dogs are basically predators at heart. They may be good with children and adults but that might not be the case with a rabbit. At the very least, even if gentle, they can be scary to a rabbit that’s never been exposed to them. Don’t do a lot of handling the first day or two. Open the cage door and allow the rabbit to check you out. Be Patient. You both have plenty of time to get to know each other. Home to Roam Some folks are able to set up a playpen or safe area for their rabbits to exercise. Even just sitting on the floor with them creates exercise time and getting to know you better on their turf. They love to explore and you will see how inquisitive they are. “Bunny Proof” the areas by removing chewable hazards like electrical cords and plants. Insert plugs in electrical outlets. Block tight spaces that they can hide or get underneath like couches and chairs. YOYO – You’re On Your Own That about covers it! Pick your “Bunny Soul-mate” and Have Fun! Eastern Maine RBA held their show 11/12/2022. I went to see rabbit folks that I haven't seen for the past three years. It was a well-attended show. With not having bred much this past year I had nothing to show, so a pretty relaxed day for me, no early morning loading up carriers.
It did feel a bit weird, like I was forgetting something. I was hoping it would inspire some enthusiasm on my part to get back on the show road. Now if I can just convince the does to help make that happen. Maine still has limited activity with clubs as one has folded, two are pretty much inactive. Basically Eastern Maine RBA and Cumberland County RBA are the only two having shows, other than York County's August fair show. Once the holidays are behind us and the New Year rolls around, people will get back on track. If you are interested in resurrecting the rabbit show industry in Maine, join a club or become active in the clubs. There are very few worker bees in rabbit clubs, just as there are in any other organization. No prior experience is necessary, you likely already have your own special skills to contribute. If you aren't interested in showing but just want to keep or raise a few rabbits, clubs are still a good source of information. Not everyone belonging to a club even show their rabbits. They just enjoy having them while still wanting to learn better care, health, housing and tips. Rabbits aren't the same as owning cats and dogs. There are plenty of people to talk to about cats and dog. You can find other rabbit people who "get it" when you want to talk about rabbits or have questions. Helping in the clubs is your free gateway to rabbit knowledge gained through other people's experience. There is much to be learned from other rabbit folks. Not everything is in books or the internet, nor is it backed by experience or facts. Take advantage and do some "brain picking" when working side by side with others. Both Eastern Maine RBA and Cumberland County RBA have a Facebook presence. Check them out. Not a lot has been going on at Blackberry Farm Rabbitry since only 3 shows have happened in the past 28 months. My main purpose of breeding Holland Lops is to improve the breed and create show quality animals, share them with other breeders and enjoy showing them. Only but a few litters have been born during 2+ years. I don't breed to create and market pets. Sure, most litters have some pet quality bunnies as not everyone is a Miss or Mr. America. For those bunnies, I'll find good homes.
Unfortunately, due to the Covid shutdown, a flood broke out in the rabbit industry. A whole bunch of bored, mostly young and inexperienced rabbit "raisers" flowed in. I won't even call them rabbit "breeders" as all they were interested in was to make money off these mass-produced bunny mills. They weren't trying to improve any particular breed. They mixed breeds together getting as many babies to sell as quickly as possible. What helped create this was the Perfect Storm of lonely and bored homebound folks who decided to get a pet. Not everyone was able or wanted to get a dog or cat. Either housing, cost or degree of responsibility dictated getting a smaller animal like a rabbit. Suddenly the price of pet rabbits increased threefold or more. I'd even heard of a person selling $350.00 litterbox trained Hollands. The old Supply versus Demand. Misinformation abounded either perpetrated by social media or by each other. Sometimes they'd post on a rabbit Facebook group for advice as simple as providing a nest box for a doe to deliver in. Worse, they often didn't take advice from experienced rabbit breeders, wanting only to hear what they wanted to hear or what they'd already decided in their head. Raisers were selling much too young baby rabbits because let's face it, smaller and cute sells. Maine State law requires rabbits not be sold prior to 8 weeks of age. People would post photos of 3-week-old babies no matter the breed or what size they will actually mature at. Sure, they are cute as all heck. Cute sells and extremely small sells even better! If these sellers were "reminded" of the 8-week law, they simply pivoted to taking "deposits" (non-refundable) on said 3-week old's. They'd hold them until the 8-week minimum but if you didn't pick them up right then you'd lose your deposit or have to pay for "boarding" with yet another deadline and no refund. These raisers would mix breeds indiscriminately not caring about a particular breeds physical structure, characteristics or consequences of breeding two totally different breeds together. Some advertised their creations as some special hybrid or teacup bunnies. In the Holland breed in particular they brought in the Blue-Eyed White gene creating mismarked colored rabbits because the mismarks sell even better. It's got crazier. They brought in other unrecognized colors of Harlequins and Tri-color. The photos of their For Sale "Hollands" no longer resembled a Holland Lop. Their long ears and bodies, narrow and misshapen heads no longer held true what a Holland Lop rabbit even was. To a true Holland Lop breeder it was like fingernails on a chalkboard to see these pitiful bunnies listed as a purebred Holland. Everything sold on this planet has its' "Peak season", whether strawberries in summer, President's Day car sales, pumpkins in October. Pet rabbit sales have always been spring or the dreadful Easter frenzy. Now that we are well past the shutdown, the pet market has been flooded, pet rabbit prices have calmed down, pet owners are relinquishing their Covid time pets, winter is on its way... What is happening? Suddenly these rabbit raisers are abandoning ship. Not only are they selling what they have at lowered prices, they are giving away for free these animals that they can no longer make money off of. I doubt but a few will even keep one single pet rabbit for themselves after singing the praises of rabbit ownership to the public for the past two years while stuffing their wallets. Can you tell that I've kept this pent up for quite some time? Sorry to vent but I guess you could say this is a "Pet Peeve" of mine. To my pet buyers who have been caring and wonderful with their Blackberry Farm bunnies I THANK YOU! This is not directed at you. You've been wonderful to listen to my advice, answered the 10 questions list, visited in person, looked over the bunnies and kept in touch. The wonder of it is that most often the bunny choses you!! Take care! Now a Lifetime Membership to the American Rabbit Breeders Association. A member since 1984, surely I deserve it! It'll be nice not to send in a yearly check.
WORX WG050 Aerocart 8-in-1 Yard Cart - I'm tired, just reading all the things it can do. You can even get a snowplow attachment for the front if pushing the wheelbarrow through snow!
After having the Holland Lops for over 36 years and accomplished just about everything I've ever imagined, it is time to slowly go out of raising them. Of course the old timers will stay until they go to bunny heaven. With no rabbit shows since February 2020, it seems like I'm already out of rabbits. My main purpose was to love and enjoy them and that is what I've been doing since. I've always enjoyed them just as much at home as at a show.
As they say, "All good things must come to an end". I've enjoyed the rabbits, traveling to different parts of the U.S. and making many, many friends over the years. My first American Rabbit Breeders Convention was in 1986 in Columbus, Ohio. Since then I've gone to ARBA conventions in Tampa, Indianapolis, Pomona, Seattle, Portland, OR, Wichita, Grand Rapids, Louisville, Minneapolis, San Diego, Ft. Worth, Peoria, W. Springfield, Providence, and Harrisburg. Several of those places more than once. Though most of the time was spent in the showrooms, I did get to see parts of the country that otherwise I would not have. Spending time with folks from just about every State in the country and a few from overseas. My rabbits have gone to homes all over the States and one handsome show buck went to Thailand. I've been involved with many clubs from local to national and that work, besides the rabbits, has been rewarding as well. It teaches you a little bit about business and a lot about people. Don't worry, mostly good. I've enjoyed doing this blog, though have failed miserably on keeping it up these past couple of years. If you delve into the Archives I'm sure you will find a few valuable nuggets of info to use for your own rabbit experience. I plan to do a little bit more breeding as the ruby eyed white project was restarted late 2019. I'd like to see that go further along. Though it seems finding a good pet home for the REW's is harder as some folks don't like the ruby eyes. Just remember people, a good bunny is not a color, it is simply a good bunny! And that goes for you colorblind show rabbit people too! Way in the back is a sablepoint along with these four Ruby Eyed Whites. Mom is BBF's Shady Lady a Siamese Sable doe. Dad is Ruby eyed White, Sibling's Comet.
What works well for placing in a plastic dog kennel when transporting bunnies is a Dish Drying mat. They are easy to use and easier to clean than a small rug. It provides better footing on the plastic bottom than hay or shavings. You can use them for a grooming mat and as a lap cushion. Cheap to buy and replace!
Another nifty thing you can do with them is find omeone who does computerized embroidery that can personalize it with your rabbitry/farm name or your pet's name. They also make great awards! Those Halo tangerine wooden crates work well to contain kits out of the way while you do some interim nestbox cleaning. At the age they are out of the nestbox more than in but still like to sleep/nurse in the box, they can “graduate” to a tangerine crate. Makes for more room in the cage and it also has a lower threshold for exiting and entering. It helps keep their feet off the cold wire and gives them a container to pig-pile in.
Also be sure to check nestboxes daily and remove any expired kits as they will chill the live ones. If you have to bring nestboxes into your home at nighttime due to worry about them getting out and freezing on the wire, a copy paper box works well. Hope some of these ideas will work for you. Stay warm! Slippery manure pile wooden ramps can be combated with nailing down asphalt shingles to give wheelbarrow and boots something to grip.
Microwavable cloth rice bags wrapped inside a dish towel and placed in or under a nestbox can heat it up quickly for kits. Do not use it to heat the kits themselves, use it only to heat the nestbox! Newborns cannot regulate their body heat or move away from the heat source. Don’t cook them! You can also keep some shavings in the house instead of just the rabbitry. The shavings in the winter rabbitry are cold and not appreciated by the heat seeking babies and can chill them. Very important is water availability. No drinking means no eating and quick dehydration. Keep 2 water dishes per rabbit and swap out a.m. and p.m. or remove the ice each time. A rubber mallet on the back/sides of the heavier plastic dishes or hot water pops ice out.
Make sure to stock up on hay and grain in case bad weather prevents a trip to the feed store or even the feed store’s delivery being delayed. An extra bag or two doesn’t hurt. A kid’s plastic sled or those flat tubs used to mix concrete make for an easier delivery from vehicle to rabbitry. If arms are full you won’t see where the slippery ice and snow is underfoot. Good for all year round is your local electricity provider’s phone app that notifies when the power goes out and when it is expected to be restored. I'll restart my blog with some Wintertime Rabbit Keeping Care Tips, Hope you find them helpful!
Keeping airflow exchanges going thru the rabbitry, even in wintertime New England is important. A “buttoned up” rabbitry in the winter can cause respiratory issues. During summer months we run a fan in the front louver from 8 am to 10 pm. In winter months we vent the front louver as needed. The back louver fan goes 24/7 except during continued extreme cold. I should note our rabbitry has heat that kicks on at 47 degrees. Heated or not, you do need some airflow. Speaking of airflow, to keep odor down in litter pans or floor area, Odo-Ban works well. A gallon jug costs about $10.00 and goes a long way. You can find this at Lowe's or Home Depot in the household cleaner section. Dilute a few ounces in a large spray bottle of water. After emptying and hosing off a litter pan, let it air dry, then spray the pan before adding clean shavings. It has been awhile since I posted anything but life can sure get busy and quick. I still have the Hollands but had taken a break in raising them last summer. I've started in again, as evidenced by the litter above. A surprise of color with Siamese Sable, Ruby-eyed White and Smoke Pearl. I hope to get the Ruby Eyed White gene back into the herd. I've always enjoyed them and good to see those bright white bunnies out there again.
Something new - I will be writing quarterly articles for Mainely Ag newspaper about rabbits. The newspapers are about all types of livestock and happenings in the State of Maine. You can find them for free in some feed stores around the State or you can subscribe to it for just $10. a year and get it delivered to your door. Clubs are still struggling to recruit new members who will help out us "oldsters" in putting on shows. People sure enjoy attending rabbits shows but the help is sometimes lacking. Whether you belong to a club or not, offer a helping hand at a show, even for a short half hour. It will be appreciated! I did attend the February CCRBA show taking just four Hollands. I had two solid senior bucks, plus one I sold in November was shown. All 3 bucks placed in the Top 5 in both shows. Of course, "Sell the Best and Keep the Rest" motto kicked in and the one I sold took Best of Breed. It's littermate sister took Best Opposite Sex. The Solid Senior Doe and the Broken Senior Doe won their classes in the first show and came in 2nd in the second show. So it was definitely worth going with just 4 rabbits. Had a good time at the Cumberland Winter Show. I didn't have any juniors to show as they aren't quite old enough. So took a few seniors to get a chance to catch up with other exhibitors I've not seen for a while. As Hollands were judged last in the second show there was plenty of time to talk.
There weren't a lot of Hollands but enough breeders to receive grand champion legs and check out other breeders stock. Barry showed me a beautiful chinchilla junior buck from his doe and Thistle. His color project is going great. Jessica is coming along with some nice juniors as well. In the first show, SSB "BBF's Top Hat" took the Solid Senior Buck class and Best of Breed. The SSD (sold before judging to Jessica) took Best Opposite Solid. BBF's Top Hat's littermate sister, a Broken Senior Doe, "BBF's Tippy Top" won Best Broken and Best Opposite of Breed. Each got a GC leg. In the second show, Tippy Top again took Best Opposite of Breed giving her a third leg as she'd won Best of Breed at the Cumberland Fair show last Sept. as a junior. I love her short ears, super full butt and great fur. Here is a photo of Tippy Top relaxing in her cage after the show. Quite satisfied with herself. She got her name from her ears being "Tipped" in white and her mom Topsy (on the Doe page), hence Tippy Top. Saw the commercial on TV for the new "Peter Rabbit" movie so of course had to go online to see the trailer. It looks pretty cute. Make sure you check it out. There are several different trailers, some on YouTube. Looks good for some bunny laughs.
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AuthorHoping to share the rabbitry happenings & thoughts. Also HINTS that I hope will help you and your rabbits.
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