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! |
AuthorHoping to share the rabbitry happenings & thoughts. Also HINTS that I hope will help you and your rabbits.
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