Back to Breeding

So, winter's finally coming to an end...sort of.  Anyway, three days ago, I bred my Velveteen Lop female Lilac with my Velveteen Lop male Francis.

Then yesterday, I bred my English Lop female Ragnara with my Velveteen Lop male Brody.  And my 'meat mix' female Saffron with my 'meat mix' male Chuck.

I did get pictures of Francis with Lilac, but memory cards got switched around and I can no longer find them.  And yesterday, we were in a rush, so I was unable to get pictures of either Brody and Ragnara or Saffron and Chuck.

But...this is more of an 'update' post then anything else.  And I'm debating whether to breed 3 more females this coming week, or wait a week....because the breeding season is coming back :)

I have to get a routine going like I had last year.  It worked really well, so I'd like to set up something similar again this year.  The only problem? It's still fairly cold out...and I don't know how the weather's going to be the end of March when these babies will be born.  And I don't want it to be too cold for them.

So we'll see.  The three I bred are currently in our basement, so they will be warm enough.  But I'm not sure when to start the one's outside.  Because you also have to worry about the males who are outside.  If it's too cold and you try to breed them, the male will be unable to successfully mate with the female.

But looking at this weeks weather...hopefully we'll be on the up and ups to warmth in no time! :)

Last Summer

So this past summer, I went through a LOT of bunnies.  And obviously, I'm not talking about the babies...because we literally had hundreds.  But I'm specifically talking about adult rabbits.  Now, I had to readjust some things.

Most of the rabbits I got for free, then sold.  But some I had already had and decided I would sell them.  So here they are now...

Honey 

GG 

Achilles 

Rhett 

Pocahontas 

Malaguena 

Not named 

Two Dwarfs, not named 

Livi 

Flint

Piccolo 

Peanuts 

Honey, but she looks just like Mara (her sister) who also found another home

Juliet 

Opal 

Lippy 

Olaf 

Calypso 

Snuggles 

Arrow

Bubbles

Harley 

Franz 

MJ

Kringle 

Sprinkles 

Kris

Elsa 

Benjamin

I tried really hard to make sure I got everyone...didn't miss any of them.  If I accomplished that - I really don't know.  But I really hope I did! So, if I missed one, I really didn't mean to.  I try to remember all the bunnies I've had, as each one brought a little more joy into my life, even if I only had them for a short time :)

Pocahontas

So...my dear Pocahontas passed away a week or so ago.  She had gotten sick months ago and had her ups and downs.  Before we got all this snow, I was able to give her lots of dandelions which REALLY helped her out.  But then the snow came and I was unable to give them to her...and she started going back down hill. 

So anyway, she passed away one evening.  Now, she was the one who bit my hand and ate the flesh she took...but she was an awesome breeder and an exceptional mother to her litters.  Plus, she was sisters to Malaguena (who I no longer have) and Ruby.  Their mother was Angel.  Angel was from my first litter ever...LE and Oreo were the dam and sire. 

So LE and Oreo had my 3 females, Dadooshka, Pumpkin, and Angel.  Well, when we had that bear come through, Angel had a heart attack and died.  She had an entire litter of young babies she left behind.  And from that litter, was Malaguena, Ruby and Pocahontas.  So we brought them into the house where we bottle fed them for MONTHS! 

And well, now only Ruby's left.  But she's a real sweet heart.  So, it was neat how I had her...even if she did have a bit of an attitude.  But once again, she was a good mother, and that's very important when you're trying to raise up rabbit.

Rabbit Meds

So, here are a few things I personally use for my bunnies, that you might be interested in checking out.

Now, this first picture of VetRx is something I purchased a few months ago.  Now, luckily all my rabbits have been extremely healthy, so I haven't really had the chance to use it yet, but this stuff is for rabbits with colds, sniffles, or weepy eyes.  

It comes in a plastic bottle with easy ability to drop small amounts.  You can either add to a q-tip and apply where your rabbit needs assistance, or you can add a small amount to their water.  I've added it to a few of my rabbits waters, and they're all healthy and happy :) And this is fairly cheap at $10 a bottle. 

Then below is something I've used a LOT! And when I mean a lot, I mean a LOT.  However, this is definitely not cheap...by any means.  

When I bought this (which was at least a year ago!) it was a little over $40.  But I'm still using it and it's saved countless of my bunnies lives.  This stuff is amazing! It doesn't matter what they have, add some of this to their water and they'll be better in no time! (At least, that has been my experience with it)

Now, above is pictured Amber Technology's 'Immune Support'.  This is what I have.  However, they have TONS to choose from, all ranging from ear mites to well...the immune system! You can check out their site here: https://ambertech.com/  While they are more expensive, they are completely worth it! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who owns a rabbit! AND, they're completely NATURAL!!! :) They use essential oils and herbs to create this stuff.  It's fantastic! 

Since rabbits naturally live off of grasses and leaves, this makes them perfect candidates when using herbs or essential oils :)  So having said that, you should check out their site.  I find myself using it constantly! It gets the sick bunnies better and keeps the healthy ones healthy :) 

Rabbit Nose

Many people don't know this, but almost 90% of a rabbits breathing is done purely through their nose.

That being said, this is why it's so dangerous when a rabbit gets the sniffles.

If they mainly breath through their nose, and their nose gets all stuffed up, you're going to end up with a very sick bunny.

Now, when a rabbit wiggles it's nose, this is body language.  Because their nose is wiggling, doesn't mean they are breathing quickly.  Just like if their nose isn't wiggling, this doesn't mean they have stopped breathing either.

Basically, the more relaxed a bunny is, the more it's nose will wiggle.  A terrified rabbit almost never wiggles it's nose.

Often times, people have their rabbits indoors with them.  A relaxed bunny may watch you doing something.  As they become more interested in what you're doing, their nose wiggling may increase. Along with this action, they will probably raise one ear in their curiosity.

Now sometimes, your rabbit will be wiggling their nose, then suddenly stop.  This could be they suddenly feel frightened, confused, unsure, or maybe they're just so happy, they've even past the point of wiggling their nose :)

Rabbit Eyes

Rabbit eyes, unlike their ears, are not as good with picking up things.  They don't have the best eye sight.  This is why their ears are so good at hearing, to make up for what they lack with their vision.

Now, rabbits actually have 3 eye lids.  No, not 3 sets of lids, just 3 lids per eye.

They have their 'normal' eye lids.  Similar to humans, it's the lid on top and the lid on bottom which open and close as the rabbit blinks.

Then, their third lid is the interesting one.  The third lid comes from the front of the eye and when the rabbit blinks, goes across the eye, all the way to the other side, then back into the front corner.  This lid is what lubricates the actual eye ball.

Now, sometimes, if their is a lot of dust or hay particles floating around, they can clog up your bunny's third lid, making it weepy or even swollen.  I've found eye drops do the trick.  A few drops per day really help flush all the bad stuff out nice and quickly.  Now, there are lots of eye issues your rabbit can get, but this is one I feel most likely to happen.

It's something that can easily arise as fast as it can easily be taken care of.  And since bunnies eat hay all the time, it's something very likely that will happen.  

Rabbit Ears

 Rabbit ears.  The thought of their ears normally isn't much.  When we think of rabbit ears (or any ears, for that matter), you instantly think of hearing.  Ears are what allow bunnies (and everything else) the ability to hear.

And while this is an extremely important function...rabbit ears do a little more than just that.

A rabbit's body temperature is regulated by their ears.  This is crucial information for anyone who owns a bunny.

If your rabbit is too hot, you can mist cool water on the outside of their ears, helping to cool them down.  If your rabbit is too cold, you need to warm their ears up.  If a rabbit gets frostbite on it's ears...your bunny's chances aren't good.

This is why it's important to know.  These tips can literally save your bunny's life.

Now, a rabbit's hearing is extremely sensitive.  They can hear things from great distances away.  This is because of their large ears.  Now, there obviously are breeds such as the Lops, which means their ears go down.  But for the most part, rabbits ears go straight up.  When a rabbit is listening, they can turn their ears in almost any direction, allowing them to fully focus on any noise. 

They also communicate a lot through the use of their ears.  Here are a few examples:

1) Ears Straight Up - this means the rabbit is on high alert.  If it's eyes also appear a bit bulged when this happens, you should give your rabbit some space.  Eye bulged along with ears straight up means your rabbit is terrified.  In this state, your bunny might easily bit, thinking it needs to protect itself.

2) Ears Laid Back - this means your bunny is totally relaxed/trusting.  Since ears up means it's listening/on alert, if both ears are flat back, the rabbit clearly feels safe being with you.  You therefore, pose no threat, allowing the rabbit to completely relax and put it's guard down.

3) One Ear Up, One Ear Down - this means your bunny is more curious then anything else.  The ear down, represents it feels safe, but the one ear up represents it's still a little unsure or interested in what's going on.  If you take a rabbit into an area it's never been before, it will probably do this.  It will feel safe being with you, but curious to all the new sounds it now hears. 

There you go, a little bit on information on the complexity of rabbit ears and how they can correlate to their behavior.

No Velveteens

So...my Velveteen Lop female, Lily had 12 babies and today they would have turned 10 days old.

However, day after day, Lily killed off her babies.  First, she started by eating one each night.  After a day or so, she stopped feeding all of them.

I mixed up some formula and fed - along with stimulating - each baby.  I don't know why, but she saw they were being fed and then began feeding them herself.  But, she kept eating one a night.

A few days ago, she was down to 3 babies.  One baby was really fat and healthy.  The other two were being fed, but not as much.

So I was heading out the door one morning to go to class, and saw she'd eaten from the bottom of the rib cage down on the one baby...who was now dead.

Instead of taking it out (like I'd done with all the others), I left it in...hoping if she wanted more, she would finish that one and not kill another.

Oh - and keep in mind we never let her food bowl go empty.  She was also getting extra protein from the special food we bought her.  Her water dish was never empty either...she had everything she needed and no reason to eat her babies.

Then the next morning, the top half of the one baby was still there...but she'd killed the second baby, slicing it across the throat and down it's back.  I was devastated.

In one last attempt to save the single remaining baby, we separated him from Lily right after a feeding/stimulating.  This morning I went to check on him.  He had died during the night.  And because he was under a heat lamp...he inflated like a water balloon.  It was horrifying, heart-wrenching, and to me - very unexpected.

Why would I tell you this and leave in those details which make you think rabbits are evil mothers who care nothing for their babies and just love to kill them in their sleep? The answer is this - rabbits go off of instinct.  She wasn't 'killing for the thrill'.  She can't do that.  It's impossible.

But with many rabbits, their first litter comes and they don't know what to do...at all.  But almost every single time, after the first bad experience, rabbits learn from their mistakes and become really awesome, attentive mothers!

So with something as horrifying and disastrous as something like this...it doesn't make her a bad mother.  It doesn't make rabbits bad mothers.  It's part of the circle of life.

Now, if she has a second litter and treats them the same way, then yes, she's a horrible mother.  But I'm keeping my hopes up that she, like many other first time rabbit moms, just didn't know what to do, but will learn from this litter and become a good mother to her next.

So if you're raising rabbits and end up with a situation like this, don't be discouraged! Yes, it's sad, no doubt about it.  It's painful to experience as you feel so horribly for those babies.  But it's part of life and your female will almost definitely learn from this and do a much better job the next litter.

So consequently...there will be no Velveteen Lops in my near future.  And Lilac didn't take, so we'll see.  I'm still trying to decide how to move on from here.

Spoiled Rotten

So I sold a bunny to some people a week or so ago.  The bunny I sold them was actually the grey, female, single maned Lion Head I had gotten in payment for a stud fee.  

The other day, the family sent me a few pictures of the bunny!

So she basically has free-run of the house :)

And only uses her litter pan...

...and even has her own little bed! :)  

I'll use a small bit of her email to show exactly what she said, "We named her Flo and she is doing amazing! Spoiled rotten! She is fully litter trained. Because she is litter trained she spends hours out of her cage each day. Thanks for an amazing bunny!" - C.S.

This isn't the first time I've gotten feed back/pictures...so I'm thinking of adding a new tab at the top to put 'testimonials'.  We shall see :)