Rockin W Rabbits

IF YOU COME ACROSS A RABBIT NEST:

     Rabbits "hide their nests in plain view" often putting them in the open, for example in the middle of the lawn, as well as in brush piles and long grass.  If you find a nest that has been disturbed, do all you can to restore and protect it rather than bring the babies inside.  If a dog has discovered the nest, you can put a wheelbarrow over it so that the mother can get to it but the dog cannot.  You can also protect the nest with a wicker laundry basket with a hole cut in it for the mother to enter.

     Nests can be moved to a safer place up to 10 feet away from the original site and can be reconstructed if necessary.  To make a new nest, dig a shallow hole about 3" deep and put into it as much of the original material as you can recover, including the mother’s fur.  Add dried grass as needed, and put the young back.  Mother rabbits return to the nest to nurse only one or two times a day, staying away as much as possible so as not to attract predators.  To determine if the mother is returning, create a tic-tac-toe pattern over the nest with twigs.  Wait 24 hours to see if the twigs have been moved.  If they have, then the mother is coming back.

Very young babies with eyes closed and ears back rarely survive in captivity, so it is very important to determine whether or not the babies really need your help.  See if the babies seem warm and healthy or cold, thin and dehydrated.  To test for dehydration, gently pinch the loose skin at the back of the neck.  If it stays in a "tent," then the baby is dehydrated and needs rehabilitation.  Another test is to stroke the genital area to stimulate elimination.   If the pee is brown and gritty, the mother rabbit has not been there to help the babies urinate.  The brown, gritty urine is toxic and the babies must be cared for.

     Older babies who are found outside of the nest may not be orphaned or in need of assistance.  Babies are born without fur but develop a full coat in a week.  Their eyes open in 6-10 days and in three weeks they are weaned.   At this age they are about as round as a banana and they may leave the nest to explore but return there to sleep.  To determine if a bunny this age needs help, perform the same dehydration and urine tests.  Also look for bleeding, convulsing, fly larvae, broken limbs.

IF YOU FIND AN INJURED RABBIT:

     The best thing you can do for an injured bunny is to get in touch with a skilled wildlife rehabilitator.  You can call the local humane shelter or animal control for a referral or contact the Department of Environmental Conservation.   You can also visit Rabbit Vets USA for a referral.

So you want to get a rabbit?

Well here are some tips for first timers that we have learned over the years of raising rabbits. If you take our advice and tips you are on your way to a happy rabbitry!

 Go to a rabbit show so that you can see all the different breeds of rabbits. See how large the adults get before buying a young rabbit.. it may grow to 25lbs!

 Talk to the breeders, we found that rabbit breeders are very friendly and will guide you in the best direction.

 Buy the best that you can afford. Starting with the best stock will pay off when it comes time to breed and develop a line of your own. Be willing to wait for good stock, patience pays off too!

 Keep a clean hutch, water bowls or bottles, and fresh feed. Do not overfeed your rabbits. Always keep clean water for your rabbit.

 Handle your rabbit everyday. This way you can see if something is wrong with your rabbit and catch it before you rabbit gets ill. Also, handling makes the rabbit use to people and this helps if you are going to show it.

 Keep your rabbits cool in summer by using frozen water bottles and a piece of tile in their cage. Overheating causes death quickly in rabbits. Never put your rabbit in the sun for any length of time.

 Keep your rabbit out of the wind and rain in the winter. Rabbits can handle most low temperatures, but not if they get wet or have a strong north wind blowing on them all night! Stuff hay in the cage so they can burrow in it to keep warm.

 Keep a radio in the barn going so that the rabbits are use to noise when they go to shows that they have to be there overnight. This keeps their stress level lower.

Feed your rabbits Timothy hay or coastal hay once a week, this keeps roughage in their diet and helps them with digestion.

Grass and wild food – Never give your rabbit lawn mowings, as this can ferment in the stomach leading to death.  Pull fresh grass from areas that are free from weed killers, pesticides and other animals’ droppings.  Do not collect grass from roadsides or any area that might be contaminated by pollutants.

 Become involved in your local 4-H or FFA group. Also become a member of ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association), your state rabbit club and breed specialty club. The people involved in these clubs are always willing to help and give advice with any problems or questions.

    All breeds have standards that the judges go by to judge the breeds.  If you are going to show rabbits you need to purchase the book, Standard of Perfection.  This is the ARBA rule book.  It is very wise to buy this book BEFORE you purchase your show stock. It will tell you what judges are looking for in each breed.

      If you are going to get a dutch rabbit to show, they are judged on markings as well as type, coat condition and overall appearance.  Here are some markings that you will want to be aware of when looking for show quality stock.  "Fault" is in reference to a deduction of points.  Please notice that different rabbits are used to show different good and bads of a Dutch.

It is VERY HARD to breed the PERFECT MARKED DUTCH 

This Steel Dutch had a good overall body type, nice head,

                shoulders and roundness to body.

This Dutch has good depth. That is the height just in front of the hip area. Be

careful that the shoulders don't dip down then the rise, you want a nice even rise

              This Dutch has nice round cheek circles

 This Dutch has "hooked" cheeks, this is only a fault and not a disqualification

This Dutch has a clean neck, meaning the white goes into a "V" between the ears,

anything else is just a fault.  This Dutch also has a straight saddle. Jags or bias

in saddle are faults.

Where the color "stops" and the white begins on a Dutch is called "the stops"

This should be straight across, these are "bias" stops because they are slanted.

This again is only a fault.

 

More Lessons to come.............