ABC Blogging

Rabbit X-rays

August 6, 2019 By Annette1 4 Comments

I needed to think for a while on what to do for x. I thought of all the obvious x things like excellent rabbits, extra information and so forth, but nothing really set. Then I thought of a rabbit app I have on my phone which led me to wanting to chat about rabbit x-rays.

Visible Bunny

The Visible Bunny is a sanitized internal look at the inner workings of a rabbit. By sanitized I mean they don’t actually show you are real rabbit, but drawings that show most of what makes up a bunny body.

They do a pretty good job at showing the major parts of a rabbit, the heart, lungs, rib cage etc. You can see each part individually or you can layer them so you can see how they lay inside your bunny.

Not only that you can view the entire rabbit, or take a closer look at three different parts of the rabbit’s anatomy.

I have found visible bunny to be a great introduction to introducing rabbit anatomy.

Actual Rabbits

If you ever need pictures of actual real rabbit anatomy contacting rabbit breeders will garner results for you. From people who painstakingly put together rabbit skeletons.

To those who will take pictures of rabbit innards (don’t look at the next picture if it will freak you out). Rabbit folks are generally happy to help you understand the animals that you are caring for. From head shots, chest shots, specific organs or like the image below, of a particular body system. Many vets don’t understand these wonderful little animals, so we need to depend on each other to care for them well. Sharing knowledge through pictures is a huge boon!

Helpful Resources

You may find the resources below helpful as you care for your bunnies.

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Letter X Link Up

Each week we will be linking up with the hosts of Blogging Through the Alphabet. Please visit some of these other blogs to get things like book lists, vegan recipes, and wonderful places to visit, just to name the topics I can think of off the top of my head.

Wide World of Rabbits

July 30, 2019 By Annette1 2 Comments

The domestic rabbit, as many people know, is a descendant of the European rabbit. A colony living, tunnel digging animal that establishes territory to raise their young. But did you know there is a whole wide world of rabbits? Let’s learn eh!

Classification

Rabbits are of the order Lagomorpha, commonly called lagomorphs. This order is made up of three families: Leporidae (rabbits and hares), Ochontonidae (30 species of pika) and Prolagidae (extinct branch of pika). Rabbits are Leporids of which there are 29 species across 10 genera. In all continents except for Antartica.

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Lagomorpha
Family:	Leporidae

Genus:

Pentalagus – Amami Rabbit, Japanese Rabbit
Bunolagus – Riverine rabbit, Karoo Desert, South Africa
Nesolagus – striped rabbits, 2 species, Southeast Asia
Romerolagus – Volcano Rabbit, Mexico
Brachylagus – Pygmy rabbit, USA
Sylvilagus – cottontails 17 species, North and South America
Oryctolagus – European rabbit, introduced to Americas, Australia
Poelagus – Bunyoro Rabbit, Central Africa
Pronolagus – rockhares, 3 species, Africa
Caprolagus – hispid hare, India, Nepal, Bangledesh

I’m going to talk a bit about a few of these rabbits.

Amami rabbit

Living on two small Japanese islands, these rabbits are a dark-furred rabbit, the only living remnants of an ancient breed of rabbit from Asia. They are part of the Pentalagus genus. Weighing from 4.5-6.5 lbs they are protected by the Japanese government. Less than 5,000 are known to exist in the wild. The Amami rabbit is an elusive, nocturnal rabbit.

Features such as small stocky limbs with over-sized claws and physical characteristics differing from other rabbits in such ways as smaller eyes/ears and a longer pronounced snout set the Amami rabbit aside from its relatives and make it easily distinguishable. (source)

Riverine rabbit

This is the only member of the Bunolagus genus. It is native to the Karoo desert in South Africa. It is a the typical brownish-grey of many wild rabbits.

The Riverine rabbit is easily recognizable by the long brown stripes in its facial fur that run from its mouth right round to the back of its ears. Among the features that define this rabbit include big flexible ears and large lumpy hind feet, the fur of …. is mostly light brown with the exception of the belly and neck which is usually a creamy colored fur. (source)

Females only have one kit per year, which has contributed to it being on the critically endangered list. It is a nocturnal rabbit. There are only about 250 left in the wild.

Pygmy Rabbit

With adults reaching 1 lb as adults, these are the world’s smallest rabbit. Located in Washington State and Idaho. They are an endangered species that are being captive bred and then released into the wild. Learn about their steps to recovery here.

Cottontails

These rabbits are a familiar site in most towns and countrysides in North America. A quick-moving, non-domesticated animal, cottontails build their nests as a small indent in the ground, just big enough to hold a litter of kits. A camouflaging grey-brown colour these lagomorphs are a garden pest, but always bring a smile to my face. 🙂

People often find a next of bunnies and wonder what to do since momma isn’t around. This video talks about what to do if you find a nest.

Striped rabbits

Two known species, the Sumatran Short-eared and the Annamite Striped. These rabbits are named for the region they are found in. They are striped rabbits! Go figure eh! I was so surprised. The Sumatran is smaller at 3ish lbs, the Annamite 4-6 lbs. These rabbits have stripes on their back half.

I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse of some of the wide world of rabbits. It’s amazing the differences between them isn’t it?

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Vetting Your Rabbits

July 23, 2019 By Annette1 4 Comments

I am a firm believer that if you have the knowledge and ability that you need to vet your own animals. This is assuming that you know when you NEED to take them to the vet. So how do you know? What can you do on your own? Let’s talk about vetting your rabbits.

Knowing When to Ask for Help

I grew up on a farm, I was well used to seeing my dad with a bottle of penicillin or some other medication, taking care of the cattle. He took care of our goats, rabbits and ponies too. BUT when he needed help: a cow with a rough calving, a bull with a broken leg, a calf who squished it’s head, a displaced uterus, and other problems that he needed help with. The vet was always just a phone call away. They would come out and lend a hand, dad would pay the bill, and off they’d go.

A needle couldn’t help a cow who needed her uterus placed back in, or with a calf turned wrong. A vet and their skill was needed.

It’s the same with any animal. Know your own skill level and then ask for help when the situation surpasses it.

What can a rabbit owner do?

There is a lot that a rabbit owner can treat.

Sometimes the treatment is to cull. Your goal should be the quick alleviation of pain and suffering. Letting an animal suffer when there is no hope is not acceptable.

Often the treatment is the judicious use of plants.

pumpkin seeds are a natural dewormer
thistles help with gut issues
oil in the ear to get rid of ear mites
diatomaceous earth takes care of fur mites
chives help with intestinal worms
Papaya helps with wool block

Over the counter medication is the solution other times. What you can and are able to use, depends on where you live and the rules surrounding medications. Sometimes you need to use meds labeled for cattle or chickens and just change the dosage amounts. This list is not exhaustive.

penicillin for vent disease
pepto bismol for diarrhea
ivermectin for blood sucking parasites
panacur for worms

Who to ask for help?

Good, rabbit-savvy vets are few and far between. When you find one… use them well! Help them to help you. My local vet will get me meds as long as I do the research and tell them exactly what I need. Not everyone is so fortunate.

So who do you talk to if you have no vet?

Part of vetting your rabbits is talking to other rabbit breeder people. I am part of two excellent groups for rabbits. One is Rabbittalk and the other is Backyard Rabbits. Backyard Rabbits is on facebook, go look them up. 🙂 Both groups help asking owners find solutions for their problems. There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to bunnies, and someone will be able to help you through it. Admittedly sometimes arguments happen, but that’s part of being in a community, folks have different experiences with what works and what is worth treating.

Going to pet rabbit boards has people only suggesting taking your rabbit to the vet, but sometimes it’s a place to learn new techniques that vets are now employing.

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U asked: questions about Rabbits

July 16, 2019 By Annette1 6 Comments

I was originally going to write “questions questions, let me answer your questions” a couple of weeks ago. But decided Quarantine better fit the letter q. So today for U I am undertaking the questions you have about rabbits. 🙂 Some of the questions asked could be a whole blog post in and of themselves… so watch out… I might just keep writing about rabbits when this alphabet series is done! 🙂

Where Should Rabbits Be Kept?

In a quick nutshell… rabbits should be kept in a place where

they are protected from the weather.
they can be fed and watered easily.
predators can not get at them

Indoors or outdoors it doesn’t matter as long as those criteria are met. Different temperatures and predators around the world affect how rabbits are kept. For instance, here in Ontario I don’t have to worry about fire ants. Further south, protecting rabbits from these tiny predators is highly important. Temperature, cold wind, domestic threats like dogs & cats, wild predators such as fox, coyote, weasel, ants, and snakes, along with unkind/thoughtless people, these are all things to protect rabbits from.

What breed is Easiest for Families with Children?

Doesn’t matter the breed so much as it matters about the bunny. Bunny temperament means far more than bunny breed. I’ve seen children delighted with a 20 lb flemish giant who was a gentle as a lamb, and children scared of a 2 lb netherland dwarf. Regardless of the breed rabbits can be easy going or … not. You don’t want the not.. so you need to ask the breeder what they look for in a rabbits temperament. Some breeders don’t care, others do. Asking good questions and actually LISTENING to the person you are buying from is best.

Time and again people only look at colour and rarely ask about personality. This weekend I sold two bunnies, she had a choice of four. She told me she wanted a calm. easy-going bunny, so I steered her toward the calmest, quietest, easiest handling baby. One who never got alarmed by anything. She went with my troublemaker. Troublemaker had an eye-catching colour and so went home with a girl, who let her emotions rule her purchase.

What breed is hardest for a novice?

This is a hard one to answer. So much depends on the novice. There are breeds that as a whole are easier, and breeds that as a whole tend to be more difficult. For instance I have no hesitation recommending holland lops. Great rabbits.. though I’ve owned a couple that deserved to be fed to another animal. Dutch, mini rex, polish, harlequin, most meat type buns make excellent first time bunnies as well. I used to raise Harlequin breed rabbits… sweetest rabbits EVER.

My son was really interested in Britannia Petite that he saw at a show but the breeder said NO, I don’t sell these to anyone under 16 years of age. They bite as naturally as breathing. Not the bunny for a novice. Three shows later she introduced me to ONE (out of the several she had) that didn’t nip. She said “he’s rock solid”. Lovely, lovely rabbit even if he would bounce out of her hands easily. Others that I would hesitate at would be mini satins, English spots, and Belgian hares. Overall they have less than stellar reputations, but you do find gems.

Which breeds of rabbits are best to raise for meat?

Before deciding on what breed you want for a meat rabbit you need to consider how much rabbit meat do you want?

Do you eat a lot of rabbit meat? Do you want to handle a 10-15 lb rabbit? Where more rabbits are culled for meat at around 5 lbs, their parents will be significantly larger. Are you able to handle a large rabbit? Rabbits such as New Zealand, Californian, Argente Brun, American Chinchilla, Silver fox and so forth would be breeds you would be looking for.

But perhaps you just want enough rabbit for one or two people, or you don’t want to handle a large rabbit but would rather have a smaller breed. Rabbit like dutch, mini rex, florida white, mini satin, harlequin etc would suit you better.

Meat rabbits range in size and weight from 5 – 15 lbs adult weight. What you purchase depends on how much meat you want from your rabbit and what size rabbit you are able to handle.

Either way, look for rabbits where the parents look like a half basketball set against a table. A nice smooth arch from head to tail when looking at the rabbit from the side. When looking down from the top the rabbit should be built like a brick. Avoid thin, racy, or lean rabbits. You want a nice chunky rabbit that will give you a good meal or two.

All in all though… work with what you can find and work your way up. Purchase new stock as you find better. Keep the best and eat the rest is the standard by which meat breeders live by. All rabbits will give you meat, the amount varies by the rabbit type. Rabbits built like a brick will give you more meat than rabbits that aren’t.

More ARBA recognized rabbit breeds.

What types of enrichment (toys) do bunnies like or need?

Toys, the best toys in my opinion are the ones you find for free! 🙂

Unpainted wicker baskets, golf balls, canning rings, cereal boxes, pits of dirt to dig in, cardboard box houses, and toys that make them think … picture lettuce leaves hung by clothes pins that they need to pick off.

Bunnies are odd… they might find a cat toy that is THEIR’s and they won’t share, or they could like nothing other than hopping around getting into mischief. I’ve known bunnies who have a wicker carrot they carry around, but any other wicker thing they demolish. Go figure?

Just make sure if you give them something to play with it is too small to get their head inside or so big they can get their entire body through easily.

Can you keep rabbits if you have a dander/pet allergy?

Allergies that I have run into as a breeder.

Cats… you are likely to be allergic to rabbits. THOUGH I have twice sold rabbits now to people allergic to cats/rabbits that were able to keep rabbits from my herd. Why? Haven’t a clue.
Hay. Don’t feed it. Purchase a pelleted hay (less dust) and if you want to give your rabbits another fibre source look into apple branches, black oil sunflower seeds, etc. But really… A GOOD pellet will give all the fibre your rabbit needs.
Bedding. Switch to a different cage style were you don’t need bedding, or figure out a different type of bedding. If you can’t do pine, consider paper bedding, peat moss, puppy pads, straw or hay, maybe even aspen? Some people use newspaper bedding. You’d need to do your research to discover what works best. Do not use cat litter.
Contact. It’s odd. I’ve sold three rabbits over the years to people who couldn’t touch their rabbit but enjoyed having a rabbit around. They used gloves and long sleeves to take the rabbit to groomers for nail trims or the vet for care. But otherwise managed to care for their rabbit without ever touching it.

Are there any reusable bedding options?

Not that I know of. There are several that compost easily and there are ways to limit the amount of bedding you use.

What kind of treats from your garden/fridge can you give your pet rabbit?

From your fridge: almost anything in moderation as long as it’s a vegetable. Some basics for you: No onions. Be careful with plants from the cabbage family as some rabbits will bloat. Limit carrots and other sweet vegetables. Push the dark greens, the leafy part of carrots, herbs, strawberry hulls etc. Don’t feed any nuts or fruit that comes with a nut in the centre.

Now, I have to say this.. I am not familiar with every vegetable, weed or fruit around. Do your research, there are safe rabbit food lists all around the web. There are weed identification sites for provinces and states. I’ve seen people feed things to rabbits I wouldn’t have thought of, OR been able to get my rabbits to eat, so there must be regional variations.

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Travelling with Rabbits

July 9, 2019 By Annette1 4 Comments

A couple of years ago a big stink was made by Animal Rights Activists at a rabbit show. This show was a multi-animal show with cats, dogs and other critters, but only the rabbits were targeted. The reason for the Activists upset? Travel cages for rabbits. So today I would like to talk with you about how to keep a rabbit safe while you are travelling. Travelling with rabbits is more than just putting them in a handy cardboard box.

What Rabbits Like:

Did you know that domesticated rabbits… so your California, Holland lop, Polish, Netherland Dwarf, New Zealand, French Lop etc breeds of rabbits … are all descended from European rabbits?

These rabbits naturally build underground dens, sorting out their territories from each other. They set about raising their young and keeping themselves safe. Since they burrow they are used to confined spaces where their feet are on the ground. Dark small spaces just big enough to turn around in. An important consideration to remember when travelling with rabbits.

Enter in the Need to Travel

I have to admit, this need to travel is generally not done because the rabbit asked for it. 🙂 But sometimes rabbits find themselves in situations where travel is necessary.

Reasons they might travel

they are finding a new home
they have to travel to the vet for medical
their owner wants to show them off at a rabbit show
they are therapy bunnies bringing comfort into the lives of others
they are wanting to be bred and the owner doesn’t have a buck
their family is going on vacation and want bunny to come along too
they are part of a rabbit education program
or a host of other reasons 🙂

How to Keep a Bunny Safe

Remember that bunnies actually like small enclosed spaces? I know, so unlike people eh? When bunnies travel from one place to another they should be in a small cage. Just like they make kennels for dogs and cats, or have dog friendly seatbelts, travel carriers are small to keep a bunny safe while on the road.

You will find them in a variety of styles.

Hard-sided kennels like you would use for a small cat or dog. A bunny can live in these for a couple of weeks with daily cleaning. Not ideal but possible.
Soft-sided kennels meant for short term transit. Bunnies can’t live in them because they have teeth and claws and a determined bunny could dig or chew their way clear.
Wire travel Carriers. These are most popular among rabbit breeders. They keep a rabbit very safe and secure while they travel.

Why Not Let Them Out?

This question comes up among concerned individuals. Once you are at a show, event, training exercise, why don’t you let the rabbits out into a bigger space?

Unlike with dogs or cats, rabbits often won’t share space. So if you are taking 30 rabbits to a show how do you take space along for ALL those rabbits? How do you keep those rabbits safe from those who want to bring along their dog to the rabbit show? Who are you looking to make happy.. the rabbit or the people watching?

Remember, rabbits LIKE small spaces. It’s one of the ways that you make them feel secure. The comfort and security of the bunny needs to come first don’t you think? Letting them stay in their own secure area also helps to protect them from random illnesses that other rabbits might carry. They can’t lick, touch or otherwise interact with rabbits from another herd.

https://www.amazon.com/All-Things-Bunnies-Carrier-Transport/dp/B078QQN9QL/ref=sr_1_52?keywords=show+rabbits&qid=1562648608&s=gateway&sr=8-52

Is There Room for Change?

Well, like with anything there is always room for improvement. The question is: What change?

Things to consider:

A frightened or surprised rabbit can panic and cause injury to itself. How does one prevent that?
Is the change to make people happy or the rabbit?
Can a easily transportable system be designed to give rabbits more room when no longer travelling? Time outside of their travel area? Would that area be safe from unexpected surprise ergo keeping the bunny safe?
Would any change be accepted by rabbit handlers?
Should the tried and true be changed just because animal activists can’t understand rabbit mindset and safety?

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Shelving Baby Rabbits

July 2, 2019 By Annette1 18 Comments

In Canada we have four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Rabbits, in case you didn’t know, can breed all year round. Caring for babies in the spring and fall is EASY. In the summer it’s pretty easy as long as you check on babies on those super hot days to make sure they aren’t fully covered in fur. There is usually no need to be shelving baby rabbits.

Winter on the other hand… shows the skills of your does. Will they have a large litter? Or will they cover their litters with enough fur? Perhaps they will jump cleanly in and out of the box? Sometimes, your does will need help. Helping a doe in the winter is as simple as shelving them.

What does Shelving Babies Mean?

Shelving babies means you take the babies away from mom. I leave them in their nestboxes, whereas others choose to have a nest of hay prepared for them. Regardless, you take the babies and you put them some place safe overnight. Where you put them depends entirely on your housing, predator issues, and the temperatures.

How I have Shelved Baby Rabbits

I have brought bunnies into the house… usually litters of three or less in the deep cold of winter. Putting them on the corner kitchen counter covered with a towel worked well. We now have voracious Miss Lizzy so this is less of an option for me.

There is an empty wood cage in the rabbitry that I have placed larger litters in overnight. I cover them with a towel to keep babies in their own boxes. In the cold of winter this works well as there are no predators about. But what could I do for the early and later winter times? How could I keep them safe from the odd possum and the neighbour’s idiot cat?

My solution: I made some shelving boxes. Three inexpensive rubbermaid-type bins, clear so I could easily see the kits, with lockable lids.

Building Shelving Boxes

I made three boxes in total, each a bit different as I figured out what would work best. I allowed a couple of them to “accidentally” fall in such a way that I would break a corner off a lid. This allows extra heat to vent. The rest was just some holes drilled in at different levels.

It’s a balancing act right? You want the babies safe in their boxes for the night where they will stay warm, and yet you can’t let them over heat either.

What’s Great About Shelving Baby Rabbits?

What is great about my new shelving boxes is

They are stackable .. this is why corner vents work!
I can put two litters in one box.
Bunnies stay warm enough I don’t need to bring them in the house. Keeping them safe from our hunting cat.

Since using the shelving boxes when the weather is cold (or at least chilly) I haven’t lost a single kit.

No kits dragged out of boxes by mom when feeding.
Kits not lost when at that 10-14 day really bouncy mark.
No separation from the group between 14-20 days when the box is filled on it’s side.

At night the kits are safe. I’ve also not had damage done to babies by passing possum or coon either! WOOHOO!!!

This method works well for me in the area that I live. I don’t have to contend with fire ants, snakes or other such critters that would take advantage of my vent holes. I can leave them outside where they don’t have to adjust to temperature changes between inside and out.

Safe and secure my babies can grow up!

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The Importance of Quarantine

June 18, 2019 By Annette1 11 Comments

Quarantine. Before I got serious about my bunnies I always thought quarantine was restricted to animals coming in from a foreign country. You didn’t want illnesses being brought that could bring devastation. There I could see the importance of quarantine.

I was raised on a farm but my dad didn’t quarantine anything. Livestock were brought in an added to the herd. When I worked on a pig farm and on a dairy farm, quarantine wasn’t practiced there either. So the concept was rather new to me when it came to a personal herd. The idea might also be new to you, so bringing it – and reasons to do so – to your attention seems wise.

What is quarantine?

Quarantine is a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed.

It basically means that you take the animal that is new to your herd and put in away a spot away from your other animals.

Why Quarantine?

There are two basic reasons to quarantine

To prevent spread of disease from the new animal to your herd.
To give your new animal time to adjust to new surroundings.

How to Quarantine

Every rabbit breeder needs to determine for themselves what length of quarantine to follow. For most breeders it’s 30 days, but I’ve talked with several who do it for 60 as they’ve had odd stuff pop up at day 45. An extra 15 days acts as a buffer zone. 30 days tends to be the minimum time period.

Quarantine doesn’t mean that you put the bunny in a separate cage or on the other side of your bunny room. It means putting the bunny in a completely separate area away from bunny food, bunny line of sight, air breezeways etc.

I have a tool shed and generally only bring in rabbits from outside herds in the summer. The bunny stays in there. Has protection from rain, can see everything, hear everything and can acclimatize well. It means I have to take the extra step to go over and care for. Bunny is a minimum of 30 feet away from anything so the chances of contamination should there be an issue is greatly decreased.

Bunny is separate and away from all other rabbits. This is important because rabbits are great at hiding illness. They can act and look perfectly fine when they are home. Add a stressor… and suddenly they are not. THIS is why quarantine is so important.

Care for Last and Don’t Blame Breeder

You care for the quarantined rabbit last. That way you only carry from your herd to it (thereby only affecting one rabbit) as opposed to potentially carrying something from the new rabbit and infecting your whole herd. Don’t forget to change your clothes and wash your hands before going back to your herd. If you don’t, you may as well take your chances and not quarantine.

Rabbits can carry diseases that can be invisible like pasturella, bordetella, syphilis, and other illnesses. Many of these will flare up when the rabbit is under stress even if the rabbit has exhibited no other symptoms prior.

This means you CANNOT always blame the person who sold you the rabbit. They may not have any snotty noses, dirty pawed rabbits in their herd. So when one of their rabbits leaves and develops issues they can be completely caught off guard. Many diseases only show up if the rabbit is stressed. No stress… no symptoms.

Rabbits aren’t released from quarantine until they are 30 or 60 days symptom free.

What to Look For

What to look for in a quarantined rabbit is also what you look for when you are purchasing a rabbit.

Sneezing
Snot
Blisters on vent
Sore feet
Mites (fur or ear)
Dirty feet from wiping nose
Breathing problems
Clean eyes, nose, bum
Eating and drinking well
Eliminating normally
Blood where there shouldn’t be

Stressed Rabbits Show Illness

It’s one of the things I really needed to learn. Stressed rabbits show illness. Knowing this fact is a good thing to know. It’s means that placing a new rabbit in a calm quiet environment, might good for the bunny, but it isn’t good for new it’s new owner. I want a bunny in quarantine to experience MILD stress. So not heart-pounding stress, but the stress that comes from being in a new place.

Mild stress is : hearing a lawn mower or a dog barking, to being able to see cat prowl the yard, to get wet from rain (not soaked but damp is okay). Being picked up at odd times, and watching people work.

Some rabbits NEVER see this. They live their lives protected in a barn or a shed and life is quiet and serene.

Here.. my rabbits will hear dogs bark, hear the pounding of horse hooves, and the roar of a lawn mower. They might have an opossum climb their cage (much to MY horror) or have the neighbour’s jerk of a cat spray the cage. If a rabbit weathers mild stress well, by the time I add it to my herd, I know it will handle the stress or being in my rabbitry. It means I won’t have to worry about it once that month passes.

Breeding

Long term rabbit owners know this important fact. Sometimes rabbits die when you buy them. ERGO if they are adult rabbit, they will often breed that rabbit the day it arrives. GACK!!!! What does quarantine mean in such situations?!?!?!

You breed to a rabbit you can afford to lose
All rabbits who come in contact with new rabbit go into quarantine as well.
You still handle the newest addition to your herd last.
It means you watch your rabbits so any signs that something is amiss. Breeding is also a minor stressor so if new rabbit DOES have something it will show up with the rabbits you bred as well. Gives you a broader pool to observe.
AND if all rabbits pass… you have babies!!! You have a month’s head jump start on adding those new genetics to your herd.
If your new rabbit is a momma and has littles and she shows signs of pasteurella you can foster her kits out the day they are born (again to a doe you can afford to lose), generally her kits will be fine. They would stay in quarantine, you cull the sick momma, and then watch the babies and fostering doe. Once they hit 8 weeks and have shown no signs of poor health you are generally good to go. You want those new genetics.. it will help your herd. Sometimes the road to getting them is a bit rougher than hoped for. The risk is still worth it.

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Letter Q Link Up

I do need to remind you about the sale at SchoolhouseTeachers.com this month. Use the code firefly to get your first month for $5. It’s an excellent way to further your families education. Electives galore! 🙂

ABC Blogging

Visible Bunny

Actual Rabbits

Helpful Resources

Others in This Series

Letter X Link Up

Classification

Amami rabbit

Riverine rabbit

Pygmy Rabbit

Cottontails

Striped rabbits

Others in This Series

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Knowing When to Ask for Help

What can a rabbit owner do?

Who to ask for help?

So who do you talk to if you have no vet?

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Where Should Rabbits Be Kept?

What breed is Easiest for Families with Children?

What breed is hardest for a novice?

Which breeds of rabbits are best to raise for meat?

What types of enrichment (toys) do bunnies like or need?

Can you keep rabbits if you have a dander/pet allergy?

Are there any reusable bedding options?

What kind of treats from your garden/fridge can you give your pet rabbit?

Others in This Series

Letter U Link Up

What Rabbits Like:

Enter in the Need to Travel

How to Keep a Bunny Safe

Why Not Let Them Out?

Is There Room for Change?

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Letter T Link Up

What does Shelving Babies Mean?

How I have Shelved Baby Rabbits

Building Shelving Boxes

What’s Great About Shelving Baby Rabbits?

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Letter S Link Up

What is quarantine?

Why Quarantine?

How to Quarantine

Care for Last and Don’t Blame Breeder

What to Look For

Stressed Rabbits Show Illness

Breeding

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Want to Stay Informed?

Thank you!

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