Bunnies by the Dozen

12 healthy kits. 3/4 New Zealand 1/4 Flemish Giant

Nine days ago Tawney had a litter of 14 kits. Two were runts and didn't make it. If I'd of supplemented the two they'd probably of been fine but were just too much smaller to compete. The other twelve are growing fast and should have their eyes open in the next day or two. Tawney must really be a good milk producer. Eight teats and no problem with raising twelve. Her daughter Amber has been a great mother too. Best producers I've ever had. I'll never go back to purebreds.

Super Mother, New Zealand X Flemish Giant

Here's some of the previous litter 2 months older

Here's part of a previous litter in a grow out pen. Notice they have feed in three dimensions. The manger to the right holds garden weeds, grass from below and tree branches above. They actually prefer the branches and food from the manger, something about stepped on food must not be as appetizing.

Never hide - Recruit, Educate and Mentor

I'm hearing more and more of people who raise meat rabbits who will either not sell to strangers or will only meet people in a public location. They spend time to teach someone about raising rabbits and then end up being reported to the local authorities for animal abuse or for breaking an ordinance. Most of the general public is too disconnected from where food comes from. They are immersed in fantasy and are very susceptible to anthropomorphize and make animals human.  They will eat their chicken nuggets and be horrified if their neighbor butchers a chicken in their own backyard. I understand the fear and have seen the arbitrary punitive laws that many municipalities have adopted.

Hiding only makes it worse. It's time to stand up and be proud that you raise your own meat and don't rely on the factory farms for your family's protein.  We need to network with like minded people and stand up against the tyranny of the majority. We need to recruit and mentor others to be self sufficient.  Growing your own food on your own property is as natural of a right as breathing. Is it moral to pass a law that you are not allowed to breath? Then how is it moral to make law restricting growing food? Is it okay to fine someone, threaten to take their home and even put them in a cage for growing a crop in their front yard, and yet require growing a useless lawn with chemicals and huge volumes of water that all end up in the landfill? It is disturbing that anyone can give validity to such "law". We need to start standing up for each other and repudiate and ridicule these laws and anyone who would support, enforce or create them. If there is no damage to your neighbor, then it's not their business. 

Raising rabbits can be tricky for someone new to it. I've seen many people try fail, get discouraged and give up. It's a great sideline that meshes with gardening and even chickens. A little mentoring can go a long way to helping someone learn a new skill that can help keep their family healthy and prepared if times get hard. I've heard many people comment how their family survived the war because they raised rabbits. Even in the US, during World War II, there was meat rationing, so rabbit raising was popular. 

There has been a trend of people starting to demand zoning changes, so they can raise chickens. More people are interested in gardening and being independent and self-sufficient. Fear of GMO foods, herbicides, insecticides, industrialized food production, food additives and preservatives, are pushing more people to eat naturally. Interest in healthy eating is increasing.

Let's encourage this trend. Tell people you raise your own food. Share your rabbit sandwich. Bring your favorite rabbit dish to the company potluck. Grow more rabbits than you need and sell the excess for meat and breeding stock. Keep in touch with your customers and encourage them to call you when they have questions. Show people your rabbitry and what has worked for you. Encourage others to be open and share their rabbit raising skills.

Hiding only serves yourself in the short run and ultimately makes the situation worse. Take a risk and share, then stand up for each other.

Adjusting to a new home

The riskiest time in your new rabbit's life is likely the first few days after you first bring them home. Limiting change and stress is the key to a smooth transition and survival in their new home. Stress weakens the immune system and can also make them more suseptible to digestive issues with any change in food. A rabbit can look fine then be dead from inflamed intestines within a few hours.

I do offer free replacement if a rabbit dies for any reason soon after taking them home. So far I've only needed to replace one this year.

Rabbits in the wild have a territory. They know where all the tastiest plants are, water sources and where to hide if there is danger or bad weather. When I was a young boy growing up in Oregon, I'd always see the cottontail rabbits browsing near the nastiest thicket of blackberry vines. When startled, two bounds and they'd be deep in the cover, I'm sure kicking back and laughing at me or any other predator. They seemed immune to the nasty thorns and would just relax in the thicket until danger passed.

Getting forced out of the place they know is extremely stressful. Rabbits know they are at the bottom of the food chain so any change spells danger. Not having their spot to hideout leaves them terrified. 

Things to do:

1) Get at least a few days worth of the food they have been eating and mix it to gradually transition to your feed. Lots of fiber is good. Avoid rich foods such as alfalfa and plants from the cabbage family until they've had time to settle, and even then sparingly.

2) Make sure they have something to hide behind. A cardboard box is good.

3) Have a good cage or enclosure that will keep them from escaping and keep predators out.

4) Put up some tarp or other obstruction to protect from wind, rain and view of other animals in your yard. Minimize new sites and sounds so they can try to relax. Make sure they are shaded and no direct sun. Frozen plastic bottle in the summer to snuggle up to will help reduce heat stress along with spraying water around the area for evaporative cooling. In extreme heat, consider a mist system. Rabbits handle cold well if they are dry and protected from wind.

5) Make sure they have plenty of clean water.

6) Keep interaction with children down to a minimum the first few days. After a few days when the rabbit seems relaxed, gradually introduce children and teach them how to properly hold the rabbit but only for short intervals in the beginning. Have the child give safe treats such as timothy hay or apple twigs. 

7) Pets need to be kept away and their view obstructed. Dogs can tear through wire cages and just running past the cage can startle a rabbit to where it could blindly crash into the wall of it's cage and hurt itself. You may need to later do some heavy training of dogs so they will leave the rabbits alone.  Good luck with that. Success varies drastically between breeds.

8) Predators will be a problem if you don't have your rabbits in a secure building or fenced yard. So, at least get some fence posts and wire and get them enclosed.






9) Rabbits are not a herd animal. Meeting a strange rabbit is stressful and sometimes violent. So being alone is best.