Rex Country Rabbitry

03/08/2021

Alright everyone! I have seen several posts lately of people asking how to tell if kits are male or female. After 6 years of experience I only just figured this trick out last year! When kits are born you can tell gender at birth. How since their lil bits are so small? Easy! Turn the kits on their back and give them a minute to relax. The scrotums on the male kits will be visible at birth on each side of their private. Female kits will have tight skin in that area. After learning this trick I was able to tell genders with near %100 accuracy! I always double check at 4 weeks and again before they are sent to their new homes, but this helps quicken the who stays who goes decisions for me. This will still take some practice to get the hang of. It took me a few litters to get it down pat. I hope this will help you in your rabbitry! Have an awesome day!

02/20/2021

I wanted to post a link to this helpful web page. It has listed herbs and plants that have great health benefits to rabbits. It has what they are used for and what ailments they can aide in treatment with. I have found this web page to be very helpful over the 6 years of raising rabbits and hope that it can in turn help others! Fresh is best but dried versions of the plants and herbs do work as well. Here is the link should it be needed.
https://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/06/09/medicinal-herbs-for-rabbits/

Wild rabbits not only eat a healthy diet of fresh grass, but they also have access to a wide variety of wild plants which they can eat to balance out their diet and keep themselves healthy. When we…

01/26/2021

Lets talk about weaning kits. Everyone has their preferences on when to separate kits from mom. I personally prefer not to wean before 7 weeks old and hold kits until 9-10 weeks old to ensure their digestive system has settled well from weaning. Weaning can be very stressful on kits as they are being taken away from mom as well as having their diet changed. Depending on litter size I will put 2-3 kits per new space so they do not become lonely. Rather than weaning everyone the same day, I take a couple of kits every other day until the whole litter has been weaned, leaving the smaller kits on longer than the bigger ones. This both gives the smaller kits a better chance to catch up and lets mom adjust to having her space back. Babies and momma seem to be happier when I did it this way rather than pulling them all off at once and keeping then all together, making it a bit cramped in the new space. This is just my personal experience on doing what I can to make sure my bunnies are their happiest before moving to a new place.

01/26/2021

This is Dasiy nursing her now 4 and a half week old kits. There are seven under this great momma. It is very rare that I get to see my does feeding older kits. In the five years I have been raising rabbits this is only the third time I have had the enjoyment of watching/videoing a great momma still nursing her kits. She loves her babies very much and takes excellent care of them. THey are gonna be such love bugs when they are ready to go!

01/25/2021

In most of my pictures and in the videos I post you will see me handling newborn kits. Most people think that touching newborn kits will cause the mother to kill them or abandon the nest. Your relationship will the rabbit has everything to do with how she acts after you touch her babies. If the doe has never been handled except to be bred or has had rough or abusive handling then yes she may have a bad reaction to you leaving your scent in the nest. Having a good relationship with them makes a world of difference. I have been raising rabbits for 5 years and I always check the nest the day they are born and touch the kits. What is the reason? I check the kits are healthy, for dead kits, afterbirth, and excessive blood left in the nest. Removing all this debris will keep the nest cleaner, keep kits healthier, and reduce the chance of fly strike in warmer months. I check on the kits once to twice a day to ensure they are all warm and fed while giving the does pets, hay, and/or their daily dose of calf manna. It allows me to monitor how well the kits are being fed as well. It can take only 2-3 days for a kit to starve to death. By daily checks I can easily see if a kit needs and extra feeding from mom, or needs to be moved to a smaller litter for easier access to milk. Overall it lets me keep a check on the health of kits as well as momma.

09/24/2020

Why is a rabbit's diet so important?

As with any creature a proper diet keeps the body working as it should. So what does a rabbit need to be healthy? The bulk of a their diet should consist of a high quality hay. Since their front teeth never stop growing they need this roughage to keep those teeth worn down. Hay is also the much needed fiber that keeps a rabbit's gut moving. I feed high quality mixed grass hay. Rabbit pellets also provide needed protein and minerals that the hay may not have. When it comes to rabbit pellets it is very important that the ingredients be of the highest quality and the pellets be freshly milled. Rabbit feed that has been sitting for an extended amount of time not only breaks down into dust, but also looses that need nutrition. I feed Tucker Mills Rabbit feed. I have found it to be the freshest option in my area. In addition rabbits can also be fed fresh veggies, herbs, and very small amounts of fruit. I feed kale, celery, and dandelions ad treats. Fruit should be fed in very small amounts and not frequently. The sugars from fruit can cause a gut imbalance in the rabbit and give them the runs. This can be deadly. A rabbit is in its best health when fed a balanced diet.

09/24/2020

No Bunnycicles!

Although rabbits can handle the cold much better than the heat, they can still get cold. Rabbits tend to eat more at this time since they are burning more calories just trying to stay warm. So what helps them stay warmer? A nestbox filled with hay is one of the best options. It allows the rabbit to snuggle down and further insulate their body heat. Air flow is always important to avoid respiratory issues, but when its cold you may have to close off one or two sides of the hutch to keep the freezing cold wind off your rabbits. It was also recently recommended to me to feed them Black sunflower seeds in the colder months. It is believed that it slightly raises their body temperature.

09/24/2020

Avoiding over heating in rabbits.

Summer time is extremely hard on rabbits. They wear the equivalent of a thick sweater all the time and can only cool down through the blood vessels in their ears. The best option is to have them in a climate controlled area. Obviously this is not an option for everyone, including myself. So what can you do to help keep them cooler? Thick shade will keep the sun off the rabbit itself and keep from heating up the hutch. Air flow is an absolute must. It can be the natural breeze or a gentle fan. They will need unlimited fresh water to stay hydrated. I feed organic kale and celery that has been chilled in the heat of the day. This is given in small amounts at first until the rabbit's digestive tract becomes used to it, then gradually increase to the recommended amount of 2 large leaves a day for kale and 1/2 of a celery stick a day. I bought large 12x24 ceramic tiles . I selected the lightest colored ones I could find. I put these in the deep freeze every night, after cleaning them, and put them in their cages in the heat of the day. The thicker the tile the longer they will stay cold. This has helped my rabbits beat the heat!

09/24/2020

Sore hocks what is that?

Sore hocks is a painful condition in rabbits in which the hair on their feet is missing and the foot has become irritated and commonly developed raw places sometimes with small abscesses. What causes sore hocks? Many things can lead to sore hocks. It can be genetic, dirty cages, and even long nails. Long nails cause the rabbit to walk in an unnatural way which puts more pressure on an area of the foot that it normally would not. This causes the hair to be worn away then leading to sore hocks. Some breeds are just more prone to this aliment. The most common breed affected is the Rex. Since it is a genetic factor, it is best to avoid breeding any rabbit with thin fur on their feet. The last possibility is a dirty cage. If a rabbit sits in its waste, the urine and f***s will burn the hair off their feet. If left in that environment the sore hocks can turn into an infection that can potential reach the bone and become deadly. Is there any treatment options? If it is believe that this was injury related and not genetic then yes there are options to allow the rabbit heal. Keep in mind that the hair MUST be grown back to eliminate the issue. I personally apply a product called Nu stock to the irritated area. This a natural sulphur based product that soothes the irritated skin and promotes healing and hair growth. I combine this with a thick bedding of hay that is changed out daily. This allows a soft surface for the feet to rest on and reduces irritation to the area. Cool tiles also offer some pain relief but MUST be washed off daily or they will only contribute to the issue.

09/24/2020

Did you know that rabbits need regular nail trimming?

In the wild, rabbits use their claws to dig burrows for nests and to take shelter. Since most rabbits are kept in hutches, they cannot wear down their claws with this natural behavior. That's where you come in! A rabbit's nails require trimming every 4-6 weeks. long nails can be uncomfortable and potentially lead to a painful condition known as sore hocks. There are several methods to restrain a rabbit for regular trimming. This is done to prevent injury to both you and the rabbit. The rabbit can be snuggly wrapped in a towel and only remove one paw at a time for trimming until they are done. Another method is to set the rabbit on a secure surface, hold the paw, then clip the nails until finished. My preferred method is to gently roll the rabbit onto its back, while covering its eyes and trim the nails one paw at a time. After finishing any of these methods it is very important to give positive reinforcement of gently pets and even their favorite treat.

09/24/2020

Lets talk about ear mites and what you can do about it.

Ear mites can be brought into a rabbitry from hay, straw, contaminated clothing, or an infected rabbit. Any rabbit can pick up ear mites whether outside or inside. They can be easily transferred on clothing, shoes and from infected rabbits. So what can you do? The first and easiest thing to prevent the spread or possibility of it spreading is to always quarantine new rabbits coming in for a minimum of 30 days. If you visit another rabbitry and handle any rabbits, be sure to change clothes and shoes before handling your own rabbits. If you suspect the hay or straw to be the issue you will need to find a new and fresher source. If a rabbits has ear mites, it will need to be treated. If left untreated it can lead to a severe ear infecting that can case head tilt and possibly death. The housing area will also need to be cleaned and disinfected. I use a 50/50 mixture of ammonia and water. Spray the cages, scrub, thoroughly rinse and allow to fully air dry before placing the treated rabbit back in the area. Without this step the issue will never be resolved. Before I get into treatment lets talk about the signs and symptoms. This can include scratching, head shaking, dirt build up in the ears, and in severe cases crusty material inside and outside the ears. For treatment I use a product called Nu stock. It is a natural sulphur based product that I apply a thick coating to the inside and outside of the ears. Apply again in three days to be sure it has killed everything and to prevent them from resurfacing. It also helps to soothe the irritated skin and allows faster healing. This is my preferred method since there is a much smaller chance of a bad reaction and no withdrawal time. If it is summer time treatment is best done during the evening so the rabbit does not overheat from the coating on the ears. Should you have to treat a rabbit in winter, they will need to be kept in a warm area until the treatment is completely finished to prevent them from freezing to death.