The Creme d’Argent/Standard Rex Litter

Posted on May 20, 2015 by onedogrunning

These little guys are four days old now and their colors are coming in. This is my first time breeding Esther to Timmy, and I’m a little surprised with the results. Four of the nine kits are a dark agouti or wild type, which is not a shock. The other five look for all the world like purebred Creme d’Argents!
Although his phenotype is black otter, I know that Timmy carries some light genes because he produces a lot of blues and has even sired a tort. This breeding confirms that even further. I’m not sure if these fawn kits will show silvering like their mom, though I do know it’s a dominant trait and almost always shows up when she throws blacks, although does not appear on the agoutis.

If the fawn kits do grow up to look like purebred Cremes, I might hold on to a couple. It’s not an ideal situation, but there’s nowhere else to get a Creme d’Argent around here and my first effort to breed pure Cremes failed, with two kits that were both ultimately infertile and no further access to the buck who was owned by another breeder.

Of course breeding these kits would likely have some recessive traits show up like Rex fur, but I can weed those out. I’d be interested to see what a sibling breeding would produce. Maybe I can create my own Creme d’Argents?

Every commercial rabbit breed today began as a mix of breeds. Occasionally people will toss a different breed of rabbit into their purebred program to improve some trait or reduce another. As long as everything is recorded on the pedigree I don’t see a problem.

I wish I had more cages so I could do more breeding experiments. It’s a great, first-hand way of understanding rabbit coat color genetics, and I like being surprised by interesting kits. With solely purebred bunnies, you pretty much get the same thing every time.

Look at those cute little teeth!

More New Bunnies

Posted on May 16, 2015 by onedogrunning

Esther’s kits next to my lupines and mint

Well my girls came through. Esther kindled nine bunnies and Tuna kindled ten. That’s what you call a twenty-nine rabbit long weekend.

Esther’s kits had already arrived when I went in to check this morning. She had a combination of half light ginger kits and half what looks to me like black otter. I can’t wait to see how they turn out. As usual she pulled enough fur to line a hot tub.

One of Esther’s ginger kits

I was so busy getting excited over Esther’s kits that I barely noticed that Tuna was in labor. She ignored her fresh bunch of grass so that should have been the first indication. As I watched her over about a half hour period, she methodically gave birth to her large litter of healthy kits. Here they are just moments after being born, you can still see some placenta that hasn’t been cleaned out yet. These are some big litters so I’m hoping the predominantly fresh diet will keep all the kits alive. We shall see.

Tuna’s litter

New Bunnies Day

Posted on May 16, 2015 by onedogrunning

Today was the due date for Esther, Samphire and Tuna; but when I went out to the barn for chores this evening, only one nest was furry and that was Sam’s. She kindled ten pink and healthy purebred Californian kits. Here they are next to my purple and orange cauliflower starts that need to get put in the ground ASAP.

As for Tuna, nothing. She just wanted her grass and treats and that’s that. I was a little surprised because I remember the breeding going very well. She hasn’t used her nestbox as a toilet yet though, so I’m still hopeful. Maybe tomorrow.

Esther sometimes kindles on day 32, so it’s not that unusual that her box was still empty. Once I had just about finished my barn chores, around dusk, I noticed her going into birthing mode. She was acting restless and breathing very rapidly and heavily. Then she started pulling fur. I sat down and watched her for awhile since it’s not something I usually see. She pulled it rhythmically from her dewlap and also from down both her sides. Then she gathered it all up and put it into the nest box. It’s nice that my rabbits have become comfortable enough with me that I get to witness these private moments more and more.

Resting in between fur-pulling sessions

It’s been a few hours since then so I’ll bet she has a litter out there right now. I’m very excited to see what she’ll throw since this is my first Standard Rex/Creme d’Argent litter. I don’t think we’ll have any Rex-furred kits this generation, but I’m hoping for some interesting colors. I’m also interested in finding out how this hybrid combo compares to the others as far as grow out is concerned.

Here’s an idea of the amount of greens the bunnies get fed every day during this time of year. The grass is growing so fast they can scarcely keep up. I have one tractor of four bunnies who have a low roof and a huge bundle of grass placed on top for them every day where they can pull it down and eat it. These particular bunnies have eaten almost no pellets and have only made it through one quarter of a 32 oz water bottle in ONE WHOLE WEEK. I will be constructing more low-roof tractors so that I can capitalize on this. I love the more natural diet, the fact that it’s free, and the added health benefits both for the rabbits and for the eventual consumer of the rabbits. Me.

Youngest Rex Litter Ready to Go

Posted on May 6, 2015 by onedogrunning

Bucks on the left, does on the right

Bluefin’s kits are now six weeks old and ready to go to new homes. I checked them today and there are two blue otter does, one blue otter buck and two black otter bucks. The tort doe has been reserved. Bucks are $25, and does are $30.

These little guys are forage fiends and I probably fill their cage with fresh grasses three times during the hour span of my daily barn chores, they just can’t get enough.

Sometimes with the adult rabbits, I’ll put an additional pile of greens on top of their cages for them to pull down and eat at their leisure. Apparently Mushrooms thought I was preparing a nice cool bed for her and settled in for a nap on top of Scorch’s abode.

First Rabbit Tattoos

Posted on May 5, 2015 by onedogrunning

This guy was my guinea pig, I’ll bet you thought he was a rabbit

Recently I bought myself a KBTatts tattoo pen, so I could keep better track of my rabbits. Today it was put to use for the first time. This hybrid buck was my first test subject, and was bundled up into a towel snugly so he couldn’t move. His left ear was swabbed with rubbing alcohol, his number was stenciled in with a sharpie, and I gave the stencil a thin coating of coconut oil since I don’t have petroleum jelly. Then it was just a matter of going over the lines until the desired thickness was achieved. This little trooper didn’t even flinch once!

My first tattoo, folks

My protocol with ID tattoos will be an A for my rabbitry, followed by the year the rabbit was born, followed by the number of rabbit they are to be tattooed that year. So this guy got A151.

A pair of Standard Rex kits have been reserved, so they were next. The blue otter buck went first with minimal flinching and became A152.

Looking handsome

Possibly you notice something peeking out from the right ear? Normally the right ear is reserved for ARBA identification if the rabbit gets registered. However my customer wasn’t too concerned with showing her rabbits so she had a special request for their right ears…

A little heart. So both these cuties go home with something extra special.

Even the little six week old tortoiseshell doe was very good for her tattoos. I don’t think they feel very much during the tattooing, but they were very happy to be back in their cages with fresh treats after their ordeal.

I’m so glad to finally have my own tattoo machine so I can keep proper records. It’s a bit more work than a clamp style tattoo machine and requires a steady hand, but I think it’s more comfortable for the rabbit. I’ve seen the clamps in use and most rabbits will really jump when you clamp down. Also, I’ve seen those kinds of tattoos fade over the years. Hopefully these will stay nice and legible. If not, I can always touch them up.

Update on Rabbits for Sale – Plus Rant

Posted on April 30, 2015 by onedogrunning

Californian bunnies

We have lots of cute baby rabbits for sale right now, here’s an update of what we have left:

There were only two Californian does this litter, so they sold quite quickly. (It would have been quicker if I hadn’t been stood up by an RPN from Gabriola Island. No email, no phone call, nothing. So that was a good couple of hours of my life wasted. For those of you reading, if you ever stand me up without giving me some notice, consider yourself ineligible for future sales. It is stressful for the bunnies, and it is disrespectful of my time. Thank you!)

There are now only four Californian bucks remaining. They are nine weeks old, eating lots of fresh forage and very friendly and sweet buns, easy to handle. They are $25 each. They will probably be here until mid-May, and then if not sold will be going to freezer camp. They’d make great herd sires for a meat operation.

Hybrid meat bunnies

Two of the Creme d’Argent/Californian hybrid does are sold, and there are three nice does left. They are nine weeks old. One agouti and the rest variations on steel or white tipped black. Very attractive coats this litter, almost like a Silver Fox. There are also two nice big bucks, both tipped blacks. These are excellent forage rabbits and are out on fresh pasture 24-7 now. They are also always my friendliest rabbits. Does are $30, bucks are $25.

Standard Rex bucks

Standard Rex does

The first Standard Rex litter is now almost eight weeks old. One blue otter buck has been reserved, and there is a self black and two black otter bucks available. There is one blue otter doe, a self black doe and a black otter doe. The Rexes are a little more high-strung rabbits, but if you treat them right and earn their trust they make fantastic pets. They all get a big bunch of fresh forage each day but only the does have been moved to pasture at this time. Does are $30, bucks are $25.

The younger Rex litter

The second litter of Standard Rex will be ready to go in about a week. The little tort is a doe and has been reserved. There are blues and black otters left, but I haven’t sexed everyone yet. Does are $30, bucks are $25.

Thanks for reading!

Bluefin’s Litter

Posted on April 25, 2015 by onedogrunning

These little Standard Rex bunnies are nearly five weeks old. I am feeding all the rabbits a primarily fresh grass and forage diet right now as there is so much lush growth in my yard. Every day I go out with my little scythe and mow down fresh bunches of greens for them which they happily dive into. They all eat a lot less pellets this way and they all love it. Plus it’s free!

I took a little look at the tort baby and it seems to be a doe. I’ll know for sure next time once I’m able to do everyone. She is the runt of the litter but still doing very well and very friendly. Bluefin has done a great job raising everyone and soon they’ll be out in their own tractor, on lawn mowing duty with the other kits.

In other news I finally got myself a tattoo machine for doing rabbit ear numbers. I decided on the KBTatt pen which I ordered through Martin’s Cages. I’m excited to try it out on these little guys, it’s a skill I’ve been wanting to learn since I got into rabbits a couple of years ago. More info on that to come!

Why I Wean Rabbits at Six Weeks

Posted on April 20, 2015 by onedogrunning

These are five week old kits, still a week away from weaning

Nothing annoys me more than people selling young animals before they are ready to leave their mothers. I have personal experience with cats and kittens and I think knowing what I do now, I wouldn’t let a kitten go to a new home before 14 weeks of age. I find that at this age, they gain a lot of confidence and start seeking their independence, so are much more at ease adapting to a new environment. I would never, ever wean a poor little kitten at six weeks, and I think this is a very cruel thing. I know the litter of kittens that I recently raised were still nursing well into 16 weeks and getting a lot of comfort from it. (Note: I do not breed cats and I do not ever plan to. There are enough unwanted cats in the world. I’m talking about an abandoned litter I took in last summer.)

The second most annoying thing is people who think that rabbits cannot be weaned and sent to new homes at six weeks of age.

Rabbits are not cats, they are prey animals. In the wild, a baby rabbit would be lucky to get three weeks with their moms, for various natural reasons. I know from personal experience breeding rabbits, that mother buns dislike nursing and will generally refuse to nurse at about the four week point. By this time the kits are all happily eating everything mom does, and generally have been for at least a week. They need no further tutelage in how to be a rabbit. They do not gain comfort from their annoying siblings bouncing around in their faces. They are fully ready to go out and claim their new rabbit territory. Rabbit survival instructions: See something scary? Run!

I have never had an issue separating babies from moms at six weeks. I don’t have any problems with them going to new homes at this age, and I have zero problems with so-called “sensitive stomach” issues that people seem to associate so often with young rabbits.

I raise my rabbits to not have sensitive stomach issues. My rabbits are always fed a variety of fresh greens from the time their mothers are pregnant, up until the day they are sold or butchered. They eat safe greens like grass, dandelions, plantain and blackberry bramble. You cannot give them too much of these. They also have all the rabbit pellets they can put away and unlimited fresh water.

I used to offer a bag of transition food with my buns, but I don’t find it’s really required. Unless you’re not very informed about rabbit nutrition and you choose to feed a diet of candy-colored seeds, banana chips, carrots and raisins, the rabbit you purchase from me will be just fine. The proper diet for a rabbit is boring old rabbit pellets, grass, hay and weeds. Vegetables or fruits, unless the rabbit is used to them, should be an occasional treat. Grains like oats, black oil sunflower seed, barley or whole corn can also be fed sparingly; or you can go with a fresh fodder system.

Another reason to wean at six weeks, especially if going to a pet home, is that this gives you added opportunity to bond and make friends with your new baby. You will find they will warm up to you very quickly at this age.

I know a lot of people have very strong bonds with their pet rabbits. I also know that coddling rabbits will give them issues just as surely as dirty living conditions will. If your little bunny eats a perfectly measured out, washed, organic salad four times a day for his whole life, that rabbit’s system and gut bacteria have been trained to deal with this routine. If one day he gets into the garden and eats himself silly, he may end up with very bad stomach problems. The same goes for a breeder who feeds nothing but one kind of rabbit pellet and nothing else. Of course a rabbit raised like this needs to be acclimated slowly to greens or different pellets, just for safety’s sake.

I have been given a lot of advice pertaining to raising rabbits, and I followed much of it without knowing why. Things like providing transition food and medicating every three months for coccidia. Then I began doing things my own way. And it worked a whole lot better. My rabbits do not get coccidia or parasites, they do not get heat stress, they do not get sore hocks, they do not get upset stomachs and die, they do not keel over from heart attacks when the dogs run by and they do not randomly turn up dead.

One provider of much useless advice was a local rabbit breeder who I had freely given a pair of Silver Marten kits to, to thank her for loaning me a pair of her rabbits. A few months later when I inquired how they were doing, I was told they had both died. What? All their siblings were doing just fine. They weren’t the first rabbits in her care to mysteriously die… According to her, sometimes waves of illness would sweep through her rabbitry, obliterating entire breeds. She blamed the feed store and the breeds. Odd. No wonder she was medicating every three months. I haven’t medicated my rabbits in a year and a half.

So there you have it. Buy a baby rabbit from me and you have the healthiest, most robust bunny that I can possibly provide you. Bunnies doesn’t need to be with their mom for eight weeks any more than a mouse does. How you feed and take care of your bunny after you get it home is now completely up to you. Do some research and keep your bunny in the same great health they arrived in.

Thanks for reading!

Bunnies Move Out

Posted on April 15, 2015 by onedogrunning

The two first litters of the year are now seven weeks old and it’s time to move out!

Each group is now in their own tractor on lawn mowing/fertilizing duty. They will be moved each day to a new patch of grass and their mothers will finally have a break and some more room to themselves. Two hybrid bunnies have been sold, so there are six buns per tractor which is a good number. In about three weeks the bucks and the does will be separated out. From some preliminary sexing, I know that the hybrid litter is mostly does, but the sexes of the Californian litter are still unknown. I’ll probably flip them all over in the next few days to see what I have.

Californian kits

Hybrid kits

I also sexed the oldest Standard Rex litter today and we have four bucks and three does. Here’s one of the blue otter bucks.

Sexing position

I also got a few pictures of the younger Rex litter, they are about three weeks old and at the very cute, cotton-ball stage. Bluefin is still growling every time I take them out, but I’ve been ignoring it and giving her an overdose of petting each time which has helped a lot. She’s such a bratty girl.

Bluefin’s buns

The kit who I thought would be white has turned into sort of a tortoiseshell color. It has a tan topside, a white belly and white/greyish sides with a little grey dot on the nose. I’ve never seen a Rex this color before. Does anyone have any ideas?

Esther, Samphire and Tuna have all been bred again today so I’ll be expecting three more litters in a month. I’ll have purebred Rex, purebred Californians, and I bred Esther to Timmy for the first time, so there will be some Creme d’Argent/Rex hybrids. I’m excited to see how they turn out. Here’s hoping for some neat colors and coats.

After my last post about my struggles getting pedigrees for some of my rabbits, I reached out to another local breeder who was able to figure out Tuna’s pedigree for me, as she owns her parents now. One down, two to go! It’s so interesting to look back into her lineage, there are actually quite a few brokens in there. I wonder if she’ll ever throw any?

Rabbit Buyers Beware – Desiree Michaels / Spirit Moon Farm

Posted on April 1, 2015 by onedogrunning

Well, I didn’t want to have to do this.

When I first bought my place two years ago and wanted to get into rabbit breeding, I located a local breeder online who was a member of Rabbits BC (Rabbit and Cavy Breeder’s Association of British Columbia). Her name was Desiree Michaels and she runs Spirit Moon Farm in Cassidy, BC, not far from me.

The first time I showed up at her farm she was very kind and took time out of her day to show me her many rabbit breeds. She also told me that she was a certified ARBA judge at the local rabbit shows. Even better, she said she would loan me a couple of rabbits to get started with since she had no kits for sale at that time. What a nice lady!

The loaner rabbits were Esther my Creme d’Argent, and Rosalind my former Silver Marten doe. I was very grateful to her, and impressed by her generosity. She told me that Ros was initially a cull from another breeder. I was instructed to let her know if I didn’t need them anymore and she would take them back.

Some of you may remember when I bought my two Californians and my first Standard Rex rabbit early last year. Well, I bought them from the same place. I paid what I would consider a good price for them since after all, they were pedigreed. Because I planned to sell my own pedigreed rabbits, this was important to me. I picked up my rabbits and Desiree said she’d have the pedigrees ready in a few days.

Thus began the year of hell. I tried over and over to get my pedigrees. There was always an excuse. She was busy. Her email wasn’t working. She was sick. Her computer was broken. She had forgotten the tattoo numbers (I gave them to her four times.). I was always polite. Months passed.

I called and emailed over and over, month after month until I finally got very annoyed this January and began calling her home phone and leaving a message each day for two solid weeks. Not once did anyone answer the phone or call me back. I was not only calling about the pedigrees.

I had decided awhile back to get out of Silver Martens and I desperately needed the cage space that Rosalind was taking up. She had been loaned to me and had been a very good doe for me, and I was determined to return her in good condition. She was in excellent health and I was proud to give her back looking so good. A month went by with no response. Sadly, I finally had no choice but to cull her.

Around February, she finally called me back after I had left a final message saying she had two weeks to contact me or I would be escalating things. She called on the very last day. She gave me the same story. She was sick, her husband was sick, she was busy, her email was broken and she lost the tattoo numbers. I gave her the tattoo numbers again. She said she’d have the pedigrees ready by the end of the week. I said thank you so much. Then she asked about Ros.

I told her I had been desperately trying to reach her for weeks and left more than a dozen messages saying I needed to return her doe. She told me I should have just dropped her off. Dropped her off? As in, drive to your farm that I wasn’t even sure you still lived at because you never answer the phone and then leave her in the driveway? I told Desiree that I had tried very hard to return her, needed the cage space and that she had been culled. She was not happy and I didn’t hear from her again.

Today I noticed she has put an online ad up selling muscovy ducks. I decided to call. She actually answered this time and quickly told me she was too busy to talk. I asked her if there was any way I could get a deadline on the pedigrees and she angrily said no. I asked her why, and she said it was because I didn’t give her doe back. I reiterated to her that I had attempted to give the doe back for almost an entire month. Then she hung up on me.

And so dear readers, this is where I stand right now. I have expensive pedigreed rabbits with no pedigree. I made my purchases from someone who is an accredited local rabbit show judge. I thought I could trust her, but I made a mistake in judgement.

This kind of thing could happen to anybody, and I warn any potential rabbit buyers that if you pay for a pedigree, get that piece of paper in your hand at the same time as the rabbit. Buyer beware.