Do you have a purpose for breeding rabbits? A clear objective of why you are breeding these rabbits is important and will help you make good judgments when selecting a pair to breed. Solving problems can be tricky, so having said purpose can help. Are you breeding for meat production? Improving a herd and/or showing? Or are you trying to increase the vitality and health of your herd? These are all valid goals and purposes. Personally, I believe simply breeding for pet is not helpful and just adds to the overpopulation of pet rabbits. If you are breeding to improve a herd and for show, then you pick two rabbits that best compliment each other and could produce quality animals to meet your goal. Breeding for meat, then I would think you'd want to pick the two best meat quality animals {meaning the two with the most meat on them} to produce offspring with good meat quality. Just a quick note before starting. Part 1: Getting Started A note before hand. Breeding rabbits can be emotional. You never know if the litter will survive, if you'll get all peanuts (for those dwarf breeds), or what the kits will turn out like. Before breeding you should be prepared for this, and also be prepared to care for the litters. You should have some empty cages for weaning.There are also the odd times when the mother can die during birth, so be prepared in case something happens and you see yourself facing death. Be cautious with first time mothers. Most breeder's will breed another doe or two that they know can foster babies because first time mothers often will kill or lose their entire litter, or because they are new won't know how to be a mother and not take care of them. In that case, you need to foster the babies away. I personally always breed at least two doe's together at once, unless I know for a fact that said doe is fine. But even proven dam's can have complications. If the dam die's, then by having another litter at the same time I can foster; if she has more peanuts than singles, I'll foster the singles over and re-breed the doe; if something happens and all but one or two in the litter freezes or die's, I'll foster them and re-breed the doe... There are a lot of pro's to breeding more than one doe at a time. Now on to the more helpful and enjoyable part. First of all, you clearly need a buck (male) and doe (female) rabbit. Now, I do not agree with pet breeding and cross breeding, so preferably they would be purebreds of the same breed... If you are planning on starting breeding rabbits, whether for meat or show, I recommend a trio; one buck and two doe's. Both the buck and doe should be of age to breed and both be in good health and condition prior to breeding. If one shows any sort of sign of Vent Disease or other sexually transmitted disease, then do not breed said rabbit. The same goes to should any have any signs of health illness. Some illnesses are treatable, but the animal should be placed in quarantine and treated, or culled. Always check the bucks for split penises. These rabbits should be culled as that is a genetic thing that can and will be passed on through generations. There's some contemplation over whether a true split penis buck can reproduce, but I think they can, just less likely and it will be passed along; that much is known. Even if you just culled the bucks and kept the doe's, it will still be passed along through the generations. Both should be in good condition. If the doe is just off a litter, but looks to be in good flesh and overall condition then you can re-breed her. Should she be bony or skinny in any way, then I would highly recommend waiting and giving her a break to get back to condition and health before re-breeding. Some doe's can be re-bred after four weeks, others need four plus weeks to recuperate! So use your discretion about condition and if they look ready to breed. Check the vent area on doe's. If they are a deep red-ish colour then that means they are ready to breed! Some will even start lifting just from being petted. Breeding maturity in small rabbits is usually 6 months, however some animals will reach sexual maturity at 5 months. Keep in mind if you breed to young, before the rabbit is ready, it can stunt their growth. For meat rabbits, or six class rabbits it's hard to say. I have gotten a few mixed comments about them. A Californian breeder friend of mine says she has an eight pounds, eight months rule, which ever comes first. If they reach eight pounds then she'll breed them, but if they don't then she'll wait until they turn eight months old. I have been told for Champagne D'Argents to wait until nine and a half pounds, but some breed at six months, others wait until eight months. So my advice here would be ask the breed who you are getting the rabbits from on the age they breed their six class meat rabbits. Keeping in mind that just because they have reached Senior Age (usually that's when they come to full sexual maturity), they should be of proper weight. Also, just because they may be of age, doesn't mean the rabbits are ready. Some may be ready at five or six months, others you may have to wait until ten or twelves months before they'll breed! So just because a doe may not take right at six months, doesn't mean she is sterile. I've had doe's that wouldn't take until they were over a year old! Ready to BreedNow, if the rabbits meet all these things then you are ready to breed. ALWAYS take the buck to the doe's cage. Doe's can get very territorial and if you try to put the buck in the doe's cage, she will most likely attack the buck. Don't be scared or nervous if you notice the two of them running around or sniffing each other. Honestly, I notice that most of my bucks like the challenge of trying to catch the doe first ! ;) But, I don't want them out of breath either, so I usually hold the doe's head. The buck will sniff her, hopefully around the bum area, but it's normal for them to sniff the whole body and head as well. Once he is ready, the buck will mount the doe. Again, don't be scared if the doe tries to mount the buck. The buck will do a fast and vigorous humping motion while holding the doe. Most bucks will grab a hold of the fur with their mouth while they do this. Completely normal, at least with my bucks it is! After the buck 'gets' the doe, he will fall off and grunt. It's quite funny to see, especially the first time. I will let the buck 'get' the doe as many times as he wishes, so ensure that she took. Put the rabbits back in their cages and you're good. I personally redo the process about 12 hours later, and then maybe even a third time in the evening or just in the morning and evening. I always do it twice though. Rabbits are induced ovulaters, despite what some people will say. This means that they do not get periods, nor are there times where they are more receptive than others like in the vast majority of other animals, including humans. Because of this, I will re-breed the pair again later in the day. This gives the doe time to drop her eggs and helps be sure that sperm was able to get to the eggs. Part 2: Unwilling to BreedDo you have a buck or doe that just does not want to breed, or a doe that won't take? Well, here are a few tips on how to get those rabbits to hopefully successfully breed!
*NOTE: If you have a doe that wants to breed, but you have a show coming up then breed the doe and take her bred. The two week marker during the pregnancy is when the doe will be in the best condition. It will help the doe not keep lifting while being judged. Judges can't pose them properly if they spend the whole time lifting to be bred. 1. Try With Others: -If the rabbit is proven then I would try other things listed, but if they are not proven then try with other rabbits. If a doe doesn't seem to be taking, then try with other bucks. If she takes with another buck then that's good for her, but not necessarily good for the buck. Try the buck with other doe's, preferably proven doe's, and if still nothing and you've tried other things listed then he may be sterile. Check for a split penis too. This is assuming that they are at sexual mature. Even if a rabbit is proven, they can dry up. Especially if too much time has lapsed between breeding's. 2. Switch Cages: -Put the buck in the doe's cage and the doe in the bucks cage for a few days and then try breeding. This gets them stimulated due to the smells of the opposite gender. 3. Apple Cider Vinegar: -ACV is beneficial for any rabbit. "It contains a potent combination of vitamins as well as being full of minerals, some are potassium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and many more. ACV also contains helpful enzymes which provide many health benefits". 1 to 2 tablespoons to a gallon of water. It helps boost fertility and some even believe it to help increase the number of doe's in a litter. Either way, ACV is good on a day to day basis, but can help get an unwilling buck or doe to breed. (http://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/01/26/apple-cider-vinegar-for-rabbits/ A good link on ACV for rabbits) 4. LIGHT: -Light is very important. Rabbits should have between twelve to sixteen hours of light a day. Twenty four hour light is not good because rabbits do need to sleep too, but they should have between twelve to sixteen. This will help you herd be more willing, especially during the winter when day light is shorter. 5. Heat: -Goes with light. If it's cold, rabbits won't breed. So winters are hard if you don't have a heater. Bring the rabbits into the house, even just for the day can help. 6. Table Breeding: -Some rabbits don't like to breed in a cage. I have a buck (Wind) that will NOT breed in his cage. He gets very sulky and upset at me when a doe is put in his cage and will sulk in the corner. He needs to be table bred. By table breeding, you can lift the doe's rear end to help. 7. Feed: -Two things for this. For starters, feed plays a part in breeding. If it doesn't have the right amount of protein and ingredients. Secondly if they are getting too much food. I do not free feed my Havana's or Mini Rex. Some of my Mini Rex are pigs and would eat and eat until it was gone and gain a lot of weight. Mini Rex are not easy to get weight off and then get back into flesh condition. The MR get half a cup and the HV get three fourths of a cup. Now, my Champagne D'Argent and any other large breed should be free fed, or at least the right amount of feed. So be cautious about how much feed they are getting. If you notice that the rabbit never finishes his/her food, then cut back on the feed. Leaving feed in front of a rabbit 24/7 has been known to cause sterility. 8. Weight: -If the rabbit is over weight, it is highly unlikely of a doe becoming pregnant due to too much fat around the uterus. It is also possibly that the buck may not have the stamina to breed if he is over weight. A diet may be useful and needed. 9. Leaves/Supplements: -Raspberry leaves or Parsley for 3-4 days before breeding can help. Oats, BOSS, or flax seed can be useful as well for 3-4 days before hand. My rabbits get a conditioner daily that includes these supplements. 10. Take 'Em for a Ride: -I know this sounds weird, but trust me and anyone else who shows; taking rabbits for a ride helps a lot. Most rabbits after being shown will come home and want to be bred! The different smells and being in such close proximity to other rabbits helps a LOT. This can be a good and bad thing! Just around the block or something with other rabbits can help stimulate fertility as well, in both bucks and doe's. 11. Hand Simulations: -This sounds weird, but at shows when a doe is being judged multiple times during the day, or held often can be stimulated and start wanting to breed. It can be annoying while at the show because she may start lifting while being judged. If I have a doe that doesn't want to lift, I will try table breeding them and will tickle/massage her rear to stimulate breeding. 12. Smells: -Try bringing posing up a few rabbits on the same mat and then do the same with the rabbits you are trying to breed. Same as taking them to a show, the smells will help stimulate them. Make sure there are buck and doe smells though. 13. Outdoors: -Letting them have a bit of time to run around outside can help sometimes as well. If after trying all or a good amount of these things and still nothing then the rabbit may be sterile. If the doe isn't a deep red-ish colour in the vent area, then she may not be ready to breed at that moment and I'd suggest a few of these things to help her want to breed. Try with multiple rabbits and if they still won't reproduce than they may be sterile and I'd cull said rabbit (or sell as pets for those that don't cull, but notify buying that they are sterile and do not give pedigree). I hope these tips help and you get nest boxes full of baby bunnies! Check out Parts 3 & 4 and the BONUS part in Breeding Tips
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Are you a pet owner looking for a pet rabbit, or a 'newbie' just starting in the wonderful world of rabbit raising and breeding? Maybe you are a known rabbit breeder, but looking to add some new lines or rabbits to your herd? No matter who you are, new or old; pet or breeding/showing, finding a responsible breeder is important. The following are things that I personally think a responsible breeder should be doing. You may not agree with all of them, and that is totally fine and understandable. These are just my interpretations.
Start at the American Rabbit Breeders Association website. They have breeder directories, breed directories, club directories and a fast amount of helpful information. Once you find a breed that you want, check you the breed club's website. Find breeders around where you are and contact them. See if they have a website or Facebook page. Starting at your local clubs website or the national club website for the breed(s) you are interested in is a good start as well. A responsible breeder should be willing to help you find what you are looking for and/or requested. After contacting breeders with what you are looking for, they should tell you what they have available. If you are wanting a certain colour and they don't have said colour available then they should be willing to help direct you in the direction of another breeder who may have what you want available. They should be willing to answer questions and help educate. If you have questions, ask. There are two points to this. One is very important for pet owner and new breeders. A responsible breeder should want to help educate you. This is important. The second part is answering questions, which is important for anyone when buying a rabbit whether you are a pet owner, new or old breeder. If you get the feeling that the person does not want to answer questions about themselves, their rabbits, how they raise or or anything, especially about the rabbit in question, then my suggestion would be to go elsewhere. Yes, people may have busy schedules, but if you have a person (breeder or not) interested in a rabbit then try and find the time to answer their questions. Now, the exception to this is some breeders, including myself, don't sell pets. A simple reply to the email stating this will be fine. Breeder have spent a great deal of time learning about rabbits and have a wealth of information to share. Responsible breeders tend to be eager to share said information with others. Another thing is, unless they just got into a breed, they should be able to confidently and knowledgeably answer questions about their breeds of choice. Find out about where the rabbits are housed. Most breeders have closed rabbitries, meaning they don't let outsiders into their barn. This is completely understandable and should not be pushed. Respect boundaries. However, most breeders should be willing to openly talk about the type of housing they use, the diet they provide and the type of interaction the rabbits receive. It doesn't hurt to ask to see photo's of the inside of their facilities. Notice the way the animals interact and react to the breeder. Rabbits are prey animals and can be easily frightened by new situations or people. However, the animals should still be relatively more relaxed, calm and comfortable with their owner/breeder. Watch carefully at how the breeder holds them and calms them. If they seem harsh with them, then I would walk away. A rabbit that seems scared and inconsolable by it's owner may be unaccompanied to individual handling and attention. Find out information about the parents and ancestors. When buying a pet from a breeder, most won't include a pedigree. Some will give 'birth certificates' but it's important to find out more. Even if you are another breeder buying for show and/or breeding and have a pedigree. It's still important to find out a bit more about the rabbits family than what's on the pedigree. A breeder should be knowledgeable to their best abilities about general temperaments and illnesses along with strengths and weaknesses in the background. I say to the best of their ability because they may not know a lot if the parents were outside animals. Unless you know for a fact that the breeder is reliable, then make sure you are given a pedigree and any legs won at time of sale. Age of rabbit(s). In the United States, most states have a law that no animal under the age of eight weeks can be sold. Shows are the same. No animal under eight weeks of age is allowed to be advertised in anyway for sale. *Note you can take them if you are wanting opinions from other breeders, but cannot have for sale in anyway* Most breeders don't sell until at least ten to twelve weeks of age. There are some exceptions to this like if it's a colour and/or gender that they know they don't want, or if there is a clear fault or DQ. Ask about the age the animal was weaned from it's mother. Personally, anything under six weeks I wouldn't touch. But that's a personal opinion. Some breeders breed at four weeks especially if it's a meat breed (so that'd be an exception). i personally don't see any pro's to weaning this early. Check size of animal too. Does it look too small or big for it's age? Be aware of how many breeds the breeder raises. Most responsible breeders specialize in one or two breeds. This allows them to become experts on the animals they’re working with. A personally opinion of mine is unless you have unlimited money and space, I really don't see how you can solidly improve a breed when you have multiple. That's why a breeder that offers a range of breeds or a large number of rabbits for sale at one time should be seen as a red flag. They may be more of a pet mill or “backyard breeder.” If you notice that the majority of their animals don't look of quality that they are stated for, then it's probably a "backyard breeder" or under knowledge breeder. Get a sense for the health of the rabbit(s). If the animal doesn't seem to be in proper health, then that's a red flag. First of all, NO responsible breeder will knowingly sell a sick animal. If the animal in question seems ill, then try and get a look at the other animals. Do other's seem ill? that's a major red flag! Also, if you are invited into their facilities, what are the cage and sanitation like? Keep in mind most are in barns and rabbits poop and hay is messy. However, if the animals look to not have been cleaned out in a while or there's poop all over the place, and the barn seems unfit or unsanitary then that's a red flag and honestly I'd be a bit inclined to report them. Build a relationship with the breeder. Most breeders will be willing to stay in touch and answer questions at any time. Most should be able to provide you with a way to contact them should there be an emergency. I personally will always stay in contact and be of help whenever I can and feel most responsible breeders will. They should be willing to be of support if needed. Responsible breeders genuinely care about the well-being of each of the animals they raise and will look forward to hearing from you again. BONUS: Most will be willing to send any information or pictures that are requested prior to the sale. A lot of breeders don't do pre-sales. They encourage the buyer to look over the rabbit in person. However, this isn't always a possibility. Most responsible and ethical breeders will be happy for any wins and litters you have. They will be encouraging and helpful. Snuffles; the deadly common cold in rabbits. It is one of the most common and severe diseases in rabbits. There is no cure but there is a new preventative vaccine.
Snuffles is basically the common cold in rabbits. It is caused by Pasteurella Multocida. It resides in the naval cavity of rabbits. It can reside in a rabbit and not show signs, these rabbits would be carriers and can pass it along to others when bred or come in contact. It is rarely seen in pet rabbits unless you have more than one rabbit or it comes into contact with another rabbit. Snuffles is incredibly contagious. As soon as one rabbit gets it, said rabbit needs to immediately be taken away and put in quarantine. Any rabbit in close proximity to the ill animal needs to be watch very closely. As soon as any signs arise, said animal(s) should be removed quickly. I would also recommend if the infected rabbit had in the past week or two been in close contact (i.e. breeding) with another rabbit I would remove said rabbit(s) as well. Snuffles is NOT treatable. There are people who say otherwise and will treat with PenG. This will ONLY COVER UP AND MASK THE SYMPTOMS!!! So please, if you are buying a rabbit and the person says they use PenG for snuffles don't buy from them. Also, don't use it yourself. It only masks the symptoms, it does NOT cure it. There is no cure for pasteurella. The rabbits will still be carriers and are at risk of spreading it around if taken to a show or in contact with other rabbits. It also means that should the rabbit be stressed it can easily come out again. Poor husbandry, sanitation, stress, lactation, overcrowding, nutritional deficiencies, genetic predisposition and bacterial virulence are all causes of pasteurella. If a pregnant doe is ill, she will pass it along to her kits at birth. If they do not show signs, they WILL be carriers. It is an airborne illness though, so if one rabbit has snuffles it can spread like wild fire throughout the herd in the air. There are preventatives you can take to lower the chance of snuffles infecting your herd. Keep in mind, once one rabbit gets it; it spreads incredibly fast and can wipe out a whole herd with in days. Good husbandry is essential for any disease control. A clean, dry and well ventilated environment is required with no droughts. Rabbits are better in cold than heat and dramatic change in temperature can stress the rabbits. Sanitation is important. The ammonia isn't good for rabbits but regular cleaning can be very helpful. Regularly cleaning the walls and entire barn are useful. It's important that whenever you change rabbits around in different cages or sell a rabbit, always do a thorough cleaning and disinfecting of all cages before hand. Disinfecting cages regularly is good and doesn't hurt. I use hot water and bleach and let them sun dry. Always do the same with nest boxes, water bottles and crocks/feed dishes as well. Stress is probably one of the worse and bigger causes for pasteurella. Taking a rabbit to a show is big and can be quite stressful and therefor a lot of breeders will quarantine rabbits after shows. Traveling, sudden change in environment, frightened, other animals, and even strangers in where you house your herd can be stressful to the rabbits. Keeping a calm and stress-free environment is very appreciated from the rabbits. Quarantine any new animals as a preventative. There is a new vaccine that you can inject your rabbits with as a preventative. I am still currently researching it but it seems to be a good preventative. It is used to prevent and strengthen the immune system and not as a treatment. There is no treatment to cure snuffles. The new treatment is called BunnyVac. http://pavlab.com/pavlab/bunnyvac/ I may look into trying it out. It doesn't hurt the rabbits and not something that needs to be done all the time. Breeding out poor immune systems is important in any herd. I know I personally don't want any animal with a poor immune system in my herd. I want strong, healthy immune systems that can be passes along. If your herd has good immune systems than this vaccine just strengthens them even more. (Gee, how many times can I say immune system in a small paragraph....) Any animals with snuffles or any signs/symptoms should be removed and put into isolation immediately. Culling is sadly the only option for rabbits with snuffles. It spreads like wildfire. If a rabbit in your herd gets pasteurella, you should put your entire barn into a 'quarantine' for a few weeks, I recommend six or eight weeks. This means absolutely NO selling, even if they aren't showing signs. The disease can live and hide for weeks before showing on a rabbit. It usually shows up before three or four weeks though, but can hide for months. I wouldn't recommend buying, however since I recommend quarantining any new rabbits anyway, as long as you keep any new animal(s) in isolation you should be OK. When you have animals in quarantine you need to make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before touching them and even change clothes. Like I said, it is an airborne illness as well, so the pasteurella can get on your hands or clothes and be passed along that way. Symptoms: The main symptom is respiratory, usually causing nasal discharge. Because the rabbit wipes it's snotty nose with its front paws, the fur usually becomes wet and matted. Sneezing is quite common as well because of the snot in the nose. Congestion and conjunctivitis are commonly seen also. The tear ducts (lacrimal ducts) can become clogged with dried discharge, causing excess tearing and subsequent scalding of the skin around the eyes and face. This usually is seen in more severe cases. Most reputable breeders cull any animal that shows signs immediately so that it can't get that far. I hope this can help should you encounter pasteurella. Please, be responsible and do not sell any rabbit that shows signs of snuffles or has the disease already. This blog post was written after doing research. There are some things that are solely my opinion listed here and thoughts. 10 Ways to Choose a Healthy Rabbit
When looking at purchasing a new rabbit whether as a pet or show/brood animal, look for some quick signs of illness or other issues. While there is no guarantee; avoiding rabbits that have common signs of health problems can save you a lot of money and heartache. 1). The rabbit's fur coat should look healthy. No bare patches and no matted fur. Check for a soiled bum. A rabbit with diarrhea is unhealthy. 2). Look at the rabbit's overall weight. Does it look too fat or too thin. When you touch it's back, how easy is it to feel it's spine? You can use common sense though to if the animal looks unhealthy regarding their weight. The only exception to this is if it is a doe just coming off a litter. Doe's just off litters, depending on how many kits she had, can be a bit bony. I free feed all nursing doe's and continue to free feed the doe for a few weeks after weaning to bring her weight back up if needed. 3). Lift the rabbit's fur backwards to look for bugs/mites. Sometimes you may not see the bugs, but if the skin is flaky and it looks like dandruff, then there may be a problem. Or if they have bald spots, it could be mites. 4). The eyes should be bright and clear. No hazy spots on the eyeball. The eyes should be free of discharge and the fur coat under or around the eyes should not be wet or matted. 5). Check the nose for wetness. It should be free of discharge and the fur coat under the nose should not be wet. 6). The ears should have a nice colour inside of them. Not too red. Look inside for mites or scabbing. 7). Look at the rabbits teeth. Do they look healthy? The front top and bottom teeth should perfectly align to touch together. This is so that they wear against each other as the rabbit chews. 8). Count the rabbit's toe nails. Are they all there? There should be five on each front paw (including the dew claw), and only four on each back paw. 9). How is the rabbit's behavior? Is it hiding, in a ball, in a corner? Is it relaxed and stretched out for a sleep? Is it happily moving about? Observe the bunny's breathing, which should be quiet. 10). Look at the rabbit's surroundings. Clean conditions reduce stress and prevents disease. Use common sense. Some things that would make me think about finding a different breed would be if they don't want to answer questions or have you look over the rabbit; if they seem rushed or rough with the animal; if they can't guarantee the rabbits health to the best of their ability, they stay away. Most responsible and ethical breeders will guarantee the animals health to the best of their ability. Remember, things happen. Rabbits can get stressed during transportation or from the new environment. Illnesses can hide for two weeks prior to showing, so the breeder may not know. Don't be quick to place blame. Most good breeders will stay in touch and answer questions. Do research and find a reputable breeder. There are a lot of backyard breeders, and unethical/irresponsible breeders now a days who will sell sick animals or pet quality animals that are advertised as show quality and priced too high. If you get a bad vibe from the rabbit or it's owner/breeder than I would not continue with the sale. DON'T be afraid to look around at multiple breeders. If you are looking at a specific breed, contact a few different breeders and get an idea of health, quality and prices first. And if you haven't noticed, I do keep saying 'breeder'. Don't buy from a pet store!!! Buy from a breeder, even if it's only for a pet! Quality and health will be 100% better and you know what you are getting, age, breed, gender and you know their background better if you buy from a breeder. Most pet stores animals were sent from breeders because they are not show quality, and it is their way of culling OR they are a 'rabbit mill'. Most pet store animals are NOT healthy and won't live as long as a healthy animal bought from a responsible breeder. For more information feel free to contact me at [email protected] Remember these things when looking for a new pet or show/brood rabbit, they are very important, basic health things to look for. (courtesy of Mary Grace McNiel, with revisions and additions by myself) Written By Maple Strings Rabbitry "Coccidiosis is a dreadful disease that has wiped through many rabbitries, killing off many of their Jrs. Coccidiosis is a highly contagious sporzoal infection in rabbits. Adult rabbits can carry the disease, without showing any signs. Younger rabbits are affected much more harshly because their immune systems are not strong enough to fight off the infection. The parasite has a life cycle that lasts from 4-14 days, starting after the oral ingestion of infected feed, or other contaminated objects. The wall of the parasite (called oocysts) breaks down in the stomach, and spores are released. After the spores enter the cells that line the intestinal wall, the spore starts to divide asexualy, and go off to infect more cells. The parasite then forms gametes, and start sexual reproduction. The oocysts are shed in the feces. The presence of the Coccidia affects the host cell, some stop functioning, while others increase in size. The cells can no longer properly use nutrients, causing the animal to become malnourished, and in some cases, dehydrated. Coccidiosis can be brought into your home, or rabbitry many ways. The most common one being when you take your rabbit to a rabbit show, or other event, interacting with other rabbits. You can also bring it home by bringing a new rabbit into your barn. When an adult rabbit has the disease, but is not showing signs, it is hard to tell that they even have it, and if this rabbit is bred, and has kits, the kits are at risk. The kits seem to start to show signs around 6 weeks of age. If one kit is effected, and dies you can be almost positive the rest have it to. When a baby is affected by cocci, they will show symptoms such as weight loss, bloody feces or mucus in the feces. However these signs are not necessary for the animal to be affected. A baby can go from looking normal, to dead in less than 15 minutes. The rabbit will start by losing balance, laying on its side, and stretching its head up, front legs forward, and back legs backward, in muscle spasms. They will stay in this stretched out state, and will have spasms (where they stretch out more) every 30 seconds or so. After 5-10 mins of this, they will start to open their mouths, and sometimes will let out a squeal, and bite down on their tongue. All signs that the rabbit is in pain. They will die soon after. Once you have the coccidiosis in your barn, it takes a lot of hard work, and persistent cleaning and treating to rid it. Deep cleaning is a must, to kill all bacteria that is breeding on the cages, on the floor, in trays, and in the feces. Using bleach is not very effective in killing cocci, using products such as household ammonia will be more effective. There are many different suggested treatments, suggested by many different people. The best bet is to find out what type (or “Strand”) of Coccidiosis you are being affected with, and decide on treatment based on that information. To find out what Strand of Coccidiosis you have, Penn State suggests a full necropsy. You will usually receive results within 8-10 days of submission. If your rabbits have been exposed to (another rabbit in your barn showing signs), or affected by Coccidiosis, it is advised that your rabbits go on quarantine. No rabbits entering the barn, or leaving the barn for 4-6 weeks after the last death. This is so that other rabbitries will not be exposed unnecessary to the disease." My notes and comments:
My honest opinion to anyone should they walk in to their barn and notice a rabbit that is dieing because of this [reference paragraph six], then I would suggest culling said rabbit. When they are at this stage, they are going to die anyway and I would rather put it out of it's misery than watch it suffer like this. Coccidiosis is a terrible disease to have in your barn. It really affects young kits and juniors. I have had litters and juniors die because of it. I find it is incredibly smelly also, very nauseating! I now use Corid (amprolium). It can be used as a prevention or treatment. Water treatment is 5cc to one gallon water for 5 days (prevention). Water treatment is 5cc to one gallon water for 5 days (treatment) or 1cc orally for 15 pounds of rabbit for 5 days (1/4 cc orally for 3.75 pound rabbit). I personally find that Cocci has a higher chance of affecting newly weaned kits, so for that reason when I am weaning kits I give them the oral injection of Corid for five days. Below are two links. One is all about Coccidiosis, the other is different treatments (for multiple illnesses in rabbits). http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Protozoal_diseases/Cocc_en.htm http://bunnyrabbit.com/price/med-use.htm Does that mean it is handicapped?
No, your rabbit is definitely NOT handicapped if he or she has won a leg. On the contrary, your rabbit turned out better looking than a bunch of other rabbits! A "leg" is the first step to getting your rabbit a Grand Championship through the American Rabbit Breeders Association, otherwise known as ARBA. Basically it is the first "leg" in his/her journey to being a coveted Champion! A leg is basically like getting a ribbon, trophy or prize for winning! Winning a leg has absolutely NOTHING to do with 4-H. You will only win a leg if you go to a breeder show and win. You do NOT have to go to a breeder show if you do not want to. It is simply for fun and competition. In order to win a leg you must first go to a show, but not everyone who shows wins legs for their rabbits. There are groups of each different color and breed of rabbit, and in order to win a leg there need to be at least 5 rabbits and 3 different exhibitors in each color/variety and/or breed. If you have 5 rabbits and 2 exhibitors in a breed then there is no leg to be won, if there are 4 rabbits and 3 exhibitors then there is still no leg. You can win a leg if there are more than the minimum amount of rabbits/exhibitors, but 5 rabbits and 3 exhibitors is the absolute minimum. Legs are very important to anyone who wants to be known as a reputable breeder. It means that you can win, it means that you are dedicated and will show the rabbits, it means that you are willing to work to put your name out there. Through ARBA (the American Rabbit Breeders Association) there is a Grand Champion system. Each individual rabbit must win at least 3 legs in order to be a Grand Champion. They also must have a full pedigree (a family tree extending to the Great-Grandparents) and must be registered through ARBA. As you can see, there are lots of requirements, but winning is even nicer when you take a homebred (rabbit born in your rabbitry and raised by you) and win a leg! It's the best feeling in the world! All that hard work finally pays off and you win with the bunnies you have been watching and helping since day 1. I can't explain what this is like either than it's a wonderful thing and I love it! Seeing those little juniors hit the tables and get the best comments all day... yeah, that's amazing and wonderful. It's like "YES! I'm getting somewhere!!!" So next time your staring at your bunny wondering what he/she is made of.. Take them to a show! They might just surprise you. Oh, and don't forget to say Hello to me while you're at it! So when looking for a show animal, or even a pet or breeding animal; look around for someone who you see that their animals have multiple legs or wins! You know they are quality and reputable breeders and you know that they most likely know that they are doing, knows a show quality versus pet quality animal and will be honest about its quality. 'Back yard breeders' don't know the difference between qualities most of the time, so they overprice their rabbits and don't properly advertise their quality. PLUS they won't win as shows because of their quality. You will get the odd one win, but if you want a show animal that will do well, go to a breeder that you can see wins often! :) (courtesy of Mary Grace McNiel with revision by myself) So you want a rabbit! Good for you! It is a wonderful, and educational experience. If you have children it will teach them to be gentle, kind, and caring. Rabbits are great 4-H animals, and they are one of the most popular projects. Why? Well, because it is the BEST project! It teaches the 4-H'ers of ALL ages how to care for and properly handle small animals. It is hard to hurt a cow or a sheep, but a rabbit is a different story. Other reasons why are because the rabbit group has fewer-no cliques, so anyone can fit in if they give it half a chance. The rabbit project circles are tight with each other, friendly, kind, and most of all; they can help you out with your new rabbit!
Rabbits are beneficial pets, they are soft, quiet, and calm. They do not make noise very often. You will find that if you try to sing "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" and insert a rabbit you will not know what noise they make. That is because they do not make any noise! You can put their feces in your garden as soon as possible without any ill side effects. It does not have to compost for a year like chickens, cows, sheep, etc. They also eat all leftovers, they can eat carrot peelings, potato peelings, Orange peelings, cucumber, and even banana peelings. There are many more things they can eat that are not listed (just NOT lettuce). It has also been proven that rabbits are very good therapeutic pets. Doctors are beginning to more actively recommend them. Rabbits require less physical and mental stimulation and attention than a dog or even a cat. They do not need to go for a walk, and they do not need training (unless you want to litter train them). Litter training is really easy too, basically you just put the litter box in their favorite "business" corner. You also encourage them to go to the litter box by placing them in it every time they have an "accident" outside of the litter box. A litter box results in a cleaner cage. I find rabbits very enjoyable, friendly, and easy to care for, play with, handle, and just be with in general! They are easy to cuddle with when you are upset, they are cute to watch. Especially when they binky (kick their heels up)! With proper care, they can live a long, healthy live! I raise my rabbits to be friendly and easy to handle and start from birth doing so. Because I do this, it makes my rabbits become great household pets for any age and are used as therapy animals. I truly believe that they are just like any animal; it all depends on the OWNER to what type of behavior and temperament it grows up with. Just like Pit Bulls now a days.. I have honestly never met an aggressive Pit. If you train it to fight and be aggressive, that's what it will be like. However, if you train it to be friendly, caring and a nice family pet, THAT's what it will be like. Same with rabbits, if you never handle your rabbit, ignore it or mishandle it; they will become wild, aggressive, cranky, and/or not fun to be around and that's why people re-home (or because they lose interest or don't realize how long they can live). Handle your rabbit on a daily basis, handle it PROPERLY, care for it, be gentle and loving; it will be the same back. If you are thinking of a pet, consider a rabbit! If you have any questions, just contact me! :) (courtesy of Mary Grace McNeil, with revisions and additions by myself) |
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October 2017
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