Mixed breed: english spot, new zealand, harlequin in background
This darker chestnut boy off Carma and Biscotti found a new home today. He'll be a companion bunny to a gal in Woodstock. Should make for a fine pet. :)
I watched this video this morning and it made me consider the goals people set in their rabbitry.
For some it's a matter of winning on the table. Simply producing a rabbit that physically is all that it can be for winning on the show table. I like doing that with my polish. I have to admit it's fun. :) For others it's producing a rabbit that is temperamentally sound and of a good size for selling to the pet market. Doing that with my holland lops and my guinea pigs gives me a huge feeling of satisfaction. Not that I don't focus on that with my other rabbits as well. :) For others it's reducing the amount of time needed to get your rabbits to make weight for providing food for the table, or food for their animals, or for the animals of other people. I have to admit, I'm not where I want to be with my meat rabbits, but I'm getting closer. :) They are all great goals. It means work and effort. It means choosing animals for your herd that will further your goals. It means deliberation and thought, and not just randomly throwing two rabbits together. This is what makes a breeder. This is what makes for a good rabbitry. That thought and deliberation, followed by good animal care. Slow and gentle Roger is a dad! :) PinPin finally gave me a live litter of four. I'm so pleased. :) I find it fascinating. Both of these rabbits are tiny, and PinPin has given me litters of peanuts from my other two bucks who are bigger than Roger, and this time with a tiny buck.. NO peanuts. Two of the kits are bruised, but they are all healthy. I am just so pleased. :) Watch Me GrowUnlike dogs and cats, the female rabbit has a unique reproductive tract in that it lacks a uterine body and each of the uterine horns has its own cervix that opens directly into the vagina. There is abundant adipose tissue in the mesometrium and surrounding the ovaries, making identification and ligation of uterine vessels challenging for an ovariohysterectomy or Caesarean section.. Similar to cats and ferrets, rabbits are induced ovulators; however, ovulation occurs 10 h post-coitus in rabbits versus 30 h after copulation in cats and ferrets (2). Gestation ranges from 29 to 35 d, averaging between 30 to 32 d. Dystocia is the inability to expel fetus(es) from the uterus during parturition and may be due to maternal or fetal conditions preventing a normal delivery. Maternal factors may include pelvic, vaginal, or uterine abnormalities, such as small pelvic size and uterine inertia, or may be due to malnutrition, parasitism, obesity, and/or hereditary causes. Fetal causes include malpresentation, malposition, or malposture, oversize, fetal death, or malformations, such as fetal monsters. In many species, uterine inertia is the most common maternal cause of dystocia, and may be considered either primary or secondary. Primary uterine inertia can be defined as gestation beyond its expected length with no progression into stage 2 labor. It may be associated with hypocalcemia, obesity, overstretching of the myometrium from large litters, and conversely, inadequate uterine stimulation from small litters . Primary uterine inertia occurs less commonly than secondary uterine inertia . Secondary uterine inertia, or uterine fatigue, occurs due to exhaustion and lack of myometrial contraction after prolonged attempts to expel an obstructed fetus, which persists following the relief of the obstruction (6,8). Dystocia is not common in rabbits as normal delivery is typically completed within 30 min after onset. Common causes of dystocia in rabbits include obesity, oversized kits, a narrow pelvic canal, or uterine inertia. Indications of dystocia in rabbits include persistent contractions, straining, and bloody or greenish-brown vaginal discharge. However, as obstetrical problems are rare in rabbits and parturition is very quick with minimal physical exertion, any indication of labor can be interpreted as a sign of dystocia. This week I trim all the rabbits nails. Good it was to have nice weather and be able to accomplish that needed task.
This morning I cleaned out the mice.. they were getting a bit dirty and I don't like 'em like that so I gave them a good clean and then I divided them up girls and boys. I was surprised to see we have 73 boys and only 36 girls. Stevie has decided that being a mom is totally optional so I put her kits in with Carma. Hopefully they'll do well with her there. Carma is a big doe and only gave me four babies, so taking care of five more wee ones shouldn't be a big stretch for her. So I bred Stevie back since there was really no point not to, and hopefully next time she'll go oh... being a mom, that's an excellent idea. :) Sold a rescue bun today. This little girl is off to a new home in London tonight. Her folks came out late and fell in love with her. :) So I bred Carma back early in the hopes she'd give me a bigger litter. No such luck. Only four kits. This doesn't make her worth keeping around just to raise up four kits when she's a large rabbit and should be fully capable of producing 10-12 kits. She had three broken, one white. This will be the last litter she has here. Watch Me Growa litter of four. I am so pleased I went out to the rabbitry late and voila we had babies! So I quickly bundled momma and babies up and brought them into the house. Stevie finally had a litter! A Live litter with NO PEANUTS!!!! woot woot!!! Watch Me Grow ) These tips might be helpful to folks who own piggies. :)
I find the biggest thing with piggies is 1. understanding who they are 2. giving them time to chill 3. being confident in how you handle them. |
AuthorI have been breeding rabbits for a quite a few years. I thoroughly enjoy them as animals and think they make great pets. I also like to take some of them to rabbit shows to see how they measure up to the standards. For the BEST rabbit forum I've ever found. Go to Rabbittalk.com. Good for the pet rabbit owner as well as the breeder for meat or show.
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