Category: Animal Welfare

Quick Rabbit Carrier Build

1/21/2017

Sometimes one doesn't have access to an all wire carrier OR you need something that will house a rabbit differently over a few days.

Enter in the Rubbermaid Carrier.

Rubbermaid carrier are fairly easy to do. You need some decent tools.

A sharp knife
Wire cutters
zipties
Rubbermaid container
wire
Drill with two different sizes bits
Jigsaw

Measure out where you want your wire to go. Cut your wire to the appropriate size. Hold it up where you are going to place it and trace around the outside with a dark marker. Measure in about 1.5 cm in from the wire edge, this is where you will cut the opening.

Use The bigger bit to make a hole big enough for the jigsaw blade to fit through. Use a narrow blade.

Go slowly and don't be surprised if you can only do one cut or possibly two, depends on the thickness of your rubbermaid container. Mine were fairly thin, so we made one cut with the jigsaw and cut the rest with a very sharp knife.

Once you have the plastic cut, use a drill bit just big enough for your ziptie to go through and drill all around your marked line for the wire. We marked where we drilled with the ziptie, and drill two holes, one on each side of the dark line (where the wire will be placed).

Put the wire on the INSIDE of the carrier to prevent rabbit from nibbling on the plastic. Then trim the ziptie ends short.

When you are done you will have a carrier that will work as an emergency bunny nesting site in the winter, as a carrier to take to shows or to just transport a rabbit.

In this particular case the carrier cost us $6.oo. We already had all the supplies.

Fit the rabbit to the box. This rubbermaid carrier will fit a rabbit up to 3 lbs, after that you will be looking into larger rubbermaid containers.

You can make them so they open from the side AND the top. If you are confident in your abilities you could wire on two sides. They are stackable if you need to bring in more than one rabbit in the winter.

I made this one to transport a small rabbit that had to sit for a week at a transporters home without having to worry if the carrier didn't come home. BUT with the view in mind of living in southwestern Ontario and occasionally having to bring kindling does in the house during hard cold spells.

This could also be used as a guinea pig or other small animal carrier. Change the size of the wire as needed.

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in Quebec

9/1/2016

Important message, please SPREAD THE WORD TO ALL BREEDERS:

Limit rabbits movements; sales, purchases, agricultural exhibitions, shows, rallies.

If suspected, contact 1-844-ANIMALS; unusual symptoms, mortality, etc.

This is the statement from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency:

Declaration: Survey of a local outbreak of rabbit haemorrhagic disease in Quebec

August 25, 2016 - Ottawa (Ontario) - Government of Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) investigation of a local outbreak of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) in small recreational farms East-du-Québec.

A survey is conducted on three farms near Rimouski, Quebec. The three farms are under quarantine to control the movements of animals, products and equipment and to prevent the spread of the disease. The outbreak is restricted to small recreational farms. Rabbits breeding commercial farms are not subject to this investigation.

The rabbit haemorrhagic disease is highly contagious and often fatal for the affected rabbits. This virus is transmitted to other rabbits through secretions, including saliva, eyes and nose runny, urine, feces and bedding, contaminated food and water. It can also be spread accidentally by humans, wildlife and insects or infected meat or fur.

The disease does not affect humans and has never been known impacts in other animals.

We remind operators of commercial and recreational farms to use biosecurity practices to minimize the risk of spread of the disease. Producers must do the following:

Report any suspicious symptoms to a veterinarian or provincial veterinary authority. 1-844-animals

Do not introduce new rabbits in their establishment if the animals come from a place where there was illness or death during the previous 60 days.

The CFIA is working with the province of Quebec as part of this survey and will provide updates as they become available.

UPDATE!!!!
Update on the Quebec Rabbit Hemmorhagic Disease. Only two PET rabbits at ONE person's home tested positive for the disease in Rimouski Quebec. The other two farms are under quarantine only because of the close proximity to the one hobby farm. This information came from the Veterinarian in Rimouski. No info yet on where the rabbits got this disease from. There are NO other cases.

What is RVHD?

Rabbit Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (VHD) is a highly contagious disease caused by a calicivirus that affects only rabbits of the Oryctolagus cuniculus species. This includes wild and domesticated European rabbits, from which our own domesticated rabbits are descended. It has not been known to affect any North American native rabbits or hares, such as cottontails, snowshoe hares and jackrabbits. VHD is also known by several other acronyms: RHD (Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease), RCV (Rabbit Calicivirus), and RCD (Rabbit Calicivirus Disease). VHD was first seen in China in 1984, and has since spread to Mexico, Continental Europe, Israel, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Symptoms may include:

Loss of appetite
Lethargy
High Fever
Spasms
Sudden death

VHD, however, is often a very swift and sudden killer, giving little warning. Rabbits may die without showing any symptoms at all. Some bleeding from the nose, mouth and rectum is sometimes seen. Any sudden rabbit death is suspicious and should be reported to your veterinarian or the State Veterinarian as a possible case of VHD

The incubation period of this disease is very short, and rabbits may die within 48 hours of exposure to the virus that causes VHD.
The death rate of rabbits exposed to this virus is very high, between 50 and 100%, with the latter number probably being closer to actual mortality rates. Rabbits who survive this disease are carriers and shed the virus for at least 42 days, perhaps longer.
Rabbit calicivirus is a very hardy virus, remaining viable in the environment for 105 days at 68F (i.e. remains stable for 105 days at room temperature) and for 225 days at 39F. It resists freezing.
There is no known cure for VHD. Vaccinations are available in countries where the disease in endemic, but there is no vaccine currently available in the US.

Suggestion:

Do not buy any rabbits from Quebec at this time. We have no vaccine available in Canada. Exercise caution when buying rabbits from breeders who have shown rabbits in or near Quebec. Contain this rabbit deadly virus.

Saving Baby Rabbits

2/17/2016

A baby rabbit is never dead until it is WARM and dead.

Tips:
1. Warm them up slowly
2. warm them all the way through before returning them to a WARM nest.

Ways to warm them
1. heating blanket set on low
2. warm water bags
3 heating rice bags.
etc.

My preferred method is to place them on the edge of a warm litter of older kits. This warms them up well and I'll often find them later in the middle of the heap. If I don't have an older litter I will bring them in and put them in a warm rice bag with towels from the dryer all around them.

Rabbits in the Winter

2/14/2016

Found this video on Youtube about caring for rabbits in the winter. Thought it had some good points (protecting from the wind, changing how you water them, providing hidey holes for warmth). I didn't agree with everything in the video though.

What didn't I agree with?
1. feeding lots of sugary foods. Rabbits in the winter don't need extra feed, they just need GOOD feed and it's not a time to put them on a diet.

My rabbits get hay and pellets one day, a grain mix and pellets the next. Days alternate. The rabbits do well. In winters where the weather is up and down I add pineapple juice into their water. It seems to raise the freezing temp (so water doesn't freeze as quickly) and it encourages the rabbits to drink more.

2. Not breeding in the winter because the babies will freeze. Is there a risk that babies will freeze? Yes, but it happens less frequently than you might suppose. If momma does her job properly the kits will be born into a well made nest. AND one can bring babies in the house if its particularly cold out (they generally only have to come in until they are well furred). Litters of more than four rarely have to come inside.

So what do rabbits NEED in the winter?

1. recognition that they come with built in fur coats so don't make them too warm. No heat lamps necessary. They do need protection from the wind.

2. Good food. Not extra feed, but good feed. Not a time for diets unless you have a fat rabbit.

3. Water in bowls not bottles UNLESS you have heated water bottles. Give them new water at least twice a day.

4. Breeding is fine as long as momma does her job. Bring small kits inside for a week until their fur comes in.

5. Giving a box to sit in if rabbits are acting cold. Some rabbits don't get cold, others like to get up off the wire. So weigh out your rabbits needs.

Checking Rabbit Weights

11/12/2015

I don't like linking to House Rabbit Society materials, but in this case.. it works. This table is helpful to people wondering if their rabbit is at a good weight or not.

I did try to find a video that would help as well but ended up annoyed at them.

So instead, let's just talk.

Overweight Rabbits and how to help them lose weight
Helping rabbits lose weight is fairly straight forward.
1. NO TREATS... so no apples, cheerios, bread nothing like that. NO yogurt drops.
2. Increase fibre... means giving them more grass hay. NOT a legume hay, just a simple grass hay and lots of it
3. Decrease pellets.
4. Increase exercise.

How to increase exercise?
In a caged rabbit.. add things that they have to jump over to get from their water to their food. Add a resting box they have to jump up on to reach.

For a house rabbit... put their food bowl into a different place, make food a reward for good behaviour, as a training reward.

Underweight Rabbits and how to help them gain weight
Helping rabbits gain weight is relatively easy.
1. Add safe treats...NOT yogurt drops but things like oatmeal and black oil sunflower seeds
2. moderate amount of hay
3. increase the amount of pellets

Keeping your rabbit at a good weight is important for several reasons
1. Obese rabbits can not keep themselves clean
2. Obese rabbits are more likely to develop joint and feet problems
3. Excess fat makes it harder for the internal organs to function properly.

So monitor your rabbits condition. It is better if they are a little thin then a little fat. It's easier to add the weight than it is to take it off again.

Pumpkin Surprise for Guinea Pigs

10/27/2015

Someone on Rabbittalk posted these pics of their guinea pigs. Isn't that just the nicest thing to do for your piggies?? Made me smile through and through.... and plan for after Hallowe'en to put the pumpkins out with the guinea pigs. :)

Those piggies are certainly intrigued aren't they?

News Articles

12/3/2014

A few news articles you may or may not wish to peruse.

Teachers using rabbits to help folk understand where their food comes from.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/11/13/3485128_nampa-biology-teacher-slaughters.html?sp=/99/1687/&rh=1

http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/local/2014/11/13/rabbit-class-killed/18989771/
http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/hbo/2014/nov/13/teacher-kills-skins-rabbit-class/

Rabbits as food?
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-humane-association-ceos-of-major-food-organizations-animal-welfare-pioneers-and-top-chefs-go-to-capitol-hill-to-urge-americans-to-set-a-humane-table-for-the-holidays-and-support-humane-farm-practices-282632671.html ""Animal welfare is not a new concept to America's farmers and ranchers – it is a responsibility they have taken seriously for centuries," said Smith. "But recognizing our society is now three to four generations removed from the farm and wants to know more about where their food comes from and how it's produced, the animal agriculture community recognized the need to demonstrate their care and commitment to their animals in a more concrete way. It's important to recognize that farm animal welfare is complex because how farm animals are raised impacts other important factors, such as food safety, the environment and costs, as well. It's not in the animals' – or the farmers' – best interest to make decisions about housing or space based on emotion, but rather on science and with a full understanding of how any change will impact these other important issues. That's why the Alliance has long advocated that science-based animal care programs be implemented on farms and ranches of all sizes and types – because it's the right thing to do for the animals and the best thing to provide consumers the assurances they need."

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/eating-rabbit

http://tacade.com/health-benefits-rabbit-meat/ found it very interesting in this article where it says that the rabbit meat is very good for those undergoing chemotherapy

http://rabbitmeat.webs.com/

http://grapevine.is/news/2014/11/16/rabbit-meat-is-for-gentlemen/
"Birgit Kositzke, who raises the rabbits, described the meat as “gentlemen’s food” for gourmet palates. Her booth featured rack of rabbit and rabbit legs for sale, and she made a point to emphasise that the animals are raised ethically."

http://metronews.ca/voices/ricardo-cooks/1212404/ricardo-cooks-are-you-game-to-try-something-new/

Animal Abuse? Animal Welfare?
http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-offers-assistance-local-governments-drafting-rules-curb-animal-abuse

http://www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-news/ci_27050767/eddy-county-animal-ordinance-be-voted. So dogs can't be tired safely in a yard or out front a business while nipping in for a quick purchase? No animals can be sold where there is a public road?

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/new-york-ag-puts-bite-puppy-mills-blog-entry-1.2008065 “New Yorkers value their pets as companions and are entitled to know that they came from sources that treated them in a safe and healthy manner. By working with municipalities, we will help ensure that New Yorkers can be confident that their cats and dogs are healthy when they purchase them and that they were raised in a safe place.”

http://www.thepinelog.com/opinion/article_fb1cee10-6a16-11e4-b7af-dbb967f233f1.html

Caring for your rabbits
http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/caring-for-your-pregnant-rabbit-ze0z1411zhur.aspx#axzz3J1luzoE3

Rabbits and Companions

10/31/2014

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Other than how to feed rabbits, one of the most divisive conversations is that of how to keep rabbits... alone, in pairs, in colonies or a mixture of all the above.

People have their preferred methods and their own experiences to raising rabbits and all these things affect how one raises their rabbits.

One camp is predominately house rabbit related.
Rabbits need a rabbit partner or they will be lonely. These are the folks who say when getting a rabbit you have to get two.

The other camp says "keep rabbits by themselves or they will fight".
These are predominately breeders.

There are others who raise rabbits in colonies as well but we won't be talking about those folks today. Colony raisins has it's own particular issues and I don't want to get into those issues in this post. :)

Frequently folks are told that two rabbits are better than one, unfortunately when people are told that, they aren't told that baby rabbits being together is different than adult rabbits being together.

YES.. Two rabbits that get along together are FUN to watch together. They are. I've seen it, I like what I see. BUT I've also seen the flip side when rabbits DO NOT get along well together.

When people buy two bunnies together I always warn them that the bunnies MAY need to be separated when they mature and what signs to watch for. The key to keeping more than one rabbit together is SPACE. Keeping two rabbits in a cage that is large for them as babies is a whole lot different than keeping two adult rabbits in the same space.

I've rescued way too many rabbit couple and found one that is thin, or has multiple scratch marks on it's back and nip marks on the lower half to wonder about the safety of keeping two rabbits confined in your standard "large plastic" bottom cage. Keep them in that cage if you must, but then put a divider in the cage to protect the submissive rabbit from the dominant one.

The real key to keeping two rabbits happy together is give them LOTS of space and with the space give lots of hidey holes and jumping up onto areas. Give bunnies places to go and areas of their own to hang out in. That's the real key to keeping more than one rabbit living happily in a household.

Within breeder circles there is even controversy about how to keep rabbits in indvidual cages. From the size of the cage to the location. Where they should be joining cages or completely separate. There are reasons for everything and I"m not here to argue them.

Are those of us who house animals individually cruel and heartless not allowing rabbits to freely interact as they would in the wild?

The biggest reason to keep rabbits in individual cages comes down to this: Safety. People want to keep their rabbits safe and since "couples" are known to break down which does raise the strong potential that one of the rabbits could be seriously injured, most folks who cage their rabbit individually do so to prevent those types of injuries.

Like seriously.. if you know that something or someone you valued was going to live in a potentially dangerous situation, that was ENTIRELY preventable...wouldn't you want to see them living as safely as possible? (for sure you would!).

So it is for most breeders and pet owners who have seen rabbits injured because they just want to be on their own (the rabbit that is).

Rabbits do live in colonies in the wild (Europe that is) and in places in North America where folks have let enough of them go so the rabbits populate an area. But one thing you will notice about rabbit colonies... they happen naturally in the WILD. In the wild where they can move to safer pastures if a rabbit dislikes them enough to drive them out. WE cannot safely replicate that in indoor housing. We can't du to the nature of buildings have walls.

So those who house rabbits individually "put up walls" between rabbits to keep them safe.

But also to
1. monitor health
2. maintain good litter records
3. maintain pedigree records
4. figure out which rabbits have the strongest immune systems

I hope I've given some food for thought.
If you have questions, fire away. :)

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Breeding Rabbits - a tutorial

8/17/2014

In order to raise rabbits I need to know how to breed them And though what I know isn't complete, I've learned a thing or two about doing so. :)

I thought I'd share what a normal breeding OUTSIDE the bucks cage would look like.

First complete a health check. Clean eyes, ears, nose, vent/penis. No matting of front paws or groin region. Nothing that was missed in daily checks. You want rabbits that are both in excellent health (minus any moulting issues). Wafer bucked a bit when I checked her vent which is a signal that she was ready to bred. I figured she would as she's been temperamental that last few days which is how her mom would get as well. Wafer is a flemish giant cross.

Red Max is kept in a standard cage, adding a big doe like Wafer means that the cage is a wee bit cramped so Red Max and his date come outside the cage to make each others acquaintance.

Here they say hi to each other in bunny language. Note the ears are pricked forward for Max and the head is lower for Wafer. Her ears aren't flat back like she's scared or unhappy, just a young doe saying hi to a mature buck.

This prompted Wafer to do what many does do. Race around madly. You'd think she was scared of him by how madly she was racing around, but everytime he'd look at her sideways she'd stop and look him over. Isn't she a gorgeous girl?

NOTE: the tail flaps (just like her momma's does when she's in the mood) Bright expression, ears forward.. not the frightened look of a young doe looking for the quickest way out of dodge.

Anyways, everytime he'd look at her sideways and approach her she'd stop and flatten herself to the ground. He'd come over and say hi, sniff her over and occasionally paw at her which.... prompted her to run around like a mad duck again.

NOTE: the lowered head, the NOT flattened to the body ears, the flat look with her legs back and not tucked under. Ears flat to the body, low grunts and legs tucked under is a frightened doe in no mood to breed (generally speaking). Some does have ODD body language.

Eventually the two of them would finish the whole courtship aspect of their date. He approached, she lifted her rear end

and he finished. doing the classic curl and fall over routine. No squeal. He's a very quiet grunter.

Even though I knew everything went as planned, I gave them a moment to recover themselves and then I flipped Wafer over to make sure that she did have ejactulate where it was supposed to be. I've had more than one buck look to complete the deed only to find it on the tail, or on the backside, or somewhere other than intended, so doing a quick flip is beneficial. It also gives the buck a moment to go "HEY, that worked.. now breathe a moment cause...ooh.. we get to do it again!". :)

That's how I do an out of the cage breeding. It works for me. :)

New Composter Built

7/10/2014

Having rabbits means having rabbit waste to dispose of. Ergo the need for a composter (or some folks just do a poop pile). My preference is to have things contained (also my hubby's preference).

I had thought about making a screen front as i did last time, as well as making two stand alone composters, but the middle skid is an especially heavy skid that I thought, why not see if I can't make it as a complete unit. Low and behold I could! It's also painted and I'm not sure if that means anything. But it's good and heavy and was at the "for free" pile at the Rona, so I figure it can't be worth too much if anything (or they'd send it back for the dollars right)? So anywho.. I got it in there and it's holding nicely.

As you can see I'm using ZIPTIEs to hold it all together. I needed to get the black ones as they are meant for outdoor use. The fellow at RONA said it's important to make that distinction. Most of the time I put one up top and one on the bottom, but in a couple of places I put one in the middle as well. Particularly around the middle support. I usually had to join three together but twice I could use just two to connect the skids, and once I had to use four. Hubby came by and said "good job hun". Made me feel good to hear those words. :)

I put it to work immediately. I put in all the stuff I'd be collecting for the past week or so. It's well mixed now. It's also now got some leaves in it that collected over the winter. I placed it right next to the shed.

I like how the composter is well away from the rabbits this time. hopefully that will keep the fly population down a bit. I plan to put up some lemonade jars for the flies as well. That should help get rid of a few more of them. :)

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