Picky Eaters... Or Not

Muddy Buddy had not eaten for two days and wasn't drinking much, either.  He had lost six ounces.  We have dealt with wool block before, and this was not it.  There was nothing abnormal about his poop, other than the amount. He looked as happy as ever, but his water bottle had not been touched.  I asked Becky, and she told me to flavor it with some Gatorade.  She brought it back to my attention that before he was vaccinated, I had been putting a few drops of grapefruit seed extract in his water bottle.  I put a few drops into his water and brought it over to him during his playtime.  (It was highly unlikely that any rabbit would stop for water during playtime.)  He started drinking like there was no tomorrow.  I held the water bottle there for him for 3-5 minutes, just letting him drink.  I decided to put him back in his cage with his new flavored water bottle.  I thought I had figured it out.

But the next day, he had drank some, but not his usual.  I brought him out for playtime and didn't want to bring his water bottle out, too, so I just brought out a watering crock.  He drank and drank and drank.  I then checked the water bottle.  It worked fine, but he liked the crock more.  I gave him lots of strawberry leaves, wild bird seed, and a half slice of bread to keep some weight on him.  He is  now eating his magic mix (Betty Chu's own recipe), along with the bird seed, as happy as ever. 

Rabbit Treats

By Lydia

Rabbits like occasional treats.    What you give your rabbit depends on age, weight, and health. 

The following treats are great for everyone except young rabbits:   wheat grass (sprouted wheat), corn stalks and leaves, strawberries and strawberry leaves, raspberries and raspberry leaves, carrots and carrot tops, apple cores, and coconut oil drizzled over oats.

Cookie enjoying a strawberry leaf

A half-slice of cheap whole wheat bread per day is ideal for rabbits that need to gain weight.

Even if your rabbit is at an ideal weight or overweight, it is still nice to give him a treat.  These rabbits can have just a bread crumb or wild bird seed. 

Blue enjoying a half-slice of wheat bread

 Young rabbits—those over three months—have a limited selection of acceptable treats.  Their digestive systems are still developing and are extremely sensitive.  They can have an occasional green strawberry leaf.  They can also have wheat grass.  Rabbits LOVE wheat grass.  They can also have wild bird seed.

If your rabbit has marbles or doodles strung together, these treats may help your rabbit break down the wool.  Papaya cubes are always tasty and have enzymes that help break down the wool.  Fresh pineapple and fresh pineapple juice (sometimes you have to cut it with water) will help, too.  Lettuce is also beneficial. 

Research Is Your Responsibility

4-H youth leaders are not always knowledgeable about your particular breed of rabbit, and especially angoras.  Angoras, at least in this area, are not popular, especially among younger children.  Most people fear the additional responsibility of grooming angoras.  This is completely unfounded, but that’s for another post.  

4-H youth leaders are always trying to be helpful, but there are 48 ARBA-recognized breeds of rabbits.  What is right for their rabbits won’t necessarily be right for yours.

French angoras are supposed to have a commercial body type and should be fleshier, but that is often overlooked by judges because wool is more important.  However, all of the French angora’s efforts are focused on wool production, and it can be really difficult to get their bodies in good shape. 

Anyway, I was advised by my 4-H president (youth leader) to switch to 18% protein to plump him up.  Many people think that because angoras produce so much wool, that they should have a higher protein content in their feed.  Because I was still learning and quite naïve, I took her advice.   

At a later show I learned from a judge that that was the worst thing I could feed my Indy.  In fact, our rabbits were almost disqualified.  A high protein feed gives sheen to the coat, giving the appearance of a satin angora.  Which is fine if you are a satin angora.  After being set right, at the next ARBA show two months later, Indy won a leg. 

The Advantages of Joining 4-H

When I learned what 4-H was, I thought it would be smart to join to learn about the rabbit I was raising.  Joining turned out to be a great idea. 

Why?

First, I had no idea how to actually handle my rabbit.  I obviously did not want to hurt my rabbit, and I didn’t want to scare him, either.  I learned how to support his body properly, how to check for ear mites, and how to check his teeth.

My first rabbit, Indy.  My sweetest rabbit unfortunately had a heart condition.  He passed away in June.

Because he was a French angora, I learned about wool block and how to treat it.  At one of the 4-H shows, I learned I was feeding him and my other rabbit the wrong feed.  Contrary to what a 4-H member told us, French angoras actually need a lower protein feed, about 15-16%, rather than the 18% I was feeding them.  

I also learned that I was over-plucking my rabbits.  

Ninja joined the rabbitry in November 2013, two days before Thanksgiving.

There are great opportunities for leadership, though I have not yet run for office.  I probably will next time elections are held.

In showmanship, which I was really afraid of, I learned how to show my rabbit properly and that it was really a lot of fun.  It is actually a health check that also helps me to identify better rabbits.    

Finally, I also really learn a lot at shows.  I get advice on feed and care.  If I have a new rabbit, I can take it and ask a 4-H leader to judge it, which has been really successful. 

The Kits Are Here, Part II

By Charlotte

Tootsie’s kits were born May 25, between 7AM and 10AM.  Sadly, we were not watching, which we later learned we should have been doing.  Seven of the kits were born out of the nesting box.  Two were born in the nesting box, and one of those survived.  We are actually pretty well off because it is very common for does to lose their first litter of kits.  Sometimes it takes three to five tries for a doe to become a good mother. 

We called one of the breeders we got our French angoras from for advice on whether we should put the surviving kit with Snowball’s litter or leave it with Tootsie.  We were advised to put the lone surviving kit in with Snowball.  I stayed up all night with the rabbits—I was so stressed!

Later I saw that Tootsie was looking for her kit, and she looked very distraught and concerned.  She went into the nesting box three or four times, pulling more wool.  Finally, after careful deliberation we decided to put her kit back with her and one of Snowball’s as well.

The next day we checked carefully and often to make sure all was well.  I saw Tootsie go in and feed them a few times, so I was pretty proud of my rabbit.  Tootsie’s kit has a lot of hair and wrinkles of fat.  I call him Roly Poly.  He’s about twice the size of Snowball’s kits.  I think he had a much better start than Snowball’s litter because Snowball refused to eat her pellets for four days.  Apparently does can become very picky eaters when pregnant.

Tootsie is very protective of her kits, which is scary at times.

The kits at five days old

                                                                                                                                               

Pregnant Does Can Have Cravings, Too

Lydia writes....

My one and only, very dearest, rabbit, Snowball, was bred with Cookie, my sister Becky's broken chocolate.  For the first few days, everything was fine.  At the West Coast Classic, everything was fine.  Then Charlotte and I got the flu, so the rest of the family was caring for our rabbits.  Snowball suddenly stopped eating her pellets, but she continued to eat her hay and coconut oil oats.  I asked everybody if they had fed her the wrong food.  They replied that they hadn't fed her any pellets at all, since her feeder was still full.  The next morning I asked my mom whether Snowball had eaten.

Again, the answer was no.  So I asked Jared to research the problem.  He found that when rabbits get pregnant, they can start getting picky.  So we fed her some strawberry leaves and bananas.  She did not want any strawberries.  A few days later, she began eating her pellets again.  And sometimes I even find that her bowl is empty by dinnertime.

Tootsie, my sister Charlotte's self chocolate doe who was bred at the same time, did not have the same cravings.  She just ate like normal.  So you never know what will happen.  

By the way, the does are due to kindle in three days.