Black Diamond Rabbitry

When I see an unusual screen name, blog name, company name, whatever, I often wonder how the individual came up with that name.  Maybe some of you wonder how we came up with the name of our rabbitry.

Wonder no longer.

The girls and I spent several months considering the problem of coming up with a respectable name for their enterprise.  I didn’t want anything associated with our name.  This is the Internet, and there are creeps out there.  For the same reason, I didn’t want anything associated with our location, like street name or valley where we live.  It’s enough for the world to know that we live in Reno, Nevada.

Anyway, one morning I was walking down the side of the mountain where we live on thirteen acres.  There is probably a 500 foot  change in elevation from the bottom of our property to the top.  Sections of it are very rocky and steep.  It reminded me of the most difficult ski runs—the black diamond ones—at Diamond Peak and Mount Rose Ski Areas.  Not that I ever went on those runs.  The beginner bunny hills challenged me more than enough.  So it came to me:  Black Diamond. 

I presented the suggestion to the girls, and immediately Charlotte piped up with, “Black Diamond Bunny Ranch!”

No.  

No. No. No.

We can be Black Diamond Bunnies or Black Diamond Rabbitry, but we are not the Black Diamond Bunny Ranch.

Just no.

Combs

There are good and bad combs for angora rabbits.  

Most people recommend a slicker comb and a wide tooth comb with stainless steel teeth.

The slicker comb not only removes any loose hair, but it also fluffs up the coat, making it more airy.  It is great for shows, but not for removing mats.  

Slicker comb

We bought  this poodle comb from Betty Chu for a very reasonable $5.00 at the West Coast Classic Show in May 2014.  This wide tooth comb is used on the sides, chest, and around the tail for any mats.  It is also very nice for fluffing up your rabbits at shows.

Poodle comb

Previously, we had been using a dread comb given to us by a nice breeder.  This comb will remove ALL the hair, whether or not it is ready.  We do not recommend it for general use.  However, if for some reason you need to remove all the wool from your rabbit, like due to heat or wool block, this would be the comb to use. 

Dread comb

An Introduction, Just Four Months Past Due

I didn’t want to do an intro until I was sure this blog project would work for our family and our school goals.  I hate finding a blog that I think will be informative and interesting, only to find that the entire blog is three years old and consists of three posts.  

We had a slow start due to a family medical crisis and summer vacation, but now we’re back on track.  I like it, and I think it will be great for Charlotte’s and Lydia’s school writing assignments.  Becky is in her first semester of college and will post when she can.  The focus of the blog will be everything French angora rabbit-related.  Some information will naturally pertain to the other angora rabbit breeds; some will not.  

As I said, this is a blog for the girls for school.  We will try to post something every school day.  Sometimes, life will get busy and no one will be able to blog.  Someone might be sick, or we might be involved in getting ready for a show.  Or I might wish to add my perspective.  

The girls welcome your questions and comments.  Me too.  

Charlotte bought her first French angora rabbit, a chocolate tortoiseshell buck she named Indy, in August 2013.  Lydia and Becky bought their first rabbits, Cream Puff and Snowball, in November of that same year, and Charlotte bought her second buck, Ninja.  Now the rabbits number a dozen, with three litters on the way.  We have all learned so very much that we don’t consider ourselves novices anymore, but we also recognize that there is still a great deal to learn.  

We hope you’ll read and learn along with us. 

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. 

Outdoor Play Time

By Lydia

Even if you do have a big cage for your rabbit, it is always nice to let them out to run around.  The rabbits always have a lot of fun with play time.  Every day we need to get our rabbits out so that they can get exercise and so you can enjoy them.   Something that we like doing, either while we are doing our schoolwork, or while my mom is spinning, we get a bunny out to run around.  Rabbits need play time.  If you don’t get them out enough, they will be difficult to handle.  If you try to get them out every day or several times a week, you rabbit will be very good about handling.  When your rabbit is running around, it may stop, grunt a little, and like Ninja, it may like digging at things.  Naturally, you do not let them do this right before a show. 

We usually set up a fenced area or baby gates to keep them away from places we don’t want them to go and to keep them safe.   We have to watch carefully to make sure the cat doesn’t attack them.  He has never attacked our rabbits, but he has killed jackrabbits and cottontails around our property.  Our very large black lab mix never bothers them.  Before the sprinklers come on, or after the grass has dried, we let them run around on the grass and eat it.  We don’t put any fertilizers or other chemicals on our grass.  We don’t put them on wet grass, because they could catch pneumonia.  And even if they don’t get sick, their wool will get badly matted.  If they can’t be on the grass because it is wet or sunny, we put them on our covered deck.  That way they can still run around.  

 

Maple getting his morning exercise

Angora rabbits have a lot of limitations when it comes to the sun.  They cannot be placed in warm sun.  They already have a very heavy coat on.  Ruby-eyed whites should not ever be in the sun—it can damage their eyes.  Also, self-blacks should never be in the sun, but for a totally different reason.  If self-blacks are exposed to too much sun, their wool will turn a rusty color, and they will be disqualified for show. 

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.