I've been answering questions for a full week. I've enjoyed this and I hope you have, too! If I have helped even one person to live a safer, happier life with their rabbit, I will have achieved my goal!

Question 7: OOOPS! I thought I had two bucks/does! Now what?

Answer: Unless you've had your rabbit sexed by an experienced professional, always keep rabbits separated and NEVER put two bucks together when they're more than four months old! They will likely fight, resulting in injuries, especially to the ears. In this scenario, however, there is an even BIGGER problem, possibly eight or nine bigger problems that need to be dealt with as soon as possible! Really, the answer is that you need to wait eight weeks until they're weaned and find them homes of their own of some kind. Avoid sending them to the shelter, they have enough! Perhaps you can give them to a neighbor or a friend. Rabbit is also excellent meat, as I'm sure you know from reading my blog and, possibly, trying it for yourself. Don't feel too bad, everybody who's ever sexed a rabbit has missexed at least one! The important thing now is to find a home for the bunnies.

Question 6: My rabbit is acting aggressive/bit me! What is going on and how do I stop this?!

Answer:   Often aggression is hormonal. If you're not planning to breed your rabbit, you need to have him or her neutered or spayed immediately! Even with that, it still may take weeks or months for bunny to calm down. There's also the possibility that it's behavioral. Always speak gently around your rabbit, they hate loud noises, move slowly, and pet them gently. Never hit your rabbit or any other animal! Not only doesn't it work, but it can make the aggression worse, with good reason! Never pet them on the nose first because they cannot see your hand and that will frighten them. Remember we are dealing with a prey animal and they are designed to do anything they can to survive. When petting your rabbit, place your hand on the ears first, making sure he/she can see your hands, as his eyes are on the side of his/her face. If there is any sign of aggression, slowly remove your hand unless it is in immediate danger. Your safety comes first!
You rabbit could be frightened because there is a lot of activity in the area. First and foremost, you need to think like a rabbit! Activity can mean danger in a rabbit's mind. That's how they survive! Never chase your rabbit or allow children to chase it! Always find your rabbit when it is still and pet it slowly and gently. Chasing a rabbit will create a timid or aggressive rabbit!

It's been five days since I started answering your questions. I hope I have helped you to know a little more about rabbits. I admit I am not infallible. I make mistakes. If you find I have made a mistake and have proof, please let me know!


Question 3: I just saw my rabbit eating his poop! How do I stop this?

Answer:   A rabbit has a very specialized digestive system. The "poop" pellets you see are called cecotropes. They are partially digested matter which appears hours after your rabbit eats. They are full of healthy bacteria and are essential to your rabbit's very survival. They are also rarely seen, as they usually appear once a day, and then, only at night. If you were to stop your rabbit from eating them, it would soon die.

Question 4: Why do rabbits chew?

Answer: Rabbits need to chew because they need to file down their teeth or they will soon have teeth that will be so long they can no longer eat. Rabbits chew because, in nature, that is the only way for them to eat! Their natural diet consists of mostly roughage, which files their teeth, so they must constantly grow. Be sure, if you keep your rabbit inside, to wrap all wires and keep them out of reach. You're better off keeping the wires and cables well out of rabbit reach!
House plants can be dangerous to a rabbit. Treat them like your wires, as far away from bunny as possible, unless you're sure it's something bunny can eat. Remember, your rabbit will chew anything it can, so always watch it if it is out of it's cage. We recommend always having a cage for your rabbit when you cannot watch it. This is not cruel. If it doesn't have a cage, it will likely burrow and try to find a "safe" place, which might not be as safe as bunny thinks, and may chew something which will cause a fire or the death of your rabbit.

Day three of answering your rabbit questions. If you have a question you want answered here, please submit it in the comments section. All comments are anonymous.


Question 3: Will my cat/dog kill my rabbit?

Answer: That depends on the size of your cat or dog compared to the size of your rabbit, the aggressiveness of your cat or dog and their individual personality. At our rabbitry, we have several cats who never bother the rabbits, except to play with them. This is not always the case, however, and interaction should always be monitored between pets. If your cat, dog, or even your rabbit, show any signs of aggression, they should be immediately separated. It is always best to assume your cat or dog will attack your rabbit until you are certain they will not, particularly if they have never before encountered a prey animal.

I'm trying to answer a question a day on this blog, so please submit your questions! They can be submitted anonymously, without even an email address or name, so there really is no catch! Hope to read your questions soon!


Question 2: Can I feed my rabbit lettuce?

Answer: Although there is little risk in feeding lettuce, there is a risk. It is much like feeding your dog chocolate. Some rabbits die within hours, others live their entire lives without a symptom. Either way, it is not healthy for them and should be avoided at all costs, regardless of the type.

It's been a month and a half since I've been here, I know and I do apologize! It's been a difficult and busy month for me, as Pennsylvania has been, basically, frozen solid for weeks. I've been spending a lot of time giving rabbits water and making sure the don't freeze, especially the mini-lops, who are prone to having their ears become coated with ice. It's been crazy here! I also have had a difficult time, physically, as I have chronic pain in my back that is often debilitating.

I hope everyone has been warm! It's certainly cold here! If you have livestock, I'm certain you've been racing around, thawing water and protecting limbs and ears, while everybody else is staying nice and warm and even sleeping past sunrise! I hear you!

I've been researching rabbit feed, thinking of my meat rabbits. I plan to start feeding them the homemade feed first. If that works, I will start to feed the same thing to the purebreds. I want to stop using the pellets altogether.You wouldn't believe the rabbit questions I found! I hope to answer those questions and more in the next few days. It may even save your rabbit's life!

Question 1: Should you use a wire cage for a Flemish Giant rabbit?

Answer: Absolutely! Wire cages are the preferred cage for rabbits of all types! Just be sure they have a resting mat, such as a grass mat, on which to rest their feet as they are a very large breed rabbit (often 20+lbs!). Rabbits of other breeds will also appreciate a resting mat and it will prevent a condition known as "sore hocks," a sore or a wound that develops when a rabbit spends too much time on wire and is either too heavy or has too little padding on his feet.

Just sent for more information on pasturing rabbits. I found someone who actually knows Joel and Daniel Salatin. Well, really, a company called Acres USA. Joel Salatin is the original writer of "Pastured Poultry Profits", a book about raising chickens naturally(or as close to the way nature intended as man can emulate!) and sensibly. He's also someone whom I admire very deeply for the very principles that lead him in doing so.  They, Acres USA, has forwarded the email I've sent to the aforementioned gentlemen, and even promise to send me and article they found on the subject from March 2009! I intend to do more research before, maybe, subscribing to their magazine, though. Especially since I pretty much only specialize in rabbits, right now! I do know, however, that they seem to go above and beyond for customer service just from my brief dealings with them through email. The letter is below, in italics to differentiate it from the rest of the article.

Here's a copy of my letter and their response. My real name has been hidden because --- well, there are some crazy people out there who'd love to hurt me, or worse, my family, simply because they think I shouldn't be hurting living beings. Makes sense, huh? To understand the whole letter, you'd have to read Mr. Salatin's article, "everything I want to do is illegal" I put a link below.

http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/2003/Everything-Is-Illegal1esp03.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: (bunnybabe)
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 9:55 PM
To: Info
Subject: Pastured Rabbits?

Dear Mr. Salatin, I'm sorry to hear about the government crackdown on sustainable farmers like yourself. Makes me want to move to Canada, eh? I know, bad joke.

I actually have "Pastured Poultry Profits." It saddens me that I can no longer try many of your techniques should I ever be able to afford a farm. Right now, it's just a dream I have. Even if I could afford one, I'm not sure my young but decrepit back could handle it. Okay, I'm sure I've wasted enough of your valuable time chit-chatting, so here it is. I raise rabbits for meat and.....fur. "Pastured Poultry" focused on chickens and did not say too much about rabbits. Do you have a special feed recipe for rabbits. I know you were giving them free choice grains, pellets and hay, but has anything changed on that front? Some people say you can make rabbit feed, some say you can't. I refuse to believe rabbits have been bred so they can only eat pellets and hay! Especially since the farmer next door told me he raised rabbit successfully on nothing but grains. I don't really want to do that either, though. Seems a little too much the other way to me....

I also read elsewhere that you have some of the rabbits in pens similar to your broilers. Is there a technique to that? If it makes any difference, my (meat) rabbits are all hybrids, although the my friend, Cathy, and I also breed several breeds of purebreds for sale and show.. Right now, I have a new litter of Flemish-Mini Lop-Silver Fox with another due next week. I would really appreciate your input. Thanks.I also have a blog about raising rabbits for meat and fur. Perhaps, with your permission, I could use some of your wisdom?

If there's a newsletter on this subject, I would be very interested in receiving it. If this letter does not get to Mr Salatin directly, please pass it on to him.

Thank you,
(bunnybabe),
Part Owner, Buzzy Bunnies

Greetings (bunnybabe),
Thanks for your request for more information about pastured rabbits. I have forwarded your email to the Salatins today so either Daniel or Joel can reply - but they are hugely busy at this time so it might be a while.
We have an article from the March 2009 issue that I found on raising rabbits that I can mail to you if you are willing to provide a mailing address.
Best wishes.
Anne
Anne Van Nest
Customer Service
Acres U.S.A.
(Mail) P.O. Box 91299, Austin, TX 78709
(Physical) 5321 Industrial Oaks Blvd., Ste. 128, Austin, TX 78735
Phone 512-892-4400
Fax 512-892-4448

info@acresusa.com
www.acresusa.com

Mark your calendar.... for the Acres U.S.A. annual conference, December 9-11, 2010. See you in Indianapolis, Indiana!

By the way, I sent her my mailing address, so, hopefully something good will come out of it. I'll keep you all updated.

Calling all SF breeders! Calling all SF breeders! We are in desperate need of Silver Fox rabbits! If anyone breeds SFs near the Sandy Lake, Pa area, please leave a message here! I will contact you as soon as it's received. Full pedigrees are desired, but not necessarily necessary. Please leave an email address for your rabbitry or bunny barn in the comments section. You will receive a response through email as soon as possible. Thank you!

We also need two cali bucks of any age, with or without pedigree.

P.S. we have no intention of EATING any SFs or calis we buy. Just breeding. SFs are still pretty rare and we would like to see the population grow!