any one got any tips on how to pick up a unwilling rabbit

hi any one have any tips on how to pick up a unwilling rabbit with out harming it i have this doe that just a sweet heart loves to be petted the only problem is she hates to be picked up if you try she freaks out the problem is i need to take her to the bucks cage for breeding any one got any tips thanks and god bless

I scruff them (grab them on the back near the back of the head, But Not on the neck) and as soon as I have them out of their cage I will scoop my back hand under their butt. I did have one doe who would kick like a Ninja (which became her name) and so she got carried by the scruff to and from the bucks cage or wherever else she needed to go. Most of our rabbits now are able to be picked up by scooping under, but there is always one or two that you need to scruff first. You are basically lifting them by the skin on their backs, it sounds bad, and can look bad, but it doesn't seem to hurt them and that is how I was taught to pick up a rabbit when I was a little kid.

Good luck!

I wish I knew. I scuffed one of my unwilling does today and got her all the way back to her cage after breeding and she squirmed so wildly on the way through the door that I lost her. She fell from the height of my chest. I have been checking on her all afternoon and she looks okay but, no telling. I need to put her out tomorrow and see if she can hop normally. I figured we both had enough drama for today.

My son is REALLY good at scruffing reluctant rabbits, even my big Cals. Thankfully, he has huge, strong hands that are perfect for the job. He's so good with the rabbits. I call him the "Bunny Whisperer".

I was convinced it would be hard to pick up a rabbit...til I learned I could scruff 'em. I'm a dog and CAT groomer so scruffing an animal safely is part of what I do! I've never known a cat or rabbit to be harmed by it unless it is done improperly.

I scruff them then get a hand under the butt/belly from between the hind legs. Use long sleeves (denim coat is great!) and gloves if necessary. I have a pair of leather work gloves with fingers cut off (used for horseshoeing and fence work) that have turned out to be priceless when handling unhappy bunnies.... and vetting cats, or other furious furred creatures with claws!

Scruff of the neck/shoulders and other hand under her belly, back near her bum. Hold on tight just long enough to tuck her head/neck under your arm tightly like a football. Then that same arm's hand goes over her side/hind end and presses her against your body. Make sure eyes are covered to keep her calm and the whole rabbit is against your body so she doesn't feel like she is hanging. Also, keep all legs down and away from your arm/body so there's nothing to propel her or scratch you with.

scruff 'em, flip them on their back to get them out of the cage and then put them in a box to carry 'em. You can lean over the box to keep them in. Milk crates work marvellously well. AND THEN.. you can tip the box for them to hop into the bucks cage or just do a quick lift and in.

Boxes with handles are very good things for a multitude of bunny related activities (carrying litters, weighing kits, and so forth)

I have always scruffed them and then scooping up at their rear and grabbing their hind legs. If they freak, I let them hang upside down until they calm down (normally doesn't take to long)then scruff them again, still holding on to the hind legs. It doesn't hurt them at all. I have a VERY unruly doe that is meaner than Hades and this is the ONLY way that I can handle her. If you carry her like a football she will bite a chunk out of you.

Why would you want to keep a Rabbit that was so aggressive?
If a Rabbit bites and attempts to place YOU, the owner in jeopardy
they needs to become a meal for someone or something!
I do not retain any aggressive/unruly Rabbits.
oh well, one Man's Rose is another man's Daisy,
I just feel that Biting the hand that feeds you
should not go unpunished.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

I am raising american REW and have just started. what i have found out so far is rabbits respond to how much you handle them from birth. high strung rabbits can be taught to respond
favorably to human touch. there are some rabbits that are too high strung to be taught easly
and will pass on these traits to there offspring. these rabbits are culled from the breeding group. breeding from calmer rabbits and frequent handling really helps with calm rabbits.
Ps where do you get your cages cheap.

I use the ears and scruff in combo to pull mine to the door of the cage then scoop 'em into the football hold. I've got one doe thats occaisionally cage aggressive (she'll attack my hand when I go to get her out) so I let her get it out of her system on a rag then grab her. Her and another doe like to kick if my FB hold gets to loose, otherwise I don't have any problems.

As everyone else has said, hold by the scruff and use other hand to support. Longsleeves are a must and I wear leather gloves with the fingertips cut off. Keeps my hands and arms scratch free.

crittercountry":1q8p29be said:

I have always scruffed them and then scooping up at their rear and grabbing their hind legs. If they freak, I let them hang upside down until they calm down (normally doesn't take to long)then scruff them again, still holding on to the hind legs. It doesn't hurt them at all. I have a VERY unruly doe that is meaner than Hades and this is the ONLY way that I can handle her. If you carry her like a football she will bite a chunk out of you.

Click to expand...

I tried the hind leg trick today and it was helpful when carrying a freaky doe to/ from the outdoor playpen. Very helpful!

THis works everytime. I grab at the shoulder blades , So if they try to kick they cant get you. And I scoop under the belly to take them out still hanging on at the shoulders area and then i tuck under my left arm to support . But still hanging on to there shoulder part. I had a mean one that just like to kick like crazy. I use this method and it stops it. If you go back further than the shoulders. That hurts. I dont like seeing that at all.

Here is a post showing the method I have found to work:

lifting-rabbits-by-holding-shoulders-8-pics-t5383.html

ottersatin":3shq9eoh said:

Why would you want to keep a Rabbit that was so aggressive?
If a Rabbit bites and attempts to place YOU, the owner in jeopardy
they needs to become a meal for someone or something!
I do not retain any aggressive/unruly Rabbits.
oh well, one Man's Rose is another man's Daisy,
I just feel that Biting the hand that feeds you
should not go unpunished.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

Click to expand...

She doesn't place ME. I keep her b/c she is unruly....as I am. It's quite hard to explain really.
I do NOT allow anyone, other than me, to handle her.

I have a doe that i got from a freinds freind, the does name is "Fire Cracker" becouse she is such a lil butt. She weighs about 9 1/2 lbs and hates to touched,looked at, and heaven forbid you want to pick her up. If it wasnt for the fact that she was bred before I got her she would have found a difernt life, but I have found if I reach in to her cage and get hold of her ears and scruff then turn her upside down and pull her out of her cage. Then I keep hold of her that way upside down and every thing and use the arm thats holding her to help suport her body and tuck her head and front legs under the oppiste arm and use that arm(the oppiste from whats holding her front) to hold back feet and help suport the body, I have found doing it this way she cant move even if she is being a crank.

Get some of the kevlar glove inserts that you'll see many suppliers carry today. They go a long way toward keeping you from getting scratched and bitten to smithereens.

Also, continue working with the rabbit to get them used to being carried and handled. Eventually they will become more comfortable with with it. I personally like to work with them while they're still with their mom weeks prior to weaning. The earlier they're exposed to being handled, the better the outcome seems to be.

I am so glad I found this discussion! I've been trying to find a way to handle my rabbits with less trauma for them and me. I *thought* when I purchased them, that I was getting rabbits that had been handled enough to be at least accepting of it. I mean, I knew these weren't housepets -- they were young and coming from breeders not coddled housepets. But, still. Once I get them out of the cage, they are reasonable okay even though they will sometimes squirm.

I saw a breeder at the show last week, carry her rabbits on their back like a baby. Her rabbits (AFLs) seemed quite accepting of this except for the occasional shiver of their back feet. She showed me how she picked them up (one handed -- over the shoulders) and flipped them into the craddle position. But, I find that my Silver Foxes do NOT like to be on their backs, craddled or not.

I realized that I made a huge miscalculation right from the start. I assessed the bunnies nervousness when they got here and decided they needed time to adjust and get acquainted. So, I didn't force handling on them, just fed and talked to them and put my hand in the cage for them to smell me. But, rather than them relaxing and getting friendly, they just got less and less willing to be handled. So, now, I am playing catch-up.

Now, I am going to practice handling them with the pickup and carry method explained here...except the getting them out of the cage part is a challenge...they like to go to the back of the cage and I have to grab the scruff and pull them forward which "they" say I should not do but I don't know what else to do!