Rainbow had 7 black kits last night!  She didn’t make me wait to long.  I went to a class and when I got home we had kits.  They all look good so far and she has them covered well.

warm and dry

Last night I only check to make sure there were no dead ones.  Today I got to inspect a little more.

 Everyone looks fed and and in good condition.  One has a little white dot on its head.

They are such a cute little pig pile on kits!  Now it’s on to the 2 week wait for eyes to open!

They have all made it to one week and all have more than doubled their weight in the process.

They are so sweet.  I can hardly wait till they open their eyes.  The little blue one is such a little fatty.  Mom must be able to see himm better when she hops in to feed.LOL

Actually they are all very close in weight.  Hanna has calmed down a bit more, but she still wants an offering before I can pet her.  Don’t get me wrong she still growls a bit.  She lets me rub and pet her all over she just needs to grump about it first.

Rainbow is just Rainbow.  With a week left before she kindles she is just a mellow bunny.  She has her nest made and just likes to laze around on her shelf while she waits.  She is big on eating her hay and fresh goodies but could care less about her pellets.  She eats enough but is no where the piglet Hanna is.

Stormy is just Stormy.  He really doesnt do much for me.   Actually he does do something, he makes me nervous.   He still has a few sneezes here and there and I don’t like it.  My girls don’t do that.  I hope for a ” Real something buck”  out of one of these two litters.  I will breed Stormy to both Hanna and Rainbow and see what I get out of them as well.  Six months seems like such a long time to raise up another buck.

I just love little bunnies!  Such strong little squirmy things who just know to fight for life.  I brought them in and weighed them and gave them a good once over.

They weigh between 53 grams and 79 grams.  All of them have nice full bellies and seem strong.  Two have white lines on their heads and one looks like he has just a small white dot.  3 are solid black and one is blue.    Hanna has normally has 8 or 9 but since I got her about two weeks into a breeding and with all of the 100 plus weather we had this summer I am very happy with 7.

One day down 55 days to go just to get them to 8 weeks! 

I still have hope for rainbow.  I hope to find out today for sure if she is pregnant or not.

I think I have changed my mind.  I want to keep the rabbits outside this winter.  I was going to bring them into the garage but I think the smell and the mess out weighs the pluses of me not walking through snow.  I am teatering back and forth on this.  I really want what is best for the rabbits and this is my first South Central Nebraska winter.  I really do not know what to expect.

Back and forth, back and forth….. I think I’ll wait and see what tomorrow brings….

I am very excited about this month as I hope to have two litters due.  Hanna is due first on the 11th and Rainbow will be due a few weeks later on the 25th, as long as all goes well.  I might be keeping a doe out of one of these litters to hold back as a third breeding doe.  Either litter will be unrelated to my buck.  I know this really doesn’t matter but it keeps my husband happy.  I won’t have a problem breeding Stormy back to one on his daughters in the future as I keep telling my husband they are for meat and  if everyone is healthy I would rather have a closed herd than risk bringing in outside blood.  That could change, but for now I just want to get my first litters in the world and get them growing.

Hanna looks very pregnant.  She has a nice large belly and likes to lay down on her side so she can show it off, and she still has 10 days to go.  I wonder what Rainbow will look like.  I still have a few more days to find out if her breeding even took. 

The weather has been great and I hope it stays that way as long as it can!  I will be moving everyone into the garage this winter and I would like to make as short a stay inside as possible.

There are no bunnies in there. Or out here either. I don’t know if she was even really bred or if the stress and the heat made he reabsorb them but we are not haveing kits.

I still have a few days to wait to be very sure, but her tummy is trim and she is not nesting. 

She is just an ornery doe!

On a good note I have met a very  nice lady who has a crossed buck to breed to her while I wait for Stormy to grow up.  I might also be adding another bred doe, satin/Havana just to get some production started while I wait for Stormy to mature. 

I still plan on keeping a doe out of Rainbows first litter, although it looks like it will be a Silver Fox/ Palomino X Cailfornian cross  I can’t wait to see what that turns out to look like. 

So now I’m back to waiting.  It might be a few weeks before anyone get bred again.

It is another beautiful day.

My husband said I should leave the nest box in until we are past dates just to be on the safe side.  So the nest box went back in.  I think Rainbow likes it as a bed.  It does have a nice nest inside minus the hair. 

When she lays on her sides you can see her nipples, is this normal?  I just don’t know anymore.  I figure we will leave the box in until the 10th  that would be the very last day she could kindle from the day we picked her up.

Stormy is still gaining weight and looking good.  And Rainbow has calmed down some more.  She still doesn’t want to be petted but she knows I have good things for her to eat so she is getting more tolerant.

The rabbits are both very happy!  It has only been in the low 70′s today and is suposed to stay below 80 tomorrow as well.

I don’t know if it was the weather or what but I have heard no sneezes out of Stormy over the last few days.  I have started giving him a show supplement that has the yucca and stuff in it as his food doesn’t.  I also bought a can of oatmeal that is less dusty….

He hasput on about 5oz since I weighed him last.  I am now giving alfalfa cubes for him to chew on as well.  Trying to up his protein as well.

I’m taking the nest box out tomorrow.  I feel Rainbow would rather have the room to hop around and since she only uses it only as a place to put her toys it should come out.  I’m very disappointed not to have kits now, but I know I’ll have them eventually.

With just a few days left to find out if we will have kits…..I needed something else to think about…..Then I saw the thread on Rabbit Hopping!

I don’t know if we will ever have a hopper but Stormy seems to really enjoy being out!  He never “freaked out” or pulled or tugged at his harness.  I did forget to say after reading about the hopping bunnies I had to dig out my dogs old harness.

Angus

  I just had to tighten it up a little and it fits!  I think if Stormy wanted to fight it he might learn to get out of it so we just let him have free reign.

We started in the house first.  I didn’t want to lose him in the yard…..I could just see me running around trying to round him up if he didn’t want to be rounded.

Checking out the doll house with the kid

Since all went well in the we moved the big dog inside and we went out!  He was very calm but alert.  He liked to check things out and I think he had a very positive experience.  After I took this picture he started grooming himself.

Are you looking at me?

So after a nice visit I put him back and gave him a good rubbing.  He really is such a nice rabbit!

I can’t leave without a Rainbow update.  She is still messing around with her box and we still have no fur…  We are keeping the box under her shelf.  She doesn’t potty on the shelf but she does like to sleep up there.

3 more days?

I found real ACV with mother intact today.  I figure it won’t hurt any of us to drink some including the rabbits. The weather has peaked out at 83!!!  Gotta love it.  It is finally cooling down.