Oh what fun!!

Haven’t been able to update in awhile.

We lost 2 of the 7 kits we had from the 2 litters that I combined when they started to come out of the box and eat real food? Is that apart of the weaning enternitis? (Sorry if it’s misspelled) They had their head back and we’re pretty stiff when I went out on both occasions, but still alive. It was first thing in the morning so I called the first one. Then we had one that wasn’t looking so good and I left it be and it bounced back. Then the third one stuck and let it be and checked on it an hour later and it had passed. This was the first time dealing with this, the momma raised her other three up no problem. One other one got out of the chicken wire bottom and it rained that evening so I like that one probably got wet and cold

On a brighter note, the other 4 are still alive and seem to be doing really well.

We also had a doe deliver 6 healthy kits on Monday (this is our for that had a very tragic first litter with us) She ate half of her first litter and did not take care of the remaining 4. She had them over a long period of time so I think there was complications. This litter she had most of them in the box, with the exception of 2, and they have made it 72 hours, which is longer than her first litter, so I think she’s on the right path!!

We also added formal rabbit cages (got them for 19 bucks a hole) from a local feed store. They’re 24x24 so that is exciting. As much as I wanted them to live in a colony, they just seemed to find a way out. I watched one literally crawl up the walls (about 36 inches of chicken wire) and escape. That did their excess freedom in. They’re still on the ground, and the cages are much easier to move around the yard than the bigger tractor like cages we had them in.

I have also tried my hand at butchering, 6 or 7 if I remember correctly, and it was all pretty easy and very smooth thanks to grumpy’s video!

We also rebred a doe that had a false pregnancy and didn’t deliver by day 37 but hay-stashed and built a small next about 14 days in. I should have listened to my gut and rebred her then. Oh well, you live and you learn. It’s been an awesome experience with rabbits! There are a lot of ups and downs to it though!

weaning enteritis, is [in my opinion] , coccidiosis.. plant some garlic chives, to feed the rabbits prior to them coming out of the nest box ... in my experience, I have no loses, when i do this...

michaels4gardens":inj1ka71 said:

weaning enteritis, is [in my opinion] , coccidiosis.. plant some garlic chives, to feed the rabbits prior to them coming out of the nest box ... in my experience, I have no loses, when i do this...

Click to expand...

Thanks! I will have to try and grow them. You mentioned it on another post, and I looked for some, but couldn’t find any.

How much do you feed and how often? I currently have 17 bunnies. This is getting a little excessive, please don’t judge me! 6 adults, 5 weaned or almost weaned, and 6 newborns. One I think is going to be a failure to thrive though

when I had a "colony" situation .. I planted a lot of garlic chives just outside the fenced area, - it spreads, so the rabbits "self medicated" and ate everything they could reach...
In a cage situation, I feed a "quarter" 1 inch to 1 1/4 inch diameter bunch of garlic chives to the Doe for a few days prior to kindling, and then again for about a week, just as the kits are coming out of the nest box... I then feed it again [only a lot more] for a few days prior to weaning.
They won't eat too much, and hurt themselves...
when they have had enough, they just leave it in their cage, for me to clean up......
The seeds are available from many vendors, on the internet ...

Judge you for having too many rabbits? What is this judgment :lol: thing of which you speak?

"If someone tells you you have too many rabbits, just stop talking to them. Seriously, you don't need that kind of negativity in your life!"

And anything under the age of "breeder" DOES NOT COUNT!!!

Unless you are bragging. If you are bragging even the unborn count. :twisted:

Chubbybunnies":1rl330km said:

<SNIP> I currently have 17 bunnies. This is getting a little excessive, please don’t judge me! 6 adults, 5 weaned or almost weaned, and 6 newborns. One I think is going to be a failure to thrive though

Click to expand...

When there's only 17 bunnies around here, I panic and start breeding more! IMHO, you need about two dozen to keep a stable herd that isn't inbred. We try to keep a minimum of 4 bucks and 4 breeding does at any particular time. We don't have the option of bringing in new rabbits easily, but considering some of the new diseases that are out there, a closed herd is a really good thing.

Earlier this year we had over forty, but now we're down to twenty one which is a nice number. There's two more litters hopefully arriving in July and possibly more later in the year. But, we have a waiting list for offspring, so more litters are good. <br /><br /> __________ Mon May 20, 2019 10:43 am __________ <br /><br />

michaels4gardens":1rl330km said:

weaning enteritis, is [in my opinion] , coccidiosis.. plant some garlic chives, to feed the rabbits prior to them coming out of the nest box ... in my experience, I have no loses, when i do this...

Click to expand...

How does the garlic chives help? Is it specific to the garlic chives or will any green forage do? We had two this year that died right around weaning time and it hasn't happened before. It was both with the same doe, I thought perhaps her litter had been too big and she wasn't able to feed them enough as the kits got older, but perhaps there was another reason?

There's even some garlic chives in the garden, I'd just not known they could be fed to the bunnies. Can you imagine the garlic bunny breath, though?

hotzcatz":2ujw6bbp said:

How does the garlic chives help? Is it specific to the garlic chives or will any green forage do?

Click to expand...

No, it's the medical properties of some (most?) Allium plants, onion greens imho work too. They have antibiotic substances that are good to prevent cocci and stuff.

If you search for it the internet might tell you that they are toxic, an exaggeration, but which is just why they have medical properties. Unlike dogs rabbits evolved to stomach and even use whatever the freaked out botany throws at them .

None of the garlic chives I planted for myself survived the bunny invasion....

all allium family plants, either control or kill protozoan infections, they also help with bacterial infections. Garlic chives are easy to grow, and for some of us... will be available almost all year... in Florida, I could harvest 12 months,

I feed heaps of Spanish Needle as I have only just learned about chives. Never grow them as I have never much liked them. Will grow them now but having said that, the SN seem to do the same job.

GBov":3ibrqy6s said:

I feed heaps of Spanish Needle as I have only just learned about chives. Never grow them as I have never much liked them. Will grow them now but having said that, the SN seem to do the same job.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I have never used this plant and had no idea how good it was...
https://www.medicinalherbs-4u.com/spanish-needle.html

michaels4gardens":378nsf25 said:

GBov":378nsf25 said:

I feed heaps of Spanish Needle as I have only just learned about chives. Never grow them as I have never much liked them. Will grow them now but having said that, the SN seem to do the same job.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I have never used this plant and had no idea how good it was...
https://www.medicinalherbs-4u.com/spanish-needle.html

Click to expand...

It is my favorite plant ever! Good for everything except a groomed looking yard. :lol:

We had it in stir fry last night. Not much but it helps bulk out the greens.

michaels4gardens":2m5yyy6i said:

when I had a "colony" situation .. I planted a lot of garlic chives just outside the fenced area, - it spreads, so the rabbits "self medicated" and ate everything they could reach...
In a cage situation, I feed a "quarter" 1 inch to 1 1/4 inch diameter bunch of garlic chives to the Doe for a few days prior to kindling, and then again for about a week, just as the kits are coming out of the nest box... I then feed it again [only a lot more] for a few days prior to weaning.
They won't eat too much, and hurt themselves...
when they have had enough, they just leave it in their cage, for me to clean up......
The seeds are available from many vendors, on the internet ...

Click to expand...

So I found some garlic chives at my parents house that I didn’t know they were growing! Brought home a few stalks......aaaaaand.........NONE of my rabbits would touch them! :angry:

Any ideas to help? They don’t seems to be picky eaters about anything else. Also, I have a sneaky feeling that at least a few bunnies have cocci, just judging by the few rabbits I have butchered. They all seem to be eating well and doing fine though.

rabbits generally eat what they need, I have never had rabbits refuse garlic chives when they had cocci... I have noticed that my rabbits didn't like "Society garlic". [looks and smells mildly like garlic chives , but...not an allium]

michaels4gardens":f4f87a57 said:

rabbits generally eat what they need, I have never had rabbits refuse garlic chives when they had cocci... I have noticed that my rabbits didn't like "Society garlic". [looks and smells mildly like garlic chives , but...not an allium]

Click to expand...

And how used to new things are they?

My rabbits now will eat just about anything but a year ago, naaaaaah they seriously would not.

It took them time to learn they could eat things other than pellets. Now they eat just about anything. Good thing too as feed stores are getting more unpredictable than ever on what they will have from week to week. :evil:

GBov":2bvibeeo said:

michaels4gardens":2bvibeeo said:

rabbits generally eat what they need, I have never had rabbits refuse garlic chives when they had cocci... I have noticed that my rabbits didn't like "Society garlic". [looks and smells mildly like garlic chives , but...not an allium]

Click to expand...

And how used to new things are they?

My rabbits now will eat just about anything but a year ago, naaaaaah they seriously would not.

It took them time to learn they could eat things other than pellets. Now they eat just about anything. Good thing too as feed stores are getting more unpredictable than ever on what they will have from week to week. :evil:

Click to expand...

My rabbits eat a lot of new things. I give them whatever I can as a snack/treat other than pellets. Just about every day they are getting something, either some weeds from the yard or something from the kitchen, it has kind of been my way of trying to make them more friendly as well.

Luckily our feed store is pretty reliable on the pellets we feed so far.