Restraining a terrified bunny :(

[Emily]

I saw a thread about handling troublesome bunnies earlier, but I need to take this a step further. I just saw that one of our new does has some dried blood on her back foot. I was able to get a better look, and it seems like a nail on the other back foot was pulled partially off.

Here's the problem. The new buns HATE being handled. We have been trying to acclimate them to being touched, and that is a trauma itself. This particular doe is just getting used to me petting her and getting my hands all up in her business. She's super sweet as long as I leave her firmly planted on the ground.

How can I get in there and check her without her thrashing around? The only things that have worked so far when picking them up all involve lots of kicking. My husband has taken to throwing a towel over them and picking them up that way (like a cat) to move them when we need to. The breeder almost never handled his rabbits. When he had to move them, he would quickly grab their ears and neck scruff and do the football hold. I have yet to master that.

I've not tried to flip them on their backs yet. The breeder did this to show us how he sexed them, and they didn't fight it. Will they fight once I flip them, or is this along the lines of putting an alligator to sleep?

I'm definitely showing how green I am, but ANY help is needed and would be very appreciated.

 

[ottersatin]

Hello Emily,
It is imperative that you take charge of each situation immediately
if not sooner. You are the ALPHA. Much like the Dog Whisperer
you have to do all tasks in a calm and assured manner.
It may cost a few scratches but you WILL win the rabbit over.
When first trying to calm the rabbit grab it by the scruff
and pin it to the cage or table floor. Hold tightly enough
that it cannot get away but is not being hurt.
Once the rabbit calms down go about the necessary tasks,
using caution, you do not want to get hurt in the execution.
Show no fear! Animals can sense when you are afraid.
I never wear gloves but I do wear long sleeves at all times when handling Rabbits.
With practice you WILL become expert at handling most any rabbit.
[Note] Any Rabbit which is uncontrollable to the point where it is
a danger to yourself or anyone else it should be culled.
There are just too many calm peaceful rabbits out there.
You may want to get a litter or two out of her and try to
calm them with lots of handling. Rabbits should be a hands on experience,
not a battle to see who survives!
Ottersatin. ancake: ldtimer:

 

[SatinsRule]

Yes, exactly what Dennis "Otter" said.

Nobody is telling you that you have to be rough and aggressive in getting them used to it, just be persistent. I have rabbits right now which hate being handled, but have come to at least accept it as part of the daily routine. Others started out as hating being handled but have come to enjoy the attention they get in the process. It took time and a lot of patience, but in the end it's worth all the trouble.

Let's face it. At some point, you're going to have to handle them, and if they're not used to it or have gotten it thru their thick heads that they can get by with roughing you up, you'll be left with alot of deep scratches and cuts to walk around and try explaining to people.

 

[Emily]

Thanks, the doe in question has made HUGE progress. We're going to see about her right now.

Otter, thanks for the tip about gloves. I've been using them (and long sleeves) but it's too difficult to get a good grip on them with gloves. I'm fortunate in that they don't get aggressive when I handle them. They just scare.<br /><br />__________ Sat May 12, 2012 2:24 am __________<br /><br />She did really well, she didn't struggle at all. My other doe, charged me and barked at me when I went to grab her. Once I got her out of her 30x30 cage it was smooth sailing in her newer more manageable one. She just chilled in there while I pet her.

I'll be getting them out daily from now on. Thanks for the advice, I needed a bit of a confidence boost.

 

[ottersatin]

Emily,
I'm glad things are working out so well,
and so quickly. I must admit now that you have accomplished your goal
that I have gotten plenty of unwanted wounds but they eventually
go away. Another thing you can try is an old pair of Tube Socks:
Cut the foot off and use the tube part. Cut a hole for your thumb
and it will give some protection to your hand/palm.
Works well for those youngster dagger claws.
At this point however, I find that I am forever forgetting
to put on such things. The more hurried I go
the behind-er I get!
Ottersatin. ldtimer: :lilbunny:

 

[SatinsRule]

Emily, I might add that there is an equipment outfit in TX named Bairrington's which carries items known as kevlar glove inserts. Really just a pair of wool glove inserts, and they help incredibly well for preventing cuts and scratches. I think I paid around $8 for mine.

It's also possible that the doe which is grunting and growling at you is ready to breed. Different does act differently when they're ready.

 

[Emily]

The REW doe who barked and charged did it again this morning. She had calmed down and allowed me to pet her earlier, but she may have just been recovering from her first encounter with our buck. This morning, she was even more vocal and quick to charge.

I'll keep trying to work with her. I hope she isn't like this forever, we'll be in the market for a new satin doe. She comes from REALLY excellent lines, and I was looking forward to seeing what kind of kits she would throw.

SatinsRule, thanks for the tip, I'll look for those. Dealing with her may be easier if I'm not hyper aware of those teeth and nails.

Funny enough, when we got her, my husband named her Honey, like "Honey Bunny". She is anything but sweet. I think I need to borrow The White Witch as a name.

 

[trinityoaks]

Treats seem to help. My buns (mostly) like small apples (or halves of large ones). I've had it take as much as a month for a rabbit to settle in.

 

[a7736100]

I've found that if I pick them up the scruff further near midback they can't kick. They are horizontal and their skin is pulled back so their legs can't move much. When I flip them I press them against my stomach and rotate them head over heels slowly. They feel more secure and having their legs between you and your arms makes it harder for them to kick. Hugg them if they try to kick. Some rabbits takes a while to get used to being flipped.

 

[WildWolf]

When first trying to calm the rabbit grab it by the scruff
and pin it to the cage or table floor. Hold tightly enough
that it cannot get away but is not being hurt.
Once the rabbit calms down go about the necessary tasks,
using caution, you do not want to get hurt in the execution.

I'm really new to rabbits... these are my first bunnies, and I haven't bred yet. I'm just thinking about breeding now. So, breeding aside, I'd loke to know more about how to handle my buns. They both hate being picked up. One, the doe, will squirm and kick and run away if I try to pick her up. The other, a buck, willrun away, and when I catch him, he hunches over and acts scared. Is it ok to just try to pin them down, not pick them up yet, until they relax? Should I try to get them just relaxed with being pinned down? Won't that freak them out? Like I said, I don't know much about rabbits. Thanks!

 

[AnnClaire]

Emily, the doe that is charging is trying to bluff you into being intimidated I have one of those. She went from being a scardy-cat-please-don't-touch-me to barking and charging at me after having her first litter. I find that she is easier to handle when she is in the run pen rather than in her own cage, and a treat such as carrot greens in the pen really makes a difference in her behavior in the cage, even with a litter in the nest box.

As for the scardy cat, cover her eyes to see if she is a "no seeum, no get me" type.

As mentioned, cage aggression may simply be an indication that she is ready to breed.

Now, when you do breed, you will want to decide whether to hand raise the babies to prevent this behavior or not. I bring my nest boxes in all day the second week and hold the babies in a laundry basket lined with towels with a towel over them for warmth. I take them back out at night for moms to care for. As I go past the basket during the day, I rub my hands over the kits and pick them up and hold on to them to accustom them to my smell and handling. I also put a pressed alfalfa cube in the basket and a shallow dish of water and sprinkle a couple pellets and oats on the floor. They might not eat them, but they will start to mouth them before their eyes open.

By the end of the second week, when their eyes are opening up, I bring them in at night after mom has fed them. I also start taking them outside to a small pen on the grass for increasing lengths of time during the day and provide pellets, oats and water in the pen along with the bottom half of a pet taxi for them to snuggle in. Once their eyes are open, they can soon be weaned, and when they are on pellets, they will grow overnight!

When they get too big for the laundry baskets, I make a cardboard corral with tyvek feed bags lining the bottom in the living room for the babies to stay in. This keeps them in the center of things, accustoms them to all sorts of noises and activity and allows us to hold and pet and play with them. I also start out with a cardboard box with holes cut in as their sleeping area, and add boxes to the top as needed, making a bunny condo for them to play in

This truely pays off when you sell the babies or use them as breeders in your own herd. The folks who get them will comment about how friendly and tame they are!