Got the rats out of my colony!

[GBov]

My colony right now is a very large walk in cage - 20 ft by 20 ft and not only do my colony rabbits live in it but many of my cages hang in the same area. I built it for my chickens so made it raccoon and dog proof and the rabbits have loved living there where they can dig at will.

But a couple of weeks ago I started finding rat poo in the j feeders in a couple of the hanging cages.

So now....................

Two of our cats have joined the rabbit colony :lol:

The cats have lived with rabbits loose in the yard - our buck taught them rabbit manners - so they not only dont bother the buns, they activly give way to them.

So far its a doe only colony and no kits to tempt the cats but by gum, no more rat poo in the feeders so its a result!

Only problem now is I have a doe down with something. she is drooping her ears a bit and looking sad and yes, sniffling a bit. Can rats give rabbits illnesses? Was I too late in thinking of something to keep them out? She is one of my ONLY two blue New Zealand does and is only just old enough to breed. If we loose her we loose the better part of a year in our Blue program.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

My barn cats don't bother the rabbits either, although they do hunt cottontails. I don't know what they would do with young kits... they might eat them, since I feed any dead ones to them, and they love them. I'm glad you solved the rat problem.

Can rats give rabbits illnesses?

Rats are vectors of disease- they transmit all kinds of nasties to animals and people.

I have a doe down with something. she is drooping her ears a bit and looking sad and yes, sniffling a bit.

Check her ears for mites. The sniffling is very worrisome... it could be anything from a bacterial infection to Pasteurella. I would quarantine her. You can try treating her with antibiotics, or give her chewable vitamin C and Echinacea.

The safest option is to cull her in case it is Pasteurella. Even if it isn't, it indicates a weakened immune system, and it is best not to breed that into your herd. Since she is so important to your blue NZ program, you might see if she recovers with herbal and vitamin supplements and do a test breeding, and keep only the most vigorous kits from her.

 

[dragonladyleanne]

. . .or give her chewable vitamin C and Echinacea . . .

I started to get some of that airborne stuff for my infected injury rabbit. And my husband wondered if putting propel in her water bottle might be a good idea, since it's vitamin fortified? Maybe that's why she was nibbling the neighbor's rose bush through the fence yesterday! Can't let her do that often, don't want the neighbor getting upset with me!

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

We use gatoraide for horses when it is really hot out. Should work for rabbits too I would think. IDK

Hope you get it figured out and she recovers well.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

And my husband wondered if putting propel in her water bottle might be a good idea

A lot of people use Gatorade. I wouldn't use Propel because it has Sucralose in it, and I wont touch anything but real sugar with the exception of high fructose corn syrup, which I prefer to avoid but it is nearly impossible. I like the Glaceau Vitamin Water, which is sweetened with crystalline fructose and cane sugar.

You can also buy powdered electrolytes for horses. I have the Apple Elite Electrolyte by Farnam, because that was what was available at the feed store. There are a lot of varieties to choose from, as you will see in the link below:

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_product_gro ... B0D0204AE5

 

[Piper]

Rose hips have more vitamin C than oranges. During the depression, England's school children were sent to go search out rose hips. Maybe the does knows something. Guinea Pigs and Chinchillas can not make thier own vitamin C and many owners are using rose hips -which should make them easier to find. You could also order them from Mountain Rose Herbs - if she is on a rose hip kick, though the doe may just be eating the branches.