Help Please!!!

[WildWolf]

I'm very new to keeping rabbits. Right now my 2 does are just pets, but I'm hoping to breed someday.
I need help getting my rabbits used to being handled. When they were babies they were OK about being handled- and then came the school year and I didn't get to handle them much. They will only just barely allow petting. Yesterday I was double checking one rabbit to make sure she was a doe. I had help flipping her over- and I blocked part of her hutch. We got her over and she kicked a lot in the beginning and settled down a little towards the end. Today I picked up both rabbits breifly to put them in our run (we have a seperate, big enclosure in addition to their hutches). They did OK with that- there was some kicking- but I didn't hold them for more than 5 seconds. When I went to put them back into their hutches there was kicking, grunting, biting,running away and hiding. I was wearing gloves, so it didn't hurt me, but it took me a while before I caught them.I don't want them to freak and stress every time I pick them up or pet them or reach towards them. How can I get them used to being handled and picked up? Thanks in advance!

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After reading some posts and doing some research online I came back and posted this:
"Thank you everyone. I think I'm going to combine methods. I am going to pet them and give them treats and brush them and talk to them and cover their eyes... but in order to reach them I must put them in the run. So I'm either going to have to pick them up or get a carrier. I think I'm more inclined to get a carrier just because they kick so much. However, I think I will pick the up briefly and repetitively in the middle of their bonding session inside the run. I came up with another idea- I'm going to do this on a schedule. Every morning I go to their hutches and give them breakfast and pet them inside their hutches and every evening I'll take them out and have a "bonding time" inside their run before giving them dinner. Or something like that- I might have to do just morning or just evening because of my lack of free time. Please comment on what you guys think of this!"

I wanted to post that up here so that whoever reads this thread will be sure to read what I've come with. I would really appreciate some feedback on this, as well as any more tips you can give me! thanks!

 

[trinityoaks]

Petting, talking to them, treats. And time. Covering their eyes helps to calm them down.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

The predominant approach on RT is to go slowly, giving treats, and sweet talking the rabbits until they become accepting of handling.

I take the opposite approach.

When I first started breeding for meat, I didn't want to handle the kits and become attached, and I ended up with a group of skittish does and bucks that had been kept back for breeding. When prepping for a show I didn't have the luxury of time to win them over. I found that by taking them out daily for 10 minutes or so and grooming them thoroughly made a huge impact the very first day. They are Rex, so I misted them down and then stroked them firmly both toward the rump and toward the head- it was like a bunny massage. Moving them from cage to scale, to grooming table, to lap, and finally back to their cages gave them a lot of repetitions of being picked up and set down.

It is important to wait for them to calm down before trying to pick them up and also when setting them down. I put my hand over their head and eyes, stroking them with my other hand until they relax. I then shift my hold to their shoulders and put my other hand under their bellies to lift them out of the cage and bring them snugly against my body. Tucking their head into the crook of your arm so they can't see will calm them as you carry them to their destination. When setting them down, always do so with the rabbit facing you so they don't try to leap to freedom. If they begin to kick, bring them back into your body until they calm down, and then try again. Once you set them down, keep hold of them and pet them until they relax, and then release them. I always give them a treat when they are back in their cage.

When you feed them, take time to stroke them as they eat. They will soon realize that every time you reach for them it doesn't mean they will be picked up.

Don't forget to talk to them as you do all this- your voice will have a soothing effect on them as well.

Fortunately for me, Rex are very easy going rabbits, so it was fairly quick and easy for me to reverse the negative effects of the lack of early handling. Now I make sure to handle the kits frequently while they are in the nest and out of it. What could be more fun than petting a bunch of adorable bunnies while they munch their morning hay? I have decided that even the rabbits that are destined for the freezer should benefit from love and attention before they end up on our table, and I actually feel better about it than I did when I tried to remain unattached.

Good luck with whatever approach you take! It is much more enjoyable to care for rabbits that are happy to see you as you do your chores.

 

[Miss M]

I take the opposite approach.

You're such a rebel!!! :lol:

Sounds reasonable, though. I guess slowly is the way to go if you have a terrified rabbit that is freaking out, but maybe you can be a bit pushier with ones that are just not used to being handled.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I take the opposite approach.

You're such a rebel!!! :lol:

That is the understatement of the year. :roll: If you only knew... I've got a healthy streak of stubborn to go along with it too.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I take the opposite approach.

You're such a rebel!!! :lol:

That is the understatement of the year. :roll: If you only knew... I've got a healthy streak of stubborn to go along with it too.

Yet again.... :twilightzone:

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Yet again.... :twilightzone:

Do you also carry the burden of being "right" all of the time? :mrgreen: It is a heavy cross to bear, but somehow I manage... :twisted:

 

[WildWolf]

haha! Thank you everyone. I think I'm going to combine methods. I am going to pet them and give them treats and brush them and talk to them and cover their eyes... but in order to reach them I must put them in the run. So I'm either going to have to pick them up or get a carrier. I think I'm more inclined to get a carrier just because they kick so much. However, I think I will pick the up briefly and repetitively in the middle of their bonding session inside the run. I came up with another idea- I'm going to do this on a schedule. Every morning I go to their hutches and give them breakfast and pet them inside their hutches and every evening I'll take them out and have a "bonding time" inside their run before giving them dinner. Or something like that- I might have to do just morning or just evening because of my lack of free time. Please comment on what you guys think of this!