New rabbits vr old rabbit

[lissapell]

back story...........I am dealing with pregnant does with pasturella. I started w/ 4, 1 ,buck and 3 does all from the same breeder. Does are snotty sick. Buck is the sire so he has had direct contact. The buck has been moved away from the does since the sneezing started.

New story.......
We have set up getting a trio of SF rabbits and a trio of am blue rabbits toward the end of march. They are all coming from the same breeder. My concern is my current buck making my new stock sick. We plan to dispatch the sick rabbits and sanitize everything before new stock arrives. The new stock will be in pastured bunny tractors.

Would you take the risk of keeping the buck or would you just scrap it all and start over with the new stock?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Don't risk it...it is not worth losing all your new stock over one rabbit.

 

[AnnClaire]

Yep, OAF speaks from heartbreaking experience. IMHO, her point is the only one that should guide your decision ... are the lives of the new stock worth the one buck?

As for tractoring the new rabbits, are you SURE there are no diseases that the rabbits can pick up in the soil?

Personally, if the one buck is remaining healthy seeming, I would use him as a test subject on the pasture ground (still away from where you want the new stock to go eventually) through the rest of the winter and see how he goes. Keep the new stock in wire cages for at least the first 30 day quarantine as that is the healthiest housing for rabbits.

As for the tractoring, are you planning on keeping them in those 24/7? Have you worked out all the kinks and set up a system of management? How are you going to keep the rabbits and their pellets/grain dry during your rain storms? Will the rabbits get enough air circulation on the ground as opposed to in a cage during the summer heat?

I keep remembering the professor when I was in Programming, "get one thing to work right, then add the next thing" ... not wanting to put a damper on your plans, just trying to throw out some issues I came across as I started expanding myself. And, yes, I am what would be considered a backyard breeder ... no appreciable acreage here :cheesysmile:

 

[lissapell]

Yep, OAF speaks from heartbreaking experience. IMHO, her point is the only one that should guide your decision ... are the lives of the new stock worth the one buck?

As for tractoring the new rabbits, are you SURE there are no diseases that the rabbits can pick up in the soil? No I am not sure and am unsure how I would even go about checking.

Personally, if the one buck is remaining healthy seeming, I would use him as a test subject on the pasture ground (still away from where you want the new stock to go eventually) through the rest of the winter and see how he goes.His QT cage has been in the grass for about 10 days now. Keep the new stock in wire cages for at least the first 30 day quarantine as that is the healthiest housing for rabbits.
He is still appearing very healthy. No sneezing or snot. He had a little crust built up on his eyes on an extremely windy day. In fact it was so windy it knocked over his QT cage.

As for the tractoring, are you planning on keeping them in those 24/7? Yes for breeding stock Have you worked out all the kinks and set up a system of management? Beyond basics (food, water, predator) no. We are just in the planning stages. How are you going to keep the rabbits and their pellets/grain dry during your rain storms? We do not feed pellets but the grain bins will be protected within the design of the tractor. It is also 2 floors with the nesting box and a "porch" on the top level so they can get off the wet ground when needed.Will the rabbits get enough air circulation on the ground as opposed to in a cage during the summer heat?The hubs is setting up passive cooling techniques for air flow beyond the wind blowing through the cage wire. We also have tons of shade we plan to utilize.

I keep remembering the professor when I was in Programming, "get one thing to work right, then add the next thing" ... not wanting to put a damper on your plans, just trying to throw out some issues I came across as I started expanding myself. Thank yo, I truely appreciate the help!And, yes, I am what would be considered a backyard breeder ... no appreciable acreage here :cheesysmile:

<br /><br />__________ Tue Jan 22, 2013 12:47 pm __________<br /><br />The new rabbits are on a grain and hay diet with the breeder. You suggested keeping them in wire cages vrs tractors during QT period to keep them healthy. I wont have any other rabbits at this point so they would be able to get something from another rabbit so I assumed an actual QT period would not be necessary. I did plan to keep them in cages to begin with until they were used to my feeding practices.
If it is just to keep the stress of change down so P doesnt manifest wont it manifest further down the road when they are stressed again? Or is P treated more like an immunization? E.I. put a little bit of stress in there system to build up the immune system to be resistant to the P?

This is all so confusing. I am happy you guys are around to help!

 

[AnnClaire]

Yes, I wasn't very clear was I

OK, keeping in the cages above the ground until the test buck shows/doesn't show evidence of picking something up from the ground will give you two pieces of information: 1) You will know where P comes from in the quarantine cages (stress/breeder/etc.), and 2) whether your property has infestations of vermin/disease/etc. By testing with the existing buck you have, you know he doesn't carry a virulent strain of P, and if he drops weight suddenly, stops/increases drinking, etc., you will know to treat for worms (including pumpkin seeds in their diet will help keep worm infestations down), or will discover if some virulent form of anthrax/rabies/giardia/etc. is indemnic in the local wildlife population.

Right now, your rabbits are probably more stressed than the trip to your place ... new sounds, smells, sights, animals, etc. Keeping them in the cages off the ground will give them some feeling of safety from predators (new/strange cats, dogs, etc.) Once they relax and figure out the new stuff isn't going to hurt them, moving to the tractors will be no big thing

As for the crusty eye on a windy day ... yeppers, got that too out here ... some sneezing on really dusty days too, but it is hayfever not P

Sounds like your tractors are going to be mini-bunny-mobile-homes rather than simple cage/shelters :bouncy:

Remember, when rabbits eat, they generally are pooping. They will pick a potty spot and mostly do all their business there. You might want to keep them out of the shelter portion for a couple of days to get them to choose a potty spot outside the wooden structure part unless you have wire floors in there, then you might want to restrict to the lower level so the urine doesn't saturate the wooden walls/part of the structure.

Now, be sure to take lots of photos so we can all oooh and aaaah over your tractors and bunnies! :mbounce:

 

[lissapell]

OK, keeping in the cages above the ground until the test buck shows/doesn't show evidence of picking something up from the ground will give you two pieces of information: 1) You will know where P comes from in the quarantine cages (stress/breeder/etc.), and 2) whether your property has infestations of vermin/disease/etc. By testing with the existing buck you have, you know he doesn't carry a virulent strain of P, and if he drops weight suddenly, stops/increases drinking, etc., you will know to treat for worms (including pumpkin seeds in their diet will help keep worm infestations down), or will discover if some virulent form of anthrax/rabies/giardia/etc. is indemnic in the local wildlife population.

P can come from stress? just simple stress? or is stress manifesting P?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

OK, keeping in the cages above the ground until the test buck shows/doesn't show evidence of picking something up from the ground will give you two pieces of information: 1) You will know where P comes from in the quarantine cages (stress/breeder/etc.), and 2) whether your property has infestations of vermin/disease/etc. By testing with the existing buck you have, you know he doesn't carry a virulent strain of P, and if he drops weight suddenly, stops/increases drinking, etc., you will know to treat for worms (including pumpkin seeds in their diet will help keep worm infestations down), or will discover if some virulent form of anthrax/rabies/giardia/etc. is indemnic in the local wildlife population.

P can come from stress? just simple stress? or is stress manifesting P?

No, but a rabbit that already has a latent infection, meaning it is infected but does not currently show an ACTIVE infection since the immune system is keeping the bacterial numbers low enough to not show any symptoms. Stress lowers the immune system and allows a latent infection in a rabbit with a sub-par immune system to become an ACTIVE infection. Make sense?

 

[AnnClaire]

P can come from stress? just simple stress? or is stress manifesting P?

No, but a rabbit that already has a latent infection, meaning it is infected but does not currently show an ACTIVE infection since the immune system is keeping the bacterial numbers low enough to not show any symptoms. Stress lowers the immune system and allows a latent infection in a rabbit with a sub-par immune system to become an ACTIVE infection. Make sense?

Ummm, yes, stress can manifest P? :cheesysmile:

 

[OneAcreFarm]

P can come from stress? just simple stress? or is stress manifesting P?

No, but a rabbit that already has a latent infection, meaning it is infected but does not currently show an ACTIVE infection since the immune system is keeping the bacterial numbers low enough to not show any symptoms. Stress lowers the immune system and allows a latent infection in a rabbit with a sub-par immune system to become an ACTIVE infection. Make sense?

Ummm, yes, stress can manifest P? :cheesysmile:

Well, I was answering the first part... :tease: trying to clarify that stress does not CAUSE P....

 

[lissapell]

yes, thank you both.

 

[AnnClaire]

 

[OneAcreFarm]

:mrgreen: