New Rabbits!!!

[JustinBoots]

Been rocking along with my Californians, learning a few lessons along the way (heat sterility sucks). Then I got a surprise from my MIL. I now have 2 Mini lops and a holland buck. They are beautiful. One has a slight cold (in quarintine) and the other has a slight eye infection. She asked me if I wanted them and that they needed a little more one on one time than she could give. I have started to treat the illnesses and seem to be having some luck. The only thing I am curious about is that one of my does thumps the bottom of the hutch when I come around. Any ideas as to what this is? I will post pictures soon

 

[ZRabbits]

Congratulations on the new Mini Lops and Holland. Hope their treatment is going well and they will be 100% by end of quarantine.

The thumping is a warning in the Z-Tribe. Basically a warning to back off or stop. Some rabbits take a bit of time settling in. Plus you are treating her so that's probably even more stressful.

Luna, my doe, does that a lot when she doesn't like something. Can't stand to hear Jake, our dog, eating because his dog tags hit against his metal bowl. Sets her off every time.

Just talk to her while you are feeding or giving her water. She just needs to settle in, get to know her new environment and you.

Karen

 

[Piper]

- I could not find a lop rabbit. Finally found a doe that had a personality that would make a moray eel look placid.
Would see me and hide in a corner of the cage, when I would open the cage she would launch all 5 lbs of her as if she would bite me.
- Doe has a weakness for oats. Took about 4 weeks, now she see me, and jumps to the cage door waiting for her oats. She loves to be scratched now, too.

 

[JustinBoots]

This is the first one to thump when I borught her home. I realise I have to let them adjust and I go real easy on them for awhile. I talk to all my bunnies and have been just sitting around with the new ones so they will get used to me and my smell (no I dont stink!) I think these are going to be a great learning experiance for me

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

One has a slight cold (in quarintine) and the other has a slight eye infection.

i BE very careful on this .. Sounds like pasteralla to me. I wouldnt
put them anyway near your californians.

 

[JessicaR]

I agree ^^ I would be very cautious with the sick ones

 

[JustinBoots]

I have been very careful, they were house next to other rabbits in the barn with no other rabbits getting sick, so I hope all goes well

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Been rocking along with my Californians, learning a few lessons along the way (heat sterility sucks). Then I got a surprise from my MIL. I now have 2 Mini lops and a holland buck. They are beautiful. One has a slight cold (in quarintine) and the other has a slight eye infection. She asked me if I wanted them and that they needed a little more one on one time than she could give. I have started to treat the illnesses and seem to be having some luck. The only thing I am curious about is that one of my does thumps the bottom of the hutch when I come around. Any ideas as to what this is? I will post pictures soon

Justin, I am going to seriously caution you to keep these rabbits in quarantine for a month or more. Rabbits do NOT get colds. It is likely either Bordatella (curable with antibiotics) or Pasteurella (NOT curable) infection. Also, the eye infection, that can be Pasteurella related as well. Normal, Adult rabbits don't get eye infections as a rule. I would keep all three of them FAR FAR away from the rest of your herd and care for them only AFTER caring for your other rabbits. If it IS pasteurella, treating with antibiotics will only mask the symptoms. Not every rabbit that carries Pasteurella will show symptoms, it is usually only those with weaker immune symptoms or if they get stressed, so just because those other rabbits they were housed with did not display symptoms does NOT mean that they are ok.

Free rabbits are cool, but are they worth the rest of your herd? I lost my entire herd of Cals (24) to one single bunny that I got from the feed store. I only quarantined for two weeks, and after a week in my barn it started sneezing, coughing and blowing snot. Evidently, it had been treated with antibiotics to mask the symptoms. I later found that this breeder regularly treats with ABX... :evil: At the time, I had no idea where the rabbits came from, but later found out. I cannot caution you strongly enough to be VERY careful and keep strict sanitation and isolation protocols in place for at least a month if you keep these rabbits. Personally, I would not keep them, but I tend to be a bit more conservative after my devastating loss.

That bunny is thumping to express either displeasure or anxiety. Being that she is in a new cage, new home, new everything, that is completely normal.