Personal Introduction

[RabbitDad]

Hi everybody! Obviously I'm new here & figured I should introduce myself.
I'm going to be honest. I know very little about rabbits and my goal here is to exploit all those willing to share their knowledge with me.
I took on the responsibility of caring for these little critters so I need to do the best I can providing a safe & loving home.
We live on a large ranch in N.E. Arizona. (Monument Valley area)
The rabbit population is quite high. We have 4 German Shepherd dogs. Most spend as much time as possible terrorizing them. That being said, they have never hurt or even tried to hurt one. It's the game of chasing them that seems to be important.
In watching, I don't believe it's possible to catch one unless the rabbit decides to be caught. They are all well acquainted with our dogs and now, often just stop running. With the game over, the dogs simply walk away.
Quite some time ago I was outside talking to one of our few neighbors when I spotted a rabbit before my dog did.
I told the dog to "go get it". Looking back, a poor choice of words.
The dog went & got it, then brought it back to me!
In a panic, I cut our visit short & rushed this seemingly dead rabbit inside & laid it on my bed.
It appeared lifeless except for breathing really hard. I honestly thought it was going to die.
As soon as it realized the dog was on the other side of the door & couldn't reach it, it got up & calmly started exploring. The darn thing was faking!
Of course I was relieved to see it was 100% fine. I left it alone to calm down / recover by itself.
We have 5 horses so we always have plenty of alfalfa. I fed & watered the little guy.
When my wife found out, she provided it a cat litter box filled with shredded paper bedding. To my amazement, the darn thing uses it too!
Within just a few days we were best friends. It always comes when called. I named "him/her" "Snack" because it's much smaller than most cotton tails around here.
At night it waits until I'm situated in bed, then hops up to snuggle against my back. I don't know if it's to keep warm or for security. It's a nightly routine.
I introduced it to each dog and everyone is fine with each other. Since the rabbit doesn't run from them it's not an issue anymore.
Bottom line, it still lives inside.
I knew enough to get rabbit pellets as there are added nutrients in them. So... while at the feed store, I bought it a companion rabbit.
Silly me, I didn't bother checking the gender of either one. They apparently checked. Now we have 7 kits!
They are about 3 weeks old so far and extremely cute!
Mom & babies are in a hutch in our closet for now. Snack is still running around the house. I'm not sure where they will eventually end up. No... the freezer isn't an option!
One rabbit living inside was cute. Two was tolerable. Nine isn't gonna happen!
I'm thinking maybe a "play pen" sort of arrangement in the barn until they realize the barn is a safe place, out of the weather, to call home. Then let them run loose.
Any suggestions?
Natural predators aren't an issue because of the dogs. I doubt anything would go near the horses either.
I'm thinking of just providing ample food & fresh water with high hopes they will be fine.
If I'm wrong... PLEASE speak up!

 

[user 9638]

I would recommend separating the does and bucks at 8-10 weeks because if you keep them all together they will just breed with one another. So possibly having 1 pen for the girls and finding new homes for the bucks, if not the bucks will need to be separated at around 5 months because they will start fighting. That’s my advice about the kits.

 

[RabbitDad]

Excellent advice!
As I was reading that I could hear the banjos playing softly in the background.
I'm happy to do whatever it takes to care for the family I'm mistakenly responsible for... but I'd prefer to limit it to that.
I heard somewhere that... they breed like rabbits.
I'm gonna run out of names real quick.
Thank you!

 

[ladysown]

if you want to keep all the bucks... neuter them all as early as you can. Then you MIGHT be able to keep them together as a group. Bucks are funny, sometimes they will be great and sometimes they just never will be.

AND GIRLS... are exactly the same, though often easier. sometimes they do well, other times... you'll have a bully. But separate them as soon as you can (before 10 weeks is my suggestion).

What size are the parents? under five pounds or more?

 

[RabbitDad]

if you want to keep all the bucks... neuter them all as early as you can. Then you MIGHT be able to keep them together as a group. Bucks are funny, sometimes they will be great and sometimes they just never will be.

AND GIRLS... are exactly the same, though often easier. sometimes they do well, other times... you'll have a bully. But separate them as soon as you can (before 10 weeks is my suggestion).

What size are the parents? under five pounds or more?

Finding suitable homes may prove challenging.
With the number of animals we have, I'm no stranger to vet bills so I may be forced to go that route.
On the lighter side, that may help with names. I'll let everyone guess about neutered buck names.
As for a doe that chooses to be obnoxious... "Karen" comes to mind LOL.
Sometimes I just crack myself up.
Usually animals around here seem to name themselves.
A good example is my favorite horse. He "was" a VERY abused mustang colt. Now he's a very spoiled big baby.
After he figured out he was safe here, we bonded rather quickly. As soon as he'd see me coming he'd do a "happy dance" like he just couldn't wait for me to reach the fence. So... I named him Sundance. Of course that morphed into "The Kid" or just Kid. I don't think he cares one way or the other what we call him, he comes running regardless.
I know horses are off topic, but he's by far the easiest horse I've ever trained. He will do absolutely anything for me. It's just a matter of communicating what I want.
As for his little brother (Born last November) he's the problem child. He thinks the entire world was put here soley for him to play with.
He's very happy, and off the chart cute, but it's nearly impossible to get his attention if we aren't "horsing around". If I ever do get his attention, holding it long enough to teach him anything will be another challenge.
I understand how horses, dogs, & cats think so no issues there. Rabbits on the other hand are a major concern.
Other than eating & making more rabbits, I have no clue what they like or dislike.
I don't want to appear as an abusive parent.
Besides food (which isn't gonna happen) and obviously pets, I can't think of a practical purpose for having rabbits. Perhaps I should have considered that before making seven more.
Our ranch is just shy of 2,300 acres situated between to Native American reservations.
The reservations aren't highly populated so neighbors are difficult to come by.
Going to town (if you can even call it a town) is an all day ordeal. So finding homes for that many rabbits would be nearly impossible.
Answering your question about weight... I haven't weighed any but guessing they are under 5lbs.
There are a few jackrabbits roaming around. Maybe one per couple hundred.
They are astonishingly huge! Longest legs on rabbits I've ever seen! They aren't "cute" like the cotton tails. Actually they border on being ugly.
Is it possible to teach or train a rabbit to do anything? They appear highly intelligent but what motivates / interests them?
"Snack" has a few toys he enjoys playing with. A furry mouse he stole from the cat and his all time favorite... a paper towel tube!
When he wants attention, he will run up, bounce off my foot, then run away. Or bring one of his toys to share.
He really enjoys being petted. He will sit there for as long as I'm willing to give him attention.
He kinda runs the place.

 

[hotzcatz]

Snack sounds like a happy rabbit. Are you sure he's a cottontail? I've heard that cottontails aren't interfertile with domestic rabbits. Something about a different number of chromosomes or some such. Could Snack be a feral domestic rabbit, do you think?

You could try having the rabbit kids in the barn and perhaps some of them could become snacks. At one point I had a pair of ducks. They weren't on the menu themselves, but all their offspring was. Not sure if something similar might work for you.

There are folks who train rabbits for jumping through obstacle courses, sort of like what the dogs do for agility. My friend's rabbit used to watch TV with them and would thump at anyone who got between him and the TV. Snack will probably train you to let him do all sorts of things if you give him a chance.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Looked into it a bit. Domestic rabbits can't breed with cottontails, so that theory is unlikely
Are you able to show pictures? There's a high chance that it's just a chestnut colored Dwarf breed

 

[tambayo]

I suspect actually that Snack was a dump unwanted/can't keep it pet story. Some people will just look for a place that looks like bunny will be happy there and dump them. Shelter costs money and may have euthanasia policy.
If you let them roam i would spay/neuter the whole lot actually, there are enough places with non-native turned to pest species all around the world already. For the US for example feral pigs are notorious.

 

[RabbitDad]

I suspect actually that Snack was a dump unwanted/can't keep it pet story. Some people will just look for a place that looks like bunny will be happy there and dump them. Shelter costs money and may have euthanasia policy.
If you let them roam i would spay/neuter the whole lot actually, there are enough places with non-native turned to pest species all around the world already. For the US for example feral pigs are notorious.

Considering where we are, it's impossible that Snack or his ancestors were domestic rabbits.
However... it's extremely possible that his new roommate, "Brunch" came from wild parents.
Brunch came from the local feed store.
Local ranchers often sell rabbits, chickens, pigs, goats etc. to the store, who in turn sells them to the public.
An interesting note... our bed is rather tall... top of the mattress being over three feet off the floor. (It's an antique & fits our decor perfectly) Anyway, Snack has no trouble jumping up & back down in a single leap.
He's only up there when I am. He seems to prefer one of two places on the floor. The first being right in the middle so we have to step over him and the other, under a stool by the dresser where he made himself a little garage to park in.
The funniest part is when he's relaxing on the floor, his back legs are stretched straight out the back... like he's in super-rabbit mode. A little rabbit sized cape would be perfect!
The babies are all healthy & happy. Several have names already... We are still waiting on the rest.
We have Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Hairy then Lewis & Clark who insist on escaping so they can explore everything. Like I mentioned previously... the last three named themselves.
They are in the extremely cute stage, about 3 weeks old. I'll get pics soon.
Quite a variety of colors. No two being exactly the same. They range from brown, black & gray.
It would solve some potential future problems if they were sterile. I can already hear the lecture I'll get from the vet for being an irresponsible parent.
FYI... We have the best vet on the planet! Besides reminding us when checkups / vaccinations are due, she performed a miracle on my favorite horse.
Somehow he tore he eyelid off! It was hanging by 1/4". She sewed it back on and other than stitches, it looked and functioned 100%. Then a few days later, he did it again, tearing off the opposite end. I didn't think she was going to be able to fix it the 2nd time but she did!
The only casualty was my bank account.
Poor horse wouldn't go down the 2nd time. She said she gave him enough sedation to knock out a Clydesdale but he kept fighting it. He eventually went under.
Then after surgery it took over five hours to load him back in the trailer. Not that he wasn't willing, just that he was so stoned that he couldn't step up.
I ended up backing over the sidewalk so it was only a 6" step up.
It was dark by then & had to leave the interior lights of the trailer on all the way home so the big baby wouldn't get scared of the dark.
True story... if I turned the lights off, he'd panic!

 

[tambayo]

Wild rabbits are panickaholics and stay that way, you can pretty much count on their kits being the same. I have come across domestic X wild rabbit oepsie litters, when here (europe) outside bunnies got an amorous visit. They even with a domestic, cuddly well handled doe as an example would be wild period. What you write here doesn't come even close to a wild rabbit behaviour wise. Foto's would be interesting, most coat colors are from domestic rabbits and grey/blue is a recessive gene i.e. passed down from both parents. Farmers would also be breeding and raising domesicated european rabbits for meat and sale. The wild ones are to panicky and thus lose weight/die/get hurt, ditto for your native cottontail.
Vid on domesticated vs wild. You can see the total freakout for just coming close to it. Now this guy raises rabbit for meat, but behaviour wise that doesn't matter.

 

[RabbitDad]

I've stated several times here that my knowledge of rabbits can't fill a thimble.
My suspicion that Snack is wild comes from our location.
Google Monument Valley Arizona. Especially images. Our closest neighbors are miles away!
We are so remote that we don't get mail delivery, UPS & FedEx don't come out here either. I can't imagine a rabbit running away from home & ending up way out here. Then the thought of someone driving several hours just to dump a rabbit off in the desert simply doesn't make sense.
Snack acts exactly the same as the wild rabbit in the video if I dare try to pick him up. However, when he comes to me, which is quite often, he will sit next to me, pushing against me or climbing on my lap. He really seems to enjoy getting petted. Still... picking him up isn't an option.
Now I clearly understand that horses & rabbits are completely different but three of our mustangs were wild. Other than the freeze brands, it's impossible to tell that now. Granted they don't trust strangers but around us, they behave exactly like domestic horses.
Another factor... Snack was born on our ranch. Obviously his siblings are running around here too. I recently learned that wild / domestic rabbits can't reproduce. If he does have domestic ancestry, that would indicate that most if not all here do. That's extremely unlikely.
Logic suggests that with the right environment... not being caged & left alone unless he wants attention, his intelligence overrides his instincts. Crazy as that sounds, he has proven to be quite intelligent.
Many years ago we rescued a baby squirrel that had fallen from a very tall tree. It was only a few days old.
We had to bottle feed it. It looked like a hairless rat!
It grew up, would jump on our Golden Retriever & ride her around the house.
As an adult, we'd let him outside during the day & he'd come back in at night. Up until he found a girlfriend.
He came to me a few times outside after that but obviously preferred his new family so he remained outside.
Again, I realize they too are different species, but to assume all wild animals can't be domesticated is wrong.

 

[ladysown]

hey... there's a youtube guy with a pet coyote and a raccoon he calls cat... so wild things are as wild things are. Strange things happen.

BUT if you got babies from snack and a mrs that you brought in... snack could simply be a feral domestic.

I asked about weight as that can influence maturity and hence breeding abilities to a certain extent. Though most of the time I think hogwash. Rabbits are capable of breeding (I find personally) regardless of size as early as three months (though perhaps not advisable for some of the bigger breeds). And as oppositionally... some bucks (regardless of size) simply won't breed until they are seven to eight months old. rabbits are weird.

If you can't find them homes, and you don't want to release them (thank you for that) then neutering will be your best option for preventing future younglings from coming along.

What use can you put them to?
- bunnies can be trained to a certain extent, depends on how much work you want to put into them
- their poop is gold on gardens, fields, etc.
- food (only if you are up to using them as such) .. for people, critters, etc.
- Therapy animals, rabbits have a high laugh value!
- clean up from garden or kitchen waste... as long as it's fresh greens and not gross. research what plants you have locally and if bunnies can eat them. I'm betting if you see wild rabbits eating it, your not feral rabbits can eat it too. Their clean up will result in excellent soil amending fertilizer.

have fun with them.

 

[RabbitDad]

Thanks!
Everyone please... Google Monument Valley Arizona (especially images) to see where our ranch is.
It kinda looks like the pictures the Mars rovers sent back.
Honestly there is nothing here but open land, a few mustang herds, the buffaloes we introduced and a butt-load of rabbits.
I can't even imagine how or why domestic rabbits would be way out here. Our closest neighbors are many miles away and "town" is hours away by vehicle.
Snack's roommate came from the feed-store in town.
So... if my assumption that he's wild is correct, and the science behind breeding domestic rabbits with wild ones is also true, logic suggests that Snack's roommate is also wild.
The animals / livestock come from local ranchers selling them to the store.
It seems more likely that Snack has brain damage like the rest of us living here and doesn't follow standard protocols.
Now I might be stupid but I do realize that I'm responsible for bringing these critters into the world. It's not like they signed up for it.
That being said, I need to provide the best environment I can for them. As a minimum, all of them need to visit out miracle worker vet so we don't have more babies.
Perhaps the vet can solve the mystery of their ancestry.
I can't testify as to the behavior of the mommy rabbit as we have left her and her babies alone as much as possible.
But Snack has quite the personality.
I don't know how rabbits are supposed to behave. Wild or domestic.
I'm assuming you read the story of Snack's adoption. He sure turned that around! He rules the house now!
If not afraid, the dogs are certainly cautious of him now. The cat too.
While he can't be approached, caught or picked up without a fight, he's quite demanding when he wants attention. 99 out of 100 times, if I sit or lay down he sits or lays next to me. If he wants pets he will put his head under my arm or hand & push... like he's doing it himself.
While I still insist he's wild, he's rather affectionate... provided it's on his terms.
If I don't sit or lay down he does a drive by attack. He will sprint up to me then bounce off my foot to retreat. He will continue that every few minutes until I sit down. Then he hops up next to me wanting pets. I'm guessing that's not normal for any rabbit.
I previously mentioned how he sprawls out on the floor. That can't be normal either... which verifies my suspicion of brain damage.
He lays on his belly with his back legs stretched out straight back! Like Superman flying. It's really funny!
Of course it's our responsibility to step over or go around... that's his spot, he was there first.
I need to get some videos. I don't expect anyone to believe a word of this. Pinky swear, true story.
I just love this crazy rabbit!

 

[RabbitDad]

I suspect actually that Snack was a dump unwanted/can't keep it pet story. Some people will just look for a place that looks like bunny will be happy there and dump them. Shelter costs money and may have euthanasia policy.
If you let them roam i would spay/neuter the whole lot actually, there are enough places with non-native turned to pest species all around the world already. For the US for example feral pigs are notorious.

Dumping any animal somewhere or even the mystery home I know nothing about isn't an option.
To do that I might as well torture & eventually kill them myself. That won't happen either.
Some of our horses were severely abused and neglected before we got them.
One so bad that if I'd raise my hand, he'd cower expecting to get beaten! And that's a mustang stallion!
I swear, if I ever saw someone abusing an animal like that I'd likely spend the rest of my days behind bars.
Upon arrival three were basically skeletons with fur. Terrified of everything. It took several months to nurse them back to health.
Turned out one of the starving mares was pregnant! She gave us a beautiful colt last November.
Fast forward... every last one is safe, happy & healthy with my personal guarantee they will NEVER be abused or neglected again.
Obviously the same goes for the rabbits.
They will likely end up in the barn. The horses are spoiled with heat & AC so that should be suitable for rabbits too.
FYI wild rabbits & horses get along fine together. As the sun rises each morning, the corral has several rabbits munching on leftover alfalfa. Often nose to nose with the horses.
We have a wire screen around the fence so rabbits can travel freely in / out but the dogs can't.
Bottom line, unless I know for sure they are going to decent forever homes, they are staying here.
I'm the guy who has spent many thousands of dollars getting cats repaired at the vet. They weren't even mine! And to top it off, I'm not a cat petson. I just can't see any animal suffer if I can do something about it.
I don't mean to imply that I dislike cats, just that I'd pass them by in the pet store.
Honestly I've never given much thought to rabbits before this. Now that I've had some exposure, I'm quite fond of the little critters.
Someone here mentioned therapy animals. Brilliant idea!
When I was in the hospital my son smuggled in my German Shepherd to visit. I insisted that he remain with me.
Except for being in surgery, he stayed with me the entire time. And the hospital was OK with it!
The thought of taking one of our horses to an "old folks home" in town crossed my mind.
I'm sure that would really make someone's day. I know I'd like it if I were trapped in there.
A rabbit would be much easier & accomplish almost the same thing.
Silly me, I assumed they were useless.

 

[RabbitDad]

This is Maggie a few hours after giving birth to her new colt. (Last November) Both parents are wild mustangs.
She did it 100% on her own in the middle of the night!
The first part of her pregnancy she was so starved I was very concerned she wouldn't recover. Obviously she has and has proven to be an incredible mother.
Is that little guy the cutest you've ever seen?

 

[Sapphire16]

Laying down with feet stretched out is a favorite rabbit position when they are content and feel safe and secure. Your rabbit has lots of intelligence and is working hard to communicate with you and yes, you and their surroundings belong to them. The rabbit lets you pet and love on him and kindly shows you the way he likes to be petted. All perfectly normal rabbit behavior. They really are quite intelligent and make great pets once they trust and feel safe with you. Look up rabbit language on the internet as the more you can communicate in their language the better your bond gets. Binking is happy, rolling their head is happy, ear placement is a lanquage all on its own! Oh and hopefully you will never see your rabbit deliberately turn away and show you their rear! That is the most cutting insult, you have seriously committed a terrible sin of some sort and have some very serious making up to do!! Enjoy your bun family! You are a great story teller by the way, should write a book on your animal exploits!

 

[RabbitDad]

Laying down with feet stretched out is a favorite rabbit position when they are content and feel safe and secure. Your rabbit has lots of intelligence and is working hard to communicate with you and yes, you and their surroundings belong to them. The rabbit lets you pet and love on him and kindly shows you the way he likes to be petted. All perfectly normal rabbit behavior. They really are quite intelligent and make great pets once they trust and feel safe with you. Look up rabbit language on the internet as the more you can communicate in their language the better your bond gets. Binking is happy, rolling their head is happy, ear placement is a lanquage all on its own! Oh and hopefully you will never see your rabbit deliberately turn away and show you their rear! That is the most cutting insult, you have seriously committed a terrible sin of some sort and have some very serious making up to do!! Enjoy your bun family! You are a great story teller by the way, should write a book on your animal exploits!

I never would have guessed these behaviors were "normal". I automatically assumed he had severe brain damage.
Aside from that, it sure is generous of him to share HIS house with us.