Rabbit personalities?

[Diamond]

I am starting to recognize different personality characteristics among the different rabbit breeds I have. What got me really thinking on it is the current batch of popples from my 3/4 Flemish doe. These kits as a group demonstrate a lot more 'purpose' or intellectual focus than other kits I have had that are their age. Once their eyes opened there was no inbetween phase of wiggling around aimlessly in the cage and getting stranded outside the nest box. They moved with purpose from day one and carry theirselves with a very independent attitude. If I take them out of the box when they aren't wanting to be out, they turn around and hop right back in. If they are awake and hungry, their little heads pop out of the box, zero in on mom, then make the trip across the cage without hesitation to go nurse. All this started at about 12 days old!

My Cali/NZ cross does are super laid back, non-reactive to the world around them to the point where a person wonders if they are depressed or ill. They approach motherhood with the same attitude - "Oh, looks like I've got kits again. Well, guess I have to nurse the little brats, my teats are full of milk." The pedigreed New Zealand does I have are both very inquisitive - always right up against the wire to see me when I come in, begging for treats, completely engaged in the world around them. They are completely devoted to their kits.

Anyhow, I guess rabbit breeds aren't unlike dog or horse breeds, in that certain personality traits tend to prevail in certain breeds. The Flemmish rabbits have always struck me as rather wise - like they take a moment to calculate a situation before making a decision about it. Mama has always been a bit standoffish, like she was always sizing me up. Of course, now that she has a voracious appetite she is happy to see me in the mornings. After she had her kits she sniffed me over real good when I messed around the next box for the first time, and now she does not seem to be bothered at all by my handling the kits.

OK I am truely rambling here.... is this a sign of galloping rabitosis????

 

[garden lady]

I am starting to recognize different personality characteristics among the different rabbit breeds I have. What got me really thinking on it is the current batch of popples from my 3/4 Flemish doe. These kits as a group demonstrate a lot more 'purpose' or intellectual focus than other kits I have had that are their age. Once their eyes opened there was no inbetween phase of wiggling around aimlessly in the cage and getting stranded outside the nest box. They moved with purpose from day one and carry theirselves with a very independent attitude. If I take them out of the box when they aren't wanting to be out, they turn around and hop right back in. If they are awake and hungry, their little heads pop out of the box, zero in on mom, then make the trip across the cage without hesitation to go nurse. All this started at about 12 days old!

My Cali/NZ cross does are super laid back, non-reactive to the world around them to the point where a person wonders if they are depressed or ill. They approach motherhood with the same attitude - "Oh, looks like I've got kits again. Well, guess I have to nurse the little brats, my teats are full of milk." The pedigreed New Zealand does I have are both very inquisitive - always right up against the wire to see me when I come in, begging for treats, completely engaged in the world around them. They are completely devoted to their kits.

Anyhow, I guess rabbit breeds aren't unlike dog or horse breeds, in that certain personality traits tend to prevail in certain breeds. The Flemmish rabbits have always struck me as rather wise - like they take a moment to calculate a situation before making a decision about it. Mama has always been a bit standoffish, like she was always sizing me up. Of course, now that she has a voracious appetite she is happy to see me in the mornings. After she had her kits she sniffed me over real good when I messed around the next box for the first time, and now she does not seem to be bothered at all by my handling the kits.

OK I am truely rambling here.... is this a sign of galloping rabitosis????

You sound like me and what I think of Flemish Giants. I had a white rabbit years ago and she was just a rabbit. She really did not react to anything. I was very surprised at the Flemish Giants. They remind me of dogs. The little 5 kits I had were born in the back in the box, in the dark and I would get them out once a day and pet them and that was about it, so the first time they came out of the box was something else. Around 12 days they did not stay in the box. They started looking for Lulu to nurse. I went out at night to check on things and had a flashlight. They were around 12 days old and were standing in the doorway of their box and kind of hesitating if they should come out. The first time they had seen me with a flashlight. I said real soft, what are you little tater heads doing? They jumped in the air, ran, knocked each other over running to the door where I was. I had to put cardboard over the door tonight. It is raining and wind blowing and they are in a pile by the door. They do not want to miss anything. When Lulu got ready to have babies, she built a nest, pulled fur, and had the babies and covered them up. When it was hot she would uncover then and at night cover them up. She would check on them all the time if she heard a noise. She still has that look like she is watching and they are over 4 weeks old. She washes their heads and they lay next to her. I think they are amazing.

 

[ZRabbits]

Never had rabbits before. Always thought they were cute. Just hopping around eating grass or carrots. Since I've gotten them, I've found out that they do have individual personalities. Not pack animals at all. But you need to gain their trust first to see those amazing personalities shine through. My Flemish showed me that big rabbits are different than little ones. And that trust came sooner with a larger rabbit. Maybe because the breed has been bred to be more dependent on the domestic side. Definitely a Gentle Giant.

Karen

 

[Bad Habit]

OK I am truely rambling here.... is this a sign of galloping rabitosis????

Nope, but I do think you have a first class infection of rambling rabbitosis!!

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

well, in my 12 years having rabbits off and on. I have had all kinds of breeds. I have had bad temperment and good temperment in all breeds.Especially if you raise them from birth are better temp... Doesnt matter of the breed.