Official SS Rabbit Thread

@ ChickenPotPie:

I'm thinking about going to the ARBA convention. Putting a face to a name would be motivation to go... :) I might have 2 rabbits in show coats by then. I bought a nice carry cage for going to shows. Pretty excited about that!
 
tortoise said:
@ ChickenPotPie:

I'm thinking about going to the ARBA convention. Putting a face to a name would be motivation to go... :) I might have 2 rabbits in show coats by then. I bought a nice carry cage for going to shows. Pretty excited about that!
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I really hope you do go. :D I always enjoy meeting new people - especially rabbit people.

You can see me on the forum I moderate - "Rabbit Habbit". Here's the link: http://z13.invisionfree.com/RabbitHabbit_Forums/index.php?act=idx

Currently, there's a pic of me in this thread: http://z13.invisionfree.com/RabbitHabbit_Forums/index.php?showtopic=25973

Oh, and cute kits. :) Congrats.
 
Okay, sooooo, how in the heck do you hold a large rabbit down to clean it's ears of earmites? I am having a heck of a time! Someone help! LOL!
 
MorelCabin said:
Okay, sooooo, how in the heck do you hold a large rabbit down to clean it's ears of earmites? I am having a heck of a time! Someone help! LOL!
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I don't hold him down per say. First, drop in some ear mite liquid and massage the base of the ear. The liquid will soften/loosen the gunk. With the rabbit sitting in your lap, open up the ear so you have a good view and begin to swab in an outward (out of the ear) motion with a q-tip.

Even if your rabbits are not pets but intended for the table, handling them from the time they are born is very important because you'll also need to handle them when they're 5 - 10 lbs of muscle. You want them to be easy going.

Let them shift, shuffle, jerk and jump a bit when you're cleaning ears. When they're done, settle them down again and keep working. It's better than wrapping them up or holding them down and risking a broken back.

I tattoo my rabbits while they're sitting on a table on a carpet square - no restraint. I've seen too many good rabbits break their backs confined in one of those tattoo bags or wrapped in a towel. :(
 
MorelCabin said:
Okay, sooooo, how in the heck do you hold a large rabbit down to clean it's ears of earmites? I am having a heck of a time! Someone help! LOL!
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IF your bunns are like mine, you're gonna need help. We are dealing with ear mites with one of our bunns right now too. DD will hold her, and I will pour in the mineral oil and clean. I only do thi severy other day, until it is cleared up. WE are in the midst of breeding season, with a litter of 7- 6 week olds, a litter of 9- 2 week olds ( this does first litter, yay!), and now the one with the mites has just been impregnated.

My rabbits do not get handled other than at breeding times, and on off season, once a month. So help is necessary when giving the bunns their monthly check up.
 
ChickenPotPie said:
Even if your rabbits are not pets but intended for the table, handling them from the time they are born is very important because you'll also need to handle them when they're 5 - 10 lbs of muscle. You want them to be easy going. :(
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I can tell you this is extremely important. Our little bun currently has a tally of 4 scratches at various stages of healing on my arm. She was one of those bunnies that was originally intended for someone's dinner table. We are having a long and painful (for me anyway) hand-taming trial. Her latest behavior is growling at me. We've changed our tactics recently though and have been encouraging her to come out of her cage before taking her outside to her playpen. I'm still learning how to handle her in a way that will prevent her from jumping down or even trying to jump when she sees her pen. I can honestly say that I never had this much trouble even with the ferrets we used to have.
 
Well these rabbits haven't been handled all winter...up North it is too cold outside to do more than just the nessesary...so handling takes last priority :D Miss North...I guess I'm gonna need to get some help...maybe the neighbor :lol:
 
The buck I got last week had ear mites - he had not been handled at all. I have an arm full of healing scratches from him but it only took me once :lol: now I put a glove on my left hand (the one I hold his back feet with) and long sleeves on before I get him out of the cage and I have my DH or oldes DS help me. When I had him out last night he sat on my lap for a good while very calmly - of course I never released those weapons he calls back legs :) Until he is a little more predictably tame I will have help and cover up what I don't want scratched.
 
How large is the rabbit?

I have a 7 pounder that is (was) was a heck of a battle to medicate. I grabbed her front and back legs on one side and laid her on her side and rested my wrist across her neck to work with her. I should take a photo of this. It is actually quite simple.
 
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