Malocclusion

Rabbit’s teeth that are constantly growing and they need to chew on hay and twigs so that they can keep their teeth at a comfortable length. But when the growth happens to rapidly or rabbits are not given items to chew on to wear the teeth down, malocclusion can occur because the teeth are too long. It can sometimes be hereditary because some rabbits are born with crooked teeth. Overgrown  teeth can cut into the mouth and cause infection. Rabbits may also stop eating and become anorexic because it is too painful for them to eat. When you rabbit shows an interest in food but does not eat, then you know that there is something wrong and you should check if there is any sort of dental issue.  Drooling and grinding of their teeth can be a sign of this form of rabbit illness. Providing rabbits with a constant supply of long and fibrous hay or grass, rabbit-safe twigs and even leafy greens to chew on is your from of prevention from this type of rabbit illnesses. When you cannot keep the malocclusion at bay, you can have the teeth trimmed at the vet or even have them surgically removed. But this is costly and not practical for most rabbitry. Rabbits with malocclusion should not be used for breeding.

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Pododdematitis or “Sore Hocks”

Unlike dogs or cats, rabbits do not have pads on their feet. Cages without a solid bottom are usually the cause of damaged feet while constant moisture, prolonged confinement, obesity and overgrown nails can exacerbate the situation. Rabbits with sore hocks have raw, inflamed feet with callouses or abscesses. This can lead to them having seriously infected ulcers when not treated immediately. To treat this form of rabbit illnesses, you have to fix their housing situation and provide them with proper flooring. Also, exercise and nail-trimming can keep the situation at bay. Topical ointments can also help with this.

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Respiratory Infections

This form of rabbit illness can be transmitted from one rabbit to another and is usually a result of stress, malnutrition or bacterial infection. Allergies and environmental irritants can also be a cause of respiratory infections. Of all the rabbit illnesses that come in the form of bacterial infection, pastuerella is the most frightening one as it affects the respiratory system and is very contagious. Symptoms such as sneezing, wheezing, runny nose or eyes and fever indicate infection. Some develop ear infections and exhibit head-shaking and head tilt. A rabbit-safe antibiotic is your bet for these types of rabbit illnesses that is after vets have done culture and sensitivity to determine the kind of bacteria causing the infection.

Although this is a good thing for rabbits living in the wild, it can make it very difficult to determine when something goes wrong with your own rabbits if they are hiding all of their symptoms. It often takes a very attentive rabbit owner to notice when the rabbit illnesses are taking its toll on a member of their herd. This is why it is extra important to spend a few minutes every day while feeding your rabbits to give them a once over, check for any strange behavior and just assess if anything seems “off.”

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What to watch out for

Some simple symptoms that may be a sign of rabbit illnesses brewing in the background are your rabbits hiding in an unusual place, sitting in a hunched position or a loss of appetite. These symptoms may not mean that something serious is wrong, but they are usually your first indication that something something may be wrong.

When you first notice these signs, there are diagnostic measures that can be done to determine which rabbit illnesses may be affecting your rabbit.

1. First, try to give your bunny its favorite treat. If it won’t take any of it, it’s time to get on with the next step.
2. Take the rabbit’s temperature through its rectum. It is better to use a plastic thermometer so that it eliminates the danger of it breaking off inside if the rabbit decides to put up a fight. When you first get a bunny, you may want your vet to teach you how to take the temperature if you do not already know, or ask the breeder. This may come in handy during situations like this and you need to determine right away if your rabbit is battling any sort of rabbit illnesses.

   Normal rabbit body temperature ranges between 38.3 and 39.4 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is raised, any form of stress, emotional or heat, can cause it. Heat stress may signal early stages of an infection, which is one of the most common rabbit illnesses. A very high temperature is cause for emergency where lifesaving-cooling measures should be given followed by a trip to the clinic. A severe temperature can cause serious brain damage, which can only be remedied by culling.

   On the other hand, if the temperature is lower than normal, it can also be dangerous, more so than a slight fever even.  Low temperature signifies shock or very late stages of systemic infection and should be considered a form of emergency. To get the temperature up, place bottles or ziplock bags of hot water wrapped in towels under and around the bunny and keep monitoring.

3. Look for any other signs of discharge, discoloring, changes in fur presentation or other visual cues that something may be wrong.
4. Use differential diagnosis to determine what is wrong with your rabbit.

Rabbits as Pets

In the Western nations, rabbits have been kept as pets since the 19^th century. Rabbits that are kept indoors have a longer lifespan and usually live to be 8 to 12 years old (depending on the breed and pedigree). During the Easter season, rabbits become very popular as pets because they are associated with the holiday — but many of these rabbits later end up in animal shelters or even being set free in the wild, the latter of which they rarely survive.

Actually there is no specific breed of rabbit that should only be for pets because any kind or breed or rabbit can be a great pet. What you should be looking for, though, when intending to buy a rabbit for a pet, is finding one that is docile and friendly. This comes from not only from the breeding of the rabbit itself (coming from a line or rabbits that are acclimated to humans), but from allowing the rabbit to become used to you slowly, handling it from an early age and respecting the rabbits wishes when it is ready for some peace and quiet. When you have children at home who will be handling the rabbit, it’s usually best to stick with smaller breeds, because they are not as heavy and therefore easier to handle. The risk of injury for the rabbit is also lower. Specific breeds of rabbits that are most commonly used for pets are Angoras, Rex, Lop, Dutch, Polish and the Netherland Dwarfs.

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Rabbits for Meat

The most common breeds for meat rabbits are the New Zealand and Californian. They are often utilized for meat in commercial rabbitries. This is because they have efficient metabolism and grow very quickly, which is what you should be looking for with meat rabbits. These meat rabbits are ready to be slaughtered at 10 to 16 weeks, depending on the breed. Larger breeds can take longer to mature.

Rabbit fryers are what rabbits aged 70 to 90 days are called, weighing 3-5 lbs alive. Rabbit roasters are those that have reached 90 days to 6 months and weigh between 5 to 8 lbs. Lastly, rabbit stewers are those that are more than 6 months old and weigh over 8 lbs. There is really no specification on what rabbits should be used for its meat. Any type can be slaughtered. It is just that there are some breeds exhibit better meat production traits like large litter sizes, quick maturity and good mothering skills.

Rabbits for Show

Only purebred rabbits are those that are used for show. A pedigree is not required for it to be allowed entry into an ARBA-sanctioned show but it is required for your rabbits to be registered with the ARBA. Show rabbits are required to be registered so that it can receive a Grand Champion Certificate. Showing rabbits helps to improve rabbit breeds, through competitive selection of the vigor and physical behavior of each breed.

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Rabbits have the tendency to be destructive, albeit not on purpose, you have to watch out for this behavior as it is but natural behavior to them. They get a knack out of chewing on things, much like your pet dogs and they will do so on almost anything that they can get their teeth into. If you do not want to see your furniture or anything else around the house destroyed, you should think about bunny proofing. In fact, pet proof it so your dogs or cats don’t get at them as well. You can also keep your eye on them when you give them the time to wander about around the house.

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How do you pet proof your house?

First, start off with electrical cords as these can be dangerous, not only for your pets but for everyone in the house as well. Most pets, bunnies included, have a certain eye for electrical cords and can spot them from far away. Make sure that you get rid of their access to these cords, hide them from plain view, cover them up, and just make sure that they can’t be spotted by your furry friends.

Next on the list would be the plants. I know some of you may have plants inside the house as part of your interior decorations but when you have pets, rabbits, dogs or cats, you should make sure that the plants are out of their reach. Your pets can be flexible when they want to and before you know it, they have gotten their hands on a leaf and start chewing on them. It may not be that much of a bother having your pets gnaw on your indoor plants, the problem however is that most plants can be toxic especially to your rabbits.

Just like any other pets, rabbits can be very wise and at the same time sneaky. They can be very mischievous and do something wrong while you turn a blind eye and run away from you when they know they’ve been caught.

Another thing to be mindful about especially when you have kids in the household is that most rabbits do not want to be picked up. When they don’t want to be trapped in your kids’ arms, they will squirm their way out. This is one of the major reasons why they get dropped and hurt. Like cats, rabbits are very independent animals; they want to have things their way. I know, it is obviously difficult for children to resist rabbits. They are cute and cuddly, making them very attractive. Teach young children how to handle rabbits by letting them sit on the floor and wait for the rabbit to hop into their laps. Getting picked up when they do not want to be may cause them to kick or bite. Dogs are better for households with kids as it is natural for them to be a pet, which is the reason why they are called “man’s best friend.” Rabbits on the other hand, are often still considered wild and more challenging to tame.

Here is the average daily requirement of pelleted feed for rabbits of different age groups:

•  Does – 100g
• Pregnant does – 160g
• Lactating does – 350g

20g of oaten chaff can be fed per day per adult rabbit. Pellets, on the other hand, should be formulated to be able to provide the basic nutrients that the rabbits need.

There have been a lot of feed companies that are good suppliers for commercial rabbit pellet these days giving producers a lot to choose from. However, it is still very important to have consistent feed product and not keep on changing to new ones because rabbits are very particular with changes in their diets.

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Frequent changes in their feed and diet can cause major problems not only for the rabbits but for you as well. It may be cause of diarrhea. That is why a lot of commercial suppliers have recently addressed these issues and have become more consistent in the mix of their ingredients for commercial rabbit feed. The mixes are now an adequate ration of specified energy, protein and fiber content. It is somehow difficult to decide on the right and best source of feed for your rabbit. It can be mostly based upon trial and error however you can opt to talk to as many breeders as you can and surely their insights will be valuable to you.

Handling Rabbits

When it comes to handling, you should know that rabbits require proper handling. This is something that applies to almost every other animal on the planet. Rough handling with rabbits may cause irreparable damage to its muscles, which may in turn lead to lower carcass quality. If you are breeding and raising rabbits for meat, this is something that you would not want to be happening to your rabbits.

It doesn’t take much effort to be able to handle the rabbits properly so this should not even be an issue. You might see on television how they lift rabbits by the ears and think that it is okay to handle them that way but that is a very wrong notion that should be corrected. Lifting of rabbits by the ears should be avoided because you can seriously hurt the rabbit. You can lift them instead by grasping with one hand the loose skin over the shoulders while putting your other hand below the rump to support the weight of the animal.

Also, you have to watch out for their nails. They need to be trimmed regularly to prevent them from catching on the wire mesh of their cages. One other thing, you may see rabbits as calm and gentle creatures but be aware that when they are distressed or may be frightened, they will bite and scratch the person handling them so just to be cautious about it, it is suggested that you wear gloves when handling them.

Lately though, rabbit meat has regained its popularity and has become a staple for some people in some parts of the world and for good reason too. You may ask now what is good with rabbit meat? What does it have? Is it different from other meat sources that we are more used to seeing on the grocery store shelves?

As mentioned before, domesticated rabbit is considered a rare food option for a lot of people in the US. This is because they have not yet rediscovered how rabbit meat is comparable to the meat coming from other sources and also that it can provide an economical alternative to larger animals.

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You may want to reconsider adding rabbit meat into your family’s diet, and here’s ten reasons why:

1. It is one of the best sources of white meat that is available in the market these days.
2. Rabbit meat contains a very high percentage of protein that is easily digestible.
3. Among all the other available sources of meat, the meat coming from rabbits has the lowest amount of fat.
4. If you are on a diet, rabbit meat can be your best option as it has less calorie value compared to other types of meat.
5. Rabbit meat is almost cholesterol free; therefore it is friendly to the heart especially for people with heart problems or conditions.
6. The rabbit meat’s sodium content is reasonably less than other meats.
7. It contains high calcium and phosphorus, higher than what you can get from other available meat sources.
8. Rabbit have high meat to bone ration, higher than that of the chickens. Meaning that there is more edible meat on the carcass than bones.
9. It does not have a strong flavor that some of you may not like and it is comparable to having chicken.
10. Rabbits are productive domestic livestock. One rabbit can produce six pounds of meat on the same feed and water that a cow will only produce 1 pound of meat with. So you see how advantageous it can be?

Now you know that there are a lot of health benefits that you can get out of eating rabbit meat. And not only is it healthier to consumer compared to other sources, it is also easier and cheaper to produce.

As a matter of fact, I think sprouts are a great thing to feed rabbits as they are very high in protein and other nutrients. They can be especially good during cold winter months when few other things will grow.

One very important thing to remember is to never feel moldy sprouts — which means that sprouting different types of seeds and oats in one bin is not suggested. You also need to be careful with commercial sprout packages because many of them are treated with fungicides and chemicals, which you don’t want to give your rabbits.

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Here are some of the reasons why sprouts have continually gained popularity among poultry owners, and are gaining ground with rabbit raisers:

• Sprouted seeds are densely packed with nutrients. These are high in vegetable proteins, vitamins and minerals, enzymes and chlorophyll that are healthy for your herd.
• Sprouted seeds contain less fat. This is due to the fact that the process of sprouting makes use of the fat in the seeds to allow the growing process to begin, thus there is a reduced amount of fat left stored in the seeds.
• Sprouted seeds are an excellent alternative for fresh greens all throughout the year.

How do you sprout seeds?

Sprouting is the practice of soaking seeds in water overnight in the fridge. The ratio for soaking is 1-part seeds to 5-parts water. Once the seeds have been soaked overnight, you can now drain them and put them in a sprouting jar (or a piece of cloth propped up in a bowl will do too.) This will help to drain excess water from the seeds. Next, you’ll need to rinse the seeds several times a day until you see them start to sprout. Usually, you will notice the seeds sprouting within 24 hours. At that point, the sprouts are ready to be fed to your herd. In the next few days, you the seeds will continue to grow. At its different stages of growth, the seeds provide different nutrients for the rabbits.

Source:  Gourmet Heartbeat

As with other foods, introduce them slowly, with a teaspoon or so at first, and then work up until you can feed a few tablespoons of seeds. Barley and wheat are good options, sunflowers as well.

Although I said it before, I’ll say it again. Make sure that the seeds do not give out a foul odor before feeding them: if they do, discard them immediately. If steps are done properly and the seeds are well attended to, your freshly harvested sprouts ican last for up to 5 days. To prevent early spoiling, you can try adding a few drops of Hydrogen Peroxide or GSE to the rinsing water but this technique isn’t usually necessary.

Those raising chickens feed sprouts a lot and there is quite a bit of information online from them about growing them in 5 gallon buckets and so forth. Some people sprout all their feeds because it’s more easily digestible.  Here’s an article I came across that is using sprouts as a supplement for a rather large scale grow operation and it’s cut their feed costs considerably.

Problems you may experience with sprouting

There are only a few reasons resulting to your sprouted seeds becoming inedible and these are:

• Seeds are allowed to dry out – sprouting mix should be kept moist.
• Seeds are left in standing water for a long period of time aside from the initial 24-hour rinse.
• The sprouting environment’s temperature may be too high or too low.
• The sprouting seeds are insufficiently rinsed.
• Equipments used for the sprouting process are dirty.
• There is insufficient airflow in the sprouting environment.

If you are having trouble getting your rabbits to breed in the winter, put a light in the cage of your doe(s) for 24 hours a day for several days. Like with many other animals, this will essentially rest her breeding clock and should get the breeding cycles started again.

She’s Just Not That into Him

It may be hard to believe, but rabbits also have a sense of attraction just like humans. So just because you feel these two are right for each other, the doe may have other ideas. Some does mate for life and if something should happen to the buck, she will refuse to make with anyone else.

Sometimes a doe just seems to want to see what other options are out there before they make a commitment. It’s also possible that although she seems ready to mate, she isn’t quite there so you might want to retry on the following day.

If you’d like to try a few other tricks, here are a few more suggestions to get her in the mood:

• Put a tablespoon of cider vinegar in a gallon of drinking water and use it as the sole source of water for a few days. Then try again.
• Switch cages on the doe and buck (ie, move the doe into his cage and move the buck into her cage.) They may find each other’s scents appealing and stimulating, causing them both to be ready to mate.
• Feed her grape vine tendrils. They’re said to be very stimulating for does.
• Feed wheat germ. This is said to boost fertility in both the does and the bucks.
• If all this still doesn’t work, start looking for an infection in the doe. Something could be wrong that you just haven’t spotted yet.

When Your Buck Can’t Satisfy the Ladies

It’s pretty rare that a buck will refuse to mate but if it’s hot (remember rabbits are most comfortable around 70°F), he could be having some problems. This is especially true in older bucks.

One thing that usually works really well is to switch cages on the buck and doe. You might also move another buck closer to the pair. If the unwilling buck thinks someone is going to move in on his territory, he may get excited.

You can also try putting two does in the buck’s cage and letting them experiment. You might come up with some strange and amusing pairings but usually only one doe gets what she needs from him.

You can also try the cider vinegar and wheat germ tricks mentioned above.

And if none of that works, make sure to check his genitals and vent area as well because he could also be carrying vent disease and you certainly don’t want him passing it around. If he is infected, make sure you do not mate him until you are positive that the infection is gone.

Hey there,

I was just wondering if you have approximate measures as to how much feed babies need to optimize growth… I don’t measure but put as much as they can eat and a little left over in case one of the babies doesn’t get access as quickly as the other ones and I do that twice a day… i supplement with hay and table scraps allowed in your ok list!! I was just wondering if i give them to much or not enough… I seperated the moms a few days ago and i wonder how much i should give them individually… i used to free feed them but read it’s dangerous for them to get fat… they are inside and well protected from the elements in a heated ( +5-15 celcius) since it’s very cold right now in northern ontario… -29 celcius this morning anyway do you have suggestions as to how i can feed them enough without starving them in other words getting as much results for my money as possible

Thank you very much i find all your emails very interesting and useful!

Lynn

Hi Lynn,

Thanks for your email and sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

In general, an adult rabbit will eat about 1 ounce of food per day for every 1 pound of body weight. Usually large-sized pregnant does, lactating does with litters and growing fryers (1-3 months old) can be fed as much as they will eat (until they begin leaving food behind). This should be about 12-16 oz. for 3-5 days following kindling and will increase as the doe produces more milk and the litter puts on weight.

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Large and giant replacement rabbits and bucks being used for breeding should be fed about 6-8 ounces of pellets a day. Dry does and bucks which are no longer reproducing have lighter needs of about 4-6 ounces a day. Medium breeds would get about 3 ½ – 4 ounces per day; small breeds 2-3 ounces. Just for reference, a tuna can holds about 5 ounces of pellets.

The easiest way to tell if you are giving your rabbit the right amount of food is to stroke its backbone regularly. If the ridges of the backbone feel pointed and sharp, increase the food offering. If the ridge is present but feels rounded, your rabbit is receiving the right amount of food. If you can’t feel the backbone, decrease your rabbit’s intake. A quick weekly check while you are inspecting feet and other parts is recommended.

Hope this helps!

There are tanning kits available commercially that will provide you with everything you need to do this process. But since they can be pricey and you’ll be doing this often, here’s a few methods to use that are similar to what you’d find in these kits. Aside from braining of course.

There are lots of different ways to tan hides and “recipes” to use. I’ve provided six options here so  that you can select the method that you are most comfortable with. After you’ve tried them a bit, you will likely be able to make your own modifications based on your own personal preferences.

• Wood ash tanning is one of the easiest and most sustainable for rabbit hides, and it requires little effort as well as keeps the hide from breaking (which can happen if you only air dry). It will also help reduce any smell and help the pelt dry faster. But it may stain light pelts and you’ll then need to take a blow dryer when the fur is dry so that you can remove the ash.
• Tannin tanning is also quite simple if you’ve got tea(not herbal), fresh leaves or tree bark around to use.
• Brain tanning offers a simple old-fashioned, sustainable process for those who are more adventurous and remember to save their brains! Usually one brain is enough for to tan one pelt.
• Salt and alum tanning is the least expensive method of the chemical methods and probably the most common of the three but produces a slightly harder pelt that often needs to be worked a few times before it is pliable.
• Salt and acid produces a softer and more workable pelt than salt and alum but one has to be extremely careful when working with acid.
• Alcohol and turpentine tanning is a simple but less common method which is actually best suited for small fur skins like rabbits.

There are also methods to use vegetable tannins for tanning but it generally requires a very long investment of time to get satisfactory results. Commercial leather manufactures usually use chromium salts (chrome tan) for tanning.