Hello from Australia

[Toady]

Hi all, my name's Emma and I live along the east coast of Australia. In about 2 months time I will be getting my first rabbit; an English Angora, I know some people will think it's not a good idea for a first bunny but I'm aware of the time and effort they need and will put it in.

Look forward to chatting with other bunny lovers from around the world and gaining knowledge and information. I'm also a spinner so fibre that I harvest off my bunny will be spun as is or blended with other fibres and made into yarn.

 

[Bonnie Lee]

Welcome Emma
I don't think it's a bad idea for you to get an English Angora at all... It's better going to you with the dedication to care for it than somebody whom just wanted it because it was fluffy

Hope you learn heaps here and meet a lot of great people!

 

[ZRabbits]

Good for you jumping in feet first with your Angora. Not a bad idea at all. Being a spinner, you would know the importance of caring for these beautiful animals and their fur. We were leary about the long hair rabbits at first, but we were just being careful. Didn't know much about rabbits. And not a spinner.

Please let us know how it goes. Would love to see pics. Angoras are absolutely luxurious rabbits with all that lovely hair. Yes, time comsuming, but worth it. Found out grooming can be a big bonding experience for both.

Wishing you all the luck.

K

 

[LakeCondo]

Welcome to the forum. Eventually you can show up pictures of the lovely yarn you'll be making.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:wave: Welcome to the forum.

 

[Toady]

Thank you all for the warm welcomes, was a bit nervous about joining but glad I did. I also promise to show pictures of any bunny yarn that I spin.

I'm also looking through the housing thread to get ideas, planning on making a 48 x 20 x 24 hutch from plywood and untreated pine for the frame. Due to having several spoilt cats I want something quite secure as I know my spoilt brats will be curling up on top of the hutch to sleep.

 

[Toady]

Also a little question for you all, lil bun was only born on Saturday, how often is acceptable to be in contact via email with the breeder for updates? Thinking once a week is enough but I'm just over excited :biggrin:

 

[Bonnie Lee]

Haha That's cute.
I emailed two of the breeders I bought my bunnies from everyday and they seemed to enjoy that I was so anxious to know what's happening with my little babies.

Also I find it a good way to learn about your bunny before
you meet... Like how he/she handles them each day and how they are taking to what they're eating ^_^ also it's a good time to ask questions about bunny care and what not

 

[Toady]

Thanks Bonnie, I've been in contact with the breeder since mid November and have chatted about bunny care and feeding. The breeder mentioned that she doesn't handle the babies for a few weeks after they're born (not sure how normal this practise is)

 

[Bonnie Lee]

Hmm, I haven't bred bunnies although I'm hoping to one day.
But I have heard of not touching them the first week just
incase the mother doesn't appreciate them with another scent.

But at another time I've been to breeders places where they've touched the babies on the first day and it didn't affect anything...

Maybe it depends how much the dam trusts the breeder?

 

[Toady]

From what I can figure the breeder's only been breeding for a couple of years so might not have the confidence to handle the babies early, or like you said the dam might be the possessive type. I know of a breeder in Victoria that handles her babies from a few days old but the bunnies are like her kids so definitely trust her. Guess I can only send an email and see what the reply is, if I was a breeder I'd be worried about future buyers who don't keep in regular contact!

 

[Bonnie Lee]

Yeah I like to update breeders after I've taken their little bundle of joy home to show that they're doing good and if there are complications they're usually the first I go to with questions...

Are you getting a female or male Angora? or whatever she has?

 

[Toady]

Out of the litter of 5 there were 3 paler and 2 darker kits and one of the darker ones is mine, whatever the sex is. I'm looking at grooming gear now as my other combs and brushes are a bit old, guess it's better to be prepared and have everything ready when bun arrives instead of having to rush when it arrives

 

[Bonnie Lee]

That's really good to know.
i think the one thing i ever regret not getting before i got my bunny... was ceramic dishes for their food and water...
messy-est thing ever

 

[ZRabbits]

I was just as excited as you are now when I was getting my two Boys Dobby and Kreacher. Found a breeder, picked my sweeties out, and called and e-mailed, even went down a few times to bond with my boys. Not once did she ever not call back, e-mail back or deny us access to our buns. She was wonderful.

Being that excited and want constant info on your new bunny shows IMHO, someone who will really take care of a rabbit. I would think any breeder would be thrilled to have someone like you, so excited, caring, and concerned wanting her bunny.

lol, I had everything set up and ready to go by the time I got my boys home.

Good Luck. Keep tabs on your little one. Nothing wrong with that.

And please let us know when you get her/him. Would love to see pics of your new English Angora.

K

 

[Toady]

Got an email from the breeder... said it's great to hear from me and that the two dark babies are a black and an agouti, I'm thinking that the agouti will be really interesting to spin!

Also, worth getting it 'ringed' just incase I get the desire to show lil bunny in the future??

 

[ZRabbits]

Toady wrote:

Got an email from the breeder... said it's great to hear from me and that the two dark babies are a black and an agouti, I'm thinking that the agouti will be really interesting to spin!

Also, worth getting it 'ringed' just incase I get the desire to show lil bunny in the future??

Congratulations on the great news. Thanks for the update. Wishing you the best with your new Angora.

K

 

[Bonnie Lee]

Are you a member of a rabbit club?

A breeder told me once that you cant get them ringed unless you're a member but maybe they were telling me fibs lol

 

[Wabbitdad12]

I would like to welcome you to Rabbits Online, my name is Dave and I am a moderator on the forum. So if I can be of any help please let me know. This is a terrific website for rabbits and their slaves, not only is it very active but also friendly. I am so glad you’re here and I know you will enjoy it.

Many bunnies’ recommend their slaves to this site so we may learn of others methods to keeping our furry masters happy.

If you everhave a sick bunny, please post in The Infirmary and include your rabbit's age, breed and health history as well diet and output details leading up to the problem.

Here are somelinks I thought you might find interesting:

*For reference the Library section

*To brag or tell everyone about the antics of your bunny or just to talk about your day here is where to start a Bunny Blog, you can also look back at it later and remember when you had a life before your bunny.

*Now all the bunny’s like talk to each other when we mere slaves aren’t around in the Bunny Chat is the spot to be.

*The House Rabbit Society has a lot of good information on what veggies are safe for bunny’s, etc.

*Here is a link to learn what your furry master is trying to say to you How to Understand Your Bunny's Language

*Rabbits Online also has regional forums , this a good way to find a vet in your area that has experience with rabbits and to find out from other nearby of good sources of rabbit supplies.

The Let Your Hare Down section is for anything non-bunny related.

Here is a link tothat will help you and your bunny to connect, How to Bond with Your Bunny.

Now every forum has rules and ours can be found with this link Rabbits Online Forum Rules. This gives guidelines on what is acceptable, what is not and how we hope everyone will treat each other.

Everyone on this forum loves to see pictures of each other’s bunnies. So if you would like to post a picture this link will help you do that, Upload Photo's to Photo Gallery. Then in the post, you click on the "G" in the tool bar to insert your photo. Many people also use Photobucket. You just copy the img file and paste it into the post.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions and I am glad you have joined rabbits online; I look forward to seeing you around.

 

[Toady]

I've decided to go with the black baby and chatting with the breeder she's more than happy for me to email her regularly, one of the breeders she got her foundation stock from was quite vague but knows the excitement.