Help-Rabbit molting

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bearbop

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Jan 3, 2010
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ShellLake, Wisconsin, USA
Okay so last year my mini lop buck named walter got 1st place out of his class, then he went on to the younger and beat them, so when we went on to champions he was the first off because she said he was perfect...except he was molting.

So anyways, how do i make sure that he is in top fur condition before the show? i really want to win.

Please help

*what brushes should i use?
*should i feed him anything special?
*How often should i brush him>
 
Fur condition isn't going to be the only factor when judging, so forth it won't mean you will win. ;)

When exactly is the show?

For brushing, I would use a slicker or soft brush; something to remove the loose hairs without breaking more of the coat. A soft brush would probably work, and you can also take your hands, wet them with water and run them over his fur to pick up the loose hair, too.

If you have dandelion leaves sprouting up you can feed him some of those; remember to introduce them slowly if he's never eaten them before. ;) I use dandelion leaves to condition my rabbits and they work pretty well. They're "organic" and it doesn't cost extra to buy all the fancy feed to mix up into your own conditioning mix. If you had a large herd of rabbits, then buying the feeds to make a mix would probably be more reasonable than picking a few dandelion leaves daily to feed. ;) But they work for small herds/single rabbits. :)

Emily
 
It's tough to keep a rabbit (and his fur) in top show condition all the time. They need time to shed out and grow a new coat. Ideally, they would do that when we have no shows on the schedule. But they rarely cooperate. And we have very little control over the moult.

Some breeders use commercial suppliments to help boost the coat and add shine. But you have to be careful in that the suppilments don't cause the rabbit to put on weight and overdoing it can have the reverse effect (and put them into a moult that lasts a LONG time).

Best thing you can do is keep him brushed and cleanand watch his diet. (Too rich or too high in Protein can prolong a moult.)
 
Adding cooking oil and oats to the feed is also a great fur conditioner. It makes the coat shine. I have heard that sun flower seeds do the same thing.

Emily
 

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