Here we go Again!

[savingbuns]

The shed they are in is a metal shed with now insulate walls. We have the maternity crate up off the floor and covered with big towels with the heat light shinning through to the nest box - so far she has stayed nice and warm and the temps dipped to about 7c the other day. It has been wet and snowy the last couple of days so we have kept all the rabbits in their crates. I went in twice and let each one out to hop around the shed - Buttons seems to be the happiest in the smallest crate out of the two girls they just go nuts in it. But I gave buttons a nice big one now with a litter box and he got a cardboard box for a little house with straw - wonder if he went it in tonight or just slept in his litter box.

We have decided to take the three of them up to the sanctuary this week. Soon it will be too much for us to keep their crates nice and clean with the outside water tap. And they really need to go to their new home where they can be running in a much bigger area 24/7 instead of going into crates at night. They will have a huge bale of hay to burrow in and lots of play area. I may have to build a separate fenced in area for Button the fella or the sanctuary will have baby bunnies ever 27 days I am sure - just so not fair to the girls.

We will take Freddie up once the kit is weaned. Then wait as long as we can before giving up Sierra. I may find her a different home to go to. But we can't keep her as we are heading south in January and she just can't travel to the States from Canada although my dog and my friends cat can

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Just thought I'd point this out, but as far as I know, there's no restrictions on bringing rabbits across the US-Canada border (in either direction).

Also, please consider neutering Button. As you said, it's unfair to the girls to permit him to keep breeding them. And even caging them separately, there's always a chance they come in contact. (Hormonal rabbits can be crazy escape artists!) Perhaps you and the sanctuary could go halfers on it?

Hope that helps!

Rue

 

[Chrisdoc]

Aw, I just love that little baby, so cute and fluffy. I must admit I had mine from quite young and they are just so lovely when they want you to hold them and cuddle them. Mom is really pretty as well. I am so glad that she´s doing well and the baby as well. I love watching them grow up.

 

[savingbuns]

Thanks Rue for the input - will talk to Sanctuary owner to see what she thinks of a going halves. She may want to breed him properly to have one or two litters. I know that she has had other litters with other types of animals, and apparently finds them great homes - but will have a chat first.

I brought Freddie and Sierra into the Basement tonight. I will want to clean out the original nest box now - there is a hint of oder. I have heard when it is cold the babies will just stay in their nest far too long and we could start running into problems - so want to encourage her to explore soon and don't want her to be out in the cold if she does not find her way back to the fur ball with no litter mates to cuddle up to. The basement is very cool - and if it gets a bit too warm then the door is right there and we can open the window a bit for them. They are in a new cage now with the smaller wire - just in case baby gets out. I will change out the big cardboard box for a neat wooden one from the grocer. Freddie can hop on top to get away from baby if need be. Will keep the fur and make a new little warren for the bunny. Have some fresh alfalfa hay close by so she can venture out and start nibbling which I saw her do today. Will put a few little pellets out to see how she does. But she does need to be hopping around by mid week (3wks old) so if it is warm enough for her to come out of the fur ball then maybe she will.

Will try the little rice dog tomorrow see how they do with it. One we take the others up to the sanctuary I can bring the Xpen in and give freddie the run of 8ft- I think we are feeding her too much she is fat - hope it is not more babies on the way - naaah

We have a cat- and I don't want Freddie to freak if he gets down in the basement - so should I bring him down and let them sniff at the cage? Freddie trusts me so thought it would be less of a shock. Just will not show the baby yet. The cat cannot get into this enclosure.

 

[savingbuns]

Jus a bit of an update. Re: Willie and Rusty - Willie is the only girl thus far that has not had any unexpected kits. Rusty was the one that had a live born that did not last 24 hours and a still born. She did not a single thing to prepare other than run around the outside pen and gather a bit of straw. When we saw this we gave her her own hutch and lots of material and although cardboard a nice shaped nesting box...the ritz of maternity wards for sure.

So been about 20 days since that fiasco. Tried putting her back together with Freddie and Willie about a few days after and WWIII happened with both Freddie and Willie against Rusty. Did not know Freddie was pregnant at the time.

So Have taken the last 8-10 days to reintroduce Rusty to Willie - large pen supervised - and in separate crates side by side at night. Separate feeding bowls and clumps of hay outside. They did not fight but were testy with each other for several days doing the chasing thing. That settled and I moved their feed bowls closer and closer till they ate out of the same bowl.

Was watching them yesterday and they are doing that mimic thing one jumps up the other does and they follow each other all around the pen. So thought I would try them in closer quarters in the shed today - since it is a horrible wet day not stopped raining. Don't like the rabbits out in the rain although they do have shelter - they still get wet and the temps can drop quickly this time of year.

They loved to explore the shed. Up on the hay and crates and all around Buttons (Male) pen. He does not get lonely cause the girls are always close by.

Well the two girls are really taking to each other again - and both hopped out of each others crate and checked the other out. Willie has an XL Dog crate enclosed - can stand up in it and just about get three hops - but that is just their night time place for now. I can put a box in the back and they can jump up and get a bit more movement. Well within 15 minutes after they ran around had some pellets and did their business the two of them ended up side by side stretched out in the XLcrate. So tonight I think I will leave the two crates open with the Xpen to enclose the two crates in the shed, and then I can move them in together. As the other crate is a medium size crate and too small if we are late getting them out.

Next week I hope to have their shed sorted out with 24/7 access through a Big O pipe out to their large 30 X 20 pen in a woody location rocks to jump on and off soil to dig in.

I am really hoping that once Sierra is weaned that in a few weeks after we might be able to re-bond Freddie with the other females. Somehow figure out how we might be able to come up with some money to neuter Buttons and then get them all back together by maybe end of Jan.

So the jury is out on the baby yet - Male or Female - hoping she is a Female.

Here is the little darling today. I take her out now - trying for at least 2 times to encourage her to explore and hop and exercise. I have changed out her old nesting box and gave her clean material hay shredded paper a bit of wood shavings on the very bottom and some bits of soft cloth for warmth along with salvaging half the fur. Made the bowl and lightly covered over top. Sierra burrowed in and disappeared.

Made sure Freddie was okay with the new digs - she jumped in and fed her right away. This morning the digs was moved all around and most of the fur was pushed to the front and all the hay and paper to the back - I had her on the back left and Freddie moved her to the back right. How interesting. Going to pop in some cotton balls tonight just so she is nice and warm. Today I tossed in the rice dog to see how things go - will check on them shortly. Just the nest seemed cool and Sierra although warm her little ears were cold so wanted to give a bit of heat in the nest today.

 

[Chrisdoc]

Awww what a cute bunny butt, adorable little kit.

Sounds like you´re getting the set up exactly how you want it and they´ll have loads of space and lots to keep them occupied.

Love seeing pics of the little one but would love to see pics of the other buns, they all sound great.

 

[savingbuns]

So here are a couple.

First is Freddie digging a hole the day we were taking them all up to be checked over. I thought they might have mights or fleas and Freddie might even have mange cause of the hair loss on the back - now keeping in mind I know nothing about rabbits. This was the second hole He (SHE) had dug. Not gather stuff yet.

The old shed still sitting in the dirt with only a 4x4 skid inside with doors that don't work - it was scheduled to be flattened and taken to the metal scrap later that week.

And these two Buttons and Willie the real characters. Buttons the spoiler being the guy who we think had his way with Freddie and Rusty just before they were caught by the timing. But by far the cutest of them all (left) and Willie also a female (renamed willie-nellie cause she was the last caught and she is really living up to her name. She does not want to come out of her cozy crate in the mornings, but when out does the most binkys I have ever seen and is the biggest rabbit I have ever seen. Big floppy twirling ears on that one. Yep keep learning more and more.

So the next day after I had filled holes and put rock around the base of the shed - there was only one spot inside that was dirt and guess who had it dug up and gone way under the skid - Freddie - I opened the doors to let them all out and Freddie made a mad dash to scoop up all the leaves outside. Then I realized that ALL the hay inside was gone! Poop I thought another pregnant one. At this time Rusty was in her own hutch recuperating from a two kit litter that both died. First one was a live but no nest and second was just dropped and left in a pool of yuck and I found both dead in the morning. I was hoping that she would have pulled her fur and did her thing in the night - we did everything we could to keep the baby warm naturally.


We have such a miss match of crates and xpens and stuff we have been scrambling to find and set up - I know the chicken wire is the wrong size but it does not seem to both these guys being much bigger - they stick their noses in it and that is about all. Eventually I will run smaller wire over it.


I love their winter coats coming in - the look like wooley lamas or something. Their nails are really sharp and getting long and I may have to take the challenge to give them a cut - but I think a patio slap where they run in and out of the pen might help with wearing them down a bit.


This was the hutch we thought would be big enough but OMG the rabbits are huge when you put them in it. So it has served as Rusty's maternity ward. And it is only three season. As it was the temps went really cold a couple of weeks ago so we covered it with blankets and tarps and gosh what a lot of work on crutches!!!

So now we have it split up cause I need the one side for Freddie and the baby because the wire mesh is safer for when Sierra ventures out of her nest box which will be any day now. She is out but will not jump over the tupper ware lip. Mom can get in no problem and Sierra has the box to run around in - as it is not one of your standard nest boxes by any means - is a think wood veggie box that Sierra now runs into the corner with where her rice dog surrogate litter mate is now. When I warm it up and place it in she runs and snuggles with it. I have her out playing on the floor and then pick her up and let her cuddle with him in my arms first when she starts to fall asleep I bundle them back and the whole bin and box goes back into the little pen. Freddie gets to run around and have her greens and treats at the same time so she is not stressing over the baby - which she never does - and jumps in and checks her out and feeds her a bit each time I put her back. She is going to be a big fatty for sure LOL

Rusty is now back with Willie and Buttons the little man is kept separate at all times.

have to make room today and bring the other section of the hutch in for Freddie so she can have more space to hop around in and have a place she can get away from baby.

Buttons has the other wing for his night time crate and soon I will have the pen divided up so he can have more room to run around - but for now he does enjoy his pen he spins around and up and off the crate and then just sits on his crate looking at the girls....

 

[savingbuns]

It is like over night she has become this round piggly wiggly. I was worried about her being only one kit and having the soda fountain all to her self. She is also eating hay and pellets now too but only 3 weeks old and still needs mothers milk. So hoping that Freddie will control the little ones feedings.

I'm going to add the hutch today to give Freddie a bigger place to go. So she can jump on the babies box and then into the hutch once I take the back board off.

Oh PS these pics were taken just before crate cleaning. I am always amazed at how much poop rabbits do. Most likely cause we are feeding them too much.:whistling But it is cold here now so their bedding IS their food too - so how do you control how much they eat...we have cut back they get pellets too. And greens and a few treats each day (not the baby) she can only reach the pellets.

The blue matt usually sits on the top of the box but Freddie keeps putting it in the babies box - too funny. They have become accustom to the toy dog in the nest now too. Sierra has been caught cuddled up to it any time I heat it up as well as when it is not - so I think she has a friend - it is so sad though she has no one to play with. I think she sleeps quite a bit for this reason - so all the more reason to get Freddie some space so baby will venture out more. Going to try and spend more time with her but it is hard having to do my therapy now to get walking again. Been a long three month on crutches - ha time for me to start hopping...

 

[savingbuns]

I have watched the two of them extensively and Freddie does prevent her from feeding. She lays flat, or gives her a nudge or will just jump up on the babies box. The baby can be insistent. But then stops and just lays beside Freddie.

Anyway thought I would post a progress - for non-rabbiters everything seems to be going good and they are all really healthy looking and have had no runny poop to date - so their food must be agreeing with them.

As far as I checked yesterday and will check again next week - Sierra is as guessed - a little GIRL!