His fur sucks.

[JAK Rabbitry]

So I've raised one of my chocolate Dutch bucks since he was a baby. He's abou a year old now. He won BOV Choc at the Ohio Convention last year. He's a hot little thing really.

So of course like rabbits do he decided one day to go into this insane moult that would drive me and my sinuses bonkers for like, days and weeks and wow it sucked.

His coat has finally stopped spazzing and Ic an't wait for it to come back in all sexy so I can show him again.

Thing is , it doesn't seem to be coming back fully no matter what I do, or it's just happening very very sloowwwlllyyyy.

He gets Manan Pro SHO formula. And a handful of hay a day. And I put a tiny drizzle of wheat germ oil on his feed and some black oil sunflower seeds also in his diet. He's got fiber and protein out to wazoo.

His color came in gorgeous! His tail and two twin dots onthe bottom of his rump are bright freaking orange though and feels really really rough (almost like urine dried on it...gross I know) From his belt to his head his fur is perfect and in condition. Awesome. But from his belt to his tail, the fur just doesn't have that snap to it. I'll stroke it backwards and it just kind of poops out and stands in all directions. His rump by the orange was the last part to shed out like usual I just can't see to get his coat to fully come around again.

I've ben running a slicker over him at least every other day (he really seems to enjoy it, even if it's not doing crap). And I pluck out what I can but the nuke orange fur is still in there pretty tight.


Should I buzz off the orange nasty part? How long would it then take to come back in? Am I doing everything I can or should, can anyone reccomend anything to get his arse back in shape here? I know its not a genetic thing because he's never been like this before. And it'd be weird for him to suddenly change. His daughter even got BOV Choc at the last show. He's packin' some good stuff.

um....help!

ruv
-Jesse

 

[RAL Rabbitry]

When I first started out in MR I bought an awesome buck from the Iris Patch.

He had great fur and I decided that he needed a supplement so I gave him

one of the name brands. He immediately started moulting from too much

protien. I learned a valuable lesson and never feed more than 16% protien

and limit the calf manna to lactating does. I also deworm twice a year. I don't

have any more trouble with them finishing their coats in a timely manner. I do

give them a couple of sunflower seeds a couple days a week and the day

before a show.

Roger

 

[Wee Wabbits]

Once the coat comes in cut back on the high protein treats and food, those will cause him to go into molt again sooner. Also try taking some water on your hands and rubbing him head to rump with your hands a few times and then go from tail to head and then back again. This will keep the hair clean and pull out any loose hairs. If he just finished molting then you probably won't need it but when they are shedding it comes in handy. Don't cut out his rump hair, it will take a long time to grow back.

The best thing you can do is give him a low protein food, (16%) when he's not in molt and when he is in molt just add a teaspoon of calf manna a day in stead of switching foods. Don't let him have any drastic changes in food, stress or heat. (Also some bucks have the annoying "hobby" of spraying themselves to make them self "smell pretty", Not sure why they do it,.... and this can sometimes cause the fur to be rough with little fly back where the fluids soak into the fur. You can't do much for that other then try the water rub down, might clean it out a little. Baby wipes might help a lot... but they could possibly dry his hair out too if your not careful. Good luck with the shows.

If you switch him into a lower protein food I'd do it very gradually to prevent him from going into another molt. Protein and enviromental issues (heat and humidity) are the biggest causes of molt. Granted it does happen twice a year.... but some people switch their foods a lot or feed a high protein feed and wonder why their rabbits molt a lot. (If you have a long haired breed, or nursing and growing rabbits then adding more protein is recommended) Some are genetically predipositioned to molt a lot too..... As a breeder I strive not to breed those animals because they pass that trait on to their offspring.

I hope this helps...