Hi from Iowa

[Phoebe32]

This looks like a nice place to meet a lot of people who know a lot about rabbits. My name is Lori Bierschenk and I live between Waterloo and Cedar Rapids Iowa. My husband and I farm and besides the row crops, we raise cattle, Quarter Horses, chickens and have cats and a couple of hunting dogs, as that is my husbands hobby. My boys are 7 and 4 and are wanting to have a couple of rabbits. The oldest will start 4-H next year, so we want to get a good start on them. I have spent the last month researching breeds and reading up on general care for rabbits and we are now ready to buy. The boys have cleaned out a box stall in the barn which is nicely ventilated and it is ready for the cage. Grandma has offered to take all of the "fertilizer" for her flower gardens, so the boys are excited to be earning some money for the feed. So we're excited about getting a few rabbits and I look forward to meeting new people and forming some friendships from our new endeavor. I'm sure I will have questions and am a picture buff, so it will be nice to share in that way too.

 

[ijRoberts]

Hi Phoebe! I'm a new rabbit owner as well (though, the way it's been going, the rabbit seems to kind of own me).

There certainly are tons of folks here who know what they're talking about and can give great advice.

It seems like you have an amazing set up, there. Your boys are really lucky to be raised around so many fun animals! I wish I were that lucky!

Welcome to the forum, and I look forward to seeing your pictures!

 

[hartleybun]

hello from me and my bunnies it's great to read that you are researching your future boss (bunny)! and well done to your boys - hope the 4-H goes well for them. i've had to google this and get the idea! let us know what bunnies choose you

 

[SunnyCait]

Hi!! I'm from Iowa too! Down in Mt. Ayr, which is like 45 minutes from Osceola, an hour and a half from Des Moines.

 

[Phoebe32]

Oh neat! I do know where Mt. Ayr is. I forgot to mention that we are looking specifically for the mini satin breed. I fell in love with some who were owned by a man down in Missouri, but unfortunately a dog attacked them and he only has one left. We're not against the dwarf Netherland breed or the dwarf Hotot, but we're focusing on the satins for right now, but they are proving to be very hard to find around here. We are willing to traval a ways too.

 

[kirsterz09]

Welcome to the forum! I will be looking forward to learning more about you and your future buns

 

[SunnyCait]

Haha cool! I didn't think anyone knew Mt. Ayr existed except for the people who are unfortunate enough to live here, haha.

Oh yeah, it's very limited on rabbits down here. Lots of harlequinns!!! I think I see more of those than I do any other rabbit. Maybe a few nethies, lion heads, some lops.

I hope you can find your satins!!!

 

[Phoebe32]

So do I. I had no idea it was going to take this much patience. I found a lady in Minneapolis last night that has some really nice bunnies. And another in Chicago. I'm thinking I'm just going to have to make a road trip.

 

[Becca]

Hello and welcome to RO!!

becca .#>:rainbow:

 

[Wabbitdad12]

:helloand :welcome1to RabbitsOnline, Lori. I am glad you found the site. RO is a very active, friendly and helpful website devoted to rabbits and their slaves. 4H is a wonderful organization and I hope your Rabbit Club is as helpful as ours is in my county.

Here are some good links to areas of the site you might find interesting, the Library section, full of good reference info, Bunny Blog, where you can keep everyone up to date on your bunny and your life as a bunny slave and if you bunny would like to ask questions of other buns the Bunny Chat is the spot to be. The regional forum is a good way to find a rabbit savvy vet or to post places where you get some of your supplies for your bun etc. For the lighter side and to give you a chuckle or two stop by the go to the Let Your Hare Down section for anything but bunny's.

If you would like to post pictures in your post this link How to put photo's in your posts will help explain that.

I hope I didn't overwhelm you with info.
Dave

 

[Fancy77]

it is so nice that joined this forum! wow u will be traveling 4 some buns, how nice good luck and keep us posted :rabbithop

 

[Phoebe32]

Wow, thank you for all of the links and info, Dave. I really appreciate it! I think we are getting closer to finding some buns and I will keep everyone updated on that. We are brand new to the bunny world, so any information we get, we are grateful for. This week-end we are going to turn a 12x12 box stall into our rabbit room. We're going to power wash it out top to bottom, then paint it white. I have yet to find some hutches/cages but to get started I think we'll go to our local farm supply store and purchase a couple from there. I'm also planning on making a "play room" for the rabbits in one corner, so when we're cleaning cages and want to play with them, they will have a safe corner with hay in it to get some excercise. This is getting exciting and I'm getting anxious to find our rabbits. Actually I don't know who's more excited, Weston or me...I think me.

 

[MagnoliaDee]

Welcome to the forum... sounds like you have done a lot of reading and are doing fantastic with your preparations... WTG!!! I thought I'd just mention that if you get two babies, they will need to be separated (i.e. no playing together) once they hit 12 weeks of age. This is when their hormones start to come in and nasty fights canoccur, or if they are opposite sex, the female can get pregnant (which would be very hard on such a young bun). If you are planning on breeding you would need to allow her to mature... not sure exactly, maybe 6 months? The breeders would know better.

Anyways, I ran into this as I brought two baby bunnies home at the same time and found out afterwards what I'd gotten myself into... so thought I'd mention it.

Best of luck with your future bun(s)!!!

 

[Phoebe32]

oooh, that is definitely good to know! I'm not going to know how many we're getting until we get there. 3 is our maximum number though, so thank you for that advice, Sandra. I'm waiting for an e-mail from a different mini satin breeder in MO to see when we can go down and look at his rabbits.

 

[Wabbitdad12]

Try contacting your local 4H rabbit club. Someone there might be getting rid of some cages and you will be able to buy them for a lot less. I got a couple recently from a fellow rabbit club member for $10 each.

Dave