Peg's Lionhead thread / babies/ moms & more

[TinysMom]

All three tiny babies have now passed away. I'mnot crying because I think I saw it coming......and because I thinkI've cried so much that I can't cry right now. I know that losingbabies is part of breeding...but it hurts.

However, the larger baby appears to be doing fairly well so far and it might have a chance. Here's hoping...

I took some photos today..I'll try to share them tomorrow. One of my earlier litters is starting to open their eyes...such fun!

Peg

 

[Haley]

Peg, Im so sorry you lost those three. I knowthat must be the hardest part about breeding rabbits, no matterhowmuchcareyou gvethem, somejust wont make it.

I wish all breeders (or owners for that matter)felt for their rabbits the way you do.

ray:

 

[TinysMom]

Well....you lose some....and then you gain some.

I just went in to check on Padme' and she is giving birth (right now) -on the wire. She's a first time mama. Those babies will be in nest veryshortly as "mom" (me) will get them in one. She's already nursing thefirst one it looks like.

Her twin sister Amidala is also acting like she's ready to deliver..

So in the sorrow of losing those three...we have the new birth of others.

Perhaps it will encourage others as it is encouraging me.

Peg

Edited to add Padme' had five healthy babies that look fat and sassy and mom and babies are doing well!

 

[Michaela]

I'm just reading that you lost the little ones now:cry1:

Congratulations on the new litter though

Michaela and the girls:brownbunny:brownbunny:brownbunny

 

[TinysMom]

Just a quick update and I'll try to do photos tomorrow.

The last baby from the litter of four small ones....is still alive. I'mcrossing my fingers and toes that it stays that way...but it is growingand has its fur coming in. I'm hoping that it continues to stay with us.

In case folks are wondering why I have so many litters (and I haveseveral more on the way), I was doing breedings for lionhead Nationalsin May. I do not normally have several litters at one time...I try toonly have 2 or 3. But I needed to get my breedings done so I would haverabbits that would compete at the age I wanted them to compete - and ofcourse - rabbits to sell to other breeders.

The litter of five that was born after I lost the three tiny ones...itlooks like they're all Ruby Eyed White. This was very muchunexpected.....I'm not a big fan of REWs...

Oh well...I will try to share photos tomorrow. I'm excited about some things I'm seeing in the litters now!

Peg

 

[TinysMom]

It's been a rough week - between our friendslosing their whole herd in a fire (169 rabbits) plus losing the teenytiny litter plus the other litter that was born the same day later on.Both mamas were first time mamas and the teeny tiny litter just didn'tmake it.

But it sort of blessed my heart to take some photos today to share withy'all. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them andwriting out the explanations.

Peg

P.S. The photos are all clickable to see them larger.


The chinchilla with white ears is my favorite of Calypso's litter.He/she has learned to get out of the nestbox and as long as he/she isawake - they're out of the box. I can put them back in...and out theycome. I even caught them peeking over the flashing trying to figure outhow to get out of the cage. I can get it back in the nestbox if itfalls asleep and I pick it up carefully. Otherwise...watch out mama'cause here's baby. (If it is a girl I may keep it).


Some bunnies don't want their picture taken. This is from Nadia's litter (the younger of the two litters I'm following).


Sulking - I actually took this photo after the next one below...I wouldn't let the baby come out of the box.



While some don't want their photos taken - others are anxious to get out of the box and get their photo session!


You really need to click on this photo to see what I want you to see.If you look - you will see bald spots on the faces of some of theserabbits. This is where the mane will come in. The more bald thebaby....the happier the breeder is 'cause the mane will probably bemore impressive. Can you tell I'm a happy breeder about acouple of these babies?


Someone's been nursing...can you tell? By the way, the flanks are baldbecause that is where the skirting will come in. This is definitely adouble mane rabbit. A single mane rabbit would have the fur therealready.


Another view of the bald spot on a baby. I really like this one..


The size difference between the two litters. This is the largest one ofNadia's litter and one of Calypso's litter. Calypso's litter is theolder litter.


I just love this one...as you can tell!


What do you mean I have to go to bed?


Aw...but breeder mommy Aren't I cute?


The two litters together in one box.

 

[TinysMom]

Here is Calypso, mom of the black/chinchillalitter. She thought she'd come to the forum for advice on keeping herbaby in its nestbox.

She is a real sweetheart and I imagine she will grow her mane backafter this litter. She's getting spoiled rotten with a raisin or two(or more?) when I check on her litter. Now she stands at the door as Iwalk by and almost begs me to check on them.





Peg

 

[Michaela]

Aww, so adorable, the older they are, the cuter!And Calypso is adorable too, I'm considering getting a lionhead nextyear, (I'm getting two more rabbits I just don't know what breed yet)and I think I'd like one like her

What's wrong with REWs? Aww, I like them (though I'mbiasedand I suppose I'd never have went for one if I waschoosing the colour, it was kinda inevitable we were going to getone:dunno)

I love watching the babies progress, I'd love to breed rabbits, but doyou not find it so hard giving them all away, especially the ones youget attached to?

Michaela and the girls:brownbunny:brownbunny:brownbunny

 

[Haley]

The babies are beautiful Peg!

I have a question for you, With regards to single mane and double manelionheads, can you only show double man? Is it something you can tellearly on?

EDIT: nevermind, I just read about it on the lionhead web page. You can only show the ones that are Mn (single mane) correct?

 

[TinysMom]

Nothing is wrong with REWs...just they're not myfavorite color. I have a litter of five of them though - thatshocked me. I didn't know either parent carried the albino gene - thenone doe had one REW and I was like, "ok"...then I get this litter...allfive are REW.

Hmm...

Is it hard to rehome them? Sometimes yes...sometimes no. It dependsupon the baby and their personality. By the time they reach 8 weeks,they're getting past the cuteness stage and I know they're going to agood home. Its hard letting go of the really really nice show ones -but I can't keep all the babies.

Right now I have over 40 babies - and I have 11 does bred that are duebetween tomorrow and Christmas. I hope to have chocolates, chocolateotters, harlequins and I forget what all else in the litters. Oh yes,brokens. These breedings were all done with Nationals in mindthough....after that my does will have a nice rest.

I will try to share photos later of some of the other babies I have.

Peg

 

[SOOOSKA]

Hi Peg, beautiful babies you have there. I agree I'd never be able to give them away.

I noticed you had RO on your computer while taking the pictures.

Do you have a picture of a lionhead harlequin? I don't know if I've ever seen one, they must be beautiful.

Looking forward to more pictures. What does Tiny think of all these Babies?

Susan

 

[TinysMom]

Tiny doesn't have anything to do w/ the babiesanymore. He likes to live in Eric's room and comes out to the livingroom/dining room a few times a day to see me. Unfortunately, Eric comeshome from college next Thursday and he DOESN'T like Tiny in hisroom...so I'm telling the Bunfather that this time I'm making him anoffer he can't refuse. He's moving to Robin's room for 2weeks....

Here are some photos. The first few are of a litter we had last spring.The next to the last is of a buck we had and rehomed and the last oneis Miss Bea who I adore. I have bred her and need to check to see ifshe took...if so, I should have harlequins (I hope) by Christmas!

Peg

(P.S. Don't you know that I don't have a "real life" and I live on RO??)

Oh - and Miss Bea is in the guidebook for the North American LionheadClub as the representative for harlequin patterned lionheads eventhough she's technically a "tort harlequin" because she's tort andblack and not orange and black.

 

[Haley]

Susan, have you ever seen her other lionheadthread? She had a whole litter of broken tort lionheads that lookedjust like Mr. Tumnus!

Your babies are all so beautiful Peg!

Heres that thread:http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11360&forum_id=6&page=2

 

[TinysMom]

I'm thinking about doing some tri lionheads too - that would be broken harlequin. I have the tri buck and some harlequin does!

Peg

 

[SOOOSKA]

Peg they are beautiful. I WANTONE. Do you ever come to Canada or close by I could meet youand get one from you. They are simply stunning.

Susan:bunnydance:

PS Haley thanks for the link, so many like Mr Tumnus.

 

[TinysMom]

Probably the closest I come is Columbus, Ohio.However, I do ship...but that can be pricey...like $100 probably by thetime you add up the vet visit and the shipping fee if Frontier flieswhere you are. Could be more for different airlines.

A breeder up in Ohio got some of my harlequins last year - and he hasblue harlequins that are GORGEOUS. He's going to breed them back to theparents to try and get more.

I will PM you with his link since it would be considered advertisementprobably if I posted it here. His rabbitry is StreamsideBunnies and his site is on geocities for anyone who wants to try andgoogle him.

Peg

 

[cheryl]

Your babies are gorgeous Peg!,they are so adorable

I guess you know what you are getting for christmas then..........babies!

What wonderful little christmas presents



cheryl

 

[TinysMom]

I have got to share this about the littlechinchilla baby I said I liked so much. I just went to check the cage abit ago and he was out and about. I opened the door to pet him and heducked in the nestbox and looked out at me like, "You're not gonna getme..". So I shut the door and he hopped out.

I opened the door again and he hopped behind mama and was peering at me from behind her going, "Mama's gonna protect me.."

Yep....this one is definitely my favorite of that litter....has a real attitude.

Peg

 

[TinysMom]

I'll try to do photos later today or tomorrow but I HAVE to share this.

Calypso's litter is adorable - they have their eyes open and they runaround the cage and bug mama. The chinchilla is kind of my favorite butone of the black ones is quickly trying for that spot - as it loves itwhen I open the door and rub its ears.

I was just watching a bit ago as some of her babies ran around and oneof them went over to the water bottle and tried to drink from it.Apparently, mama has already been showing them how to drink - or it hasbeen watching her drink. It didn't quite figure out how to use thewater bottle...but it sure did try. I can almost imagine it tryingagain later and going, "Hmm....but this doesn't taste like milk!"

As far as Nadia's litter goes...their eyes are starting to open. One ofthem opened its eyes yesterday and then spotted mama. She's had alitter before so she knows what she'll be going through withbabies...but she looked at me like, "HELP!" and dashed towards the backof the cage and laid down. So the baby went up and wound up fallingasleep beside her.

In a way it is her fault. She refused a nestbox and made a nest andthen when I tried to put them in the nestbox she continually tipped itover and knocked them out. So, I let her use her nest...and now thereis no nestbox to keep them contained. (She has 2" high flashing allaround her cage so they can't get out through the bars).

Finally - I don't think I've shown pictures of Romance's litter...butthey are adorable. They go in their nestbox to nap and then come out torun around and play. But whenever they're sleeping - they've alwaysgone back into the nestbox to do so. Mama doesn't seem stressed overthem coming out anymore...and sometimes I've seen her go to the nestboxand wake them up by licking them. I'm not sure if she misses them orwants to nurse them...I haven't stayed around to watch.

Oh well, I'll try to do photos soon to keep y'all updated.

Peg

 

[TinysMom]

I haven't updated this blog in a week - been so busy with babies and all.

Remember Calypso's litter? They were born 11/27....

Here are some photos. The chinchilla buck is my favorite for looks but one of the black ones is just a little snuggler...

I haven't checked the black ones yet to see if they are boys or girls but I did check the chinchilla one....shucks...he's a boy.

These guys already drink from a water bottle and drive their mamacrazy. I just adore them - they are probably my favorite litter becauseI interact with them so much.

Their legs are spread out funny because they are on my desk and it is slippery for them.