BellaWubzy
Member
Hi All,
I need some help. We recently got 2 new bunnies, a white mini lop doe who's about 5 months old, and a blue tort holland lop doe who's about 8 weeks old. We got the holland lop last weekend and she came to us with another mini lop. A grey buck who I absolutely loved. He passed over the rainbow bridge sometime during the first night they were here.:cry1: Since then I have been trying to figure out why and I'm hopeing that someone on here might be able to help me. I certainly dont want this to happen again if it was something I could avoid.
When we got the two 8 week old baby's I had asked the breeder that I got them from if I could put them in with the older mini lop that I already had. She said it would be totally fine because they were all young enough, just that of course I would want to seperate the buck within the next month so I didnt end up with surprises. When I put the two baby's in with my Bella, she seemed very willing to accept them. No aggression at all, and I checked on them allot just to make sure. No signs of anyone being mean to anyone else at all before I went to bed. Then the next morning I found the buck passed on in the hutch house. I was devastated. Whats weird however is there was no sign of a struggle. No fur, and no blood at all. The only thing strange was that his belly was wet??? I did however seperate the two remaining bunnies, just to be sure that I wouldnt end up finding anyone else. I havent since then.
I contacted the woman that I got the younger bunnies from and she said that it was possibly that he got some kind of night fright that first night. She said that sometimes happens and I guess they can hit there nose a certain way and it will kill them. She said it really sounded very unlikely that it was due to a bunny fight. OK, so I had never heard of that but not knowing that much about bunnies I guess its possible.
I also contacted the breeder that I got the blue eye'd doe from. She gave me allot more insight. She said right away that she would not have put the baby's in with Bella. She said she doesnt have very good luck doing that, however from the fact that we didnt see signs of a struggle that she also didnt beleive that it was a bunny fight. That I would have found fur and blood most likely. I found none of either.
She also said that it was possible thta a shrew got him.?? :cry2 I had no idea that we had such a rodent around here that would kill a bunny. She explained that she had found a bunnie like I did not very long ago, and she also was unsure of the cause. Then only the next day her barn cat delivered a shrew to her door.
So now, I guess my question is, since I have no barn cat's, or any cats for that matter how can I get rid of a shrew without jeapordizeing my bunnies safety. I have a dog, and horses so poisons are not an option. Traps are possible, but hard due to the small dog, and I also have kid's around here allot. I guess my best bet is a cat huh? That worries me too tho since as of recent, we have heard allot of people are losing cats to some wild animal in the area. I'm not sure if bringing a kitty to my barn would be nothing but a death sentence, however I'll be damned if I'm going to let a darn rodent get to my two remaining bunny friends. Does anyone know if there is something that I can do to make it so that a shrew couldnt get inside my hutch's? I have simple hutches, wood construction, open cage on one side with cage bottom, and solid house on the other, with wood bottom.
Help me please!!! Or if anyone has any other idea's as to why my little Thumper didnt make it. I just want to make sure I take every precaution to make sure that I dont lose another one.
I need some help. We recently got 2 new bunnies, a white mini lop doe who's about 5 months old, and a blue tort holland lop doe who's about 8 weeks old. We got the holland lop last weekend and she came to us with another mini lop. A grey buck who I absolutely loved. He passed over the rainbow bridge sometime during the first night they were here.:cry1: Since then I have been trying to figure out why and I'm hopeing that someone on here might be able to help me. I certainly dont want this to happen again if it was something I could avoid.
When we got the two 8 week old baby's I had asked the breeder that I got them from if I could put them in with the older mini lop that I already had. She said it would be totally fine because they were all young enough, just that of course I would want to seperate the buck within the next month so I didnt end up with surprises. When I put the two baby's in with my Bella, she seemed very willing to accept them. No aggression at all, and I checked on them allot just to make sure. No signs of anyone being mean to anyone else at all before I went to bed. Then the next morning I found the buck passed on in the hutch house. I was devastated. Whats weird however is there was no sign of a struggle. No fur, and no blood at all. The only thing strange was that his belly was wet??? I did however seperate the two remaining bunnies, just to be sure that I wouldnt end up finding anyone else. I havent since then.
I contacted the woman that I got the younger bunnies from and she said that it was possibly that he got some kind of night fright that first night. She said that sometimes happens and I guess they can hit there nose a certain way and it will kill them. She said it really sounded very unlikely that it was due to a bunny fight. OK, so I had never heard of that but not knowing that much about bunnies I guess its possible.
I also contacted the breeder that I got the blue eye'd doe from. She gave me allot more insight. She said right away that she would not have put the baby's in with Bella. She said she doesnt have very good luck doing that, however from the fact that we didnt see signs of a struggle that she also didnt beleive that it was a bunny fight. That I would have found fur and blood most likely. I found none of either.
She also said that it was possible thta a shrew got him.?? :cry2 I had no idea that we had such a rodent around here that would kill a bunny. She explained that she had found a bunnie like I did not very long ago, and she also was unsure of the cause. Then only the next day her barn cat delivered a shrew to her door.
So now, I guess my question is, since I have no barn cat's, or any cats for that matter how can I get rid of a shrew without jeapordizeing my bunnies safety. I have a dog, and horses so poisons are not an option. Traps are possible, but hard due to the small dog, and I also have kid's around here allot. I guess my best bet is a cat huh? That worries me too tho since as of recent, we have heard allot of people are losing cats to some wild animal in the area. I'm not sure if bringing a kitty to my barn would be nothing but a death sentence, however I'll be damned if I'm going to let a darn rodent get to my two remaining bunny friends. Does anyone know if there is something that I can do to make it so that a shrew couldnt get inside my hutch's? I have simple hutches, wood construction, open cage on one side with cage bottom, and solid house on the other, with wood bottom.
Help me please!!! Or if anyone has any other idea's as to why my little Thumper didnt make it. I just want to make sure I take every precaution to make sure that I dont lose another one.
