Texan Tales (& Tails) - by TinysMom

[wabbitmom12]

TinysMom wrote:

I'm really excited now - she's pulling fur!!!!

WOO HOO!!!!!:bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance:

 

[TinysMom]

Nyx had her babies. I had predicted 4-6 because she didn't seem all that big.

I was wrong...very wrong.

Taking pictures in a couple of minutes and will update with the number then (I want to verify my count).

 

[TinysMom]

I'll upload photos in a little bit but I did verify my count.

Nyx had.......


::::::::drumroll please::::::::

THIRTEEN babies.


I've already called Karen (who called Dave) and I called Ali too...and Dave - to answer your question...Nyx did her baby registry at TSC so that folks all around the country who worship her beauty could access her registry. She also did one at Walmart since TSC doesn't carry craisins...

 

[irishbunny]

Congrats on yet another BIG load of bunners xx

 

[wabbitmom12]

TinysMom wrote:

Dave - to answer your question...Nyx did her baby registry at TSC so that folks all around the country who worship her beauty could access her registry. She also did one at Walmart since TSC doesn't carry craisins...

ROTFL!! She does know she's beautiful!

 

[Fancy77]

WHOO HOOO congrats

 

[Elf Mommy]

Congratulations on all the new ones!!! How many are you planning on keeping from all of the herds? What does it take to have a well-stocked rabbitry of Flemish? I'm sure you have tons of people waiting in the wings for them.

Are the new ones black or grey or???? I can't wait to see!!!!

 

[TinysMom]

Elf Mommy wrote:

Congratulations on all the new ones!!! How many are you planning on keeping from all of the herds? What does it take to have a well-stocked rabbitry of Flemish? I'm sure you have tons of people waiting in the wings for them.

Are the new ones black or grey or???? I can't wait to see!!!!

What a great series of questions Minda - I wish I had the answers...but here goes.

Right now the oldest litters are only 10 weeks old - maybe 11? That may sound old as far as rehoming them....but really that's not too bad. They all live in one big cage and are quite happy in it - and they can probably live together for another 2 weeks before I'll have to separate the boys from the girls.

I haven't really looked them over again in the last 2-3 weeks but I think there are three that I might consider keeping to add to my herd. I definitely want to keep a buck to replace Mercury in case anything were to happen to him. Remington (Herme's son that is steel) is very nice also.

I hate to say it - I don't think I'm overly fond of the steel doe. I'll have to go back and look at her later. I may be thinking of the wrong one.

So I'm guessing out of the ten purebred flemish babies I have left (out of the 17 that were born in December)...I'll keep CJ and maybe three more at most. If I already had prior litters and had a replacement for Mercury (who is my main herd buck - I don't know if I'll keep a backup for Hermes) - then I probably wouldn't keep as many.

If I have two boys that are really nice - I probably will keep them for a while and see if they both develop the same or if one really does better.

The mixed breed litter will all be rehomed - although three of them are just GORGEOUS.

And for Nyx's litter? Well...it will depend upon how they develop. I barely touched them today - but as I looked at them - no one in particular "stood" out to me with a huge head or anything like they did with Athena's litter. That doesn't mean they aren't good...just...I don't have an initial impression right now.

Based on statistics...I'm guessing 9 of them will make it to adulthood (I'd love to be wrong and have all 13 make it as it is heartbreaking to lose babies). I have no idea at this point in time what I will keep.

I do know that Art & I are talking about taking a loan out of our 401K this July (after we're done paying off something else that is pretty expensive) and buying a "building kit" from Home Depot. Basically - if I understand right - it would have everything pre-cut to measurements and the floor - we'd be pouring the cement and putting it all together. So hopefully - since his mom's estate might not come in for a while longer....we'll have a bunny barn of some sort by September. That will allow me to keep more for showing if I choose to do so.

Right now it is sort of a juggling act...what do I need to improve my herd....what is worth keeping even if I don't need it right now (ie - I currently have Mercury...but I might lose him at some point down the road).

I sort of have two hopes right now - largely based upon Mercury.

Since Nyx and the two new girls are my most showable bunnies - I'm really hoping for something nice out of Nyx...because it will carry black and could be used later on if I wanted blacks.

And...since Sophia and Mercury both have the same father (and I can see it in their faces and their bodies) - I'm praying I get a buck out of Sophia's litter that will be the one to replace Mercury somewhere down the road. It isn't that there aren't nice bucks in the litters I have...its that this buck would sorta have a "double dose" of grandpa's genes.

So at this point - I'm looking at keeping CJ...and possibly up to three others if they "make the cut"...and then rehoming the rest. Even Yoda...

Oh - and it looks like I got light gray. I didn't check every single baby other than to count them and move them - but I don't remember seeing any blacks.

 

[irishbunny]

That is cool! Can't wait to see who you keep and what they turn out like

 

[TinysMom]

I just took a bunch of photos of the litters that I will upload later toight. I've been thinking about my last post for a bit and decided I wanted to add some stuff.

Something I need to remember and I hope others can understand - is that right now I'm in the process of building my own lines. So far I've basically taken Jack's rabbits..put them together...and produced more of Jack's rabbits (in the eyes of some breeders). I've furthered his lines...but not really created my own. By breeding Nyx - I have now "mixed" into the bloodlines her genetics...and of course by breeding Juan's rabbits - I will be adding in eve more...well...different genetics (which excites me).

In these early phases - I will in some ways need to keep more because I don't yet have things like a "backup" buck...or a doe to replace Athena when she is rehomed.

I love Sophia dearly - but I suspect she is just not good mothering material for a doe...so after this litter I don't see myself breeding her again. But I will need someone to replace her (genetically speaking - out of her lines). That is if I want to replace her - which I do since she and Mercury are related and I want rabbits that look like them.

By the time my goals are fully met....I will probably have six senior does that are breeding twice a year (I would like to have a new set of babies every 2 months or so). Since I want to retire the does after a year or so...I'll be keeping promising juniors to replace the does and let the does get neutered and go to a pet home. I will need my main herd buck, a backup buck - and depending upon how paranoid I get - or how good the bucks are - I may want a backup buck for the backup (or another buck that has different strengths).

I imagine my normal herd will be about 12 regularly...maybe 15 - if you don't count the babies.

Art & I were at TSC the other day and looking at dog kennels (for outdoors) and talking about how nice it will be to have some of them when we have the bunny barn so the bunnies can go outside on nice days. Not sure exactly how we're going to work it - but we'll figure something out. (I also wish I could let the girls have the dog igloo doghouses to have their babies in...so they'd have a little "cave"...but keeping them locked in that would not be easy and it would be hard to check the babies daily.

Someday - I will get to the point though where I'll look at a litter and say, "Nice..but I'm not keeping anything".

Right now my biggest problem is finding out what is in the water/food to make them have such HUGE litters! Cathy was telling me that Northern girls have smaller litters. I'm sure glad I don't live 3 miles further south - then I'd be "south of the border" (Mexico) and I'd probably have litters of 20 or something!

 

[TinysMom]

Pictures from today...

Nesting...
[align=center]

[/align][align=center]BABIES!!!

Meatloaf & the "Tinies" as Robin calls them...(the new ones are the "itty-bitties" and the babies aren't babies anymore ... they're "kids")

For Minda..

The "kids"

One tired mama...

[/align]

 

[mistyjr]

Congrats Mommy!!! Cute babies

 

[wabbitmom12]

:stikpoke Pictures...updates? (I know you're crazy busy...)

 

[TinysMom]

I'll try to do pictures in the next few days - right now I'm crazy busy supplementing some babies.

We've lost one of the babies already - I'm pretty sure that another one will have passed by morning. That will bring us down to 11....and leave me with 4 that I'm supplementing instead of 5. (Don't get me wrong - I'm sorry to lose the little one - but I know there is nothing I can do).

One or two of the litter have caught my eye as far as head shape, size, etc. It is amazing how three or four of the pack have really pulled ahead and are doing so much better than the others.

I do want to share a funny story about Nyx. I was/am hesitant to do so - but I am hoping y'all will laugh and not flame me.

I let Nyx down yesterday for her playtime alone. I figured she might like to be able to play WITHOUT the other girls or the "kids".

A while later - I realized she was no where to be found. I looked in all her usual hiding places - we checked the garage. I finally went out in the back yard - and there she was....sitting by the dog kennel.

Now I knew I hadn't put her outside - Art hadn't had the back door open. HOW did she get out?

Then on my way back into the rabbitry....I spied the open window (which is not usually open - but it was such a beautiful day that Art had opened it). It didn't have a screen on it.

Nyx (aka "Houdini" when she lived at Dave and Karen's)...got on top of the "kids'" cage...and hopped onto the windowsill and out the window to get some fresh air for herself.

I was telling Karen about this and she got me laughing in her response because she said, "Its bad enough when you lose one rabbit- but the mother of 13???"

By the way - our back yard is completely fenced in and even has cement under the fencing so the rabbits can't get out. Plus there are lots of hidey holes....

Mind you - I won't be opening the window again when the rabbits are having playtime...

I guess that is all for tonight.

 

[TinysMom]

Well - a short update before I head to bed.

First of all - Nyx is down to 8 babies. Two of them are still "iffy" - the other six are going strong. In some ways - I'm really happy to see the litter down this low - I think it will be easier on mama to care for them.

Today - Robin had the "kids" out and the "tinies" out to play together. She figured that in case the tinies wound up in a multiple-aged rabbit home - they would need to learn how to run and / or defend themselves. The kids also needed to learn how to behave.

Things went pretty well...at one point - Harmony and Calypso were out playing with them and one of the girls was doing binkies with the kids...of course - I missed it and Art saw it.

Its hard to believe that Sophia is going to be a year old in a few days. While all of my girls are special to me in different ways - she is my "baby" and I've been so busy with everyone else - that I haven't had time for her until today. She was giving tooth purrs when we tucked her back in her cage and rubbed her ears and stuff.

As some of you who read the rabbitry may know, I've been debating about going to state since only 14 flemish will be shown. However - I think I'm going to go...and tonight - my mystery shops $$ (almost $150) was deposited into paypal - so I know I'll have the money.

I need to take pictures again - the "kids" are getting HUGE. Its time to start finding them homes. One of them that I like a lot is a GIRL...so I'm thrilled. There are a couple of others and I really need to sit down and go over them and find the "keepers".

Then I need to find the money and space for the cages...ha ha.

Anyway - that is it for now. I need to be up at 4 am to get the car from Art.

 

[Wabbitdad12]

When is the state competition Peg?

 

[TinysMom]

Wabbitdad12 wrote:

When is the state competition Peg?

I'm SUPPOSED to be going to bed... ha ha.

Its next weekend - the 26th - 28th.

Lord willing - two weeks from tonight the rabbits and I will be at Eric's and then we'll leave from his place that Friday morning.

I must say that I'm happy now that Sophia did not get pregnant because it means she can go to the show.

The more I study my new girls and my older girls - the more I realize something

I got some really nice rabbits from Juan and they're going to add a lot to my lines as far as bigger butts and more massive rabbits.

BUT..I think Sophia might be better - because she has longer ears and that seems to give her more balance.

The "kids" have ears that are almost as big as the new girls..Robin and I were talking about it today.

Now to find out what the judges say!

 

[wabbitmom12]

TinysMom wrote:

I got some really nice rabbits from Juan and they're going to add a lot to my lines as far as bigger butts and more massive rabbits.

BUT..I think Sophia might be better - because she has longer ears and that seems to give her more balance.

It's going to be interesting, as your lines develop, to see all of the best traits coming together!

Sorry to hear about the loss of so many of Nyx's babies. SUCH a huge litter, it wasn'tentirely unexpected of course. As you say, she has a much more manageable number now. You probably won't even need to supplement any of them because she should have plenty of milk. Giveour special girl an extra ear rub from me!

 

[TinysMom]

Well, it looks like the 8 babies have a good chance of making it till weaning time. Two are still smaller than the others but eating well for their sizes. One or maybe two of the others I'm already watching based upon the size of the face and legs - they are built like their mama.

Robin & I went through the "tinies" today - Meatloaf's litter. It turns out that the three chestnuts are boys and the two girls and chinchilla - are girls. Part of me really wants to keep the girls - not as part of breeding - but because I hate to rehome girls and risk them being bred by people who don't know what they're doing. The babies were born Feb. 2nd so I will probably be weaning them in the next 2 weeks.

I know some of you reading this may get upset or it may go against what you believe...but I've decided that I will take these to the feed store and have them help me rehome them. They oftentimes get calls asking for rabbits (right now they have some) and in Del Rio - if you want a rabbit - the only way to get one is to go to the feed store or the flea market or possibly TSC if they have any (they wound up getting a few in - that's a story in itself but I'm really proud of how they handled things).

I know Gabby will make sure to educate people about the bunnies and how large they will get and she will show them the size of a cage they need (I'm going to recommend dog kennels with a litter box). I also know that she won't hesitate to talk someone out of buying a rabbit if she doesn't feel good about them (but most of their customers are repeat customers who buy their food there, etc). I'll also have her give out my business card so they can contact me with questions, etc.

I know I'll cry when I do take them in....but I also know that I'll hear stories about them from Gabby every once in a while - when someone comes in who has bought one of my rabbits she's sometimes tell me about how they're doing, etc.

Anyway - I guess that is it for now....I'm trying to think if there is anything else to share.

 

[TinysMom]

Well - some of Nyx's babies have their eyes open and one of them made it out of the nestbox this morning. Another baby made it to the front of the nestbox and Art & Robin put it in back with everyone else.

One of the two smallest got a BIG feeding last time and I'm so pleased at how full the tummy is. The other smaller one didn't get as much - but still got a good feeding.

Nyx and Sophia are out having playtime right now - I'm hoping they will get along. So far...so good.

It seems like bringing the new girls into the house - things have changed. Athena hates everyone - even her old babies - and she will chase them and nip at them if they're having playtime together. She doesn't get along with Sophia or Nyx either.

The new girls get along fine with the babies but not with the adults.

So playtimes are becoming a juggling situation....