Winter Breeding

[paul2641]

murph72 wrote:

Paul,

Here's my cheater's way of sending you pics. This is the page I have for them on my website: http://murphyslionsandlops.com/Lionheads.aspx

I think I have all of them on there. I know I added a mini lop buck and two chocolate Hollands since the last time I updated, but I think the lionheads are all there.

If you go on the Hollands page, the mom is Clover and the dad is Reuben. It's funny because they're my two who always have ear control when I want to take a picture, but always hold their ears down otherwise. I'm wondering if that will be a genetic trait of the seven offspring. I guess we'll wait and see.

Dyan

Cute rabbits!!

 

[murph72]

Thanks Paul.

My doe The Bomb is a carrier of blue, as is my buck Gizzy. They usually have some pretty cool blue Lionheads. She's expecting soon. I'll have to try to remember to post some pics if I get the blues I usually do from that pairing. I also mated Knock Out to Gizzy cuz she also has blue in her lineage. I'm hoping for some broken blues out of it.

I really need to update the pics on my site. I laughed when I looked at Chewy because he's almost not recognizable as the same rabbit he was a year ago when that was taken. He grew in super long hair in his mane that hangs over his eyes. He's absolutely a charmer that one. He has a real way with the ladies. :biggrin2:

Thanks for the help Sabine....I'm sure Tim can think of more goofy names without the assistance.

 

[Sabine]

How are the Seven Dwarfs doing??? I looked at the pictures of your lops on the site. Wow Clover has some ear control or is it just very cold:biggrin2:They are adorable. Can't wait for baby pictures

 

[murph72]

Clover's kits are all doing great (notice I refrained from calling them the Seven Dwarfs) :biggrin2:

I was going to wait a few days until they had a bit more fuzz and you could start to tell a little better what colors they were going to be before taking a pic. I put my hand in several times a day just to feel to make sure the mass of bunnies is warm, and they are toasty warm. Mom seems to be feeding them well as when I pull them out to check on random ones they seem to have little bellies and lots of energy. I was a bit concerned that seven might be too many for her, but she's a little trouper.

Clover does have some ear control, but had more when she was younger (when the picture was taken). She has a bit less now that she's over a year old. Reuben, the dad, also had more when he was younger but is losing it. When I first got Clover her ears were down. When I brought her home they went up within the first two weeks and actually stayed that way for several months during the winter. They have since been down more than up. She's a cheeky little one. She and Reuben are super affectionate and both very curious. I find the more curious ones have always fought for ear control moreso than the laid back ones...but that may just be my imagination. I think it seems to go with their personality. One of my favorite buns I ever had was a mini lop that was a "half a lop" with one up and one down. When she ran around they bobbed uncontrollably in the air because they were long enough to be down. She was hilarious and I was actually glad she did have that ear control. It made her more unique for us. My husband was actually afraid she'd lose ear control and then she "just wouldn't be Sambuca."

 

[Sabine]

That is interesting about the ear control and it explains what may be happening to irishbunny's doe Princess who started out as a lop and has erect ears now. maybe my girl Magic who was a half lop for a few weeks may end up with loppy ears in Summer. I just adore lops!!!!

 

[murph72]

The cold weather definitely helps them with ear control, but they seem to also have a predisposition to ear control as well....sometimes due to the shape of their heads and ears. I think my mini lop that i had didn't have a wide enough head for a mini lop, which is why she had ear control. I think my hollands however have a mixture of the cold and their curious personality helping them. Plus, neither of their ears are super long like my Holland Chloe. I don't think she could hold those things up if she wanted to...they're just too darn big.

 

[murph72]

Ok, I broke down this afternoon because it got a bit warmer during the snow storm...plus I was off work because I teach and school was canceled...to capture a few pictures of the magnificent seven. There appear to be two torts (like dad), two blues (like mom), one black and two that are a lighter shade I haven't decided what it will be yet.

Any guesses on the light ones' color?

Mom carries BEW, but they don't appear white to me. Dad carries sable point, but they don't look pointed to me. Though, at four days, it's pretty early yet.

 

[Sabine]

Ohhhh they are soooooo beautiful. They look perfect! It's the Magnificent Seven Now?:biggrin2:

 

[murph72]

We are down to the magnificent five now

One blue and one tort crawled out of the nestbox and did not find their way back in. I have since then made it harder on mom to get in the nestbox by making her jump higher, but have made it impossible for them to get out until they are old enough that their eyes open.

I was so bummed. The other five are all doing well with their hair coming in and their bellies are nice and plump. I even turned off the nestbox heater yesterday as I decided it would be too warm for them. I'm going to try to keep them off the heater now that they have fur to keep them warm and a little more body fat. Hopefully they'll all be fine in the upcoming days as it gets a wee bit colder again.

 

[Sabine]

Oh I'm sorry about the two you lost. I was thinking of them when the forum was down

 

[murph72]

Thanks Sabine.

I came on to post about losing the first one on Friday and the forum was down. Then I lost the second one on Saturday and decided I had to make some sort of change to the nestbox to keep it from happening again. Unfortunately they were both too far gone by the time that I found them to offer them any help. It was very sad, but I'll try to focus on the five little cuties that remain.

I just can't wait until they open their eyes and get mobile. I just love that because they start exploring the world and then binkies seems to be the very next lesson learned. Babies are great:biggrin2:

 

[irishbunny]

Aw I'm sorry about the two babies Good luck with the rest of the cutie-woodees!

 

[Sabine]

I can't wait for more picture updates!!!!!

 

[murph72]

Yeah...I'll definitely have to snatch some pics of the wee ones once their little eyes are open. Probably later this week.