ZRabbits

[ZRabbits]

wendymac wrote:

It stinks because entries had to be in at the end of June (technically, not until today, but the earlier the better if you want stalls/cages as it's first come/first served).

And get this! The person in charge of the rabbit barn does all the feeding/watering. It's with what feed he happens to buy that week (I think they said it would be Purina, but I don't feed that anyway), the fair's feeders, water bottles, etc. I don't think the cages get sanitized/disinfected, although they do sit empty for a year. And the rabbits aren't kept together by owners...they're spread all over the place. So instead of worrying about 1 or 2 being against a cage with a strange rabbit, they'll all pretty much be beside strange rabbits. The only bright side is I was "volunteered" to help with the check-in. So any rabbit even looking like it's not well, has ear mites, runny nose, etc. will be turned away.

The horses are kept together ,by owners (so all of our horses are always stalled beside each other). We have to bring our own feed, feeders, buckets, etc. All the fair supplies is the actual stall. The same with the rest of the livestock. I don't know who's bright idea it was to have all the rabbits eating one feed, not being cared for by their owners, etc was, but I'm going to see about getting int changed for next year.

I hope you do get the rabbits under their owner's care, like the rest of the livestock. That's really ridiculous and a bit scary to bring your rabbits, that you so carefully managed, and drop it off into a situation like that.

At least you'll be a "watch eye and voice" for the owners and the rabbits this year.

Just amazes me that some people would think this is an easier, more efficient way to handle this. By just having one care for all. Might be easier, but definitely not right.

K

 

[wendymac]

I totally don't understand it, at all! These kids are pushed to do their own breeding, care, etc...then get to the fair (the culmination of their hard work) and then not do anything? Plus changing a diet on ANY animal like that is bad. Goes against everything that the kids have learned about animal husbandry, for sure.

I was told I could put my own crocks in, so hubby cut up wood chunks to put into the feeders (they use a big feeder, shared between two rabbits). That way I can block off any of the other pellets from my buns.

And get this!!! None of the owners actually show their rabbits. There are runners (of which, again, I was "volunteered" for) that do all the putting on and off the table. For all the rabbits, open and youth. WHAT?? The only thing the kids actually show in is their showmanship class. And none of the other livestock can be shown by anyone but the owner (except horses, because the horses aren't just 4-H animals). Stupid, stupid, stupid!

 

[kmaben]

Yay Karen! A: glad you're back! B: Glad you got your new baby! He's gorgeous. You'll have lots of fun with him.

 

[ZRabbits]

kmaben wrote:

Yay Karen! A: glad you're back! B: Glad you got your new baby! He's gorgeous. You'll have lots of fun with him.

Thanks. So thrilled about our Big Guy. Just so amazed. He's just so different. And what a sweetie. Definitely going to be a big snuggle bunny. Loves attention and affection.

Taking it slow. Been here a whole day. Can see him changing already and starting to settle. He's getting his legs. What a klutz, but so cute.

K

 

[ZRabbits]

Update on ZRabbits:

Well it's been two days since the short journey (my husband thanks me for that) started on the experience of a Flemish Giant. I'm kind of still in shock. I can't believe he's here. But he is and he's a piece of work. And just so precious. He's so still a baby. He's in that goofy, puppy stage. He's just so funny. Very friendly. When I now come into the room, I say his name and I get those big ears focused on my voice. Also when I bend down to talk to him, he's right there. I open the door and he's right there. Loves to smell my face and hands. Also nudges for pets now. MUST pet bunny. Mandatory to enter. He has this cute little head binky, which shakes those big ears. At first I started to panic, but ears are clean. So what is this? And then I remembered reading about head binkies. This is the first I have ever seen. Maybe my guys do it, I just haven't really noticed. But with this big guy, you notice so much more. Maybe because of his size. Don't know.

Rubeus is on a timothy based pellet right now. I have supplied alfalfa hay. At this age, he's playing more with the hay than eating it. Babies So I know he's getting what he needs right now. Tonight when I got home, he finally found the alfalfa hay that I mixed in to the timothy. Was lapping that up. The mixture will help me instill into Rubeus the importance of hay. Also reading the replies on the thread about Polish and the ways of looking at supplying unlimited pellets, I decided to just fill a little less this morning. By the time I got home, empty, but also Rubeus found the alfalfa. I haven't filled it yet. Hopefully more hay eating, but will fill it soon for the night. It does benefit a young bunny to let the bowl stay empty for a bit.

I still have a bit of time to figure out which way I'm going with this big bunny. Received a generous portion of food from the breeder. so got a little time to ponder. Maybe sticking with the timothy based pellet and mixture of Timothy and Alfalfa hay. Dobby and Kreacher did well on just timothy based pellets and alfalfa hay. I went alfalfa based for Neville and Luna because of their wool. I know Rubeus has a lot of growing and alfalfa based pellet was good (got proof with Neville and Luna) to give a bunny a healthy start. But Rubeus is going to be a big rabbit. Want to make sure I do right by him, like I feel I have with the Tribe.

Speaking of the Tribe, they are all doing well. Dobby is having his run of the living room right now. He's sprawled out under my chair as I type. Love my Tribe. They are taking it all in stride.

K

 

[agnesthelion]

Oh wow....it is neat to read the mannerisms and personality of a giant. Something very foreign to me. Even my first bun was small and now of course Agnes is tiny too....

It is fascinating to hear how much calmer the bigger breeds are. I like hearing your experiences with Rubeus. What, if anything, does he seem scared of as of now?

Sounds like he is settling in great. He is lucky to have been adopted by the ztribe. He will be given a great home

Sorry to hijack your blog too far away from your new baby, but I have to ask how are Neville and Luna? Are you still planning for lion babies in the future?

 

[ZRabbits]

agnesthelion wrote:

Oh wow....it is neat to read the mannerisms and personality of a giant. Something very foreign to me. Even my first bun was small and now of course Agnes is tiny too....

It is fascinating to hear how much calmer the bigger breeds are. I like hearing your experiences with Rubeus. What, if anything, does he seem scared of as of now?

Sounds like he is settling in great. He is lucky to have been adopted by the ztribe. He will be given a great home

Sorry to hijack your blog too far away from your new baby, but I have to ask how are Neville and Luna? Are you still planning for lion babies in the future?

Fast movements do startle him. So I do everything slowly and always talk. Love now when I announce myself at the door with a greeting, when I turn into the room, those big ears are up and alert.


Neville, now 6 months and Luna, 5 months are still going to be parents. Plans still on.

K

 

[agnesthelion]

Oh yes, the ears are like mood antennas! It's fun "reading" them

I'm excited to hear of Neville and Luna's procreation future...lol...I'm just biased because of Agnes and her parents coloring. So excited to see what you will get!

 

[ZRabbits]

agnesthelion wrote:

Oh yes, the ears are like mood antennas! It's fun "reading" them

I'm excited to hear of Neville and Luna's procreation future...lol...I'm just biased because of Agnes and her parents coloring. So excited to see what you will get!

I'm excited too. A bit nervous, but should be. It's a decision I don't go take lightly. Truly can't wait to see what colors are in the nest box, but also want to make sure Luna has a good experience. She's a hoot. Love this experience with this doe. I'm truly hoping for Neville's coloring to show up. Since he's lost a lot of his baby fur, he's got a lot of blue in him. Plus I just think he's a handsome bunny with that big mane.

Only time will tell.

K

 

[ZRabbits]

Update on ZRabbits:

Day 3 of the invasion of the Rubeus. lol He doing really well. Getting more and more active. Saw our first Flemish Bunny Flop. Definitely loves to stretch and yawn. The head binkies have now morphed into actual binkies. Just too funny.

We introduced him to a hay mat and a paper towel roll. He loves to flip both of them around. Funny, now when he sees one of us come in to the room, he'll go to the paper towel roll and start playing with it.

Eating well. Drinking a LOT. Poo and pee all normal. Will be going Alfalfa pellets soon. Will start mixing so that he continues to do well. It's for the best. My husband and I really sat down and discussed. The breeder, I know some will get upset, but it's for real, is a meat breeder. Owns a small farm and is just trying to keep it with everything he can do. We feel that Rubeus will get the exercise necessary to keep him from getting pudgy. Like the rest of our tribe, he will be no different. He will get the outside bunny run until he's mature enough for the whole backyard. Small steps. My husband already purchased a harness and we will start shortly on getting him used to it. Hoping to get him out tomorrow morning and introduce him to the bunny run. Depends on the humidity and heat tomorrow. But knowing my husband, he'll have me up at 4:00 AM, saying, get the coffee going and time to go sit out back. We have done this before and our Tribe loved it. There is nothing more interesting, more fulfilling, than watching a bunny in early morning light. It touches their wild side and they all love it.

Rubeus had his first taste of wheat grass today. Thread stalks of fresh wheat grass. My husband said that he took right to it and enjoyed it.

Love is in the air here in the Z-Tribe. Neville and Luna are really noticing each other through scent. As I have stacked the crates, Luna has the top crate (She is the Queen, isn't she, lol), Neville has started to stretch and smell her scent. Thankfully he's not a sprayer, but it does get him binkying a bit. I've notice Luna has started doing it to recently. Smelling and looking, and has notice his scent on me. I'm hoping for early November babies from the lovebirds. There will be no issues of Neville being too big a buck or Luna being tiny doe. Both are about the same size and weight. One positive point.

Dobby still enjoys his time out and about in the house. Willard is having a blast in the bunny run with his digging. Boy can he make a hole fast.

Jake our bunny watcher, he's excited about the new bunny he gets to watch and hopefully one day to run and play with. Jake and Rubeus have already met and no problems there. Jake always goes in to check on Rubeus before he lays down for the night. He does that with all his bunnies. Yes, he does think they are his. And we play along. Amazing how a dog, taught at a young age to be a killer, can in time turn that deadly lesson, from lots of patience and TLC, into being a loving protector.

K

 

[agnesthelion]

Yay for love between Neville and Luna if only they knew a stranger clear back in Iowa is curious about their courtship.

Rubeus seems like a clown and a giant sweetheart. Glad he is settling in and that Jake has taken a liking to his future playmate.

 

[ZRabbits]

agnesthelion wrote:

Yay for love between Neville and Luna if only they knew a stranger clear back in Iowa is curious about their courtship.

Rubeus seems like a clown and a giant sweetheart. Glad he is settling in and that Jake has taken a liking to his future playmate

Wish I could make Neville and Luna understand that they have someone cheering for a successful courtship. But all I can do is share the experience through words and pics. They both really have good dispositions. Luna might be a bit "in your face" but it's more nosiness than anything.

Rubeus is truly a giant sweetheart. Just makes us laugh. Hoping this is his true personality. Will have to wait and see. Will really know him in about 2 months. That seems to be the mark where my bunnies really know they are home and can let their personalities shine through.

K

 

[ZRabbits]

Update on ZRabbits:

Morning consisted with all the bunnies getting their morning run. And Rubeus his first taste of what it is to free roam. He had a blast.

Here's our New Bundle of Joy out and about.

He has definitely attached to my Husband. All our bunnies seem to find one of us their first "touchstone" for comfort. So thrilled for both Rubeus and my Husband

Still a little shaky on the back legs but that will come in time. Doing much better with his grooming though since he first got home.

And yes, he has found his litter box and knows what to do with it. Couldn't believe it. Thanks to my husband, Rubeus is doing so much better hitting the mark. Not too much pee cleaning.

Here he is stretched out and chilling after fun frolicking. Lots of binkys and exploring.

Was hoping for the first romp in the bunny run, but way to hot and humid. So the kitchen was the place to be. For all our bunnies. They truly enjoyed the time out.

K

 

[ZRabbits]

Update on ZRabbits

This is his screen test. Hope he passes. lol

Just remember, he's only 6-1/2 weeks old.



K

 

[wendymac]

OMG!!! He's sooooooooo adorable!!!! I absolutely love those big ears! I love the video, too. He's so curious, and those ears are like giant radars. :inlove: What color is he considered?

 

[ZRabbits]

wendymac wrote:

OMG!!! He's sooooooooo adorable!!!! I absolutely love those big ears! I love the video, too. He's so curious, and those ears are like giant radars. :inlove: What color is he considered?

He's considered a sandy. And you are surprised about the big ears, with your lops? But then again, your lops have beautiful flowing ears. Not radar antennae like Rubeus.

Here's another video. He just makes me laugh.



K

 

[wendymac]

Yeah, the Flops don't have the radar/antenna capabilities. I never really noticed how much regular ears swivel around. LOL I thought there for a minute he was going to taste test your table leg...and then knock over the litter pan. haha How long before you let Jake in to play with him?

 

[ZRabbits]

wendymac wrote:

Yeah, the Flops don't have the radar/antenna capabilities. I never really noticed how much regular ears swivel around. LOL I thought there for a minute he was going to taste test your table leg...and then knock over the litter pan. haha How long before you let Jake in to play with him?

I'd like for him to be a bit older. He still such a baby and really needs more practice on his feet. Get to know his own body. We'll just wait and watch. Both already greet each other through the bars of Rubeus's crate. So far good experience for both of them.

K

 

[wendymac]

That's fantastic! And I'm so happy that Jake will finally have a bunny of his own.

How much longer until Luna and Neville start their courtship?

 

[ZRabbits]

wendymac wrote:

That's fantastic! And I'm so happy that Jake will finally have a bunny of his own.

How much longer until Luna and Neville start their courtship?

I'm hoping to try in October. At the end of September, Neville will be 9 months and Luna 8 months. I know I could probably breed for October kits, but just making sure. By beginning of November, cooler weather will prevail.

K