Monday, December 4, 2017

Parts of a Rabbit: Teeth

I've decided to do an article on rabbit teeth. Nothing much to know, right? Not at all.
When considering purchasing a rabbit or when caring for a rabbit you have already acquired, it is necessary to understand a few essential facts.

  1. Rabbits have a total of 28 teeth. They have four incisors; two on the top, two on the bottom. Behind the two top incisors, they have two small "peg teeth". Rabbits also have six upper premolars, four lower premolars, six upper molars and six lower molars. Behind the incisors is a flat space without teeth called the diastema. 
  2. A rabbit's teeth grow non-stop. Usually, they grow 1/4 of an inch in a month! 
  3. If a rabbit's teeth begin to grow crooked or if they become overgrown, they must be clipped. You need to be able to clip the teeth yourself or find a rabbit-savvy veterinarian who will clip the teeth for you. Don't worry, though, a rabbit's oral nerves stop just below their gum line, so they cannot feel this. 
  4. Because they need a way to wear down their teeth, it is best to keep your rabbits in a fresh supply of hay and rabbit-safe chew toys. 
Malocclusion is a very common problem in rabbits, and it is most often caused by lack of dietary fiber, lack of chews to wear down their teeth, or abnormal growth. It can easily be avoided by giving your rabbits hay and something to chew on. Apple tree branches are excellent chew toys, as well as aspen wood, maple wood, mulberry, willow, and crabapple wood. I also like to give my rabbits cardboard boxes or toilet paper tubes stuffed with hay. 

When a rabbit stops eating, they are in a dangerous situation instantly. Never overlook loss of appetite; it's better to be safe than sorry, and rabbits can recede into GI stasis quickly when left untreated. The first thing you should do when your rabbit stops eating is attempt to determine if they are excreting fecal matter and then check their teeth. Sometimes, the rabbit stops eating because their teeth are crooked, chipped, or overgrown, among other dental issues. 

In short, it is best to check your rabbit's teeth regularly, as well as providing access to hay and chew toys.
Happy Hopping! 

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Digestive Issues

With a rabbits extremely delicate digestive system, a common problem that plagues pet owners and breeders alike is digestive issues. If a rabbit stops eating for over 24 hours, death can quickly ensue. So it is important to figure out what is going on with your rabbit and how to fix it before the digestive system stops completely, which is called GI Stasis, or Gastrointestinal Stasis.

The first step is to answer a few questions. Is the rabbit producing excessive amounts of manure? Is the rabbit not produces fecal matter at all? Does the rabbit have soft or runny poo? Does the fecal matter have lots of hair in it?

Excessive amounts of manure or soft/runny poo indicates diarrhea. If you determine your rabbit has diarrhea, remove all pellets and free feed as much hay as your rabbit will eat. Make sure your rabbit is drinking. I also give the rabbit BeneBac or ProBios, which is a probiotic containing beneficial bacteria that helps a rabbit with digestive issues. Dandelions often help with the process of eliminating runny poo as well. If your rabbit's symptoms become severe enough you may have to take your rabbit to the vet. Diarrhea is often caused by a diet high in sugar, energy, carbs, and too low in fiber. Keep that in mind to prevent further incidents if you feed a low fiber, high sugar/carbohydrate diet.

If the rabbit is not producing any fecal matter, it likely has GI Stasis. Symptoms of GI Stasis are: little to no fecal matter, lethargy, sitting in a hunched over position, diarrhea, no gut sounds, and refusal to eat for more than 12 hours. Infant gas drops (simethicone) are helpful, because the rabbit may have gas, which extra hay and BeneBac won't help. A rabbit with gas can also be in severe pain; so nothing will help until you get rid of gas. Pedialyte (administered via syringe) will help hydrate a rabbit. I use one cup clean water, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/8 teaspoon salt. If the rabbit isn't eating either, I will add pellets, vegetable baby food, or canned pumpkin and syringe feed the rabbit. Fresh herbs, such as raspberry leaves, parsley, thyme, etc., can tempt a rabbit to begin eating as well.

Using the above suggestions, I have saved 9 out of 10 rabbits that suffered from digestive issues. But obviously, if you cannot provide the solution and your rabbit is not getting better, it is best to take your rabbit to the vet, or put it down humanely. It is our job as pet owners to make sure our pets are happy and healthy.


Monday, July 10, 2017

The Hardest Part of Being a Rabbit Breeder

The hobby of rabbit breeding is complex, fun, challenging, annoying, hilarious, and wonderful all at the same time. Trekking outside to do chores in below-zero weather and in 100 degree plus weather isn't always fun. Then there's the magic of visiting the rabbitry at 7 a.m. to find a healthy litter of kits.

But from the newbie's perspective, a question that often begs to be answered is: What's the hardest part of being a rabbit breeder?

I think the hardest part is the decision-making. It's hard to make those logical decisions with your head when your heart begs to be the final contributing factor. It's hard to make the decision of who to keep and who to sell. It's hard to make the decision of whether or not to stay in a breed you can't keep up with. That's where I am now. Mini Lops are an extremely popular breed, especially in my neck of the woods. And I just can't keep up with those breeders who have 30 holes and are producing an average of 10 or so litters. I produce a maximum of 3 litters a year. I can only keep one breeding pair, or maybe a trio. I don't have it in the budget to expand, nor do I have the space.

So even though  I do enjoy Mini Lops, I've decided that it's probably more worth it for me to focus on my other breed, which has also become my favorite; Jersey Woolies. This way I will have more cage space to refine my lines with the Jersey Woolies, and I feel that in the long run this will be the best decision. But it was hard. Because this means I'm selling out of Mini Lops. I've decided to keep my breeding pair, Newt and Hemingway, because they're both still actively showing, but I'm selling all of my juniors.

When you have to make a decision that affects your entire rabbit raising hobby, sometimes you wish you hadn't chosen rabbits.

Another hard issue in rabbit raising is ethics. Nobody wants to put a rabbit down. But when it's suffering, you have to have a quick, humane way to ease its suffering, or I firmly believe you shouldn't be raising rabbits. Sure, you don't have any culls now, but you will in the future. It's also hard to make the decision of an open or closed rabbitry. Open rabbitries provide more resources for your buyer to come and visit and see the conditions in which your rabbits are raised, as well as view the parents of the rabbit being sold. But open rabbitries also run a very high risk of illness; people carry germs when they enter your rabbitry, which pass on to your rabbits. The same rabbits you have spent so much money and effort on can so easily be destroyed with a hefty dose of ignorance. For this reason, many breeders have resorted to a closed rabbitry, where rabbits that are for sale are separated from the herd and viewed in a different location. This not only provides peace of mind for you, it also prevents potential problems.

I like to call our rabbitry semi-open. I will allow buyers near my rabbitry upon request, but I generally do not. For instance, if it's a pet buyer, I usually just set up an exercise pen in my front yard away from the rabbits, and put the rabbit or rabbits the buyer wants to view in the pen. For show or breeding buyers, however, I tend to bring them back to the rabbitry. This way I won't have a pet buyer commenting stuff like, "Isn't that cage a little small?" "Oh, they're all alone, poor things." "Why do you have them  outside?" and so on. A breeder will mainly be concerned as to whether they all have food and water, whether the facility is clean, whether the rabbits have a chew toy to wear down teeth properly, whether the rabbits have sufficient entertainment to keep them happy, and whether the rabbit is in good condition (healthy weight, no sign of illness, trimmed nails, friendly disposition, no DQs).

The hardships of raising rabbits aside; as long as you have formulated a logical, well thought-out plan for all aspects of your rabbitry, you can lie back and relax, free to simply enjoy the fuzzy little hoppers that have stolen our hearts so completely.

Happy Hopping!
-Joanna

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

My Rabbits

Hey! I realized I've done a lot of informational posts, but not a lot of fun ones. So this post will be an update about my rabbitry. (Containing pictures of course 😉) 

Things are certainly hoppin' at my place right now. I have a litter of four Mini Lop babies recently weaned, six weeks old. (Anybody want a bunny?) I have a litter of EIGHT for my first time Mini Lop mom! Technically she had nine, but I had a really really tiny kit that died. It was less than half the size of its smallest sibling. The other super tiny one survived though. Anyway, they're doing good. I have four brokens in that litter one lilac? and three black otter/silver marten??? babies. We have a Mini Satin first time mom haystacheing and due any day, and a Jersey Wooly veteran (6 litters, all survived and cared for) mom due Monday. We built a rabbit hutch, went to a few shows, updated our supplies, and switched to a different feed that's working MUCH better.

SO here's a few pictures of my six week old Mini Lop litter. Three bucks and a doe I think.





And here's a picture I doctored up a bit. 


Sunday, February 5, 2017

Tips for Beginning Rabbit Raisers

I contemplated waiting to publish this article, seeing as I've barely begun raising rabbits myself, but I have learned a lot and made quite a few mistakes since I started nearly four years ago.

Mistake #1: For our first rabbits, we decided to browse craigslist and find some cute $10 bunnies. (Yes, I know. Yikes.) Fast forward to a bunny-filled garage. The people didn't know who the father was, and couldn't sex the babies properly. They simply grabbed two rabbits and plopped them in our arms. I received Willow the baby Dutch bunny and Jordan received Denali, also a baby Dutch.
Mistake #2: The rabbits were only 6 weeks old. Fortunately, we dodged a bullet; nothing went wrong.
Mistake #3: We put both adolescent rabbits in a hutch together. We were lucky and when puberty hit, nothing happened but a bit of missing hair.
Mistake #4: Once both rabbits reached adulthood, we noticed they were getting a little too friendly. Yep, you guessed it. Willow and Denali were actually doe and buck.

You may be wondering, what is so bad about all the mistakes written above? Well, to begin with, if you want to raise show rabbits, you should not buy the first cute $10 bunnies you see. You should research the breed you want, find a breeder, ask lots of questions, hopefully attend a rabbit show, and purchase a pedigreed, show quality rabbit. This rabbit should also be at least 8 weeks old; any younger age really is too young. Learn how to sex rabbits or take along a reliable friend who can before you look at the rabbits. Preferably, get a second opinion. Don't house two rabbits in the same cage. They may get along initially, but after young rabbits go through puberty many fight with each other. To me and many other breeders I've talked to, it is simply not worth the risk. Additionally, you obviously shouldn't house male and female rabbits together.

So what is the proper way to go about purchasing rabbits?

First of all, decide what breed you would like to buy. Would you prefer a small, medium, or large sized rabbit? Lop ears or regular, upright ears? Rex, wool, normal, or satin fur? Do you want to raise pet rabbits, meat rabbits, show rabbits, or even rabbits for fur? The ARBA Standard of Perfection lists all recognized rabbit breeds, or you can go to www.arba.net to view all recognized breeds. I highly suggest going to a rabbit show, looking at the rabbits, talking to breeders and judges. Once you've decided on your breed, find a reputable breeder. If you want to breed rabbits, purchasing a breeding trio of two does and one buck is often the best way to go. Before you buy the rabbits, look them over carefully. Check their eyes, ears, nose, mouth, feet, legs, belly, gender, tail, fur condition, and flesh quality. A healthy rabbit's eyes will be bright, ears will be clear, nose will be free of snot, teeth should be structurally sound(no malocclusion, butting, or overgrown teeth), feet should be well furred with no sores and all toenails(four nails on rear feet, five on front), legs should be straight, belly should have no sores or abscesses, genital area should have no sores or abscesses, tail should be carried straight; watch out for wry tail, dead tail, or broken tail. Finally, the fur should be clean and relatively stain free with a healthy luster.  (Unless the rabbit is molting) The rabbit should be of appropriate weight and flesh condition. When you feel the spine, the vertebrae should feel like gentle bumps, not bony spikes. Make sure the rabbit is of the appropriate weight for the breed and has no disqualifications either for its breed or in general.

As you breed your rabbits, one important thing to remember is, Keep the best and cull the rest. To cull means to remove a rabbit from your herd. Evaluating your rabbits is something that takes some time to master but is very important. If one rabbit doesn't follow the standard as well as others or simply doesn't follow the standard at all, cull it. I think it is best to get a second opinion when evaluating, even if you know what to look for. A fresh pair of eyes almost always helps.

This is all I can think of right now, but I will add more tips to this post as I go. Good luck with your rabbit raising adventure!

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

WARNING: ALL RABBIT BREEDERS

I have an important announcement to make. Recently I went to a rabbit show, and it was a lot of fun. BUT really, a rabbit show is fraught with danger. Here's a list of things to watch out for.

  1. Cute bunnies. This is the most dangerous problem of all. SO MANY FLUFFIES! You will NOT be able to walk away. Resistance is futile. (I almost bought 3 rabbits that I had ABSOLUTELY no use for. I even tried to justify buying them 😂)
  2. Nice people. If I had stopped to chat with every nice breeder there, I would have been gone all day! 
  3. Bunny Supplies. TOO MUCH USEFUL STUFF. I bought a pedigree book, a nest box, rabbit carrier latches, a Standard of Perfection, and almost bought approximately 30,000 other items. 
  4. DID I MENTION THE BUNNIES???
Bottom line, is unless you want to leave with exactly ZERO DOLLARS in your wallet, don't go to a rabbit show.

(Actually what I'm saying here, is go to a rabbit show, have fun and buy ALL DA BUNNIES)

There ain't no such thing as too many rabbits. 

Diseases: Myxomatosis

Myxomatosis is a disease caused by the myxoma virus that affects rabbits. Myxomatosis causes skin tumors and sometimes blindness, followed by fatigue and fever. Affected rabbits usually die within 14 days of contracting the disease. Myxomatosis is spread by direct contact with an affected rabbit or by being bitten by fleas or mosquitoes that have fed on an affected rabbit. There is no treatment for rabbits suffering from myxomatosis and it is best to euthanize the rabbit to end its suffering. However, myxomatosis can be prevented by an annual vaccine.

Is it really worth it to join ARBA?

As someone who has asked this question myself, I decided to answer it for you all in this article. First of all, for anyone who isn't aware, ARBA stands for the American Rabbit Breeders Association. It is currently the largest domestic rabbit organization.

For me, this question was a dilemma at first, because my rabbitry is extremely small. (I only have four rabbits, two are bred) Is it really worth it to join ARBA, especially if you have a small, low producing rabbitry?

From my personal experience, the answer is yes. When you join ARBA, you get a subscription to the Domestic Rabbits magazine, which is chock full of useful tidbits. You also get the Guide to Raising Better Rabbits and Cavies, which covers every topic from getting your rabbits show ready to supplies you should obtain. You also get an ARBA membership card, which allows you to participate in ARBA Convention.

Join ARBA today!
https://www.arba.net/join.htm

Rabbit Terms: Disease, Virus, and Parasite

Disease
A disease is "a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms, or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direst result of physical injury." Bordetella, coccidiosis, conjunctivitis, and enteritis are some examples of diseases that affect rabbits. 
Virus
A virus is "an infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat, is too small to be seen by light microscopy, and is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host." Myxomatosis, rabbitpox, rabbit fibroma virus, calcivirus, and papillomatosis are all examples of viruses in rabbits. 
Parasite
A parasite is "an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense." Some examples of parasites in rabbits are fleas, ear mites, ticks, etc. 

Thursday, January 26, 2017

The Dwarf Gene

One of the most challenging problems many rabbit breeders run into is the unfortunate case of peanuts. Peanuts are babies much smaller than the rest that do not grow and always die. Because they are so small, they are usually unable to nurse or disfigured. Some breeders choose to put them out of their misery humanely, while others decided to simply let the babies die naturally. This is one of many reasons why rabbit raising is not for the faint of heart.
Peanut babies are malformed because of genetics. The dwarf gene causes this malformation. Rabbit breeds that carry the dwarf gene are Mini Satins, Polish, Netherland Dwarf, Holland Lop, Dwarf Hotot, Mini Rex, Britannia Petite, American Fuzzy Lop, and Jersey Wooly.
***Note: There may be others I forgot to mention***
Dwarf rabbits come in three types: true dwarfs, false dwarfs, and the aforementioned peanuts. False dwarfs tend to be longer, larger, and usually exceed the maximum weight for their breed. True dwarfs are the ones that generally do better on the show table. They tend to be truer to their breed type: more compact, short, balanced, and more likely to stay within the appropriate weight.
How do you tell if your newborn babies are peanuts?
When my brother used to breed Polish rabbits, we were quite anxious about our first litter, since the dam was a true dwarf. Afraid that we would not be able to recognize a peanut and dispose of it properly once deceased, we went online and did our research. Research certainly helped, but you really will be able to tell the difference between normal kits and peanuts easily. At birth, peanuts weigh 3/4 of an ounce, whereas the others will weigh about 1 1/2 ounces or more. Peanuts may have bulging heads, crossed back legs, and may also be disfigured and elongated.
For more information on the dwarf gene and what you will get with different true dwarf/false dwarf breedings, thenaturetrail.com is a good place to visit.

Rabbit Breeds: The American Fuzzy Lop

"Head of the Fancy"
History
When American breeder wanted to add the broken gene to their Holland Lops, they crossed them to English Spots. The only issue, is that Holland Lops must have rollback fur, and English Spots have flyback hair. Consequently, the breeders crossed the English Spot/Holland Lop cross rabbits to French Angoras. Thus, the American Fuzzy Lop was born, and gained acceptance into the American Rabbit Breeder's Association in 1988. 
Temperament
The American Fuzzy Lop has lots of personality, with each rabbit having its own unique quirks. However, what rings true for almost all Fuzzies is their highly inquisitive nature. Because of this, they are good pets, or show rabbits. 
Appearance
Fuzzy Lops have very round compact bodies and thick, short legs. The head is set moderately high on the shoulders. Because they carry the dwarf gene, Fuzzies can have peanuts. The wool of an AFL is about 2 inches long, and somewhat coarse. A four class breed, the American Fuzzy Lop weighs about 3 3/4 lbs.
Grooming, Care, and Other Information
Fuzzies do not require as much grooming as angoras. Because their wool is coarse, it is less prone to mats. Every few days, they will need the tangles and debris brushed out of their coat. Make sure you check the rabbit's anal area for droppings and debris that could get caught around this area. When Fuzzies are molting, they will need to be groomed every day. 
Note: Because of the curious nature of AFLs, you should allow a show rabbit to relax before evaluating ear carriage. 

Diseases: Hutch Burn


Hutch burn causes a condition similar to vent disease. It is caused by dirty cages, or urine guards that allow urine to splash back on the rabbit during urination. Chapped or scalded areas around the genitals and the inside of the hind legs are symptoms. Secondary bacterial infections are common. Thoroughly cleaning the pen and applying antibiotic ointment to the infected area will hasten recovery. Strict sanitation and close attention paid to the placement of the urine guards will prevent hutch burn. 

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Rabbit Terms: Disqualification

When a rabbit is disqualified, it means that the rabbit has a problem severe enough that it is removed from the class it is showing in, or if it is a disease, the rabbit will be sent home. There are two types of disqualifications: temporary and permanent.

Temporary Disqualifications
A temporary disqualification is when a rabbit is disqualified for a problem that can be fixed, and the rabbit will be able to show again (in most cases). Here are some examples of temporary disqualifications.
  • Disease
  • Overweight/underweight
  • Illegible tattoo
  • Wrong sex, breed, group, or variety
  • Altering of appearance
Permanent Disqualifications
A permanent disqualification is when a rabbit is disqualified for a problem that is permanent and connote be fixed. The rabbit will not be able to show again. However, if you have a rabbit with a missing toenail, you can breed it and get showable babies. Below is a list of permanent disqualifications.
  • Missing toenail
  • Dewlap (in some breeds this is a DQ)
  • Wrong colored toenail
  • Split penis
  • Blindness/clouded cornea
  • Crooked legs
  • Broken tail
  • Screw tail
  • Wrong color eyes
  • Unworthy of an award (this is a rabbit that deviates from the breed standard so much that it is non-representative of its breed)

Hares vs. Rabbits


It is a common misconception that hares and rabbits are the same, or at least very similar. This idea is merely a myth, and there are multiple reasons why.

Physical Differences
Hares are generally larger and faster than rabbits, with longer ears and larger feet. Hares have black markings on their fur. Baby rabbits are born blind with no fur, while baby hares are born with fur and eyesight. A young hair is called a leveret, whereas a young rabbit is called a kit. Rabbits and hares both molt, usually in spring and fall. A rabbit's brown summer coat is replaced with a grayish winter pelt. Hares turn white in the winter.

Behavioral Differences
Hares have not been domesticated, whereas some rabbits are kept as pets. Rabbits have burrows or warrens underground. Hares have nests above ground, and rely on running rather than burrowing for protection. Rabbits are very social animals and live in colonies, while hares usually live alone or in pairs. Rabbits prefer soft stems, vegetables, or grass. Hares eat harder food: bark and small twigs or shoots. 

Friday, January 20, 2017

Rabbit Care Basics

Today I'm going to talk about the essentials of rabbit care.
#1: Water
Obviously, rabbits need a fresh supply of clean, cool water at all times. Some people use water bottles, and others use water bowls. Personally, I choose water bowls so they don't crack in the winter as easy. But I think in the summer, I'll switch to bottles, because I've noticed that my rabbits will urinate in the bowls and toss them around and dump them when bored, so I think water bottles will be cleaner, at the very least just for my rabbits.
#2: Food
Of course rabbits need food, so that's what we'll talk about next. I feed my rabbits Pen Pals rabbit feed, grass hay at all times, and black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS) to boost their condition a little when necessary, since they help a rabbit's coat stay shiny. There are different types of hay: Timothy hay, grass hay, and alfalfa. (I'm sure there's more, but these are the ones I'll talk about) I use grass hay, because alfalfa hay contains too much calcium for the adult rabbits, and we have only adults right now. I've never tried Timothy hay for rabbits, simply because it's too expensive near me. Another option is to try natural feeding, where you use hay and grains, such as wheat, barley, oats, etc. as well as a salt block to feed your rabbits without using commercial pellets. I definitely like that idea, although, again, I've never tried it. It seems to me like since it's rather close to their natural diet, it would be easily palatable and digestible. I just haven't investigated as to how well it maintains their condition or how expensive it is. Anybody have more information on natural feeding?
#3: Shelter
You'll need a suitable hutch or cage if you want to raise or keep rabbits. The smallest size a rabbit's cage should be is 24" x 24", and that's a size I would use for a dwarf rabbit. The cage should be at least four times the rabbit. How I judge cage size, is I look at the rabbit, then I consider the cage. If I'm the rabbit, can I stand up to my full height without bonking my head? Do I have enough room to move around freely? That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to make a cage big enough for your rabbit to run a marathon, just at least enough room to move around. You should have only one rabbit per cage, in my opinion, especially if you are raising show rabbits. There are too many mishaps that can happen with trying to bond rabbits together. Don't listen to anyone who says rabbits MUST have a companion; my rabbits live next to each other very comfortably. They don't have to share, but they still communicate with no risk of one rabbit pulling another's hair out, or even ripping off half an ear or tail. Now, let's discuss what to make the cage out of. I HIGHLY suggest all wire cages. You don't have to clean the cage as often; I clean my cages twice monthly with Dawn dish soap and remove the manure from the ground. Wire is cleaner, because urine can't soak into wood, and if you're worried about sore hocks, you can give them a resting board/mat. We have all wire cages with wooden frames and legs, and we've never had problems with sore hocks.
#4: Nail Trimming and Teeth care
Rabbits' nails and teeth never stop growing. Neglecting to trim their nails or give them adequate chew toys can result in malocclusion and overgrown nails; both are extremely painful for the rabbit, and malocclusion may very well result in the death of your rabbit, due to loss of appetite.
So that's the basics of rabbit care. I will discuss other individual topics at a later date.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Welcome!

Welcome to J&J's Rabbitry Blog!
If you look at the introduction to the right of the home page, you'll see that my name is Joanna, and I co-own J&J's Rabbitry. I raise Jersey Woolies and Mini Lops and my brother raises Mini Satins. I'll start by briefly introducing our resident rabbits.

Truffles
Senior Chocolate Mini Lop Buck
Our herd patriarch, Truffles is as sweet as chocolate. However, he can be a bit high-strung when it comes to nail trims. Every rabbit has its quirks. *insert eye roll here*

Newt
Senior Broken Smoke Pearl Mini Lop Doe
I know I'm not supposed to have favorites... But I can't help it. Newt is simply way too smart, curious, adorable, and sweet to not be anyone's favorite. She will literally come up to the cage just to get kisses and her head scratched. Newt is my top show rabbit. She pulled Best of Breed and Reserve Grand Champion, and that was just as an adolescent. Now that she's a mature doe, I have high hopes for her.

Smokey
Senior Black Otter Jersey Wooly Buck
Every herd has to have that one dramatic rabbit that enhances your sense of humor and patience simultaneously with the diva-esque antics, right? Right. Smokey honestly believes that no one is good enough to pick him up, that he's already so beautiful he doesn't need to be groomed, and that since he wants to be a Mini Lop, he can stubbornly pose like one no matter what I have to say about the matter. He's also disturbingly in love with Truffles, his next door neighbor.

Clover
Senior Ruby Eyed White Mini Lop Doe
To be completely honest, Clover has a similar personality to that of a stubborn doorknob. Unless you have food. Then she's a conniving piranha pretending to love you until she gets the food. Then it's the cold shoulder again. Got to love her spice.

***Please note that none of my rabbits are in any way even slightly aggressive. If they were, they would be removed from my program. They are simply true rabbits: predators, and some act more like predators than pets at times.***

So, that's all I have for today.
Keep Hopping!
-Joanna