# possibly getting a bunch of rabbits...



## SillyChicken (Oct 3, 2011)

from someone selling out, cause she says the barn they are in will be torn down.  None are papered, and I haven't seen the conditions they're in yet so I'm trying to be cautious.

I'm going to go look at them,  they have dwarf hotots, lops and lion heads, she has 34 of them mostly doe.   Is there anything besides snuffles and obvious stress that I should look for.  good Teeth, coat, feet, fleas, mites and general conditions.   

How long should they be quarentined from my other rabbits?  At some point they will all need to be in the rabbit barn together.  I already have 20 NZ and CA.

Thanks for any assistance!


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## SillyChicken (Oct 3, 2011)

no opinions..........come on I know everyone has one.


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## DianeS (Oct 3, 2011)

I guess my first question is  - what do you want them for? Do you breed for showing, or to sell offspring as pets, or for meat, etc? 

If she has any records at all you probably want to look at them, and use them to determine if the rabbits you are considering buying are going to be useful for what you want. I've bought rabbits off Craigslist before and while some were great purchases, others I believe were way older than I was told.


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## Ms. Research (Oct 4, 2011)

SillyChicken said:
			
		

> from someone selling out, cause she says the barn they are in will be torn down.  None are papered, and I haven't seen the conditions they're in yet so I'm trying to be cautious.
> 
> *I'm going to go look at them,  they have dwarf hotots, lops and lion heads, she has 34 of them mostly doe.   Is there anything besides snuffles and obvious stress that I should look for.  good Teeth, coat, feet, fleas, mites and general conditions.*
> 
> ...


Looks like you got the bases covered on what to look for.   IMO, these breeds you will be looking at, if no papers, will be great for selling as pets.  The smaller rabbits do have an appeal for people looking for a pet.  And the holland lops are really tauted as being the friendliest.  Basically bred to be pets.  

Regarding quarantine, I think I heard a month.  This helps new animals simulate to their surroundings and you can check to see if any symptoms pop up with them settling in.  

Good Luck.  Hope you find healthy, happy rabbits to bring home.


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## SillyChicken (Oct 4, 2011)

Thankyou so much for the comments. 

I will probably sell most of them for pets, and retain a few of the nicest rabbits for myself.  As pets or for breeding stock.  I think there were 34, w/6 being bucks.

I have rabbits mostly for my own meat consumption.  I was hoping to supplement some of the cost with selling more desireable pet rabbits.  

I'll keep them seperate for about a month then.  And thanks Ms Research, I hope they are healthy too!


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## lastfling (Oct 4, 2011)

I would keep them separated/quarantined for at least a month.  Would hate to introduce a new rabbit and wipe out your existing herd.


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## DianeS (Oct 4, 2011)

Ah, if you're selling some of those rabbits (if you get them) as pets, then I'd be SURE to keep them at least 31 days first. That way you *know* none of them would be pregnant when going to their new homes! You don't want some new rabbit owner calling in a panic because the rabbit they just got from you had kits, I'm sure. 

And remember not to make the newbie's mistake of tending to the "new" rabbits and going directly to the "current" rabbits - that can spread disease as easily as mixing the rabbits can. Set your care schedule so the "new" rabbits are the very last ones you tend to, and use containers that your current rabbits don't get exposed to. Different water bottles/ crocks, different scoops for food, even different gloves if you use gloves to handle them. All of that sort of thing. 

Also, now is a good time to decide what your style of ending quarantine is. Personally, when I decide a new set of rabbits is probably healthy, I take a single animal from my current herd and mix that one in with the new set. I share water crocks, etc between the new herd and the current individual. If the current individual is still healthy a couple weeks later, I decide the new herd really is healthy and I officially end the quarantine. Not everyone bothers with that, some are OK mixing all new and all current all at once. I feel that is less safe, but my way takes longer - each to their own.


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## Ms. Research (Oct 5, 2011)

DianeS said:
			
		

> Ah, if you're selling some of those rabbits (if you get them) as pets, then I'd be SURE to keep them at least 31 days first. That way you *know* none of them would be pregnant when going to their new homes! You don't want some new rabbit owner calling in a panic because the rabbit they just got from you had kits, I'm sure.
> 
> And remember not to make the newbie's mistake of tending to the "new" rabbits and going directly to the "current" rabbits - that can spread disease as easily as mixing the rabbits can. Set your care schedule so the "new" rabbits are the very last ones you tend to, and use containers that your current rabbits don't get exposed to. Different water bottles/ crocks, different scoops for food, even different gloves if you use gloves to handle them. All of that sort of thing.
> 
> Also, now is a good time to decide what your style of ending quarantine is. Personally, when I decide a new set of rabbits is probably healthy, I take a single animal from my current herd and mix that one in with the new set. I share water crocks, etc between the new herd and the current individual. If the current individual is still healthy a couple weeks later, I decide the new herd really is healthy and I officially end the quarantine. Not everyone bothers with that, some are OK mixing all new and all current all at once. I feel that is less safe, but my way takes longer - each to their own.


Thanks for posting your way of handling quarantined animals and how to introduce new ones to your herd.  Very informational and filled with lots of common sense.


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## SillyChicken (Oct 5, 2011)

Thanks again for the info.

I felt horrible leaving lastnight without taking any of the rabbits.   I had hoped depending on the cages (if we could use them) to at least take a pet.   The building was actually a nicely set up rabbit barn, the cages were semi clean (but we weren't set up for that kind)...... but the physical condition of the rabbits - horrible.  They looked thin, hair look bad, dull, shaggy (some were trimmed down, which is fine).  Some were sneezing, others had nasty crusty stuff all over their faces.   If they weren't all ill, they would be soon.   I couldn't believe she was mating the ones with the crusty faces......  what I found lastnight was a rabbit mill.  She had been selling them to pet stores.   

When I told her I couldn't take them because they're sick, she said she had stuff to treat them with in the back.......wtf, why haven't they been treated a long time ago?   

I didn't want to risk my rabbits health.  Nor could I afford to treat over 35 sick rabbits.  She told me that if I didn't want them that she had a guy that did.  I sure hope they go to a better home than the one they had.    I probably should have called the humane soc and reported her.....   I just had to get the heck out of there.

So please don't beat me up for not reporting her, I didn't cause she is getting rid of them.   If I see her add reposted again, I definatly will call them.


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## Ms. Research (Oct 5, 2011)

SillyChicken said:
			
		

> Thanks again for the info.
> 
> I felt horrible leaving lastnight without taking any of the rabbits.   I had hoped depending on the cages (if we could use them) to at least take a pet.   The building was actually a nicely set up rabbit barn, the cages were semi clean (but we weren't set up for that kind)...... but the physical condition of the rabbits - horrible.  They looked thin, hair look bad, dull, shaggy (some were trimmed down, which is fine).  Some were sneezing, others had nasty crusty stuff all over their faces.   If they weren't all ill, they would be soon.   I couldn't believe she was mating the ones with the crusty faces......  what I found lastnight was a rabbit mill.  She had been selling them to pet stores.
> 
> ...


No beating up here.  I'm not the type to judge.  Sorry to hear about the buns.  Shame some treat their stock that way, but you were right not to get involved with that group.  Only heartache in the future for those poor buns.


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## DianeS (Oct 6, 2011)

No beating up from me, either. I was in a similar position last year, and made the same decision. A woman's son owned the animals, but died, and she couldn't care for all of them. The rabbits themselves seemed healthy, but the conditions were terrible. Poop hadn't been cleaned up in weeks, it was overflowing the trays beneath the cages and falling to the floor. Like your situation, if she had been keeping the rabbits I would have reported her, but as she already said she knew she couldn't take care of them and was advertising for new homes for them, I let it go. At the good prices she was offering, all probably found new places in just a few days. I was just one of the earliest responders. 

Seems like the one you visited knows she's in over her head, and is already doing what the humane society would make her do - not have them anymore. As long as that happens, it doesn't matter who knows about it.


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## SillyChicken (Oct 12, 2011)

Thats what I figured.. I know the barn was being destroyed and they had to go.  There was no sence making it harder for her to do the right thing.



On a good note, I did find a couple lionheads that I picked up Sunday.  They're adorable and can't wait to see what they produce.  We spent a couple hours talking about her rabbits and she ended up selling me a buck she had planned on keeping so I could have a nicly matched breeding pair.   They're inside rabbits cause I wanted smaller rabbits to handle and play with.  They're friendly and not skittish at all.   The doe is a bit bigger than I wanted, but the buck is tiny so I'm hoping they will average out and be just right.  I had the doe on my lap for quite a while working out a matt behind her ears... she didn't move the whole time.  The buck is a bit more active, but he's very sweet.

He doesn't seem to be eating that much food... he is leaving pellets behind and eating some, just not alot.  I hope he isn't stressed from the trip home.  

I'll try to get some photos soon and post them soon.  The Doe is blue and buck is similar... but I forget the color.


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## oneacrefarm (Oct 13, 2011)

She probably DID treat them, but based on your description I would guess that she had Pasteurella running rampant and it does not respond well to any antibiotics. They will mask the symptoms for a couple weeks and then flare back up again. You made the right decision not to take any of them, you would be jeopardizing the rest of your rabbits.

Shannon


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