# NZW Bucks are turning brown



## P.O. in MO (Jul 1, 2013)

Are all bucks prone to getting terribly dirty along with their cages.  I have urine guards 2 high on both of my bucks cages to keep them from spraying the walls.  Most of my does keep themselves pretty white but the bucks must spray everywhere in their cages and then lay right down in it.  I clean the cages when they need it but will the filth hurt the bucks.  One of mine had been pulling at some matted hair around his rump and I got him out and trimmed off some of the big wads.  While I was doing this I found a small inflamed area of skin.  I doctored it and while I had him on the table I wiped him down with a damp cloth to get the worst of the brown off.  Is this something that matters.  I have another buck approaching breeding age and he's getting pretty tan colored on the bottom half of his body.  And if they do need to be cleaned up once in a while what can you use as far as soap or something that works better than a damp cloth.  Thanks PO


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## VickieB (Jul 1, 2013)




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## nawma (Jul 2, 2013)

Do they have runny stools? Once in a while one of my bucks looks a little tan on his back feet and legs but never had one get matted hair unless they had diarrhea.


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## P.O. in MO (Jul 2, 2013)

No, everything else is fine.  It's not just on his behind its pretty much the bottom part of his whole body, mostly what contacts the cage when he lays down.  I know it's just urine and dust that is on the floor wire that they lay on.  I just wondered if this is something I should be concerned about enough to clean them up once in a while.   PO


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## nawma (Jul 3, 2013)

Is the cage wire or wood?


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## P.O. in MO (Jul 3, 2013)

All wire.


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## Baymule (Jul 3, 2013)

Are the urine guards maybe getting peed on and the bucks rubbing up against them? The urine not only stains the fur, but can cause scalds on their skin too. I would ditch the urine guards if that is what is happening. You might have to put some space between the bucks and the does.

I had a very spoiled black Satin buck stationed by the door one time. If I didn't stop and pet him, he would whirl around and spray me. He got moved to the back of the barn.


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## animalmom (Jul 4, 2013)

Here is another thought... do you have plastic resting mats in your cages?  I've found that my bucks have both pee'd on the urine guards and then laid against them, like BayMule posted, and also pee'd on their mats, hopped off to do something else, and then came back and laid on the wet mat.

I change out any wet mats and give them a clean dry one as soon as I notice.

I don't have much of a problem with my bucks getting brown.  During the summer they seem more prone to being discolored, but I've not had any problem with scald... could happen, just hasn't happened.

I've also noticed that if you keep up with the brushing, especially in the summer when they shed so much, that that helps with the colored fur, and helps you notice if he is matting up.


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## alsea1 (Jul 4, 2013)

might be the cage wire
they pee on it 
the pee causes corrosion on the wire
the fur picks it up


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## VickieB (Jul 4, 2013)

I  saw a pic of a NZR (red) earlier today. It was really pretty. Could be a solution...


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## animalmom (Jul 5, 2013)

VickieB said:
			
		

> I  saw a pic of a NZR (red) earlier today. It was really pretty. Could be a solution...


What?  And be practical?  Where's the fun in that?


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## P.O. in MO (Jul 5, 2013)

Thanks for all the replies.  I do  have the plastic resting mats and they do get pee'd on. I will start changing them out more often on my two bucks and will try to keep them a little farther from the does. One of mine did have a scald spot but put a little bag balm on it and is ok now.  The crazy rabbit lady suggested NZR as an option but maybe I could claim a new  breed.  NZT ( New Zealand Tans).


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## VickieB (Jul 5, 2013)




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## treeclimber233 (Aug 7, 2013)

do  you keep all your bucks in the same area or are they spread out among the does?  I found that if I kept all my bucks together they sprayed more.  And if any constantly sprayed  me when I walked past their pen they did not stay around long.  If one buck sprays into another bucks cage that buck will spray to cover the new smell.  Then the first one will spray to cover his neighbors smell......


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## P.O. in MO (Aug 10, 2013)

That sounds logical.  Yes, I do have my 2 bucks side by side.  I will try separating them and see if it makes a difference.  My oldest buck isn't so much of a problem but the one I have that has just come of breeding age is terrible.  I am going to have to give him a bath because he is getting really bad. I need to tattoo his ear with a biohazard symbol.   Someone suggested I ditch the urine guards but I have them 2 high on his cage and he still manages to spray over the top of them and all over the wall and windows behind him.  Thanks for this suggestion, will give it a try and see if it helps.  PO


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## Bunnylady (Aug 10, 2013)

P.O. in MO said:
			
		

> That sounds logical.  Yes, I do have my 2 bucks side by side.  I will try separating them and see if it makes a difference.  My oldest buck isn't so much of a problem but the one I have that has just come of breeding age is terrible.  I am going to have to give him a bath because he is getting really bad. I need to tattoo his ear with a biohazard symbol.   Someone suggested I ditch the urine guards but I have them 2 high on his cage and he still manages to spray over the top of them and all over the wall and windows behind him.  Thanks for this suggestion, will give it a try and see if it helps.  PO


I had a Jersey Wooly buck that was out of a line of rabbits with Z names. This guy got the Z in the middle of his name; I named him Wizard, ear no. WIZ. At the first show he went to, he sprayed the judge! The judge had a good sense of humor about it; when he checked the ear and saw the tattoo, he said, "I should have checked here first. I'd have been warned!" That buck's father wasn't bad in his cage, but if I put a doe on the grooming table before I brushed him, he'd smell the doe smell on the mat and write, "Ziggy was here" right across the front of my shirt. IME, young bucks are worse about it than older bucks, I guess the more mature animals are more comfortable with their buckness, and don't feel a need to prove it all over the place.


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## P.O. in MO (Aug 12, 2013)

Thanks for all the help on this.  Moved his cage yesterday morning and gave him a bath.  Got some of the grunge off but I think the spray and urine stains the fur.  He looks better and isn't so crusty.  I hung some piddle pads on 2 sides of his cage to stop him from spraying where I don't want and as of last night he hasn't sprayed them. He wasn't real happy about the bath, definitely a 2 person job.  We'll see what happens. PO


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## VickieB (Aug 12, 2013)

What are piddle pads?


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## animalmom (Aug 12, 2013)

I think piddle pads are puppy house training pads... absorbent on one side and waterproof on the other.

By the way, welcome back.  Everything go alright with your daughter?

PO in MO, sorry for highjacking your thread.


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## VickieB (Aug 12, 2013)

My daughter kindled on July 31st and had a 6 pound 15 oz buck! 

So the piddle pads don't actually "stop" the buck from spraying, but keeps it from hitting the wall? Okay... I was hoping she meant she had something that stopped the buck from spraying.


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## frustratedearthmother (Aug 12, 2013)

Congrats on the grand-bun!


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## P.O. in MO (Aug 12, 2013)

VickieB said:
			
		

> My daughter kindled on July 31st and had a 6 pound 15 oz buck!
> 
> So the piddle pads don't actually "stop" the buck from spraying, but keeps it from hitting the wall? Okay... I was hoping she meant she had something that stopped the buck from spraying.


P.O. in MO is a he.


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## VickieB (Aug 12, 2013)

:/   Sorry, P.O.! Please forgive me! It's hard to tell with most of these names in these forums!


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## P.O. in MO (Aug 14, 2013)

I knew that.


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