# What do I need to know about tattooing?



## DianeS (Jan 7, 2012)

It's time for me to actually tattoo my rabbits. I have eight sibling Angoras that are having their first molt. I'm grooming and plucking like mad, and have realized I can no longer tell a couple of my rabbits apart with their "new" coats. 

I've looked at tattoo kits, but am wondering what I actually need to know. How difficult is it to tattoo? Does it require a lot of hand strength to do correctly? Do the rabbits struggle during it? Is it good to have a second person holding the rabbit, or can it be done by one person? Can an incomplete or not dark enough tattoo be redone, or is it a one-shot deal? Any pointers you've learned in your experience?

Thanks!


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## Ms. Research (Jan 7, 2012)

I would PM Roll Farm.  She just finished tattooing her DH's Silver Foxes.  Said they screamed like mad so maybe she could give you a few pointers.  

I have no experience.  Wish I could more helpful.

Hoping you get the info you need.  And then please post.  I know I'll be doing tattooing in the future.  DH already said no way is he doing it.  Doesn't want to hurt the bunnies. 

Amazing, a man who did give needles to past dogs, already agreed to administer to future goats, but won't tattoo ears of bunnies.  Go figure.  

K


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## CYGChickies (Jan 7, 2012)

Tattooing supply places sometimes have a zip canvas bag that the rabbit goes in and you pull the ear through a hole. I don't believe a tattoo can be redone right away but as long as you don't ink I believe when the holes heal up you would be able to retry. It is advised that you try on paper to make sure your numbers and letters are correctly aligned before you tattoo the rabbit. I haven't tattooed mine yet so I don't know about the reaction but most information says it's a quick pain and they recover very quickly. I would suggest the bag however since the ink takes a while to wear off and I've seen newly tattooed rabbits at fairs with green and blue heads from ink spills. Good luck! 

Ps - Tattooers are expensive if you need more than one set of numbers or letters! Ugh!

CYG


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## Ms. Research (Jan 7, 2012)

CYGChickies said:
			
		

> Tattooing supply places sometimes have a zip canvas bag that the rabbit goes in and you pull the ear through a hole. I don't believe a tattoo can be redone right away but as long as you don't ink I believe when the holes heal up you would be able to retry. It is advised that you try on paper to make sure your numbers and letters are correctly aligned before you tattoo the rabbit. I haven't tattooed mine yet so I don't know about the reaction but most information says it's a quick pain and they recover very quickly. I would suggest the bag however since the ink takes a while to wear off and I've seen newly tattooed rabbits at fairs with green and blue heads from ink spills. Good luck!
> 
> Ps - Tattooers are expensive if you need more than one set of numbers or letters! Ugh!
> 
> CYG


Thanks for the tip.  

Apologies to Diane if this is like "thread hijacking", 

When you say more than one set of numbers or letters, are there different numbers and letters for different BREEDS of rabbits.  I know you raise Lionheads, Hotots and New Zealands.  Does the breed or the LINE of the rabbit have different numbers and letters?  Hope I'm being clear with my question. lol 

K


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## Citylife (Jan 7, 2012)

Ms. Research said:
			
		

> CYGChickies said:
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The numbers and letters are for identification at a show, to the breeder, buyer.  I think what they are refering to is if you were going to use a tattoo such as BB1.  Then you would need to buy two sets of letters so you had two B's.  Most breeders come up with their own system for tattooing.  I know Storeys Guide has real good examples for keeping ID's straight.  
Hope this helps.


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## Margali (Jan 7, 2012)

Sorry if cross forum posting is bad manners.... if so please delete.

I am on rabbittalk and there have been several good threads about tattooing rabbits.

equipment http://rabbittalk.com/rabbit-tattoo-kit-t1781.html?hilit=tattoo
naming patterns http://rabbittalk.com/tattoo-numbers-thought-t2505.html?hilit=tattoo

The people over there are awesome. Some of them are here too. I am getting rabbits this spring sometime.


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## currycomb (Jan 7, 2012)

started out tatooing goats, so those letters were too big. found some at local farm store, one set of numbers and i bought letters, around $30.00. then they had a sale on extra letters and numbers, bought them all.(yeah greedy, but you never know). i use a pillowcase with a hole in the end. stuff the rabbit in, pull the ear out. is best to have someone hold and pet the bunny to relax it while you get everything ready.
alcohol and cloth to wipe ear before the procedure
tattoo with wanted letters and numbers (check on paper before doing the rabbit)
clamp the tattoer onto the correct ear. (i have had one rabbit make a noise while being done)
smear and rub tatto ink into the holes. remove rabbit from pillowcase
use whatever numers and letters you want to identify your rabbit


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## Ms. Research (Jan 7, 2012)

currycomb said:
			
		

> started out tatooing goats, so those letters were too big. found some at local farm store, one set of numbers and i bought letters, around $30.00. then they had a sale on extra letters and numbers, bought them all.(yeah greedy, but you never know). i use a pillowcase with a hole in the end. stuff the rabbit in, pull the ear out. is best to have someone hold and pet the bunny to relax it while you get everything ready.
> alcohol and cloth to wipe ear before the procedure
> tattoo with wanted letters and numbers (check on paper before doing the rabbit)
> clamp the tattoer onto the correct ear. (i have had one rabbit make a noise while being done)
> ...


The pillowcase sounds like a really good idea.  I know my rabbits like to hide their faces when a bit nervous.  They really don't see what coming the way you do it, and someone extra there to assure the rabbit, really sounds well thought out.  

Thanks for the input of your experience.  

K


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## oneacrefarm (Jan 7, 2012)

From my own experience, the younger the better. 12wks is good and they do fine. They will flinch and some will spaz out a bit, but none of mine screamed. It is not good to try to restrain them too much, as they can break their back struggling if you try to wrap them tightly. For us, I hold the rabbit loosely, hubs does a quick clamp and release allowing the needles to penetrate the ear, then we use a toothbrush to push the ink into the holes, wipe off the excess ink and slather the ear with bag balm. Once we had a 6mos old jerk and mess up the tattoo. We just let it heal and then tried again later.


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## terri9630 (Jan 7, 2012)

My girls 4-H leader does our rabbits. She puts the ink on the ear before tatooing so we don't have to mess with it after the tatoo is done except to put some neosporin on.  Its like getting your kids ears pierced. Some kids cry some don't. We try to miss the big vein that runs up the ear because it bleeds quite a bit.


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## Ms. Research (Jan 7, 2012)

terri9630 said:
			
		

> My girls 4-H leader does our rabbits. She puts the ink on the ear before tatooing so we don't have to mess with it after the tatoo is done except to put some neosporin on.  Its like getting your kids ears pierced. Some kids cry some don't. *We try to miss the big vein that runs up the ear because it bleeds quite a bit.*


Very good tip to have.  I was wondering about that.  Thanks for sharing.

K


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## Citylife (Jan 8, 2012)

I tried the pen tattooer and practiced on banana skins like they recommend and I did beautifully.  Then I went to rabbits.
Then I found out.........  You need to practice on JUMPING, twisting, clawing banana's.

I sold the pen.


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## SarahMelisse (Jan 8, 2012)

currycomb said:
			
		

> started out tatooing goats, so those letters were too big. found some at local farm store, one set of numbers and i bought letters, around $30.00. then they had a sale on extra letters and numbers, bought them all.(yeah greedy, but you never know). i use a pillowcase with a hole in the end. stuff the rabbit in, pull the ear out. is best to have someone hold and pet the bunny to relax it while you get everything ready.
> alcohol and cloth to wipe ear before the procedure
> tattoo with wanted letters and numbers (check on paper before doing the rabbit)
> clamp the tattoer onto the correct ear. (i have had one rabbit make a noise while being done)
> ...


I've seen the same thing done with a box with a slit in the top for the ear, but a pillowcase seems much more accessible.


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## DKRabbitry (Jan 8, 2012)

> Then I found out.........  You need to practice on JUMPING, twisting, clawing banana's.
> 
> I sold the pen.


That is HILARIOUS!  I love my pen.  I would use it over the clamp anyday.  I tried practicing on a banana and didn't actually get it.  We had a bunch of fryers at the time that were about ready for butcher soooo... they got all sorts of pretty things and writings in their ears LOL
We had problems with the clamp disappearing after like 10 months or so.  That was when we switched to the pen.  Later found out it was just the ink with the clamp, but I still like my pen better.  I got the EZ Tatt.  My next adventure... The tail web of goats!  MWHAHAHAHAHA!


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## DianeS (Jan 8, 2012)

Wow, a lot of good information! Keep it coming!


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## oneacrefarm (Jan 9, 2012)

terri9630 said:
			
		

> My girls 4-H leader does our rabbits. She puts the ink on the ear before tatooing so we don't have to mess with it after the tatoo is done except to put some neosporin on.  Its like getting your kids ears pierced. Some kids cry some don't. We try to miss the big vein that runs up the ear because it bleeds quite a bit.


The downside to this is that IF your rabbit does not cooperate and they jerk or flinch and mess up the tattoo, you are stuck with it since the ink is already in the ear. They calm down very fast afterward and we never have trouble inking, wiping and putting on bag balm. Oh, and not sure with rabbits, but on tat's for people, you don't want to use Neosporin...it can make the ink fade.


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## terri9630 (Jan 9, 2012)

oneacrefarm said:
			
		

> terri9630 said:
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We haven't had any problems with fading ink. For the tatooing we wrap the rabbit in a towel except for the ear. One person holds and one person does the tat. The smaller kids and "new parents" who may be squemish aren't allowed to help just to make sure the rabbit is held firm but not too tight.


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## CYGChickies (Jan 10, 2012)

Ms. Research said:
			
		

> When you say more than one set of numbers or letters, are there different numbers and letters for different BREEDS of rabbits.  I know you raise Lionheads, Hotots and New Zealands.  Does the breed or the LINE of the rabbit have different numbers and letters?  Hope I'm being clear with my question. lol
> 
> K


Yes I use a letter for breed first, then 1 or 2 to identify gender, then the final numbers chronologically. I won't tattoo rabbits that are moving on to other rabbitries so I doubt I'll EVER run out of numbers to count each gender of each breed. For example,French Angora Victoria would be F101 and Sebastian would be F201. My New Zealands are Z, Lionheads L and Dwarf Hotots H.

CYG


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## lastfling (Jan 10, 2012)

My system is to 1st ltr of bucks name, first letter of doe's name, litter number, sequential number in litter.  I.E.  Cedar bred to Mayetta for the first time producing a litter of 2 would be - CM11, CM12.  The second breeding of this pair would be CM21, CM22, etc.  I figure as far as sex, etc., I've got that info in my records.  If a name begins with the same letter, I would add an additional letter.  I guess there are as many ways to do this as there are people to do it.


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