# What has my darling son brought home ?



## Theykeepmebusy (Jan 2, 2011)

He replied to an ad on the craigslist.......and this is what he's brought home, one is all white, the other have gray on their ears and noses. 






















And how in the world do I know if they are boy or girl????? I googled it, but yeah.not with the kids around  ...and any ideas on how old ? a way to tell. Any answers to our new trivia is greatly appreciated.


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## tortoise (Jan 2, 2011)

Girl = slit
Boy = circle


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## PattySh (Jan 2, 2011)

When I first started with rabbits I was told the females parts look like a taco and the male  round like a donut.


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## Theykeepmebusy (Jan 2, 2011)

Sounds good to me, learned the breed, NZ and California meat rabbits, mixed, man wasn't sure, was giving them away because he couldn't move with them, but now they are  our sweet cuddly pets. He said the big one is a buck, but wasn't sure???  :/   Sooooo, tomorrow I'm going to see if there's tacos/slits or donut/circles. Thank you both !!!!!!!!


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## PattySh (Jan 2, 2011)

I wouldn't be surprised it it was a mama with 2 babies. Would be very unusual for an adult male to be ok in a cage with two young ones. Adult Male would have obvious testicles bu the little ones won't. You will want to seperate the little ones soon  if they are boys with their mother, as they breed young.  Rabbits generally each have their own cage as they tend not to get along once they mature. From the pic it looks like they'd be ok for a couple more weeks if it's mama and babies( can't tell from the pic are both little ones similar size? The little one I'd say is 4 weeks or so. Looks like a Calf/NZ cross to me, that is a common mix that we do. Put leather or sturdy gloves on when you check  for sex rabbits can give nasty scratches. Pick up the rabbit at the neck scruff, easier if someone else holds while you look.


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## ChickenPotPie (Jan 2, 2011)

Yup, definitely Californian or CA/NZ crosses.    Smallest kit looks about 4 wks old, larger kit is 5 - 6 wks I'll bet.  Many kits are weaned by 6 - 8 wks.  Many can be separated from mom at 8 wks but meat breeds tend to mature faster so separation from mom at 5 - 6 wks is not unusual.  

Reproduction is physically possible at 12 weeks.  

Taco, burrito.  lol  (female, male)  It'd be a good thing to show the kids.  My son could correctly sex a 6 wk old kit when he was 6 yrs old.  It gives kids a sense of ownership and responsibility if they are allowed to be involved.

Picking up your rabbit is done just as you did in your photo - around the shoulders, not by the scruff.  But you need to support it's hind end/back legs.  

The more surface contact the rabbit has with your body the safer it feels.  To check sex and to trim nails, I press the rabbit against my body with my right hand over its shoulders/neck/head and my left hand supporting it's bum like you would an infant.  I sit down, lean forward, and lay the rabbit down on my lap so it's laying it the "V" that my legs make.  Just like you would lay down a human infant.  

The rabbit feels very supported with all the contact it has your the surface of your body but let it flip up/right itself if it tries to.  Holding it down forcefully could cause it to break it's back.

While still holding onto its shoulders, take your left hand out from underneath it's bum.  Use that hand to expose the genitals to check the sex.

Using your thumb and forefinger, press and spread apart (thumb moving toward tail, forefinger moving toward head) to expose the genitals.  Something conical and pink will pop out on both males and females.  Don't be afraid to press down harder to really get a good look.  It'd be difficult to hurt a rabbit by checking it's sex.

Look for that taco or burrito and make a note of it.  Just for reassurance that the sex change fairy did not visit them, check again when they are 8 wks old and then again at 12 weeks old.  This is for their own good as well as for your own practice and experience.


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## Theykeepmebusy (Jan 3, 2011)

Keep it coming, I've got a note book ready!!!!  Today I did find out the big one is the mama to the bigger one, he had said it was a buck, his mistake now he wants this one back and me to take the buck. I'm not going for it, my kids love them already, I bring them in for some cuddle time and will be getting some more rabbit hutches next week, were going to be for my next few hatches, but, I'll figure it out. Thank you, I will take all info needed for a newbie, I am super happy for the BYC and BYH, cause I'd be lost without you guys!!!!!!


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## Theykeepmebusy (Jan 3, 2011)

One Big Girl   One little white girl  and one little gray n white boy  Taco's and burrito's it is, Thanks!!!!!


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## Theykeepmebusy (Jan 5, 2011)

I lost the little white girl this morning, went out and she was turned upside down in the feed bowl, getting stiff. I had no idea what to do, so I rushed her in put a blow dryer to her, gave her a lil sugar water and some cocci treatment , she was good for 4 hours, warmed up, was moving and breathing better, then she passed. I brought the other 2 in, noticed they are heavy with fleas. Could this have been what happened? I'm off to search it out.


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## PattySh (Jan 5, 2011)

She may have been the runt littermate of the bigger one. Right now I have a Californian doe with 6 NZ cross babies, one lil guy (or gal, havent checked yet)  is 1/3 the size of the others but is jumping in and out of the nest like the others. Generally tho the small ones do have something wrong and may not make it to full grown. Maybe a heart issue, you'll never know but nothing you did wrong.


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## PattySh (Jan 5, 2011)

Not sure about fleas on rabbits, never had that  happen.


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## therealsilkiechick (Jan 6, 2011)

i've never had them on rabbits but the only thing i can think of i know is safe for use on rabbits is foodgrade D.E. that should work. i don't think u can use flea chemicals on a rabbit and de is all natural. baby shampoo is the only other thing i can think of. it is what i use to get them off my kittens if it doesn't kill the fleas it will stun them enough so u can pick them off and squish or drown them. i usually drown them in a cup of dish soap water.


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## a7736100 (Jan 6, 2011)

There are flea treatments that are rabbit safe if you want to spend the money.  I've also used cheap Hartz monthly flea treatment for dogs from WalMart but THEY ARE DEADLY TO RABBITS.  I just use a drop or two on the rabbits.  Any more and you may kill the rabbit.  They do get rid of fleas and ticks but also irritate the rabbit skin.

Did you feed the new bunnies fresh fruits or veges?  That can kill if they are not used to them.  I doubt they were done in by the cold.


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## Theykeepmebusy (Jan 6, 2011)

I've always used the original dawn on my dogs, but I give them a scrub down, I couldn't find the safest or a straight answer for fleas on rabbits, so made a mist out of the dawn and misted the cage and their bedding in their box, put some one my hands and pet them with it. They don't have any more fleas. I never even thought to look for fleas on a rabbit.  Thank you again everyone.


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## rockdoveranch (Jan 7, 2011)

My breeder told me to use Advantage for cats to kill fleas on my French Lops.  

I just looked up her email on the subject from back in August 2010.  

*She said to make sure it is the plain Advantage for Cats and NOT the Advantage Multi. *

I believe the product comes in 2 difference dose sizes, so buy the one for your rabbit's weight.

I did put Advantage for Cats on all 3 of my French Lops.  I applied it on their backs, just behind their ears.  It killed the fleas without hurting my rabbits.

Down here in Texas fleas are a problem, and I do let my rabbits play in a yard constructed from dog kennels.

Flea infestation CAN kill dogs and cats, so I would think they would kill rabbits too.  Infestations make the animal anemic.


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## Theykeepmebusy (Jan 9, 2011)

I do believe, every pest and bug that is hiding or has died in other states is still crawling or flying in Texas. I'm going to try your method, figure it will last longer than using the dawn, thank you . I did read something somewhere about using a flea collar, I see that working like it does on my dogs, they help each other to chew it off, lol.


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## ChickenPotPie (Jan 9, 2011)

Just an FYI about fleas, rabbits, and treatments...

Domestic rabbits rarely get fleas.  Dog/cat fleas are said to be species specific but they are not all THAT picky.  

In flea infestation cases that I've known of, other animal species the frequented the domestic rabbit's living space were heavily infested and the rabbit had few in comparison.  In other words, it is likely the rabbits picked them up off another heavily infested animal.

Fleas tend to attack a weak animal more vigorously than a healthy one.  There may have been an underlying problem with the kit that was compounded by the flea infestation (or not).  The age of your smaller kit is a very tough time gastronomically speaking.  Weaning my have not been going well.

When I lived in the suburbs, I treated my dogs and cats with flea drops.  Even so, I did find two fleas on a rabbit once.  I picked the fleas off and lightly dusted on a small amount of flea powder for kittens.  It may not have been the best choice but it worked.

Frontline is fatal to rabbits.

Advantage has been known to make rabbits ill but in those cases, the rabbits ingested the medication.  

I've heard vets recommend Advantage for kittens to get rid of fleas on rabbits.  One drop per rabbit will do.  Separate the rabbits for 48 hours after treatment so they do not ingest the medication by grooming one another.  

There are natural flea controls, too. DE would work by itself but mix in powdered peppermint for a double whammie.  Don't breath in the DE!  Where a mask or just use the powdered herb alone.  Don't use pennyroyal (a popular flea repellent for dogs) - I just read it is toxic to rabbits.

Rosemary works, too, but I don't know if it is okay for rabbits.  Does anyone know?


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## Theykeepmebusy (Jan 12, 2011)

O.k. I go out to feed all the beasts and there were 2 babies in the chick pen!!!!! I don't know how she got in there, she was in her cage, but 2 baby bunnies , not alive, I feel horrible cause I didn't know!!!!  And now I'm wondering how many will she have? I put a nest box in with her and now she is jumping around, looking for a way out of her pen. I don't know what to do!!!!!!  This is like someone came in and robbed me!!! How did she get in with the chicks or how did her babies? I'm so confused. Is she going to have more, I don't know what I'm doing here!!!!! 


*chickenpotpie, I did a slap on the forehead  I thought the smiley saying new messages was an ad!!!! Forgive me I was born a blond!!!


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## ChickenPotPie (Jan 12, 2011)

She had her kits on the wire in her cage.  The kits crawled into through the wire into the chicken coop.  They can get through smaller spaces than ya might think.  

It's good you have her a nest box.  Put 1 - 2 inches of shavings in it and stuff it with hay.  Make a "well" in the hay with your fist.  She's an experienced mother so she should know what to do.  Look around for other kits (on the ground, etc).  If your find any still moving, put them in your portable warmer (down your shirt/cleavage) and keep them there.

Don't beat yourself up for this.  You had no idea she was pregnant.  Personally, I'd be a bit peaved at the guy who gave them to you for not saying she had been with a buck 30 days ago.  

Give your doe 24 hours to see if she has any more kits (unlikely) then palpate her (feel her abdomen) for any more kits.  If you need tips on how to do that, let us know.


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## Theykeepmebusy (Jan 12, 2011)

That was one of the first things I did, there were only 2, looked every where, then picked her up, saw a little blood, felt her stomach, kind of like the nurses did mine when I had any of my 5 children, I felt 3 "bumps", I couldn't tell anyone if that's normal rabbit insides or not!! Made her box, she is in it, re-arranging what I did, keeps standing up on her hind legs, don't know what that's about, and the little one she is allowing to be with her, he follows her everywhere in the cage. 
 Did I tell ya'll that I did contact the owner, and he said that she was a buck???!!! Then he had called me 2 days later wanting me to trade her for the real buck?? Cause someone else he had given the rabbits to, thought they had her and it wasn't?  But I didn't do the trade, this is who my son brought home, they are his. The owner obviously didn't know what he had and he split a "family" of rabbits to whoever came and got them, how many and which one they wanted!!  I know it's normal to split "families" but come on!!!  I don't know, I'm ranting now, my mad is coming out over this, I don't like to lose babies, really gets to me. I keep thinking about the white rabbit we had and how many more might of died with the any of the new owners, and now these babies, I had looked all this up, but thought I had time!!!


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## Theykeepmebusy (Jan 12, 2011)




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## ChickenPotPie (Jan 12, 2011)

Send me a message if you need to or check out that link I gave you.


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