Handling rabbits Do's and Don'ts!

[Hens and Roos]

maybe a pair of gloves would help. In our experience it seems that the rabbit is trying to get you to back out of their area. When we handle and carry rabbits we like to tuck their head under our arm(like a football hold) it seems to help them stay calmer.

you should probably separate out the male so you don't have more litters then you are ready for at this point. The humping behavior is probably a show of dominance.

 

[mygoldendoe]

Yeah I'm working on their hutch, they'll be seperated but on the same platform.. the whole thing should be complete this weekend. I don't mind them having babies right off. My husband is used to the whole thing but he works so I'm in charge of them during that time. he thinks I'm a scary cat lol. I did wear long sleeves during this morning's feeding. It made me feel lil better so I'll definitely try out gloves when i check on there water in few hours. only 2 will use the water bottle. The all prefer the hummingbird type feeder water set up
The one that lunged last time came & stood in front of the door and made weird noise so I waited til she was distracted by food to finish cleaning. The wood&wire travel cage I bought them in is too small to displace one until this weekend (at least i know I wouldn't want to be in it for two days if I were a bunny)

 

[Bunnylady]

@mygoldendoe - to a rabbit person, the scenario you are describing sounds most like a dominant doe (you were told it's the mother of the others, so it fits) that may very well be pregnant. Any rabbit can be territorial about its cage, but does seem more prone to it, and even a normally easygoing doe can get grumpy when pregnant. I don't blame you for not wanting to get bitten; I have a scar on my wrist from a rabbit bite that happened more than 15 years ago - those teeth are sharp, and some of 'em don't play around!

Rabbits have a 'pecking order,' and this rabbit thinks she outranks you. Rabbits can growl when threatening; I'm betting this animal was standing up with her head up and maybe ears laid back - that's rabbit body language for "If you don't get out of my space, you're gonna get it!" Height is dominance; crouching low is submission. If you are putting your hands low in the cage, or approaching her from a lower position, she thinks she's "higher" than you. If you have to put your hands in this dragon rabbit's cage, come in as high as you can, and don't move away if she comes at you. Put your hand on top of her (if you can do it without getting bitten!) and hold her down and away from you as you do what you need to in the cage. As I said, she may be pregnant, so she may have an excuse for being nasty, but I don't put up with rabbits that are just cranky by nature. A certain amount of personality is inheritable, and I find dealing with such animals too unpleasant to want to risk creating more of them.

 

[mygoldendoe]

@mygoldendoe - to a rabbit person, the scenario you are describing sounds most like a dominant doe (you were told it's the mother of the others, so it fits) that may very well be pregnant. Any rabbit can be territorial about its cage, but does seem more prone to it, and even a normally easygoing doe can get grumpy when pregnant. I don't blame you for not wanting to get bitten; I have a scar on my wrist from a rabbit bite that happened more than 15 years ago - those teeth are sharp, and some of 'em don't play around!

Rabbits have a 'pecking order,' and this rabbit thinks she outranks you. Rabbits can growl when threatening; I'm betting this animal was standing up with her head up and maybe ears laid back - that's rabbit body language for "If you don't get out of my space, you're gonna get it!" Height is dominance; crouching low is submission. If you are putting your hands low in the cage, or approaching her from a lower position, she thinks she's "higher" than you. If you have to put your hands in this dragon rabbit's cage, come in as high as you can, and don't move away if she comes at you. Put your hand on top of her (if you can do it without getting bitten!) and hold her down and away from you as you do what you need to in the cage. As I said, she may be pregnant, so she may have an excuse for being nasty, but I don't put up with rabbits that are just cranky by nature. A certain amount of personality is inheritable, and I find dealing with such animals too unpleasant to want to risk creating more of them.

Thank you so much for this information and technique! I will definitely apply it to try avoid another issue.

 

[mysunwolf]

My neighbor wears kevlar sleeves that have thumb holes to handle her rabbits, and that makes for fewer places that they can bite and scratch while you're handling them. We have always culled rabbits that bite, even territorial moms, because I was so terrified of rabbits that bit.

 

[I❤my Flemish Giant]

Rabbits that are scared or uncomfortable will kick, violently! They can kick hard enough to break their own backs, which is why you want to make sure the hind limbs are supported/restrained. Also, they can really lacerate you with their claws when they kick.

Some people will pick a rabbit up by the "scruff," and quickly get a hand under the rabbit's rump to support it. I prefer to get under the rabbit and scoop it up (of course, I am working mostly with small breeds). When carrying a rabbit, it's best to keep it supported/cradled so it doesn't feel vulnerable and start struggling - that's when people get scratched and rabbits get dropped. If the rabbit does start to struggle, you need to wrap yourself around the rabbit (something you have to learn to do; the instinct is to react like 'get this crazy thing away from me!' which makes it more likely the rabbit could get dropped). Getting a hand on the belly right in front of the hind legs can prevent the rabbit from kicking, or at least reaching you with a kick. Having the rabbit's back against your chest and the feet facing out while the rabbit blows up protects you both to some degree.

Being carried like a baby, cradled in the crook of your arm with the feet pointed up, is calming for most rabbits.

The time when most people get scratched is usually when the rabbit is being put back in its cage. Often, the rabbit will see the cage and "anticipate" going back in. Carrying the rabbit on its back can make putting the rabbit back in smoother, if you can flip the rabbit onto its feet just as you put it through the door. With practice, you can get your hands and arms out of the way before rabbit even has time to realize it's going back and start wiggling. Another trick is to carry the rabbit feet side down, but with its head in the crook of your arm (football carry) with its eyes covered. Once again, you can move your arms away as the rabbit's feet touch the cage floor, and it is in the cage before it gets a chance to get excited.

Do you have any pointers on how to get rabbits out of their cages? Front opening cages.. thank you

 

[samssimonsays]

Do you have any pointers on how to get rabbits out of their cages? Front opening cages.. thank you

I have found that grabbing the scruff of the neck and supporting their butts and pulling them out sideways or backwards has helped with French Lops. It seems the bigger they are, the harder it is to find a way THEY prefer and they all like things done certain ways.

 

[mygoldendoe]

Do you have any pointers on how to get rabbits out of their cages? Front opening cages.. thank you

I will say the scruff in one hand then holding ankles with other hand while their butts sit btwn that arm and my side works for my older ones. The ones I had commented on on page 1..I had got those meat mutts from unknown housing and handling as it was at a livestock outdoor market. It took a month for them to completely warm up to me and be tolerant of being held. Time and some "treats" (dandelion flowers and leaves by hand if picked long enough, wild violet flower and leaves) are your best friend. As for all their babies, they come running to the cage door for letting and love being held bc iv held them from day 1.
However we got more since then. They are pure breed from breeders who showed their rabbits so they got handled a lot. They are the best temperament and will crawl out for you to hold them if you hold your hands out just right. Only took a week for them to adjust to me and i don't have to hold their back ankles hold like my mutts, just under belly by back legs with butt sit btwn arm and side.
So practice different holds on them since I have to do different ones on individual ones.. and I think knowing background of their handling is important when considering new ones. Definitely makes cutting their nails easier when they tolerate/love being held. To me I already learned to avoid ones who answer the question of "how well do they handle nail trimming" with "I don't know I haven't tried it" even meat raisers want healthy happy rabbits and nail/teeth/ear checks/care is apart of that.

 

[mygoldendoe]

Sorry for such quick crude drawing, just didn't want u to misunderstand what I ment by ankle hold. (Bc some ppl mean upside down by ankles.) That's not what I mean..See how hips are sit btwn my arm and side. That's the one they like best. Alot of times I don't even have to hold scruff after they relax. I move to support chest..

 

[animalmom]

Good, CLEAR drawing!