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- #251
Kaye's bunny journal
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Kaye
Loving the herd life
Honey's kits have their eyes open!!
Ember's kits are everywhere and won't stay in the nest. They crawl around after her. I put them back every morning. They're all growing so fast!!
I have also noticed that my does nurse around 4-5 times a day, whereas everyone else has rabbits that only nurse twice a day as a 'rule'. My does also wean the kits at 4 weeks instead of the 6-8 as others' does go. I'm not really worried about it. They all are doing good
Ember's kits are everywhere and won't stay in the nest. They crawl around after her. I put them back every morning. They're all growing so fast!!
I have also noticed that my does nurse around 4-5 times a day, whereas everyone else has rabbits that only nurse twice a day as a 'rule'. My does also wean the kits at 4 weeks instead of the 6-8 as others' does go. I'm not really worried about it. They all are doing good
Pastor Dave
Herd Master
My does try to wean at 4 weeks too, but I catch them a time or two a day nursing so they aren't so engorged. I usually wean at 5 or 6 weeks, and catch them nursing up til they're taken away.
When I see the kits scampering around and climbing back in the nest box, I quit putting them back in, figuring they got this. If it gets too warm, I may take the box out around 14 days. In the winter, I usually have to evict them from the box at 18 days.
When I see the kits scampering around and climbing back in the nest box, I quit putting them back in, figuring they got this. If it gets too warm, I may take the box out around 14 days. In the winter, I usually have to evict them from the box at 18 days.
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Kaye
Loving the herd life
I have 3 curly haired kits out of 7 of the same litter. If I am understanding this correctly, and someone please correct me if not, it comes from the Rex type fur. A mutation of some sort.
Now, this is just what I figured happened. The mother of the rabbits is a red rex(mother) and black holland lop (father) mix. To my understanding it was the longer fur of the father rabbit mixed with the Rex fur of the mother to produce a kit that carried the curly gene (Ember, my mother rabbit). Now when I bread that kit to my friends rabbit (who I don't know much about) I get 3/7 kits with curly fur.
What gene caused the curly fur??
If bread back to the mother could there be more curly hair kits??
Any help would be nice
Now, this is just what I figured happened. The mother of the rabbits is a red rex(mother) and black holland lop (father) mix. To my understanding it was the longer fur of the father rabbit mixed with the Rex fur of the mother to produce a kit that carried the curly gene (Ember, my mother rabbit). Now when I bread that kit to my friends rabbit (who I don't know much about) I get 3/7 kits with curly fur.
What gene caused the curly fur??
If bread back to the mother could there be more curly hair kits??
Any help would be nice
Bunnylady
Herd Master
Wavy is an entirely separate gene from coat length. It is also recessive, which means that for you to be seeing wavy/curly coats, both parents have to have the gene. It's pretty uncommon; though it can occur separate from the Rex coat, there is a curly-coated Rex variety known as the Astrex that a few people are breeding and consider it a breed. I have seen a few Harlequins that have Astrex coats, and have heard that in Europe, Harlies can be shown in normal, Rex, and Astrex coats.
If you have curly-coated babies, you know that both the mother and the father are carrying a gene for wavy. If you breed a curly baby to either the mother or the father, you should get some wavy/curly coated offspring.
Something else to note is that sometimes, Rex babies will look like they have a bit of wave to the coat as babies, but as their denser junior coats grow in, the waviness disappears.
If you have curly-coated babies, you know that both the mother and the father are carrying a gene for wavy. If you breed a curly baby to either the mother or the father, you should get some wavy/curly coated offspring.
Something else to note is that sometimes, Rex babies will look like they have a bit of wave to the coat as babies, but as their denser junior coats grow in, the waviness disappears.
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Kaye
Loving the herd life
Okay. I'm going to try for curly kits when old enough. I'm wondering if theirs will go away... it seems to be curling up more and more, but it is only the baby coat.
I hope it doesn't. They're awesome looking little buns
I hope it doesn't. They're awesome looking little buns
