Update: Mid September

All bunnies are doing wonderful.  I have no rabbits left from Missy or Beauty's last litters.  They stayed with us a little longer than I expected.  I am sure they are happy in their new homes.

Rabbits are unpredictable.  And I am so glad that I went out to check on them a few extra times the last few days.  Sometimes the little ones wont let go when Mommy Bunny is done feeding and they hang on so tight they get carried out of the nest box.  These little ones are past the 'critical days' (where a few hours away from the warmth of the nest and other bunnies and they would freeze to death).  Once I went out and one was cuddled up in a corner.  Mommy Bunnies do not cuddle with their babies to keep them warm like a cat or dog would.  Another time I went out and ALL 8 babies were out in a ball trying to keep warm.  Its a blessing it has not been too cold and that I have gone out to help these little ones back to the nest.
Here are some pictures of the little ones

These are the blind, naked and deaf newborn kits.  They need the warm nest and EACH OTHER to keep warm.

Here are the kits after a few days.  The one on the left that seems to be a little smaller and not as much fur is the one I was able to save.  He was born 2.5 hours before all the rest and on the cage floor. Usually it only takes about 20 minutes for a doe to give birth to all her kits.  I think Missy was not ready for him.  He is still a little smaller and has a little less fur at 9 days old.

Here is Beauty with three of her kits.  They have a lot more fur on them. They are a week old here.  Notice they are still snuggling up to keep each other warm.  I took them out for this photo and they were happy to go back in the nest and sleep!  That's all they do for the first few weeks is sleep.  Today they are 19 days old and are bouncing around the cage, eating a little hay and fresh grass- just like Beauty.  She is such a good momma!

Thanks for bouncing by and see you again real soon.  Comment with any questions you might have.  Would love to hear from you.  Especially if you are interested in a rabbit or have purchased one from me already.  Lets hear some of your stories...  Till next time, keep them ears up and paws in the air!

Have some fun with.....NAME THAT BUN! Three new bunnies and I want you to help me name them!

Meet the three new additions to the Wascally Wabbits Rabbitry......
Buck 1,2 and 3.  Yes I know those are lousy names but for now, that is all I have. 

What I Know:  These are Belted Dutch and Calico Rex (mini) mix rabbits that are just a few pound in weight.  Totally NOT what I am use to.  My baby NZ (New Zealands)  are bigger and weight more at 8 weeks than these do full grown.
So I wont keep you waiting here are a few pictures of the beauties.  Again I am going to run a contest for
the best names.

KEEP IN MIND ALL 3 ARE BUCKS (males) so suggest names that would be for a boy rabbit!  All brothers just so you know.  Something fitting and not too long.  This will go on all their paperwork.

Here is the photo shoot for all three bucks. 


BUCK #1: He has the least amount of white on him.  A little on the forehead and then around the front paws and back. 

 BUCK #2

He has more dark brown and a lot of white.  Look at those beautiful eyes!  In just different light, bunnies show different colors to their eyes.  See the calico clearly in this little one.  If Missy did not take from her last breeding, I will likely breed him with her.  She is a California/NZ and adding Calico would help bring out some color and maybe keep some of the size.  I have a lot of research to do on what I can and can not do but so far the main things I have read is not brother to sister and the male should not be much larger in size than the female.  That way the babies are not likely going to be bigger than the mom. 

BUCK #3 This buck has the most white. He might be the friendliest of the three.  He almost climbs out of the hutch to say hello when I come visit.  (#2 and 3 are in the garage for now)  He might be the one I save because of his temperament.  I would like to breed one with my New Zealand does and see what colors I might get.

 So I will also post on facebooks to see if I can get some name choices.  This time, the winner will receive a stack of 5 homemade cards- best of my collection.  Please comment if you would like to enter a name.  If your name is chosen I will email you for your address and send you a stack of homemade cards.  Thanks for the fun.  Hurry I would like to name these little guys soon.  Getting teased that I am calling them Buck 1,2 and 3. 

DONT FORGET TO COMMENT WITH YOUR NAME!  Thanks for hoppin by!  Theresa

Bouncing in Baby Bunny Blessings!

It has been a very busy summer for us.  Fall is starting to show in the temperatures and even a few trees are turning.  We live in Wisconsin so we see winter half the year.  The other half of the year, the weather cant figure out what it wants to do.  Could be blazing hot one day and cold and windy the next.  Like they say.... DONT LIKE THE WEATHER IN WISCONSIN ..... WAIT 5 MINUTES AND IT WILL CHANGE.  Ok, maybe a little longer than 5 minutes....

On with the big news.  Beauty had her babies in the night.  My calculations were off the night before and stayed up most of the night check on her.  I ended up with a headache.  So had to trust her nest was built well enough and she would do what was needed. 

I knew the nights were getting cold so I lined the bottom of her nest box with a piece of cardboard.  She put in a little hay and left it alone.  I was a little worried because she did not pull any fur.  So I pulled apart some cotton balls and lined the bottom.... just in case she did not pull fur in time.

My mom asked me, "Why do you do so much?  Dont they have their babies just fine in nature?"  And the answer is yes, they do.  But domestic rabbits are not "in nature".  We have them in cages to keep them safe from predators.  They do have some exercise and freedom in their new play area.....

As a pet owner whether cat, dog, rabbit or horse we need to provide a clean, healthy and safe environment for our pets.  And that is what I do.  I clean their cage area everyday.  I provide clean drinking water, pellets and the best hay I can find.  I also pull grass for them everyday.  They get very excited when I come into the rabbitry and announce "LOOK WHAT I HAVE!" because they know I have fresh grass or another "treat" for them. 

So lets move on the the activities we have going on with the rabbits inside WWR (wascally wabbits rabbitry).

Beauty had 5 babies early this morning.  They are all very healthy and have full bellies and she pulled a little fur.  Guess she knows just how much to pull.  Last time she pulled a gallon size zip-lock bag.   I even had to take some out there was so much fur.
I will watch them closely for the next 4 days.  Kits (baby bunnies) are born without fur.  Each day they will grow a little fur and by day 4 they will be well protected from drafts.  Kits keep each other warm until they have their own nice coat to keep warm.  If all goes well I will remove the cardboard from under the nesting material in her box on day 4 so the urine and feces can fall through the bottom of the nest box.

The next due to have babies is Missy.  This will be her third fourth litter.  The first two did not go well for her.  The last litter she had 2 and they are doing super.   She is not due for a 1 1/2 weeks but I saw her doing this today......

MISSY IS BUILDING HER NEST.  So I ran and got her a nest box.  Otherwise she would wear her self out with this task.

 After she got all done with gathering her hay (for the moment anyway) she was breathing heavy, all tuckered out.

She will be content for a few days.  They I will have to take the box out and disinfect it and have her start over.  She will soil the hay in the box between now and delivery so we will have to clean it all out and start over.  But I know having the box makes her happy.  She did very well with last litter so I have no worries.

THEN I NOTICED..... Callie was also gathering hay for her nest.  She is due the day after Missy so I guess I am not surprised.  All three females have been excited to work on their nests early.  Here is Callies AND her creation....

 Callie is a California and New Zealand mix.  Her babies should all be white with some gray on the nose, tail, feet and ears.  Is she not the cuttest Callie you ever seen?

 I am a little worried because she even pulled fur.  The reason I worry?  Because they usually pull fur very close to the day they kindle (give birth).  She is way too early to kindle.  So I will pray she holds off and she pulled fur out of a strong mothering instinct that will help her be a good mom.  I will be gathering this fur to put in her final nest because, like Missy this nest will get dirty because it is way too early.

All tired out from all that work.  Now time to rest.

Now I want to show you the rest of the FAMILY.  Many of Beauty's babies have already sold.  I have 4 left.  I believe two males and two females.

Beauty babies- does

Beauty babies- bucks

Missy babies- x is buck

 Just a cute picture of one of Missy's babies thanking you for hopping by and hoppin to see you again soon.

 Leave a comment before you go.  Thanks

August Update

Well end of July and beginning of August has been a very busy already.  Two litters have come of age for sale with 3 gone and one spoken for already.  That leaves only 5 left to sell.  We built a little play/exercise area for them and the little 8 weeks old bunnies just loved it.  They even played peek-a-boo with me yesterday.  Wish I could post the video but I dont know know how to make the file smaller.

So here are a few pictures from our time in the new play area.
Meet the stars of the show.....

These two are females and are ready for sale.

We played peek-a-boo.  They would hide behind this pole with just one eye showing.  You know if they cant see you, they think you can see them.  That is why they love to have their heads tucked into your arm pit or elbow when you hold them.  Anyway, it was a lot of fun watching them bounce around this new play area.  Here are some more action pictures.

 I caught this white one with about five photos darting around.  The black one just sat and watched.  The white one did not like that so it BUMPED right into the black one and get him moving.  It was cool watching the BUNNY BUMPERS. 

 Here are two more cute photos.  They loved the area.  If I climbed into the area with them, they would come over, check me out and wait for me to pet them, then off they went again. 

 Aren't they the most adorable bunnies you ever saw?   Please take a moment to comment and share in the bun fun!  Thanks for hoppin by.

Tips and Tricks: Putting together new cages

It is wonderful how the Spirit of God moves us to take action.  Today I will talk about a few of those actions.  I often "feel" I need to do something, change something or stop doing something.  This is God showing you a better path.  Sure you can keep going as you are but the road will be easier if you just follow His gentle nudge.  And it is gentle most of the time.  Sometimes it is a huge push and there is no doubt.  But for most of us most of the time, we need to be "still" both physically and spiritually.  Sometimes that means study and prayer but sometimes that might mean just "listening".

So a month ago I felt the need to order cages for indoor.  My cages out in the rabbitry do not have a tray on the bottom.  When the rabbits urinate or poop, it falls to a tarp that drains the urine into a bucket and the rest stays in the tarp that I just use a long handled scoop to collect into a container and dispose of it.  This system is the absolute best.  Easy work.  When there are just the adults I can go 2-4 days without cleaning the tarp- if for some reason I can not clean them.  But once there are babies, like now I have 9, the tarp gets cleaned everyday.  Which takes less than 5 minutes.  Once a week or so I spray the tarp down with water which drains into the bucket.  This gets anything that has built up or stuck to the tarp. 


Indoor cages have to have catch trays and urine guards.  Since they are short term use, the size did not concern me too much but now that I have the ones I ordered, they are the perfect size.  The cages came from KW Cages.  They were not cheap but neither is the quality.  I really like the fact it has two doors: the typical front door and the whole top of the cage is a door as well.  This will allow me to retrieve my bunny without a "chase", add a nest box with ease.  The quality of the cage is much better than most I have seen.  The gauge of wire used and the galvanizing is heavier and will hold up longer.  The urine guards fit tight all around the cage and even under the front door.  Here is a picture.  Callie wanted to model this one for you!

 The cage came partially assembled.  The front door was attached to the floor and all the gray cage guards were in place.  I had to assemble the rest.  Notice the urine guards all the way around and how nice the front is cut out?   The company sent "J" clips to assemble the cage and at about 2/3 done with the cages, my hand was really hurting from using the "J clip pliers" (which I already had here from assembling my other cages).  Once you get the hang of these pliers, you will really like the J-clips.  I was surprised my hand was hurting so I thought to myself, could the J-clips from KW be of heavier weight?  Sure enough, I took out my left over supply of J-clips from my other cages and they were thinner.  I used them to finish the job and it went quicker and easier.  I will keep the tougher ones for another time.  I did not use the J-clips on the urine guards.  It was tough to get them to go around and it was really bending the guards so I used zip ties.  Get 100 ties for $1.00 at the dollar store!!  Best buys are always at the dollar store.  They dont have everything but everything they do have is only $1.00.  And usually it is worth the money and then some.  These zip ties were just the right size and fit the purpose perfectly.

I really like the latch for the front door.  It is easy to use.  I am using the blue dish you see to the right for Callies water because I have 7 kits in the cage behind her and they need the larger water bottles.  She will not spill the water like the kits will.  They climb all over everything, poop in anything they can get their butts into and make a mess of the blue dishes. 

I really love these dishes.  In the winter I use them because the water bottles freeze and cant be used.  With these dishes, they too freeze but I add a little water which losens the ice.  I leave it in the bottom of the cage for them to chew on because the new water in the blue dish will freeze pretty fast. They will chew the ice if they can get to it.  I have also seen them lick the ice.

The only thing I do not like about my cages so far is when I pull out the trays to clean them, the little paws of any of the rabbits can get snagged.  Today was my first day and I learned quickly.  I will line the floor of the cage with some paper or screen before I remove the tray to keep paws  and nails from falling below the floor.  This seems pretty simple.  I will give it a try and let you know later how that works.

Today is Thursday.  Sunday Callie is due to kindle so tomorrow she gets a nest box.  It will be a little tight with the nest box, but rabbits (unless they are our for exercise) like smaller places.  They feel they are "hiding" and that makes them feel secure.  This is her first time being breed and there is a chance it did not "take".  She might not be pregnant.  If Callie does not kindle by the middle of the week I will breed her next weekend.  Since this is her first litter, she might not do well.  But I feel I was moved to bring them all inside because of the heat and the bad thunderstorms we are having.  The stress of the heat could cause any of them to develop health issues.  Besides, gives me a chance to do a deep down cleaning on the rabbitry.  Not that it is bad but its good to do once in a while and the time is perfect when the rabbits are not around to get spooked.  Their cages will be sanitized, bugs and spiders will be removed and windows will be cleaned.  I am getting tired just thinking of all the work but I feel really good about providing my rabbits with the clean and healthy home, as much as it is possible.

So here are the tips and tricks if you are going to buy indoor cages:

1. Listen to "that still small voice" and make improvements in your life as needed.  What we do today will be what makes our history good or bad and what we do today will shape our tomorrow.  Mistakes are only bad choices that we do not learn from and repeat.  Otherwise they are not mistakes but lessons.  Let the Lord guide your steps.

2. PROTECT YOUR RABBITS feet when cleaning the tray by putting a screen, cardboard or something to keep their feet and nails from going below the cage floor.  When  you pull the tray out, their little feet and nails (especially the kits) can get snagged.  One upset rabbit will upset them all. 
3. PROTECT YOUR HANDS by using a pair of gloves when working with the wire and sheet metal.     It can be very sharp.
4. Own a pair of the "J" clip pliers and test them before you "need" them.  My pliers were not opening completely and I was very frustrated until I figured that out.  A little man power to open them a little more and now they work fine.
5. Purchase a bag of the J-clips from Farm and Fleet or other source just in case the ones that cage with the cages are too tough to work with.
6. Use zip ties on the urine guards.  This will allow for easy cleaning and removal of the guards if need be.  Its always nice to be able to take something apart for those tough to reach places.
7. Order you cages well in advance.  I did not realize it could take as much as a month to get these cages.  They special make each order.
8. Use everyday items to help you assemble cages.  I used clothes pins to hold parts together so I could use both hands for the pliers and clips.  I only had two pins come apart on me so that is good.  I love when things around the house fill new needs and purposes.
9. Do research on different ways to clean your cages before they need to be cleaned.  Do you want to line your cages with shredded paper or paper towels for easy clean up?  Know these things before rabbits move into their new cages.

 Well that is all I have for tip and tricks for putting your new cages together.  Hoppin you enjoyed the read.  Please leave a comment so I know you where here or any questions if you have any.  Thanks for hoppin by!

New Rabbit is here! And her new name is... CALLIE

UPDATE:  I wanted to let you know that CALLIE is officially a WWR resident with her new name.  She is settling in well.  I have been able to feel her abdomen and seems she has something moving around in there.  She is due to have babies on Sunday so lets all pray she has kits in there and not just gas!
It is very hot here today so I will be tending to my rabbits often.  I provide them with cool water, a bowl that is frozen to drink from as it melts, a frozen bottle (like a 48 oz juice bottle) for them to lay next to, a fan and sometimes a cool ceramic tile to lay on.  All of these things help provide the adult rabbits (and their 7 kits) with a way to cool a little. 

If it gets much hotter or the humidity climbs I will also fill a large cooler with ice and water, submerge rags and small towels in the water, ring out and set one on each rabbit.  They actually like this.  Missy and Beauty will keep it on till I remove it.  Buck not so much.  He would rather get my attention so by stomping in his cage so I will hopefully, give him some attention.  The last time I had to do this, Beauty's kits were still in the nest box and even they appreciated the coolness of the rag.

Next posting I will have tips and tricks for putting together my new indoor cages.  I purchased them for those really hot days, especially if there will not be anyone around to do the cool-down pampering as mentioned above.  Instead they will be relocated to my basement in new cages to wait out the heat wave.  Hop on by later in the week for tips and tricks!






On facebook I have a contest to pick a name for my new rabbit.  She is a California and New Zealand mix.
 She has a little grey on the ears, nose, feet and tail.  It is very light because she is a mix.  She also has pink eyes.  Her babies will be mostly white with a chance for pink eyes and a variety of light grey markings.  (sounds like the cute show (CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS) heehee
Here is a picture.

Visit my facebook post here to enter your choice of names and be a big part of the future for this little bundle of fur.  She will be part of our family for a long time as a breeding doe.  Her babies will go to other breeders and live long and happy lives.  She is due in two weeks and I will keep you posted more on that as the day arrives.
Until then, visit my post and give her a name!  Winner will receive this card in the mail....

Lucky little rabbit gets to stay in our basement for a few days.  Just to make sure she is healthy before she goes in with the rest of the rabbits.  So far, she has a clear bill of health!   Thanks for hoppin by WWR and have a super fun-furry day!

Update of babies: Beauty 17 days, Missy 8 days

Beauty's babies are jumping in and out of the box.  I will leave the box in there until we have a little warmer nights and the babies spend more day time out of the box.  They need a place to go to for warmth and feedings.  Here are some hoppin around bunnies.

Beauty and babies, day 17

They were excited for the grass and a few had their first nibbles

Beautiful markings on many of the black kits

He sat and posed for this picture

Missy's babies
Most of the time, rabbits use body language to communicate to other rabbits (and to me) what they want.  Buck (our male breeder) thumps in his cage when he is wanting attention.  Beauty is pretty passive and laid back.  But Missy is a talker.  Anytime I do anything that gets her fur ruffled she lets me know.  Little tiny whining like noises.  Its hard to describe.  The does have made this noise during breeding too so not sure if it has many purposes.  

This is Buck.  He watches me close and if I spend too much time with anyone else, he lets me know with a few solid thumps in his cage.  He wants me to pet him anytime of the day, all day if he had his way.

Requests for Missy and her babies so I took them out of the nest box for a photo shoot.

She did not like them being out.  She "told me" this was a bad idea, whining to me me on and off.

Then she surprised me and let them crawl under her to nurse.

Here you can see one latched on and feeding.  I never thought I would see this.  Even more amazing I have a photo to share with you.

So bunnies eating grass, jumping in and out of box.  Missy feeding babies off schedule just for me (and you) to see.  I would have to say, this was a great photo day!  Thanks for hoppin buy and dont forget to include any questions you might have pertaining to ANYTHING BUNNY!  I have learned a lot and if you can come up with a question that I do not know the answer too, well then I will do the research and learn from your question.  Thanks and see you again at WWR real soon.