Just so everyone knows, I did not pick the name Bumper because it sounded like Thumper.  I picked the name before I even met him, and I didn’t know he’d be gray like Thumper.   I wanted a frisky bunny, one that was always jumping and playing and bumping into things.   I think that was the idea behind “bumper.”

Originally, I didn’t want a rabbit.  I didn’t want anything to do with a rabbit. I had asked for a horse, and a rabbit is not a horse.   Fall of 2001, my Mommy decided that a rabbit was both more economical and practical, and told me to “think rabbit” all winter because we would get one in the spring.

I told her to go away.

At Christmas that year, I got one “early” present:  “Your Rabbit,” a book by Nancy Searle.   All I remember was disappointment.  My mom claims I asked her, “what am I supposed to do with this?”   (Of course, a few months later the book was well worn and highlighted.  Almost six years later I had the opportunity to meet Nancy in person, and she bought a couple of my rabbit books.  That was cool!)

Then came Christmas with the extended family.  There are nine cousins, and we used to do a gift exchange, so the parents didn’t have to buy presents for all nine.   One aunt in particular was known for giving a large batch of presents to whichever cousin her son drew in the exchange.   Everybody liked to get gifts from Aunt Sally.  That year,  Aunt Sally had me.  And I got… a boatload of rabbit stuff.   What a letdown.  She gave me these bags of rabbit food.  They smelled like alfalfa — and to me, that was awful.  They stank up the car on the way home.  They sat in the basement and stank all winter.  I couldn’t believe how bad they smelled.

So spring comes, and a rabbit starts to sound a little more interesting.   We visited a few local shows.  I wanted a Mini Lop, but my brother wanted a Mini Rex.  I’m glad we went his way.

In mid-March 2002 we visited the home of a well-established Mini Rex breeder here in Michigan.  We came to the house, and she sent her daughter out on her bicycle to the barn, which apparently was some distance away through the woods.   Eventually the girl reappeared, with a rabbit carrier swinging from her bike handle, and a bunny in it.   We were a little concerned at this mode of transit, for the rabbit’s sake, but we needn’t have worried.  That rabbit was FEARLESS.  We took it home.

But it wasn’t Bumper.   That one, a castor Mini Rex, became my brother’s rabbit.  To find me one, we went to the home of a girl who was aging out of 4-H and selling her Mini Rex.  She was really nice and helpful, and showed us around her barn and helped us with some rabbit care tips.  She pointed out several bunnies for sale, but one caught my fancy.  According to her, he was an adult but still young, had pretty good show type, and was more playful than most of them.  My Bumpey.

He never did much in the breed classes, but was my showmanship bun for a time.  He retired early though, and was my little buddy.   Occasionally I would take him to a 4H meeting, but that seemed to make him nervous.  He would snuggle up to me and lick my hands and face.  He didn’t do that at home so much, just while we were in “scary public places.”

I didn’t get into breeding (purebred) Mini Rex, so never used him (*cough* much) as a herdsire.  But I sure loved him.  I’ve often wondered, if I could have only one rabbit, of any I’ve ever owned, which one would it be?  Only one other bunny, Baxter, ever came close to Bump.  I think I’d take them both.

Looking over some of my own writings recently, I came across this note from April 4, 2006.  Pardon the spelling:

Bumper disapeared on April 1st, 2006. I’m not sure he’s dead, but it’s likley I’ll not see him again. I don’t know how it happened. I was letting him run around the yard the day before like I always do, and I distinctly remember putting him back in his cage that day. I remeber because it had been raining and he was muddy. The next day his cage door was open, his feed uneaten, and he was gone.

There was no possible way he could have gotten out of the barn, I checked the inside and the outside: there were no holes. But wherever he is, I think I’ve lost my Bummy.

He never showed up again.

Bumper would be 11 years old today, as old as I was when we met.   Happy birthday, little guy!  I love you still!

I hope it makes you smile, too.

Hey everyone!  If you haven’t seen it yet I’d like to invite you to check out Lazy Livin’ Farms: a small rabbitry with high-caliber Holland Lops for sale in Florida.   Located on the western part of the state in Citrus County, Lazy Livin’ Farms is owned by Wanda and her husband.   He raises Australian Lowline Angus, but her first love, critter-wise, is the Holland Lop breed.

Click the screenshot below to enter the site!

It was a pleasure to help Wanda with her website!  Here are a few of her animals:

Beau, her herd buck.   Beau took BOSB at a recent show.

Black Tort Male Holland Lop from Florida Breeder

This is Digit.  Isn’t that such a cute name?

Last but not least, a pile of baby Berkshire piglets!!!

Click to Visit Lazy Livin’ Farm

Rabbit shows are judged differently from horse or dog shows.  Instead of taking only 1-3 animals to a show and entering the ring with them one at a time,  the rabbits are placed on a table in front of the judge.  Placements are made based on the rabbit’s physical appearance, not their performance. In order to be successful in showing, you usually have to be a breeder as well as a showman, always producing the next generation of juniors.   You improve your performance on the show table by selecting breeding pairs that will produce offspring with proper body type, color, fur, and condition.  The American Rabbit Breeders Association publishes a book that tells what you should look for in each breed, called the Standard of Perfection.  Of course, it’s always a learning experience and can take a while to understand what the desired traits look like.

Which breed should I choose?

The most common breeds these days are the small ones, because they take less space, less feed, and are the cutest!  I am partial to Polish, but other common breeds include Netherland Dwarfs, Holland Lops, and Mini Rex.  I love Mini Rex as well.  Raising a popular breed has its pros and cons.  You get plenty of competition, which is good when you are winning, but can be frustrating when you are starting out.  A good way to go is to pick a competitive breed, such as Mini Rex, but a less common variety, such as tortoise or chocolate.  Some breeds show all the colors together, such as Holland Lops.  This results in enormous classes, where you’re happy to place in the top 5 of 20.  Some breeds — like Mini Rex, Polish, and Netherland Dwarfs — separate the colors on the show table.

Larger breeds can make excellent show rabbits, as well as provide a meat source for your family.   Medium-small breeds such as Mini Lops and Dutch

Where can I buy show rabbits?

You should definitely go to an experienced show breeder rather than a pet store.  Your  first rabbits don’t have to be from champion bloodlines, but they should be pedigreed.  A rabbit from a pet store will probably not come with a pedigree.  Even if it does, it’s in the pet store for a reason — breeders usually only send rabbits to the pet store that are of little value on the show table or the breeding pen.

How much do pedigreed show rabbits cost?

When buying pedigreed bunnies, you often “get what you pay for.”  In other words, the more you spend, the better chance you’ll have of winning faster — but that’s not always the case.  Unfortunately there are some highly overpriced rabbits out there for sale.   They might have champion parents, but a pedigree doesn’t mean very much if the rabbit doesn’t have desirable characteristics itself.  In other words, buy bunnies — not pedigrees.

At a rabbit show you will find bunnies for sale, usually between $20 and $75 each.  Top quality rabbits of the most popular breeds, such as Netherland Dwarfs, Mini Rex and Hollands, can sell for as much as $200 and up.  Is a rabbit ever worth that much?  That’s a topic that breeders often debate, and I will probably blog about sometime. I do not recommend spending that much initially.  You should be able to get a nice quality starter herd for $150 to $200, maybe even less.  Often breeders will give you a discount if you buy more than one from them.  In fact, there are several good reasons to buy your stock from the same person.  When you buy rabbits from the same line, there’s less chance that you will get unexpected results in the litters due to the hidden genes from mating two totally unrelated rabbits.  It’s definitely a good idea to buy a trio from the same established breeder.

How many should I start with?

I think a good number to start with is a trio — two does and a buck — or two pair.  That way you can show the buck(s) and put the does into breeding.  Or, if you start with a pair of seniors and a pair of juniors, you can breed the senior doe and show the juniors, to see see how things go.

Always start small and grow as you learn.   Many breeders, I could probably safely say most breeders, go through a period where they sell off most of their stock and restart their herds, because they have by that time learned what to look for in show rabbits, and know that their herd isn’t what it should be.  It’s much easier to start over if you only have 10 rabbits than if you have 30 or 50!  If after a year or so you decide that breeding rabbits isn’t what you want to do, you don’t have so many to care for or try to sell.

Part 2 will cover what to look for when purchasing your starter stock.

The Michigan Rabbit Breeders Connection brings free exposure to rabbit and cavy breeders, clubs, and businesses in the Great Lakes state.  If you are looking for a rabbit for sale in Michigan, this is the place to go.  Listings are categorized by breed name to make it easy to find the kind of bunny you want.  Although the MRBC can’t guarantee that your experience with these breeders will be positive, its operator Briana strives to maintain quality and integrity in the rabbitries that are listed.  In her words, “Only listings for rabbitries that are trying to better their breeds will be posted!”

Besides, isn’t the site wrapped in such an attractive layout and color scheme?    I’m definitely offering Briana a round of applause for this effort.

Submitting your link to a breeder’s directory, such as the MRBC or the Nature Trail, is a very effective way to bring it more exposure.  I spend quite a bit of time looking at rabbit website stats and can tell you that directories are often the biggest sources of incoming traffic for rabbitry websites.

In closing, thanks to Grace of Happy Farm Bunnies for the sweet picture below:

Have any to add?

At Home Pets tells us how she breeds for health in her rabbitry.

The Kelfla Project shows us how they stay organized with a animal management application.

Fisher Farms Rabbitry shows us their set up for taking sassy pictures of their adorable buns.

Hendricks Hearth tackles a very important topic in The Hay Post.

Rabbit Smarties introduces us to the breed; Silver.

October Grace Rabbitry shares with us some of their dreams for their barn.

Custom Business Card Designs for Animal Owners

There’s more below the page break…

If I may state a humble opinion, I think that the most under-appreciated breed in the United States is the Silver.  Nope, not the Silver Marten.  Not the Silver Fox.   The Silver.

I got my first Silvers in 2004.  Since then, I have met many rabbit exhibitors who are not aware that this breed exists.   I’ve seen them missing on lists of breed on different websites.   Sometimes, if I mention that I raise silvers,  people take it to mean Silver Foxes or Silver Martens.  Those are both cool breeds, but I’m talking about something entirely different.  It weighs about five pounds.  It comes in three colors, each interspersed with glittering white hairs.  It’s built like a rock; feels like no other rabbit I’ve touched.  Its fur is short and sleek and snappy.  It’s a Silver.  Would you like to see one?

A Rare Breed In Danger

Despite the fact that the Silver has been known as a breed since the sixteenth century, in America today this unique rabbit is in danger of extinction.  The Silver is recognized as threatened by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.   This means that there are currently fewer than 100 annual registrations in the United States and estimated global population is less than 1,000. [Source: ALBC]

I’ve served as the National Silver Rabbit Club’s webmaster for over six years.  Seeing this club from the inside, I’m even more concerned about the future of this breed.  The Silver, yes absolutely, has a following of die-hard breeders.  The problem is, most of these breeders are in their 60′s and 70′s.  I don’t see much of a younger generation raising this breed.  The heritage breed enthusiasts in this country are eagerly promoting rare rabbits such as the American and the Blanc de Hotot, but the Silver seems to slide under many people’s notice.

Silver-Fox-Marten: Is there a difference?

So what are the differences between the three breeds with “Silver” in their name?  Let’s start by setting aside the Silver Marten:

The Silver Marten is easily told apart from the others  by its color.  While the other Silver and Silver Fox are a solid color ticked all over with white hairs, the Marten is a solid top color (without ticking)  with a white (silver) belly, chest, underside of tail, insides of legs, feet, chin, nostrils, eye circles, inside of ears, and a silver triangle at the nape of the neck.  It has a little silver ticking around the markings, but none over the back.    A truly beautiful marking pattern, it is identical to that of the tan breed, except that the markings are white instead of red.  Unlike the other two silvered breeds, the Marten color is not caused by the silvering gene, but by the tan pattern gene and the chinchilla gene.  The Silver Marten  has a different weight and fur then the other breeds.  (The Silver Marten color is also recognized in breeds such as the Netherland Dwarf and the Jersey Wooly.)

Now let’s compare the Silver and the Silver Fox.

1. Color:  The Silver Fox and Silver have about the same amount of silvering, with the Fox generally having a little more.  The Standard specifies an ideal amount of silvering for the Fox, where the Silver just needs calls for the ticking to be even, with no ideal heaviness given.

The base color of the Silver may be black, brown (chestnut), and fawn.  Blues are also recognized in the United Kingdom.   The Silver Fox is currently only showable in black; blues and chocolates are in development.

2. Type.  the Silver and Silver Fox have very different body types.  The Silver is smaller (4-7 pounds) and is a medium-length rabbit.  It is not a compact rabbit, and is posed just sitting in a natural position, without being pushed together like must compact or commercial type breeds.   The length of body and bone would make it difficult to push up a silver.  The Silver still looks like the depictions of show rabbits from the 1800′s!  It is the only breed in this country that has retained that type.

On the other hand, the Silver Fox has a meaty commercial type.  It is larger at 9-12 pounds.

3. Fur.  A huge difference between the two breeds is the fur.  The silver fur is one of the shortest, close-lying, snappiest coats that exists.   The fur “flies back” to its normal position when stroked against the grain, faster even than on a New Zealand.  On the other side of the spectrum, the Silver Fox is the only breed with a “standing” coat, that when it is stroked towards the head, it should remain as upright, as perpendicular to the body as possible, only returning to original position when flattened by a hand.

4. Temperament.  Silvers are active, athletic rabbits.  They need room to move around, and like to play.  They may not be the best for a child, but are not aggressive.  Silver Fox breeders tell me that their Foxes, however, are very low-key, just-sit-there kind of rabbits.  The breed is called the “teddy bear of the rabbit world.”

5. History.  Sometimes I have had people ask me if the silver, since they have never heard of it before, is an unrecognized breed, or a new breed.  Actually, according to Bob Whitman’s Domestic Rabbits and Their Histories, the Silver was one of the very first domestic breeds, introduced to England before 1600!  The book mentions Sir Walter Raleigh as their possible importer.  This rabbit first appeared in the United States with the hares during the “Belgian Hare Boom” of 1900.  When the forerunner of the ARBA, the National Pet Stock Association, was founded in 1910, the Silver was one of the originally accepted breeds.

The Silver Fox, while still older than many breeds, is a new breed by comparison to the silver.  Developed here in America, it was accepted as a recognized breed in 1929. It’s believed that the first Foxes were crosses of American Blues and Champagne D’Argents (which were developed from silvers).

Each One Special

All the silvered breeds are different, all are unique.  All can be fun to raise.  But the slogan of the National Silver Fox Rabbit Club could be used for each breed (with a date change):

“ONE OF A KIND since 1929!”

Notes:

The Silver breed as we know it is recognized in only one other country, the UK.  However there are about 15-20 different breeds with silvering around the world.

The Silver Fox breed is not known outside of the US.  However, the breed/color known as “silver fox” by British standards is the same color as our “silver marten.”

There are actually 4 breeds showing the silvering gene that are recognized by the ARBA: the Silver, the Silver Fox, the Champagne d’Argent, and the Creme d’Argent.

Links to breed specialty club websites:

Silver:  www.silverrabbitclub.com
Silver Fox: http://www.nsfrc.com/
Silver Marten: http://www.silvermarten.com
Champagne d’Argent: none
Creme d’Argent: http://www.cremedargent.org/

It's just fine to handle newborn rabbits. Photo by Grace of Happy Farm Bunnies

Will the Mom Kill Baby Holland Lops – or any breed -  if you Touch Them?

It’s a myth that even some wild animals reject their young when people touch them, let alone your rabbit who is very used to human smells, and associates it with food and petting.

It IS important to touch your baby rabbits.  Very important.  There are several reasons.  You need to make sure there are not any dead ones that can contaminate the nest.  You need to see if they are being fed.  You need to make sure none have gone missing.  I’ve had kits crawl out of the box and out of the cage and I found them, still alive, in the drop pan beneath the cage, or somewhere else on the barn floor.   Also, you need to check their bottoms.  Newborns cannot go potty without help.  Usually the doe licks their genitals to stimulate them, but still they can get a blockage.  If caught early, you can clear it away easily.  If it’s not cleared it can lead to a nasty buildup and even infection.

Also, handling your kits from the time they are very little gets them used to human interaction.  This will make them more friendly as adults and better companions.

Will my rabbit eat her babies?

Probably not.  It only happens occasionally, and then usually only right when she first gives birth.  It usually happens when the doe doesn’t think her kits will survive.  For instance, once I had a doe with an infection.  When she kindled she killed her litter because she realized her body wasn’t going to be able to take care of them, and didn’t want them to starve.  Likewise, it can happen when the doe isn’t getting enough good food to eat, or when there are predators around that she thinks might get the kits.  That said – it doesn’t happen very often.  The best thing you can do is just keep her environment clean and low-stress, and make sure she has plenty to eat.

How do you prevent babies freezing on the wire?

Why would the babies leave a warm nest?  Kits leave the nest because they are hungry.  They sleep most of the day except when their mom wakes them up to feed them.  If something else happens to wake them up, they will crawl out and try to find mom.  For instance, if I put my hand in the nestbox, I wake them up and they try to nurse from my hand.  I have to stay and watch to make sure they don’t crawl out of the box until they go back to sleep.

Sometimes if a doe is done nursing, the kits cling to her nipples and she pulls them out of the nesting box.  Rabbit mom’s aren’t like cats and won’t pick up babies with their teeth to put them back.  Really they don’t do much for their kits besides build a nest, feed them, and lick their bottoms.

Because it’s such a common problem for babies to crawl out, it’s important to have a box with a high front.  Ideally, the hole in the box should be in the top, not in the side.  Some people make boxes with a lip on the opening to keep kits in.  But none of those things are always effective.  I have resorted to taking the box out of the cage and covering it with a wire top to keep the babies inside.  Then I return the box to the doe once a day for feeding.  This continues until the kits are about 12 days old and have plenty of fur, then I put it back in with the doe full time.

This is actually a common practice.  Many breeders do it, either to keep the kits in the box or to bring the box in a heated area like the house for the night.  Holland Lop moms don’t visit the box more than once or maybe twice a day anyway, so they don’t miss it.  By nature they stay away from the nest most of the day, because in the wild, their presence would alert predators to the location of the nest.

How often should you clean the rabbit nesting box?

You should check the nestbox to see if it’s wet every 2-3 days at least — every day is fine, too — but don’t clean it unless it is wet. I usually clean the box only once, right at 9-11 days when the kits are starting to open their eyes and need a clean dry environment to prevent infection. If it’s wet, definitely clean the box and replace the bedding, saving as much of the pulled fur as you can. Make sure to put absorbent pine shavings in the bottom of the box, to soak up some of the moisture. Check it every few days till the kits are coming out and about.

Wishing you success!

A lovely blue Silver Marten Mini Rex - Now Fully Recognized. Photo by the Fuzzy Patch

Happy February!  That means  that this year’s updates to the ARBA Show Rules and Standard of Perfection are now in effect. (As of Feb. 1).  If you’re planning to compete in 4-H rabbit showmanship, royalty, breed identification, quiz bowls and so forth this year, you will want to know this stuff.

As you may be aware, five new varieties of rabbits and cavies were recognized by the ARBA at the convention last fall, and as of this month can now be shown in regular competition.  If you’ve purchased the Youth Rabbit Project Study Guide in the past year, you will want to make note of this in the appropriate places.   The most notable change is in the Rhinelander breed, which now recognizes blue/fawn spotted bunnies as well as black/orange.  The original black/orange color, which to this point was known as “standard,”  is now called “black.  The new variety is called “blue.”  Here’s a quick chart:

2012 New ARBA-Recognized Varieties of Rabbits and Cavies

Blue Tortoiseshell Netherland Dwarf Rabbit. Photo by the Fuzzy Patch

You’ll also want to download the ARBA show rules and read them.  As you may have heard, there have been some recent changes that are listed on the ARBA announcements page.  As this stuff is “news,” it will likely be in royalty exams this year.  The most recent change now allows Legs of Grand Championship for Reserve in Show, Best 4-class, and Best 6-class wins when they are awarded.   All shows are required to pick BIS.  All shows are NOT required to pick Reserve in Show, Best 4-class, or Best 6-class.  However, when shows choose to offer these awards, the ARBA now allows it a leg.

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out the corrections to the first printing of the 2011-2015 ARBA Standard of Perfection.

Details, Details!

Rabbit 4-H Showmanship Guide, Breed ID and Judging Contest Tips and More

If you haven’t seen the Youth Rabbit Project Study Guide yet, I welcome you to take a peek at the sample pages below!  This book is based on my experiences as a 4-H’er and ARBA Royalty participant. When I was in 4-H it took me a very long time to learn how to successfully raise rabbits and compete in contests such as showmanship, breed identification, and team judging.  When I did get to successfully competing on the national level, it just came naturally to produce materials to guide other kids there.

For more information, check out the Study Guide’s Own Page. Here are a few sample pages for you to look at:

Click for larger image

Click for larger image -- Showmanship Guide

Click for larger image -- Meat Pens

Click for larger image -- body types

Additional Book Features in the New Edition

• Guide to choosing your course in the project
• Judging contest tips from an ARBA judge
• Expanded Breed ID Guide
• Additional leader’s tips
• Polish Breed Judging Handout
• Rabbit Royalty Practice Questions
• Updated to reflect 2012 Standard of Perfection
• Still reproducible within your 4-H club.

Affordable Custom Business Card Design

Dog Kennel Used as Sample

(Non-official) Logo – The Hoppin’ Circle.