okay so ya mini lops ROCK! lol this is gonna be my new series type thing ill hopefully be getting another rabbit soon. but ya soo good breeders vidit the website below shes also my 4h leader her r…
Rabbit breeding is a great hobby for adults, too, and I encourage you to explore this wonderful topic as much as you can. Most people outside of the rabbit breeding community have never seen a rabbitry. Such ecological farms are designed to produce larger number of processes on rabbit breeding, they are more economically efficient, have more universal character and allow the living space for animals to be enlarged. Like the puppy breeding industry, the pet rabbit breeding industry is rife with cruelty.
Rabbit types to choose
There are a number of things to consider when you choose rabbits for breeding, any of which can make the difference between successful breeding and frustration. Unless you have artificial lighting in your rabbitry, breeding will decrease during the winter months when there is less natural light. They will also provide you with a breed standard list so you can work on you rabbit breeding to produce show quality buns. Many pet store staff know nothing about rabbit care or health, don’t know how to sex rabbits or tell when they are sick or even how to feed them properly. There’s a very small market for mixed breed rabbits.
Breeding Rabbits
Breeding bunnies is a great joy in my life. There are a number of things to consider when you choose rabbits for breeding, any of which can make the difference between successful breeding and frustration. High temperatures can temporarily make the buck sterile, and in cold temperatures, the rabbits may use their energy to keep warm and have less energy for breeding. I invite those who have a great interest in breeding rabbits, the time, and the commitment to follow through with it to join me in this wonderful hobby.
Rabbits on heat
Rabbits don’t go into heat like most animals, the mating action will cause the doe (female) to produce eggs thus fertilizing her utrine horn (womb). Please note that different sizes of rabbits mature at different times, smaller breeds like mine shouldnt be breed under 6 months, larger breeds like the giant later on at 8-9 months. I have raised and shown rabbits for 12 years. The rabbits are WELL taken care of, and are housed in large dog-run sized pens.
Conclusion
Rabbit breeding isn’t as complicated as one would think. Successful rabbit breeding depends on the availability of the stock to produce good animals and on the breeder’s selection of the best animals for breeding. The rabbit breeding industry contributes to the problem by breeding rabbits indiscriminately for sale in pet stores and other venues, providing little to no education with their sales, and, ironically, disputing the fact that a problem with overpopulation or homeless rabbits even exists.
My day at the show in Tolleson, Arizona. Chatting with friends and pictures of my day.
The first short film that i have done. its a funny instructional video that was a school project.
There are a number of wild rabbit species in the United States and some are faring far worse than others. One of the most endangered is the Pygmy rabbit. Once upon a time an abundance of these tiny creatures (on average they weigh under a pound) lived in the Great Basin of the United States, but now they have all but disappeared.
Unique and Intelligent but Running out of Food.
The Pygmy rabbit has a couple of traits that set them apart from other wild rabbits in America such as the cottontail or the jack rabbit other than being the smallest. They are the only species who dig and live in burrows and they have been observed to be very vocal, giving out what seem to be alarm calls to one another.
90% of the Pygmy rabbit’s diet consists of sagebrush leaves and they use the bushes as cover from predators. The destruction of large tracts of sagebrush is what most animal conservationists blame for the Pygmy rabbits decline.
Trying to Restore a Wild Species in Captivity
The Oregon Zoo has for the past several years been the home of a program that is trying to breed Pygmy rabbits in captivity, in the hop that they can eventually be returned to the wild. They have had some successes and a number of pygmy rabbits have been returned to the wild in Central Washington. The programs funding may be cut at the end of the year however, and some zoo personnel fear that should that happen there are still far from enough pygmy rabbits back out among the remaining sagebrushes for their species to survive,
In the late 1970s one Bonnie Seeley, a rabbit breeder from New Jersey, set about trying to breed a long haired wooly rabbit that was easier to groom than other long haired breeds. The result was the Jersey Wooly, a small rabbit, usually between 3 and 4 pounds that has an abundance of fur and a surprisingly docile temperament. In 1988 the first Jersey Woolies were accepted by ABRA as a recognized show breed and have gone on to be one of the more popular bunny breeds seen at shows all over the country.
Grooming and Care of the Wooly Coat – Although they are easier to care for than other long haired breeds – an abundance of guard hairs, which do not tangle, being the reason – the average Jersey Wooly still needs a good brushing at least three or four times a week to keep their coat matt free and silky. The wool of the Jersey Wooly can be collected and used much as that of an angora rabbit is, the Jersey Wooly is after all the result of crossing a Netherland Dwarf and a French Angora. Babies under 6 months often require more grooming as they still have a more cotton like coat.
A Coat of Many Colors – The Jersey Wooly can be found in a wide range of colors and coat patterns and the majority of them are accepted by ABRA for show. The average Jersey wooly will live 5-7 years but 7-10 and beyond if spayed or neutered at an early age. The Jersey Wooly has become a popular choice with pet owners as it is usually as friendly as it is small.
Enderby Island is the northern most island of the group known as the Auckland Islands, which lie about 150 miles away from New Zealand. They were first discovered in 1806 and quickly became a popular destination for whalers and seal hunters. A number of shipwrecks occurred, and in response a number of pigs, cattle and rabbits were introduced to the island to provide a source of food for these lost sailors until they could be rescued.
The Rabbits of Enderby
Rabbits were introduced to the island in 1836 by the crew of the H.M.S Victoria. There is no official records of what breed these rabbits were, some believe either British Silver Greys or French Argente de Champagne but no one knows for sure.
The rabbits thrived on Enderby Island in isolation for almost 130 years. The most commonly seen Enderby rabbit is silverish grey and black in color, but others sre cream and beige, perhaps the result of a recessive gene. The average weight of an adult Enderby Rabit is about four and a half pounds.
Saving and Reviving a Breed
In the 1980’s, the government of New Zealand decided that all of the Auckland Isles, including Enderby, should be returned to their “natural” state, which would involve the destruction of all the mammals who had been introduced to the islands by the Victorians.
A group of conservationists were allowed to remove up to 50 of the rabbits before the cull began. They only managed to catch 49 in the short time they were allowed to try to trap and save the rabbits, but they did bring all of them back to the mainland and set up a very successful breeding program.
Two years ago, the Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand decided that the stock was now large enough that Enderby Rabbits could now be offered for sale to private individuals, and a number have now been exported to the US, where enthusiastic breeders are trying to establish them as a mainstream breed.
The New England Cottontail used to be a common sight throughout the North Eastern United States. They used to thrive amongst dense hedgerows. They are the only rabbit known to native to Maine. But deforestation and urban sprawl has caused a drop in population believed to be as high as 75%.
Danger, Danger Everywhere.
The New England Cottontail, like most wild animals, is great prey for bigger species, such as owls, foxes and hawks. They also face danger from another rabbit species, the Eastern cottontail, a bigger, faster breed introduced from Europe to America in the 1920’s by private hunting clubs to increase the available game population. These rabbits bully their smaller cousins out of their homes, taking over the few suitable habitats that remain.
A Plan to save the Cottontails?
In attempt to prevent the New England Cottontail following species like the Columbia Basin Pygmy rabbit into total extinction, the York Landtrust in Maine has declared 2009 the “Year of the Cottontail”. A plot of land known as Highland Farms, actually an abandoned and over grown golf course, has proved to be one of the last places in Maine where the New England Cottontail continues to breed and thrive. It has also become the new home of several other threatened species, including the American Woodcock and the black racer snake. The trust is trying to preserve these unique conditions and duplicate them in other areas. They also plan to begin constructing artificial burrows and adding more of the scrubby brush and hedgerows that the New England Cottontails need to thrive.
The Amami is hardly a recognizable rabbit breed. Even many expert rabbit fanciers do not know it exists. Sadly they may never get the chance to learn about these unusual Japanese rabbits, as they are almost extinct, with less than 5,000 remaining. However, scientists in Osaka are trying to make sure that the Amami survives, with the help of cloning.
Struggling to Survive in a Changing World.
The Amami can only be found on two isolated Japanese islands, and have lived happily in dense wooded areas surviving on bamboo shots, berries and other local vegetation. They are sometimes called “living fossils” as they are the last remaining descendants of ancient wild rabbits that once roamed the whole of the Asian continent. They weigh an average of 5 to 6 pounds, and are usually a dark grey in color. Their dwindling numbers have come about mainly as a result of human interference in their lives. Up until the 1920’s they were hunted for both meat and medical purposes, then heavy logging in the
Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima Islands where they live all but destroyed their habitat. The fact that a healthy Amami doe only usually produces two small litters per year meant that natural restocking could not keep up with decimation being caused by the modern world and its’ people.
Using Science to Save a Species.
The Osaka geneticists, from the noted Kiki University, took cells from the ear of a dead Amami rabbit, and introduced them to an unfertilized egg from a lab rabbit. They did manage to create a viable embryo that was successfully re implanted. Although the scientists have yet to publically release the results of this first pregnancy, they do intend to continue their work until they are successful. The same team did successfully clone and restore a species of wild rat, so they believe that saving the ancient Amami is a real possibility.
The largest of the British rabbit breeds is called, aptly enough, the British Giant. The breed is characterized by its large body, flat on top, and its long erect ears and big, bright eyes. They do not have especially long fur, usually less than an inch in depth, and can be found in many colors, from bright white and opal to chocolate brown and black.
Although their fur is fairly short, this breed still requires regular and careful grooming and brushing, as their coats tend to mat easily. Eye color will vary from rabbit to rabbit, the white British Giant rabbit however is well known for its piercing pink eyes. Read more…