The rabbit-raising problem solver : your questions answered about housing, feeding, behavior, health care, breeding, and kindling

329 Pages·2014·10.59 MB·English

by  Patry

the Rabbit-Raising pRoblem solveR

eR abbit
h
T
Raising
Problem Solver
Your Questions Answered about
Housing, Feeding, Behavior,
Health Care, Breeding, and Kindling
Karen Patry
Illustrations by Elara Tanguy
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Storey Publishing
The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.
Edited by Lisa H. Hiley and Deborah Burns
Art direction and book design by Jessica Armstrong
Text production by Greta D. Sibley
Cover photo by © Joel Sartore/National Geographic Creative
Illustrations by © Elara Tanguy
Indexed by Christine R. Lindemer, Boston Road Communications
© 2014 by Karen Patry
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written per-
mission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or
reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of
this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or
by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other — with-
out written permission from the publisher.
The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowl-
edge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author
or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection
with the use of this information.
Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for
customized editions. For further information, please call 1-800-793-9396.
Storey Publishing
210 MASS MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
Printed in the United States by Versa Press
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Patry, Karen.
The rabbit-raising problem solver / by Karen Patry.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-61212-142-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-61212-466-7 (ebook) 1. Rabbits. I. Title.
SF453.P375 2014
636.932'2—dc23
2013044824
Storey Publishing is committed to making environmentally responsible
manufacturing decisions. This book was printed on paper made from
sustainably harvested fiber.
There are a lot of dedicated rabbit breeders and
owners out there: in an average month, over
18,500 people ask questions and find answers on
Raising-Rabbits.com. Thank you for that!
This book is the direct result of my sincere desire
to answer all your questions, and I think
I’ve covered the vast majority of them.
acknowledgments
Writing a book is hard work. A high-quality book produced solely through
the efforts of the author is a book that will be stuck in the editing process for
about 25 years! Since I’d prefer to see this book in print within my lifetime, I
am indebted to the following people:
Shiny Ann owns Shiny Satins Rabbitry. I don’t remember when I discovered
her website, http://shinysatins.weebly.com, but I love the scientific nature of
it. She extensively researches various issues before presenting her findings
online. She knows her stuff. When I feared I would not meet writing deadlines,
Shiny did a lot of the tedious work of tracking down the rabbit science for me,
especially regarding diseases.
Pamela Alley, RVT, also knows her stuff and then some, having worked
alongside veterinarians for years. She is the director of the Rabbit Industry
Council, and a moderator on the Showbunnylist and Meatrabbits YahooGroups.
This experienced and respected rabbit breeder, known by millions simply as
PA, liberally shares her expertise in all things rabbits, from pets to meat ani-
mals to show stock, and from the mundane to the highly unusual. So when we
needed someone to read through the manuscript to make sure everything was
accurate, who do you think I recommended? Heck, yes — PA!
Katie Patry, my daughter, happily dropped everything more than once to
help model my rabbits or take reference photos for the illustrations.
To Shiny, Pamela, Katie, and my very gifted editor at Storey, Lisa Hiley:
Thank you very, very much! Your help was invaluable and most appreciated.
Contents
Preface 1
All About rabbits: From Wild to Domestic
PaRt 1
ChAPTer 1 The Nature of the Beast
Run, Rabbit, Run 5
Eat, Rabbit, Eat 8
Family and Social Life 11
Basic Bunny Biology 16
ChAPTer 2 The Rabbit as a Pet
Rabbit Care 101 21
What Kind of Rabbit? 27
Shopping for a Pet Rabbit 34
Bringing Your Bunny Home 39
Thinking Inside the (Litter) Box 47
The Playful Rabbit 50
ChAPTer 3 The Business of Raising Rabbits
Looking at Meat Breeds 55
Looking at Fiber Breeds 60
Let’s Talk Genetics 65
Managing a Rabbitry 68
basic Care of rabbits: housing and Feeding
PaRt 2
ChAPTer 4 Housing Rabbits: Inside or Out?
Hutch, Sweet Hutch 80
Climate Control 89
Bedding and Litter Options 94
Cleaning and Disinfecting Hutches 97
ChAPTer 5 Feeding Rabbits
Digestive Tract Discussed 104
It’s Not All Lettuce and Carrots 106
Hay: Not Just for Horses 113
Picky, Picky 115
Fats, Minerals, and Other Supplements 117
Water, Water, All the Time 124
What Rabbits Shouldn’t Eat 125
making more rabbits: breeding and Kindling
PaRt 3
ChAPTer 6 The Mechanics of Mating
Is the Time Right? 131
Introducing the Happy Couple 134
Spotting a Successful Mating 138
Trouble in Paradise 141
Back-to-Back (to Back) Litters 145
ChAPTer 7 The Pregnant Rabbit
Is My Rabbit Pregnant? 151
Care and Feeding of the Pregnant Doe 157
My Doe Is Growling at Me! 159
Preparing for the Big Day 161
Day 28: Time for the Nest Box 163
ChAPTer 8 Kindling and Newborn Kit Care
What’s Normal? 170
Leave Mother Nature Alone 172
Pregnancy Problems and Kindling Glitches 176
Runts and Peanuts 182
Checking the Nest Box 185
ChAPTer 9 Managing the Nursery
Not Peter Rabbit’s Mother 190
Is She Feeding Them Enough? 193
Nest Box Escapees and Dead Kits 199
Orphan Kits and Foster Does 200
Stages of Kit Development 208
Weaning the Kits 212
In Sickness and in health: Illness and Injury
PaRt 4
Respiratory Diseases 221
Enteric Complexes (Intestinal Illnesses) 240
Parasites 259
Ailments and Injuries 271
Less Common Health Issues 297
Resources 302
Index 307
Preface
So you just got yourself a rabbit (or five!), and suddenly
have tons of questions: Will lettuce kill my bunny? Can I
keep two rabbits in one cage so they can play together? How
can I cure my rabbit’s stuffy nose? As a longtime breeder
of Rex rabbits and the owner and webmaster of Raising-
Rabbits.com, I think I’ve heard, and personally answered,
nearly every question about rabbits there could be.
This book contains answers for most important is to understand
owners and raisers of all types the needs of the animals and to
of rabbits. Meat or fiber rabbits establish a system of rabbit care
need the same basic care as fam- that best suits your particular
ily pets, because a rabbit is a rab- rabbitry or personal schedule.
bit no matter what its purpose. If the care you give your rabbits
There are many ways to results in healthy, happy ani-
carry out your rabbit husband- mals, then all is well.
ry chores, and none of them are Back in the day, when unpre-
necessarily more correct than paredness might have been
another — just different. What is equated with airheadedness or