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