Update on the Kits

When the kits hit 2 1/2 weeks I tipped the nest box on it's side so they can now run around in the cage.

Here they are enjoying their big pen. :)

Now that they are out and hopping, they are eating pellets, hay, and devour the green food I give them.  It's pretty cute when I put the dish of food in in the mornings and the bunnies come running.  One of them doesn't waste any time, he hops square into the middle of the dish and everyone else has to eat around him. :) SO CUTE.

The Bunnies are Famous! :)

Once a month we sell at a Farmer's Market outside of a little home decor shop in Dassel called "The Little Red Hen."  It is always a lot of fun and we always do really well there, so I thought of a brilliant plan...
 what could be better marketing than to bring a few absoluuuuuutely adorable bunnies along?  So Thursday morning I packed up three bunnies in a basket, made a flyer and got some business cards together.  Oh my, were they ever a hit!  It was hilarious watching all the reactions.... everyone LOVED them!  The owner of the store took one all through her store showing everyone, and then walked one down the street to the Main Street Cafe and showed it off there.  =]  Someone else asked if they could take one a few minutes away to their Dad/husbands work and ask him.  So they were all over town! :)  It was a great way to advertise, and I handed out lots of business cards. :)  One lady said it all .... "who could resist that???"  Here are some pictures of the famous bunnies. :)

(They love to hop around on my lap in between people) :)

Comic Enjoying His "Greens" :)

I try to feed the bunnies lots of nutritious green food (ie plantain, dandelion leaves) and they all just love them.  With Bella, feeding a litter of five, I am especially sure to pick her a big "salad" every day.  Here are some pictures of Comic eating his greens. :)

3 Weeks Old!

Sorry it has been so long since I posted!  Busy, busy, busy!!!  Anyways, the kits are three weeks old today (!) and growing like... flowers! :)  Here are some pictures of them that I took just yesterday. :)  They are so fun to take pictures of.

Aren't they just..... ADORABLE!?!?!!?  They are growing so fast!

Bunnies! :)

The babies are doing SO terrific!  For the first time the other day I pulled back the fur and looked at them and said "you're rabbits!"  They actually look like rabbits now and they are SO adorable!  These are pictures from just this morning! :)  I only took a few..... =] 

All five

They curious one. :)

So tiny!

Isn't he/she cute??!?!?!?!

The wonderful, amazing, beautiful mother!

Bella

Their eyes are opening/open now, they are so sweet! :)

Growing Fast!

The bunnies are growing fast!  They are really starting to look like Dwarf Hotots now, they actually look white now and their black bands are very obvious. :)  These are pictures of them just this morning.

OK, I know I've said this before but THEY ARE SO CUTE!!!   I just absolutely LOVE them! :)  I've been "captured by bandits" as someone put it. :)  And they are going FAST!  Already I have one sold "for sure" and possibly up to 3 more and then I might keep a doe... so, well, there goes the whole litter! :)  

I am increasing Bella's feed now, boy does she scarf it down!  I would too if I were feeding 5 hungry babies!  An interesting fact about bunnies.... they only feed their babies once a day!?!?  So I've actually never seen her nursing them (!)  but it seems she is because... well, for one, all the kits are still alive :) , but when I go out in the mornings then nest seems to be re-arranged, but I haven't caught her in it yet!  With everything green and growing, I have been feeding the bunnies plantain leaves.  They all love it and I'm sure they are really good for them!  This one book I'm reading talks a lot about feeding them a lot of green food, since that is what is natural for rabbits, so I've been trying to do that more. 
So, that's the latest update around "Emily's Hoppin' Hotots!" *grin*  =]

Baby Bunny

Today I held one of the bunnys for the first time....

They are so sweet!  And doing marvelous. :)  They are starting to get a hazy little white fur on them... hard to see... it almost looks like they are growing fuzzy white mold or something! :-)  They aren't, though, of course. :)
Today we had our first "Friday on the Farm", the farmer's market we have at our house throughout the summer.  (See http://housmanfarms.blogspot.com/ for more about that!) I had several people out to see the bunnies, and of course everyone loved them. :-)

The Babies :)

The babies are doing great!  They are all as lively and happy as anything. :)

Yahooo!!!!! Bunnies!!!!!!!!! :)

The anxiously awaited day has FINALLY come!!!  Sometime in the middle of the night last night Bella gave birth to the most adorable babies on earth!!!!  When I went out to do chores this morning I, of course, went to check on Bella first.  I was feeling rather discouraged as I walked up to the door of the room in the barn she is in, as I was thinking about how there wouldn't be any bunnies... that's how it was every morning, I was all excited and hoping there was bunnies and there was... no bunnies... no bunnies... no bunnies.  By now it seemed impossible that she would ever have babies, and I was wondering if she was even bred!  I opened the door.  There was Bella, sitting on the other side of the nest box, as usual, like every morning.  I could see her big velvety ears peeping up on the other side.  I sighed and peeked, as usual into the nest box and ..... there was a furry little NEST!!!! BUNNIES!!!!!  It was SO SURPRISING!!!  I did not suspect it AT ALL!!!  There was a neat little pile of fur in the nest box.... the nest!

WOW!!!  I was speechless!!! :-)  I stared at the fur... there wasn't a kit in sight... but then it moved!  There was babies underneath/in it!!!!!  I went screeching out of the barn and screamed to Dad that Bella had her babies!  I was crying and laughing and not really sure WHAT to do!!!  It was so wonderful!  I FINALLY got a litter, after what seemed like years!!!  :-)  (I think I am actually just impatient!)  :-)  So I called my bunny friend who I've gotten all my bunnies from.  I call her whenever I have questions, she is so wonderful!  She said it was fine to go ahead and peep in there.  So I pulled back some fur and this is what I saw!

I was so excited!!!  There was FIVE!!!!  And, as far as I know, I got real lucky and there is no peanuts or sports or anything!!!  They are all gorgeous!!! Black eye bands and all!!! I am SO THRILLED!!!  My first litter!!!!  They are SO CUTE!!!! 

And I forgot to mention.... my Dad feels very honored because they were born on his birthday!!! lol  :-)

So, I will have adorable bunnies for sale in about 8 weeks!!!! 

YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

The wonderful mother checking on her babies. :)