An Update on the Babies

The two little guys (or gals:)) are doing better today.  The eyes are all cleared up on one of  them, the other one's eyes are still a little runny, though.  I'm still working on their diarrhea, also.  I have them in the house again so I can keep an eye on them, it's just too hard having them all the way out at the barn, so this is working better.  Thanks to Lindsey from 4 Kings Rabbitry for her help, she suggested feeding half oats and half pellets, so I started that today and they love the oats and that should help.

Happy New Year!

This will be my first time having bunnies on a new year, so I'm excited to plan and make goals for 2012!

I am still working on plans and everything, but here are a few things I would like to work on and do this year...

* I would like to have more of my bunnies be from MY lines.   Currently I have 6 adults, only 1 is a home grown, Mickey.  My main goal is to get some keeper does out of my older does to replace their moms.  And maybe keep another buck, we'll see.

*I'd like to grow my herd more. I'm hoping for 8 to 10 does, but we'll see how that goes!  That way I don't have to breed them really hard if I have more. 

*I would love to help at least one person start their own rabbitry with Dwarf Hotots.  Right now I'm helping a friend of mine start one, and it has been really fun.  :)

*I would love to go to a show this year... I have not yet been to a show!  I think that would be really neat, and I would like to get into that.


I think the most important things this year for me, though, are increasing my herd, AND having more bunnies from my lines.  I am so excited to see what 2012 brings!!!  I'll be doing lots of planning and making lots of goals.

Happy New Year from Emily's Hoppin' Hotots!!!

My one home grown, Mickey.

Nursing the Babies

I got to play bunny nurse yesterday.  A couple of Bella's babies got a little sick.  I think that what happened is they got diarrhea when they started eating food and then their bottoms got all messy and plugged up and then they were constipated and .... yuck.  So, I ended up taking them in and giving them each a bath yesterday. I was really nervous because I read once that a bunny started going into shock after getting a bath... I don't know if that really happens or not, but I was nervous just the same.  So I only put the part that needed to be washed into some warm water and washed them up with plastic gloves on.  ;)  It was not the funnest (I know that's not a word) job ever, but they seemed very happy to get all that yuck stuff off, so I was happy too.  =)  I wrapped them up in a towel and dried them off and then put them in the entryway in a pet carrier with a little heater, which they loved.  I brought them back last night, though, because I didn't want them to miss out on Bella feeding them.  The only thing I'm watching now is their eyes seem a little runny.  I don't know what's up.... the other one seems fine.  But I think they are going to be OK with a little TLC.  :)  Hopefully they will be back to normal in a week or so, I'll keep you updated. :)  If anyone has some tips on anything I should be watching for/or giving them, let me know! :)



   

MORE baby pictures ;)

The 8 babies are growing incredibly fast!  They are all doing well and I will hopefully be figuring out whether they are boys or girls AND who the keepers will be, SOON!  Meanwhile, here's some MORE pictures....  =)

My favorite...

Another one of Bella's....

Two of  Bella's babies enjoying breakfast in the nest box......

One of Haylie's WIGGLY babies...

I know, not a very good picture, but you can really see the black eye bands against the white, which I think is so cute.....

One of Bella's peekin' out at me....

I am HOPING (finger's crossed!) to breed ALL the girls this next week or two.  We will see how that goes as Dolly and Chip and NOT interested, I haven't tried with Haylie or Bella yet.  Chip definitely seems interested in Comic.....

But when I actually try to breed her she changes her mind quickly!  Guess she doesn't like MY choice of husband, UNLESS there's wire in between them.... *sigh*.

So, hopefully things will get rolling pretty soon.  I'm excited for the babies to grow up and see how they turn out!

And if anyone has any tips for me on having willing does to breed in the winter they would be much appreciated!  Chocolate Chip is in great condition and age and EVERYTHING to be bred, she just doesn't seem to want to go into heat.  Thanks! :)

Lovin' on the Babies ;-)

Bella's three kits are to that age now where I am trying to handle them a lot.  It has been a little hard having babies in the winter because I don't take them out of the nest box until they are a week old, and then for just a second so they won't get cold.  So I'm not really handling them that much until they are 2 or 3 weeks old.  Whereas in the summer I am holding and handling them all the time from Day 1 on!  :)  But now that Bella's babies are furry, hefty lil' things I am working on handling them a LOT!  (Which of course is also a lot of fun.)  I put a number (1, 2, and 3) in each of their ears so I can tell them apart.  "Number 1" :) is probably the most tame right now as I think he's the cutest so he probably gets a little extra attention.... ;)  (I know, I shouldn't have favorites)  This morning I was hand feeding them and petting them, they are so adorable.  I will take some pictures to post, it's way too cute.  :)  It is amazing how much just holding them every day affects a rabbit.  That one thing really determines whether or not they will be a cuddly bunny.
I usually tip over the nest box for my babies at 2 1/2 weeks.  I did that with them last week, but they poor things just weren't ready.  They just sat in the box shivering.  So that didn't last very long!  I tipped it back up and re-made their nest, and had happy buns again.  :)  But since they should start eating and drinking now, I put a food and water crock in there for them.  So now they are eating and drinking.  And this morning when I was doing chores one of them was looking very interested in jumping out.  So far they hadn't tried to get out at all!  Finally he climbed up and was about half way over, balancing back and forth on his belly, but he changed his mind and tumbled back in... :)  It was really cute.  But I'll have to keep an eye on them, now that they are getting to that stage.  I probably will try tipping the box over again pretty soon.  Anyways....Haylie's babies look more gorgeous every day!  I'm so happy with Haylie.  (Have I said that before???)  I took some pictures of them last night but they were in a very wiggly mood, so I'll have to try again later.  :) 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all!  Have a great day celebrating Jesus's birth! 

"For GOD so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on HIM shall not perish, but have everlasting life."  John 3:16

Keeping Busy :)

Yesterday I cleaned the rabbitry.  It was in need of a good thorough cleaning and just some maintenance stuff.  I scrubbed all the cages except the 2 momma's cages because I didn't want to disturb them and their babies.  But the rest of the cages I scrubbed 'til they sparkled!  Then I put new duck-tape on around the sharp edges of the doors to replace the old stuff that was peeling off.  And then I put new boards up in the back of their pens.  I keep little boards in the back edge of their pens because the cage sits on the stand there and the droppings will pile up a little so that helps prevent that from happening.  :)  It took me at least a good hour or two but it was so fun to see everything look soooooooo clean and sparkly in there!  And the buns are super happy.  ;)

So, here's a couple videos of Bella's litter and Haylie's litter....


Haylie's litter wiggling around in their warm nest....

Bella's babies doing anything but hold still for pictures.  I think one of them is camera shy.  :)  And they seem to enjoy sitting on top of eachother! =/

They're just learning to walk around but are still a little tipsy.  :)

Cute, cute, CUTE babies!!!

 Oh-my-goodness, I had WAY too much fun taking Christmas photos of Bella's babies!  They are absolutely WAY TOO CUTE!!!  =) 
Enjoy...  :)

(I love this one.....)

And Haylie's babies are doing amazing.  I am sooooo happy with Haylie, she is an excellent mom and all five of her babies are plump, happy and warm.  :)  They are an extremely lively little bunch, they just squeak and bounce all over in there when I pull back the fur to peek at them.  And then when I put the fur back it bounces up and down...  :)  Pretty funny.  :) 

I am absolutely LOVING having babies around again... it's soooooo fun.  :)

Bella's Babies

Bella's babies are doing terrific.  In a few days to a week I will tip over the nest box and they will have the run of the cage.  I'm getting a little nervous about them at this stage.... they are getting a little naughty and like to crawl out of the nest and if they jump out (which they like to do at this stage), I don't think it would be very nice to find a cold baby on the wire in the morning....   =(   So I'm keeping a close eye on them and hopefully they will behave. 
Anyways, here's a photo of one of the fat, furry lil' things.  :)

Bella has done a great job with them.  I've noticed she's been a little protective, which of course is a good thing.  But the other night I was showing them to Dad, and she gave me a nice little reminder with a little nip on my finger!  NOT the normal, sweet and gentle Bella, but I think she was reminding me, "these are MY babies, not YOURS!"  :)  Anyways, she's a great momma, and apprently thinks she's better than me.  :)  Which might be true, of course.  :)

GO HAYLIE!

WOW!  I ended up waiting a little over a half hour before going back out last night.  It was torture :) waiting, but I figured she'd better be left alone.  So, after a very long half hour I headed back out.  Haylie was obviously done... she was sitting in the front of the box licking herself clean.  :)  Finally, she jumped out with a bounce and I was totally shocked!  FIVE absolutely GORGEOUS, pink little babies were squirming around in a furry nest!!!!  WOW!  I was SO thrilled!!!!!

Haylie having her babies.... 

Licking off after delivery....

SURPRISE!!!  Five gorgeous babies.....

Haylie pulled lots of fur for a nice warm nest....

They are all black banded and it doesn't look like there is any peanuts.  I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled!!!!  =)  They are doing awesome and hopefully will do fine despite the cold weather!  And Haylie has been an absolutely amazing mom, I'm super happy with her!  So, I now have 14 bunnies in the rabbitry, including my 8 babies.....  yeaaaaaay!!!!!  =)

The wait is almost over!!!!!

Wow!  While I was writing that Haylie was probably having babies!  I just went out to do chores and there's fur all over and she's in the box!  I am just going to leave her for now and go out in a half hour or so.  I hope all goes well....

Holding out 'til the end.... :(

Why do my bunnies always do this to me???  It seems like they always hold out until the very end.  This 28-32 day waiting period takes an eternity!  :(  I guess Haylie is going to wait until day 32.... of course.  Oh well, that's tomorrow anyways.  :) 

The weather has taken a turn and it's pretty chilly out, I hope everything will be ok having new babies in the cold.  Hopefully that nest box warmer will do the trick! 

The long awaited day is just about here.  Haylie is due tomorrow!  I am SO excited for these babies and really hope everything goes well.  Tonight I swapped out hers and Bella's nest box... I was planning on giving Haylie the nest box warmer/heater but realized I had a problem... it was stuck in Bella's box... duhhh.  =/  So... Dad and I carefully moved Bella's nest in one piece and put it in a different nest box and then gave Haylie Bella's box with the heater in it and stuffed it full of clean hay.  So.... I'm hoping Bella won't mind or notice the new box and the babies will be fine without the heat.  While I moved them I tucked them in my warm coat so they wouldn't get cold.  I couldn't resist taking a couple pictures too.... of course.  :)
(Sorry these are so blurry... they just wouldn't stop moving!  :(  )

The are getting so big and can squiggle around now!  And their eyes are opening.  :)  Very sweet... :)  It is SO wonderful having babies around again.  And I can't WAIT for more!!! 

Sooooooo sweet

Isn't that the cutest baby EVER???  I took that picture this morning.  :)  He's cuddled up in my hand.... that's how TINY it is!  =0  They are so sweet and doing amazing.

One Week Old and Doing Great!

The babies are over a week old now and they are doing amazing!  I have been thrilled at how well they are getting along.  On Friday morning when I peeked in the nest, for the first time they actually looked GOOD to me.  They seemed pretty little and not very hardy-looking before, but they actually were looking like healthy little babies, and I was sooooo happy to see that.  :)  And tonight when I checked them, they actually looked like RABBITS for the first time!  LOL!  I'm sure all you who raise bunnies know what I mean.  I love this stage.... in about a week or so they will be the cutest ever.  :)  Can't wait.  Hope everything keeps going so well.
So, for some pictures... these are from Saturday when they were officially one week old.  They aren't the best pictures... I whisked the babies out of the nest, snapped some photos, and stuck them back in before they got too cold, so these are kind of lame.  But they'll have to do.  Enjoy!  :)

And Haylie should hopefully be kindling in a few days.  I hope everything is OK with her.... I'm a bit worried about her pregnancy.  We'll see how it goes.  I gave her a nest box yesterday, I still need to get the heater in it. .....all though those babies will be roasting if this warm weather keeps up... wow!  It feels like Spring is coming, not Christmas!  No snow and it's been about 40 degrees all day.  That's balmy for a MN winter!  ... sorta.  ;)

Haylie

Rabbit Happenings

It's been busy, or shall I say "hopping!" around here lately.  Dolly is NOT gonna get bred if she can help it (although I'll keep watching to see if she goes into heat), but I'm trying now with Chip since she is a desired weight now.  She seems interested in Comic but wouldn't actually be bred, but we'll see what happens... she's a first-timer, so I'm a little nervous about having a first time mom kindling in January, but I have the heating pad and will hope for the best.  :)  And besides, they all have to have a first time anyways!  =)

Mickey is the cutest thing... when I did chores last night he kept sticking his head out for me to pet so I scratched his head and he just loved it.  :)  It was like petting a cat... you know, how they push up on your hand.  :)  It's sooooo cute. 
This morning when I walked into the rabbitry I was greeted by a very mischievous-looking Mickey sitting on the FLOOR.  I freaked out!  Either I forgot to latch his pen door or he unlatched it himself =/ and wiggled it open and jumped the 2 or 3 foot down to the cement floor.  Yikes.  When I walked up to him he just sat there so I was sure he broke something..... but thankfully not.  Whew!  I was very careful to latch his pen very securely this morning! 
I am excited to use him in my breeding program... he has such awesome type, I'm super excited to see his babies.

If Haylie is still pregnant she should be kindling around next Thursday/Friday or as early as Tuesday.  I'm not sure if I should order another heating pad or if Bella's will have enough fur to be fine on their own by then.  They are growing fur now and are pretty much all white, although their eyes are still shut.  They're such little darlings!  :)

100!

While I was doing some updating on my blog here I happened to glance down and notice that yesterday was my 100th blog post!  :)  This is 101 I guess.  ;)

The babies are hangin' in there.  I don't think they're out of the woods by any means but I'm hoping for the best. 

They're getting their fuzzy white fur.... and see those black eye bands?  :)

Another Wonderful Email..... :)

Don't you love it when you hear from people who have bought your bunnies?  I do!  I got an email today from someone who got a bunny from me and it made my day.  :)  So sweet.  :)

"Hello,

We bought a bunny (Carly) from you about a month and a half ago. (we live south of Dassel, my son and I came to get the bunny) We just wanted to let you know what a wonderful bunny she has been! She likes to run around the house, sit on the couch and watch TV, and she loves to be held. She is by far the best, friendliest rabbit we have ever had! She is doing fairly well with litter box training. We attached some pictures of her sitting on the couch and sleeping in her bowl. Just wanted to let you know how things are going!

Thanks again,

Dan, Cyndy, and Dakota"

Christmas Pictures

Christmas is definitely one of my favorite times of the year!!!  I had fun the other day taking Christmas photos of the bunnies.....
(and yes, I know I took way too many, but it was just too much fun! .... that's a good excuse, right???)   :)

COMIC

DOLLY

All the rest are Mickey.....

Isn't Mickey absolutely gorgeous?  I can't WAIT to breed with him!  He is such an awesome little Dwarf Hotot buck... just like is Daddy! 

The babies are doing well.  It was ZERO degrees out this morning.  YIKES!  I was so worried about the babies but the were OK.  Although they don't seem as wiggly or active or something today..... I'm probably just worrying too much, though.  :)

Dolly is awfully hard to convince that is Spring!  Good grief.  :(  She is a stubborn little lady!  :)  I love her anyways though.... I guess.   :)  Here's her and Comic in their new cozy quarters.

Comic enjoying breakfast....

Dolly won't be fooled by a heater.   :(

Miss Stubborn enjoying breakfast.  :)

Their new set-up.  :)


So... we'll see what happens!  :)