The Offspring

So the babies are pretty much at their most adorable stage right now. Fluffy, hoppy, spazzy, nibbly, and adorable. For the most part, people in my life have been very accepting of the fact that I am raising these beasties for meat. I was very nervous about telling my next-door neighbor, for instance, because she had emphatically declared herself to be "such an animal lover" when I spoke to her a couple of weeks ago.

Fortunately (or unfortunately...), the kids told her for me. In their not-so-tactful, abrupt, darling, childlike way. (Gentry, my neighbor, rushing out of her house squealing about the baby bunnies I'm holding)...

Gentry: "Ooooohhhh baby bunnies!!! THEY'RE SO CUUUUTE!! Are you going to keep them?"

Me, hesitantly: "Yeesssss..."

Gentry: "*gasp* Oh my gosh look at that one, it's so adorable! Can I hold one?? So you're going to keep all of them?"

Neighbor Kid (who has already got over the shock of being informed by MY kids that we eat rabbits) breaks in gleefully: "She's going to EAT them!"

As it turns out, Gentry used to have pigs and actually ate them. So she was very understanding. "Well, you've got to eat", she said. And also, "It's just the same as cows, really." I was very relieved, and sort of wanted to hug her round the neck for that.

The next-door-neighbor girl's best friend (around 11 years old, give or take), on the other hand...was not so keen.

(Horrified pre-teen girl glares at me while speaking in an outraged and exaggerated baby-voice): "WHAT?? WHY would you EAT cute fwuffy widdaw bunnies?!? That's MEAN and horrible and cruel!!"

Me: "Why do you eat a chicken?"

Her, tossing her head scornfully: "WELL I don't raise those, I don't care about them!"

...And in one sentence, I think she summed up nicely one of the main problems with the food industry...

I did make sure to emphasize (kindly, but firmly!), that I am not cruel. I am very particular about the way my rabbits are raised, and you can be sure that they have the absolute best life, and also the best death, that I can possibly give them.

But, since they are only three weeks old, we won't think about their eventual fate right now. Here are some adorable pictures to take your mind off it!

Cordelia's litter:

Nib

(As in, Cacao Nib! 99% sure this one is a Buck)

 

Treacle

Last I checked, she looked female, but that could change, lol.

 

Pudding

Completely unsure of this one's sex. Also, I keep getting it mixed up with its sibling:

 

Trifle! Or is it Pudding?

It's so hard to tell.

Dollop!

Or Dolly. She looks just like her mama.

 

Sugar Plump.

Pretty sure this one is male. Ezekiel says "Sugar Plump" every time I say "Sugar Plum", so Plump it is. LOL

 

My big boy Blackstrap!

The only way to tell the difference between him and Treacle is size. He's a big fatty. Treacle is more dainty. Well, and I think they're different sexes. Maybe.

Finally, this is Yorkshire Curd Tart.

Or just Curd. Not sure on sex.

 

 

Winifred's litter:

 

My sweet girl, Seven of Nine.

She's so pretty!

 

Cobbler

I originally thought he was a girl, but...now I'm thinking...maybe not.

 

Luigi!

I couldn't help it...he has such a perfect moustache.

 

And here's Mario.

:P

 

Mister Lardycake.

Still pretty cute for a white rabbit!

 

And here's Fritter. She didn't much care for being picked up.

The females seem to be much less chilled out than the males.

I love her markings, though. Even if she's a spaz!

 

Last but not least...

Turbinado.

He's actually Cordelia's runt, but I moved him over to Winifred so that he'd have a chance at getting more milk with less effort. ;) He's still super tiny compared to everybody else, but he's still charging around acting normal, so I'm hopeful for him!

 

 

 

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BABIES!!!

At least 7...

 

sweet, fat, warm, wiggly...

 

 

perfect, nekkid, squirmy...

 

 

cute-ugly little bitty kits!!!

 

(they'll be cute-cute once they grow fur...promise)

 

So proud of my beautiful, clever, wonderful first time mama who did EVERYTHING right! ^_^

 

 

Nesting

Ms. Cordelia is prepping early! Hope this is a good sign. Either way, it's adorable.

True Confessions

It may come as a shock to some of you to hear this, but I'm not perfect. It's true! Really! I have my little flaws like the rest of you mortals.

For instance, up until today, I never used the strainer-thingys in my sink.

You know, these things:

*shudder*

 

 

The things that catch all the nasties and keep them from going down the drain. The goopy, gloppy, stringy, soggy, icky, yucky blucky nasties. I have a problem with these strainers. The problem is, I LIKE it when the nasties go down the drain. That way I don't have to look at them or touch them or associate with them or think about them ever again.

 

I also have a problem with wiping the crumbs and junk off of the table and counters carefully and neatly into my hand instead of flinging them hither and yon onto the floor where they wait to be swept up (I do sweep them! I DO!! You know...sometimes). I just hate the way they feel against my skin. Crumbs are okay, and wet stuff is okay, but when both combine in a weird half-firm, half-soggy pile and stick to my hand - I have to stop talking about it now.

 

Give me poopy diapers any day. Just please, no soggy crumbs or sink filters or hair in the shower!

 

This might be the reason why I'm so bad at housekeeping. That, and the fact that I'm just naturally the mistress of chaos.

But anyway. I previously shunned sink filters. But I also don't have a garbage disposal. So this has caused problems.

 

Problems in the form of a sink clog that almost ruined my life.

 

Not really. But kind of.

 

Actually it just required obscene amounts of drain-o. Which also repulses me.

 

So I've come to a decision. I'm going to use my sink filters. And be a grown-up.

 

The end.

Twoo Wuv

Breeding Notes 3/18/2015

AM

Broderick + Winifred = 3 fall-offs. 1st fall-off Winifred peed immediately afterward. Weird? Normal? She definitely lifted for the next 2, he made sure of that. When I put her back in her cage she ran to sit in the corner and made soft little grunting/whimpering noises. Weird? Normal? Should I feel bad? Wait, don't answer that.

Broderick + Cordelia = 2 fall-offs. Cordelia also mounted 2x. She was very excitable and didn't seem to object to his attentions at first. After 2 fall-offs, Broderick gave himself a thorough grooming, during which time Cordelia flattened herself onto the floor and held super still. Once he got done and started to go for it again (maybe 5 minute break total), she started growling and punching at him. She was hastily removed.


PM

Broderick + Cordelia = MAYBE one fall-off. She was really NOT keen to have another go and was removed speedily.

Broderick + Winifred = Again, doe was not so keen for another go-round. She mounted him for a while but I suspect it was purely to keep him off of her, not so much eagerness to breed. She got mean/grouchy after 1 fall-off and was removed to her own abode.

In other news, I'm getting better at handling rabbits in general. It sounds silly to say that I was afraid of them before, but...it did make me nervous, having to pick them up. They can be scratchy little buggers. If you're not nervous it is SO much easier!

For those who are not offended by blatant bunny porn, I took some video of Winifred and Broderick the second time. It makes me giggle.

Trauma Drama

Rabbits are Drama Queens. Bucks included. I clipped their nails today, and you'd think I was trying to chop off their legs with the way their panicked little eyes were bulging out of their heads. Sheesh. It went pretty well regardless, so I was well pleased! Only had one little bitty nick on Broderick's right hind nail...I would do a *test* pressure with the clippers before I actually cut the nail off, and it's a good thing too because just the test found the vein on one of his. >_< Turns out all of the nails on his hind feet were pretty well worn down already.

Which is good, because he wasn't keen on me touching him anymore at that point.

I've decided that upon the closer-than-usual inspection I was able to get of the girls today, Winifred is the better rabbit. I'll be bold and say that I THINK she will turn out to be the better breeder/mother/producer. She's bigger, calmer, and generally happier than her sister. BUT...she might be slightly fat. So there's that.

Cordelia appears to be narrower, and has always had the less agreeable temper. She is nervous and aggressive when it comes to her food or personal space. I noticed today that her hind end seems narrower than her sister's (but again, this could be the *ahem* fatty issue Winifred may or may not be having...obviously I'm making very uneducated guesses here), and her back feet are kind of narrow too and she has this weird thing where she tucks her bottom under and I have a heck of a time finding her back feet at all.

BY THE WAY MY CAT JUST TOOK A SHIT BEHIND ME AND THE STENCH SEEMS TO BE BURNING MY EYEBALLS OUT AND I MIGHT DIE SOON.

Not sure why I got a cat. I freaking hate having a box of poop inside my house. Yuckyuckyuckyuckyuck.

Moving on...

Tomorrow I get to breed the bunnies! Broderick has made it through 4 weeks of quarantine and has no problems that I can see. WOOHOO! EXCITEMENT OVER HERE! YEAH!!

That is all. I have to escape the cat-reek now and go make dinner (**gag**).

Broderick

Things are getting serious now, y'all. I've added an actual real live fluffy bunny BUCK to my rabbit operation. Which is now officially an "operation" because it can now officially operate (i.e. make baby bunnies).

Later this month he'll be introduced to his new girlfriends (YAYYY BABY BUNNIES!!!), but for the time being I'm keeping an eye on his health and attitude and whatnot, and just letting him get used to his new environment. Lately, when I go out to give him food and water, I'll put one hand on his face and one hand on his rump until he holds still (hands are not his favorite), and then I'll pet him and croon at him and tell him what a handsome wonderful bunny daddy he is. Then I'll take my hands off and give him his food, at which point he is very relieved.

THIS morning...when I opened his hutch he came over to me and stood up, and when I bent down to talk to him he put his fluffy whiskery nose up to mine and snuffled me before I even gave him anything. Then he bounced away and clicked his fluffy heels together in a totally adorable dancing-bunny-spasm.

I have not decided whether this was an expression of utmost joy that I had arrived and he really truly loves me; or if, upon touching me, he was overcome with repulsion and was trying to shake my person-juices off of himself.

Either way, it was freaking adorable.

Welcome to the rabbitry, Broderick! We are SO excited that you are here!