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The Nature Trail Rabbit Info Newsletter

August 2012

Hoppy August, everybunny!  Thigns are going well behind the scenes here at the Nature Trail.  Thanks to the help of Toni from Toni's Coneys, we've been able to make some improvements to the site, including adding more articles to the Rabbit Care page.   If you get a few minutes, I invite you to check out "A list of rabbits,"  "Cleaning and Disinfecting," and the other new articles.

Cody, the energetic Castor pictured left, is just one of the sweet  Mini Rex schedulted to appear on the Funny Bunny Photo Blog in the next few weeks.  Look for a new post every Monday and Thursday.




Is it safe to feed rabbits corn?

One thing I've noticed about some rabbit breeders:  they sure aren't willing to feed their bunnies corn.  High sugar, empty carb, risk of mycotoxins, indigestible hulls... cracked corn seems to fall into the same "avoid this" category as something like high fructose corn syrup in people food.  (Hmm - maybe there's a connection.)

But is corn really a bad thing?  Is finding corn in your rabbit feed really reason to switch brands?  According to the ARBA Guidebook for Raising Better Rabbits and Cavies, in the old days of rabbit keeping prior to the advent of commercial pellets, corn and oats were primary supplements in the normal hay-based diet for domestic rabbits.

Actually, when handled correctly, corn can be a safe and economic source of necessary energy in rabbit food.  Visit this website to learn more about the right way to use corn in rabbit feed.  Type "corn" into the search box at the right to find the article.  I found it definitely noteworthy!


EXCITEMENT IN THE AIR:
ARBA CONVENTION APPROACHES


Although the ARBA convention isn't till October, now is the time that breeders are sorting through their juniors, deciding who to keep, who to show, and who to sell.  Now is the time that buyers are racing to get first pick of the sale rabbits, willing to put a deposit down months ahead of time.  We rest high expectations on these purchases, hoping to get our hands on some special genetics that will push our herds from good to great.  Click here for an article on Rabbit Smarties that discusses how to make those genes work the way you wanted them to.  The secret: a multi-generational plan.

Custom Pedigree Design

Since we started offering custom pedigree design on the Nature Trail, it's been by far the best-selling graphic design service.  If you need to produce your own pedigrees but don't want to spend the money to buy Evans, we can get you a custom-designed pedigree template for a quarter of what rabbitry software costs.  Click here to learn more!

You can see a sample of a recent logo we've done at the left.
newsletter logo small

Featured Article: How to Prepare Rabbits for Show

By Ellyn of Rabbit Smarties

Conditioning rabbits for show means a lot more than just giving them special foods.  Housing, sanitation, selection, genetics, primary diet, and handling each have just as much to do with a rabbit's success on the show table as extra food supplements, maybe more.  So let's cover some of those basics first:

A fresh, good quality pellet and clean water are really the most important things you can give bunnies.  Many breeders have success on the show table feeding just pellets and water.  

No supplements can beat a clean cage and the sanitary, well-ventilated environment that produces general health.  Proper ventilation is essential to keeping healthy bunnies.  A buildup of ammonia in the air will result in a suppressed immune system, making your rabbits vulnerable to snuffles and other illnesses.  In the warm months, rabbits rely on moisture evaporating off their noses to keep cool, and good air flow helps this process.  Empty trays often.  Use a product like Sweet PDZ to keep the smell down.

Temperature and daylight also play a role in conditioning rabbits.  A colder environment is better for fur condition than a warmer one.  Although does produce best if they have 16+ hours of daylight in a day, show rabbits have better color quality if they receiving only about 8 hours of daylight.   Light fades self colors such as black, blue, and chocolate most easily.  One time I heard a judge talk about how his daughter got perfect chocolate color by keeping her rabbits in a closet.  Of course then you have ventilation issues...  

Cage size matters.  Rabbits should have enough room to exercise for good flesh condition.  Be careful not to overcrowd juniors; they grow into best condition if given individual cages  by eight weeks. 

Do conditioners help at all?

Without the basic requirements of diet and environment, adding supplements to the rabbit's feed won't do much good.  However, a lot of breeders add a little something extra in an attempt to get the best condition.  There are lots of different "recipes" out there, but oatmeal, black oil sunflower seeds (the kind you feed birds), barley, and wheat germ are common ingredients.  You can also buy commercial conditioners called "Showbloom" or "Doc's Rabbit Enhancer" that work well for some people.  A feed rep once told me that one of the reasons Showbloom is effective is that it encourages rabbits to drink more, and lots of water keeps them in good condition.   So you can sometimes get the same effect by putting a tiny sprinkling of salt or a tiny bit of molasses on the feed.

But in every case, conditioners should be used with moderation, never fed in a quantity that would keep the rabbit from getting balanced nutrition through the pellets.  Also, the younger your rabbits are the more dangerous it is to feed them high-energy conditioners.  Young rabbits of course need lots of energy to grow, but it also has to be balanced with lots of fiber.  Fiber is essential to keep a rabbit's digestive tract running smoothly.  Timothy hay is also a very good thing to feed bunnies because of its fiber content.   This article at the National Jersey Wooly Club highlights the importance of fiber in a growing bunny's diet.

Also, feeding high-energy conditioners puts your rabbit at risk of getting overweight, which isn't healthy for the bunny or good for its show condition.  You should always be able to feel the bumps of the vertebrae when you run a hand down the rabbit's spine.  You should be able to feel individual bumps, but they should be smooth and rounded.  That indicates a healthy body weight.  If you can't feel the individual vertebrae, the rabbit is probably too fat.

Fur growth is connected to the rabbit's metabolism.  So if you need to get an adult rabbit to molt, feed a high-energy supplements such as calf manna.   You can continue the supplements to bring it quickly into fur condition.  Then once it is in condition, you want to cut out the supplements so it will hold that coat.  If your rabbit seems to be "always molting," you are probably feeding too much energy.

Forget Not the Details!

There are a few other important things.  One is keeping the cage clean.  This is not only important for health purposes, but also to keep white rabbits from staining fur and feet.  Use solid dividers between cages so rabbits cannot chew and spray each other.  If you have stackers, make sure the drop pans fit properly so rabbits on the bottom cannot be stained by those above them.  The tattoo is also important.  Tattoo WELL ahead of the show, in case you get ink on the fur.  Keep tattoos in good shape.  All your conditioning efforts will be completely wasted if your rabbit gets DQ'ed for an illegible tattoo.

Handle your potential show bunnies.  Train them to pose.  A rabbit should be accustomed to sitting for the judge, so that it will pose as soon as a judge touches it.  Some people also keep a talk radio running on low in the rabbitry to get the rabbits used to some background noise, so they won't be as frightened at a show.  As you can see, feeding conditioners is a relatively small part of turning bunnies into winners!

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© Copyright 2012 Rabbit Smarties Publishers. PO Box 247, Manton, Mi 49651 and 5229 Edwards, Lake City, Mi 49651.  You received this email because you signed up for our newsletter at www.thenaturetrail.com.   This email may contain affiliate links.