# Little bit of news



## WeeBarraxO (Nov 15, 2009)

Well I've been keeping this quiet, but I have been planning this since last year, as I know breeding rabbits has to be taken seriously, I have researched everything and I am prepared for all that might happen good or bad, I had both my buns checked by vets to make sure they are ok to breed, I have even been looking up on their genetics, 

Magic will be due her first litter in feb, I will be keeping at least 2 from this litter and I have homes ready for at least another 3, but she may only have 2 or 3, 

I am prepared for her rejecting the babies also, and if she doesn't take to motherhood I will have her and Smokey spayed and bond them

I will keep you updated on how we get on,


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

Hi weebarrax, I know this would be a lovely experience to have

however I feel that considering there are at least 20 beautiful Netherland Dwarf rabbits on the rabbit rehome website Rabbit Rehome - Adopt a unwanted bunny from a rescue centre wouldnt it be lovely if you and your friends could save a good quarter of these desperate rabbits.


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## Emma32 (Jun 21, 2009)

Oh good luck with it!
Keep us updated ^_^ Would love to hear progress =]


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

Good luck with the babies. I can't wait to see pictures if it works out


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## frags (Feb 5, 2009)

Oh i didnt think smokey was a nethie lol cant think why i thought he was a cross breed  

As long as you know at least 4 generations of each rabbit (regardless of health checks from vets) and that they are both free from any genetic problems (the 4 previous gens that is) and you realise how big a deal this is and what your letting yourself in for.

Belive me its no easy ride.

If after all this you are still considering it and need help then i can help a little. but can i ask why you are breeding her? are you bettering the breed for showing?


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## Gobaith (Jun 6, 2009)

Oh nice  Good luck with the babies...
Chloe x


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## frags (Feb 5, 2009)

I am going to urge you to change your mind as i remember you saying that magic came from a pet shop, please please dont mate them up hun you could be making a BIG mistake! How would you feel if you knew the future buns suffered badly from teeth problems or other genetic problems? Could you live with the fact you caused suffering and pain to a rabbit?


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## WeeBarraxO (Nov 15, 2009)

frags said:


> Oh i didnt think smokey was a nethie lol cant think why i thought he was a cross breed


Ahh because of his longer ears etc ? he is a false dwarf and Magic is a true dwarf so so this means I won't end up with peanuts, I'm hoping for mostly true dwarfs because they do better in show, but I will get some false dwarfs as well,



frags said:


> As long as you know at least 4 generations of each rabbit (regardless of health checks from vets) and that they are both free from any genetic problems (the 4 previous gens that is) and you realise how big a deal this is and what your letting yourself in for.


They have no genetics problems,



frags said:


> If after all this you are still considering it and need help then i can help a little. but can i ask why you are breeding her? are you bettering the breed for showing?


I'm hoping to get some showable black otters, - without to many light hairs through their coats, and since Magic is a black otter and smokey is blue the biggest probability is black otters,



frags said:


> Belive me its no easy ride.


yeh thats why I've taken so long to think through it all and plan it


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## WeeBarraxO (Nov 15, 2009)

frags said:


> I am going to urge you to change your mind as i remember you saying that magic came from a pet shop, please please dont mate them up hun you could be making a BIG mistake! How would you feel if you knew the future buns suffered badly from teeth problems or other genetic problems? Could you live with the fact you caused suffering and pain to a rabbit?


she came to the pet shop from a breeder who breeds black show rabbits and because she and her sister weren't black they were sold to pet shop


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

brilliant :nonod:


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## frags (Feb 5, 2009)

WeeBarraxO said:


> she came to the pet shop from a breeder who breeds black show rabbits and because she and her sister weren't black they were sold to pet shop


Pet shops will tell you anything.......


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

My George is a rescue rabbit, he has 1 blocked tear duct and so does his brother. 

Some man walked into my vets with them and said "take these or I'll set them free on the moors" they both had very infected and sore eyes. 

There is no doubt in my mind that he was breed by an unregistered breeder who had little clue of the problems they could cause. 

I have to bathe Georges eye at least once a day, normally twice. Since rescuing him in October I have had to take him to the vets twice because of his eye, costing me more pain than money! every time I bathe his eye I could cry! if only people really knew what was involved in rabbit breeding. 

If you are serious about rabbit breeding I urge you to have smokey and magic neutered, so they can be kept as pets with eachother for company. Then do some research select a breed and colour to concentrate on improving not only type but quality. we will then all support you and offer as much advice and help as we can


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## frags (Feb 5, 2009)

emzybabe said:


> My George is a rescue rabbit, he has 1 blocked tear duct and so does his brother.
> 
> Some man walked into my vets with them and said "take these or I'll set them free on the moors" they both had very infected and sore eyes.
> 
> ...


Rep on its way to you for this post x

I also have to say there isnt many GOOD breeders that would give rabbits to a pet shop.


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

If a breeder gives baby buns to a pet shop they are helping the pet shop trade and are backyard breeders. You cannot say you know the genetics of the rabbits unless you've got the full history of 4 previous generations. A vet may say they are ok to breed by looking at just their health but who's to say they dont have a problem they aren't showing but will pass on to babies such as teeth problems. 

Charlie was a pet shop rabbit I will admit and he was bred badly, he had teeth problems from the day I got him and took him to the vet but that didn't stop me loving him. He had his front teeth taken out because they didn't meet properly and caused problems and his molars were constantly being filed once a month for his whole life. He died aged three because of his teeth causing infection in his jaw which made his jaw crumble to nothing so he couldn't eat and spread to his lungs so at the end of his life he was screaming in pain not able to breathe and there was nothing I could do. Do you want to breed rabbit that may end up like this? I loved Charlie with all my heart but I went through hell for him to help him as much as I could. How many people that may end up with your babies would be willing to go through this same suffering if a couple of months after they get one of the babies they start showing signs of gentic problems shortening their life and causing a huge vet bill? If I remember right my vet bill for the last weeks of Charlies life was £700. How many people are willing to pay that much for a rabbit? The answer not many and it may mean the babies end up dumped or suffer a slow painful death with no vet help. Charlie was still just a baby and should never have suffered the way he did but it was all down to the way he was bred.

Please don't breed them.


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## frags (Feb 5, 2009)

I know many nethie breeders, if you want good breeding stock let me know and i will get you the info, i have 2 VERY good nethie breeders 1 has kits ready now but they are in essex.

Ive re read and you say she is due her 1st litter feb, so i take it they have already been mated?


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

thanks frags, part of me really wishes there was some simple way to sterilise rabbits before they are sold. I know Wee means well


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

How do you know they are ok on genetic level?


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

frags said:


> Rep on its way to you for this post x
> 
> I also have to say there isnt many GOOD breeders that would give rabbits to a pet shop.


I agree with all the others have said, there is NO good breeder that gives their babies to petshops to end up in any old home for £20.

People that breed their rabbits for selfish reasons instead of breeding quality buns without health issues should not have them in my opinion. Your rabbits health comes first I really just dont understand why people insist on breeding their pets when there are so many buns desperate for homes in rescues, that takes potential homes they could have and just adds to the problem.


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

crofty said:


> I agree with all the others have said, there is NO good breeder that gives their babies to petshops to end up in any old home for £20.
> 
> People that breed their rabbits for selfish reasons instead of breeding quality buns without health issues should not have them in my opinion. Your rabbits health comes first *I really just dont understand why people insist on breeding their pets *when there are so many buns desperate for homes in rescues, that takes potential homes they could have and just adds to the problem.


- Because they would have cute babies
- I'd love to see what their babies would look like
- they'd make good parents
- I have homes lined up for the babies already

These are some of the reasons I've seen and heard from people.


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

I have to agree that it would be better to breed knowing exactly where the parents came from and with a background. I dont think you should rule out breeding, just rule out breeding these 2.

I get said over and over
"oh, you've got 6 rabbits, do you breed them?" to which I reply, "no, my boys are neutered and why would I when they are a 'pet' not show(not even pedigree for all I know tbh) and there are loads of rabbits to be homed already!" 

People just see cute bunnies and think it would be great to put them together I guess.

*Heidi*


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## Sarah+Hammies (Jul 20, 2009)

From reading the OP i think they have already been mated.


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

Sarah+Hammies said:


> From reading the OP i think they have already been mated.


yeh I think they already have been, just hope not again.

*Heidi*


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## Sarah+Hammies (Jul 20, 2009)

hazyreality said:


> yeh I think they already have been, just hope not again.
> 
> *Heidi*


Yeah so do I, I rescued my bun from a lady who bought him for her daughters and my hubby was told when he went to pick him up that she thinks we should mate him because she has in the past and he made cute babies!!!!!!  my bun has malocclusion from bad breeding as it is!!! :huh: hmy:  :nonod:  he costs a lot to keep with his dental problems!


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

yeh, thats the problem that alot of people just dont see unfortunately.

I have been lucky, I'll admit, I got rabbits from bad places, at the time I didnt know any better. I got 3 of mine(at the same time) from a woman whose rabbits had bred(i dunno if it was intentional)(my dad was her milkman and thats how I knew about the rabbits she was desperate to get rid of) and she had about 3 litters of various ages, just in these little hutches. She had no idea of what to do, how to sex them, nothing. At 10, neither did I! I knew how to look after one but not how to sex properly or anything to do with breeding. I ended up with 2 boys and a girl, who all ended up being seperated(obviously the girl from the boy anyway!) and at that time, spaying/neutering and bonding I had'nt even heard of, so they lived alone(although they could see each other) 

I had no health problems with them luckily. They lived completely different ages tho. Jessie was 3, Tibbles was 5 and Chalky was 8. All just died overnight, I had a bit of warning with Chalky, not with the other 2.

*Heidi*


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

Kammie said:


> - Because they would have cute babies
> - I'd love to see what their babies would look like
> - they'd make good parents
> - I have homes lined up for the babies already
> ...


I know it makes me so cross!


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

emzybabe said:


> thanks frags, part of me really wishes there was some simple way to sterilise rabbits before they are sold. I know Wee means well


I was thinking about this last night, that maybe pet shops should only sell rabbits after they are 6 months and have been neutered... but then that would mean selling rabbits would be a loss to them rather than make them a profit.

It is so sad, all my rabbits have been from rescue (apart from Alan but he was kind of rescued) and they have been the sweetest most lovely rabbits. I just wish more of these rabbits could be found homes rather than people buying/breeding bunnies just for the cute factor as they're only bunnies for a few months and then they're rabbits for up to 12 yrs after that


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

I wish it was as simple as to spot on solutions for fleas some how break the reproductive cycle!


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