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maybe getting a friend for penny.

pennypoos

Mama Doe
my work mate knows of someone, who has a rabbit that gave birth to an accidental litter, and is looking for homes for the kits. I`v been thinking long and hard about getting a friend for penny, and i was thinking that i might like to give one a home. can any one give me some advice on how to make the little chap more relaxed in his first few stressfull days of being taken away from his mother and familiar surroundings.
I have an empty hutch that i can temporarily use should i decide to give one a home. He would stay (short term ) in a 5ftx2ftx2ft rabbit hutch with a 6x5 run that my OH is going to attatch. I also have an enormouse piece of plastic sheet, that i can use to cover him up at night to stop the draft from getting in.
I`d realy like to know, what could i do to make him feel less stressed and nervouse? because im concerned about him being all on his own, and feeling lonely untill he is old enough to be neutered and well enough to try bonding with my penny. And what could i do to make sure he is warm enough ?
 
I've not had a single baby bun -mine came as a job lot :lol:

Perhaps see if you can bring some of the bedding from his old home with him for a familiar smell? And maybe have a cuddly toy he can snuggle up to?

And make sure you have some of the same type of food he's been used to so you can change him over gradually to what you use.

I'm sure someone will give you lots of useful advice soon :wave:
 
I've not had a single baby bun -mine came as a job lot :lol:

Perhaps see if you can bring some of the bedding from his old home with him for a familiar smell? And maybe have a cuddly toy he can snuggle up to?

And make sure you have some of the same type of food he's been used to so you can change him over gradually to what you use.

I'm sure someone will give you lots of useful advice soon :wave:

thank you.:D
 
Agree with Blackberry's advice - also I think its advised that kits stay with their mother until they are 6 weeks old?

Also if the hutch has a cubby hole bit, pack it full of hay/straw so he can burrow in it to keep warm if he needs to. I know some people give their single bunnies a toy rabbit to groom etc, so you could try that too.

Hope you get some more 'expert' advice soon!:D
 
thank you blackberry & co, and debster for your reply to my post. But i must say i am very dissapointed at the lack of help and advise that iv been offered. is it me ? have i said something ? does no one want to help me with any usefull tips on looking after a new baby bun ? as i said, any friendly usefull advise is welcome, such as how much pellets, what kind of hay, when is it ok to start offering veg, anything that you think could help. i`m feeling very unloved at the minute. :cry:
 
:wave: I am not an expert but Bobby was a baby when we got her, accidental litter. I think when you first bring him home, make sure that its quiet and no loud sudden noises, don't go for cuddles straight away as that can make them nervous (although bobby jumped up on our laps) speak softly and gentley and offer your hand for him to sniff rather than touching him straight away!

just start on the head and take everything at his pace, you will be able to gauge how nervey he is.
if you put him in a hutch let him venture out in his own time, maybe put some of his food to entice him out, good luck I love baby bunnies:love:
 
thank you blackberry & co, and debster for your reply to my post. But i must say i am very dissapointed at the lack of help and advise that iv been offered. is it me ? have i said something ? does no one want to help me with any usefull tips on looking after a new baby bun ? as i said, any friendly usefull advise is welcome, such as how much pellets, what kind of hay, when is it ok to start offering veg, anything that you think could help. i`m feeling very unloved at the minute. :cry:

Baby buns can have a lot more pellet than adult buns, I think its unlimited to some extent, but obv watch out for excess special poops.. I had to teach bobs to use the water bottle by holding it for her at first.. mega cute:love:
 
thank you blackberry & co, and debster for your reply to my post. But i must say i am very dissapointed at the lack of help and advise that iv been offered. is it me ? have i said something ? does no one want to help me with any usefull tips on looking after a new baby bun ? as i said, any friendly usefull advise is welcome, such as how much pellets, what kind of hay, when is it ok to start offering veg, anything that you think could help. i`m feeling very unloved at the minute. :cry:

Sorry I personally don't know what to say that's why I haven't posted. The only thing I can think of is to provide him with somewhere to hide so he can if he feel threatened.
 
:wave:

I brought Pip home at 6 weeks (breeder request not mine) anyway if I tell you what I did it may help a bit.

1) lots of bedding from previous home, toy rabbit and lots of straw and a snugglesafe when he first came home and left him to it.

2) I fed the same food he was on for 2 weeks before weaning him onto SS.

3) Initially I gave him meadow hay but then introduced him into others such as timothy and oat, I dont think you need to worry about gradually introducing hays as you would veg etc.

4) I kept handling to a minimum other than to check his bum he used to get a mucky bum so obviously handled him to clean him up.

5) I took him for a check up at vets 1 week after him being here he then had myxi jab too.

6) I used to hand feed him hay and fenugreek crunchies to gain trust, although most babies are fairly trusting anyway. Now he follows me around begging for them. lol

7) I started to introduce veg at 9 weeks as he was having lots of extra cecals so I tried some veg and it stopped.

8) I then started giving handfuls of grass at 10 weeks increasing the amount each time and he had his first 10 minute run around the garden at 11 weeks.

He is now nearly 12 weeks old, he eats loads and is still very friendly and confident. I was worried about him getting lonely but I gave him lots of toys and I would hide some small peices of veg or a crunchie in some hay and stuff but am hoping to get a speyed girl to bond him with once he has been neutered etc.

Hope this helps a little and sorry if the way I replied was a bit odd.
 
thank you all for your usefull advise. I will bear all this in mind when i bring him home.
Im going to give her a ring tomorrow, so that i can find out more about the babies.
 
I think babies are meant to stay with their mums for eight weeks. Harvey and Zero were babies when I first got them, and Harvey has always been very friendly and fine with food, but Zero was different. I would say lots of strokes and petting, no cuddles at first.

Introduce any veg very slowly, even slower than you would with an adult bun, and make any pellet changes slowly too.

Sorry I know I'm just repeating what others have said really :wave:

Good luck with your new bun :) make sure you post lots of pics of him :D
 
yep buns should be 8 weeks before they leave their litters. I personally think its easier to have a bun thats abit older and been neutered to save you all the hormonal hassles and you have a better idea of their personality, I had Joey and Saffy as kits, they were very naughty!!
 
Thanks for the help peeps. Im going to be bringing him home on saturday teatime. Ooooo i`m so exited. :love::love: he is already 8 weeks old, and she said i could come and get him today, but i need a couple of days to get sorted before i bring him home. He is a multicoloured lop.:love::love::love:
 
yep buns should be 8 weeks before they leave their litters. I personally think its easier to have a bun thats abit older and been neutered to save you all the hormonal hassles and you have a better idea of their personality, I had Joey and Saffy as kits, they were very naughty!!

I have 2 little girls that are very naughty, so a naughty baby bunny should be ok to handle......... i hope.:lol:
 
I don't know how much they are but you can get a metronome that's meant to be wrapped up in cloth and put in the animals bed (originally for puppies I think) which mimics another heartbeat and is supposedly quite comforting.

Spend as much time as you can with him and put his cage near your existing rabbit so he's not totally alone.

I've never had a single baby so don't know what else to suggest!
 
oooohh Im excited too!! :D

People may disagree but I think you will be surprised how hardy little buns can be!!

Like I said I have had Pip since he was 6 weeks old (now 12) and he has such a little character already, hates being picked up but loves just sitting there having his nose rubbed or his ears and cheeks stroked!

Cant wait for some pics!! :)
 
I don't know how much they are but you can get a metronome that's meant to be wrapped up in cloth and put in the animals bed (originally for puppies I think) which mimics another heartbeat and is supposedly quite comforting.

Spend as much time as you can with him and put his cage near your existing rabbit so he's not totally alone.

I've never had a single baby so don't know what else to suggest!

penny lives inside, and my OH has said that im not allowed to bring anymore animals in the house :( so the new baby will have to stay outside untill he has been neutered, and i have somwhere nice and big for them both to live in.


oooohh Im excited too!!

People may disagree but I think you will be surprised how hardy little buns can be!!

Like I said I have had Pip since he was 6 weeks old (now 12) and he has such a little character already, hates being picked up but loves just sitting there having his nose rubbed or his ears and cheeks stroked!

Cant wait for some pics!!
i`ll def be posting pics........ when i can figure out how to do it.:oops:
Iv got loads of lovely pics of penny that i`d like to post but i just can`t seem to figure it out.:roll:
 
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