Rabbit Rhythms 
December 2019 Newsletter

December 2019 Newsletter

Oh the weather outside is frightful! If it's bad for you, is it also hard on your rabbits?

Rabbits love cold weather - just look at their fur coats. But rabbits that can't burrow to protect themselves from the bitter cold need a little additional help from you when the weather turns truly frightful. 

Our featured breed this time is our shiny friend, the Satin rabbit. What makes them so shiny? Read about the peculiar gene that makes their fur so satin-like, and how it came about.

Lastly, an update on the rabbit hemorrhagic disease calicivirus, which is spreading inexorably towards mainland Washington State from the San Juan Islands. 

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Preparing for a Winter Wonderland

Outdoor rabbits in wintertime. Their cage is insulated with lots of straw.

Look around you at the wintery landscape! Grasses are brown, leaves have dropped, and life seems to have receded into a mere shell of itself. And in fact, everything may be covered in a blanket of snow. What is a rabbit in the great outdoors to eat??

Your domestic rabbits certainly have it much easier than wild rabbits do, because you are there for them! Winter chores are a little complicated by sub-zero weather, but the rabbits, by and large, do fine, thanks to their heavy fur coats.

You will need to:

  • Continue to feed as usual. However, augmenting proteins and fats will probably be beneficial.
  • Recognize that rabbit feeds in winter are not as nutritionally adequate. Feeding supplemental feeds such as Bunny Branola in moderation will go a long way toward keeping your rabbits at the peak of health. Bunny Bran also helps rabbits keep warm, due to supplying extra protein and fats.
  • Deliver water in crocks instead of valves or bottles.
  • Refill water crocks at least 2-3 times a day, after knocking any ice out.
  • In sub-zero weather, insulate cages with straw on top of, and inside cages, and modify their environment as needed.

Our page, Outdoor Rabbits in the Winter, provides all the extra details about winterizing your rabbit's surroundings and ensuring the least amount of stress or danger from cold temperatures.

There is plenty of info on climate control, cold weather protection, and rabbit nutrition in The Rabbit Raising Problem Solver. Our e-book, Feeding Your Rabbits, is also a comprehensive resource.

Bunny Branola - Ultimate Rabbit Nutritional Supplement, and Treat!


Bunny Branola, fresh out of the dehydrator and vacuum-packed. From Raising-Rabbits.comBunny Branola.

What bunny doesn't love Bunny Bran??!
1 Tablespoon per day of our tasty and nutritious snack mix
sprinkled on their regular food is all your bunny needs to be happier and healthier.

  • Bunny Branola makes fur softer and shinier, teeth and tummies healthier, and helps relieve stress due to things like barking dogs, new situations, or ultra cold winters. 
  • Bunny Branola is a wonderful rabbit superfood supplement for pregnant bunnies and growing bunnies. 
  • Bunny Branola now available in four flavors - Original, Pumpkin Spice, Cranberry Crunch, and Merry Mint!
  • Bunny Branola can be ordered in Multi-Variety Packs!


Featured Breed: Satin Rabbits

Lionhead rabbitSatin rabbit

Satin Rabbits

The Satin Rabbit breed was first recognized in 1956 after the satin fur mutation occurred in the rabbitry of famous Havana rabbit breeder, Walter Huey. He continued to show his satinized Havanas against Havanas with normal fur, but because the satinized Havanas tended to do all the winning, they were later recognized as a separate breed.

It is a recessive gene mutation that makes their fur translucent, reflecting light more easily and giving them the distinctive satin sheen. Their coats are fairly easy to care for and only require the occasional brushing. 

Havanas max out at 6.5 pounds, but not so the current Satin rabbit breed. Over the years, the genes from many other rabbit breeds entered the Satin breed gene pool. Today, the Satin standard calls for a rabbit with a commercial body type that can reach up to 11 pounds.

Satins come in a variety of colors - nearly twelve, with the twelfth being under development- so this breed certainly appeals to a wide range of color preferences. 

Do you like Satin Rabbits but wish they were smaller?

You’re in luck! They also come in mini versions - no larger than 4.75 pounds - with even more color variations than the original breed. The possibilities are almost limitless when it comes to breeding these shiny rabbits.

Satin rabbits make great pets with their calm and gentle temperament. They are fantastic with children, and make delightful family pets.

To learn more about satin rabbits, check out our Satin Rabbit page.

Rabbit Health Questions 

They said my two rabbits were both boys!?!

Q: "I got two rabbits from a pet shop. They told me both were boys however I opened the nest box today to clean and found 5 babies. I’m not happy with the fact that the pet shop said they were boys. Can I go tell them off?" (from C.I.)

***** Karen Sez *****

A: Hi C.I., 

If I had a dollar for every time this happens, I'd be rich. On the other hand, that's why we're happy that there is a Raising-Rabbits website. There's a page right on this website that makes it very easy to tell boy bunnies from girl bunnies. Check it out: Sexing Rabbits.

As an aside, and in defense of the pet shop employees, I'm guessing they aren't paid big bucks in order to know the difference. You may even do them a favor by helping them learn what they did not know!

And by the way, two BOY rabbits will not live peaceably together indefinitely! This would have created a big, BIG problem for you. Having a girl rabbit probably prevented any conflict between them (whew!).

So, instead of chewing out the folks at the pet shop for not knowing the difference between boy and girl rabbits, why don't you call or swing by the pet shop and give them the web address to our Sexing Rabbits page so they will not be mistaken in the future.  A little kindness and education goes a long way.

..............................

If you have a copy of The Rabbit Raising Problem Solver:

  • Instructions for sexing rabbits are on pages 148-149.
  • Find tips for pairing pet rabbits on pages 35-37. 

Rabbits in the News:

Update on Presence of RVHD2 in Vancouver Island and in Orcas Island, WA

WA Dept of Agriculture Warning Notice about RHDWA Dept of Agriculture RHD QUARANTINE Notice

Please Please Please!
Mind this Quarantine Notice if you live on, or visit, Vancouver Island in Canada, or Whidbey Island or the San Juan Islands in Washington State!

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease is a highly infectious and devastating disease that only affects rabbits. But just because humans aren’t affected by it, does not mean that humans cannot be a vector, a means of germ transmission to your own poor unsuspecting rabbits.

And unfortunately, humans seem to be doing an excellent job of spreading the calicivirus. Recently, the disease has been confirmed in Whidbey Island, in addition to the already confirmed  disease on San Juan Island and Orcas Island, both a part of San Juan Island County, WA.

Because this disease is so lethal to rabbits, it is of utmost importance to keep it quarantined. In order to do this, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has labeled specific quarantine zones where rabbits, rabbit supplies, and products are to be kept quarantined. These areas include the San Juan Islands, Orcas Island, Lopez Island, where the rabbits, or any animal from these islands are not allowed to leave their quarantine zone. See this Quarantine Zone article for more information, especially if you live in the Pacific Northwest, and please, abide by the quarantine. (Note that the quarantine applies to rabbits and rabbit supplies of all sorts, not to people.)

See also this WSDA Ag Briefs article for quarantine best practices. 

Like this Rabbit Rhythms December 2019 Newsletter?

Maybe your friends would too...

Your friends at Raising-Rabbits.com wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and a lovely December 2019. 

Enjoy your rabbits!






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