Rabbits in Detail: 4-H clinic offers showing, breeding information 

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

Andrea Carter, a former Whitehouse 4-H member who now attends Tyler Junior College, was one of four presenters at the recent Rabbit Clinic. Andrea gave information about breeding rabbits. Over 65 youth and adults attended the event. -- Staff photo by Cope

Jan. 26, 2006 - Rabbits were the focus of the Jan. 14 clinic hosted by the Whitehouse 4-H club, but not for their cuteness. Those organizing and attending the clinic got down to some serious bunny business.

Breeding, and showing as a livestock project, were the target topics. Over 65 youth attended the clinic to learn how to select a show rabbit, how to care for it, and even how to breed them for future show rabbits.

�There are 45 different rabbit breeds,� began Shanna-Kaye Betts, who chaired the 4-H committee that organized the clinic. �You need to pick one, and then maybe add on later.�

�Are you doing to breed rabbits, or show them, or both? If you are going to show, you need to decide, do you want to show bucks or does?� A buck is a male rabbit, while a doe is a female.

Whether showing or breeding is the target, Shanna-Kaye suggested one of the first things to do is ask around about who is a good rabbit breeder in the area. “And, get an experienced breeder to go with you when you buy your rabbit,” she told the group. The seller should also provide names of some buyers so you can check how well the rabbits did, the 4-H’er added.

Shanna-Kaye Betts reviews her notes before her presentation on showing rabbits. She chaired the committee which organized the annual clinic, hosted by the Whitehouse 4-H Club. Shanna-Kaye shows rabbits, and breeds Mini Rexs. She offered some good information and tips for those interested in winning. -- Staff photo by Cope

Before setting out on a buying trip, Shanna-Kaye recommended getting as much information as possible – from books or other rabbit owners. Be sure the rabbit you’re looking to buy meets the breed’s requirements for color, head and ears, and body conformation. Shanna-Kaye noted rabbits sell for about $20 for a pet, and into the hundreds for a good show rabbit. “You might look at paying $150 for a good doe, and if she’s won some Grand Champions, she’s worth it.”

Shanna-Kaye shows rabbits as well as breeds Mini Rex rabbits. In describing the importance of breed requirements, she shared the Mini Rex Black rabbit should have no white hairs. “This is a fault, not a disqualification. Sometimes you’ll see people with tweezers plucking the white hairs from their rabbit just before a show.”

The rabbit should have bright eyes, be in good condition, and have the proper-shaped mouth. “The top teeth overlapping the bottom teeth is correct,” she said. “But the bottom overlapping the top teeth is not. … You can clip the teeth to try and fix this.”

Shanna-Kaye also said to be sure the rabbit has all its claws, which must be clipped prior to showing.

It’s a good idea to buy a rabbit with a pedigree, and at least three legs. “The first time someone told me a rabbit had three legs, I said ‘awww, what happened to its other leg?” But a “leg” on a pedigree, Shanna-Kaye continued, represents each time the rabbit placed first in a competition where there were at least five rabbits, and three different breeders.

A pedigree is needed to register the rabbit with associations, such as the American Rabbit Breeders Association. To get the rabbit registered, Shanna-Kaye explained a registrar, much like a show judge, will evaluate the rabbit and make sure there are no genetic flaws. “Then you send $3 and a copy of the pedigree to ARBA and they will send you the registration” papers for the rabbit.

With the idea to show the rabbit, the next step is to find the competitions. The ARBA maintains an online list (www.arba.net), and Shanna-Kaye said to check newspapers (such as Country World’s Country Calendar) for show listings. 4-H and FFA leaders can also help with the task.

The options and requirements for competitions vary. Some shows have an early entry registration, while others allow for a late registration. Early entry helps organizers prepare for the show, but can be a “hardship” to exhibitors if the rabbit listed to show gets too heavy or injured. “But, if you have a same color and same age rabbit, that one can be a substitute.” With late entry, the exhibitor can select the rabbits that will compete closer to show time,” Shanna-Kaye added.

Some breeds of rabbits are best to be exhibited for their meat, and will be entered in a “meat pen” for the judge to view. These are likely entered in a market show, where the rabbit is offered for sale at the show’s conclusion. Some breeds of rabbits are best to be exhibited as breeding stock, and winnings can include Best of Breed, Best of Show, and Best of Variety, and Best Opposite for each of those wins. Open shows allow exhibitors of all ages, while youth shows are open to those age 18 and younger.

When going to a show, Shanna-Kaye listed the things to take. “The things to bring the show are the rabbit, a carrier, a waterer and water, and a feeder and feed. Some shows offer the waterer and feeder, but take your own just in case.” Wire pens are also available at most shows for each competitor’s rabbits.

She also said to take some cardboard and wire. The cardboard can be used to block your buck’s view and smell of the caged buck next-door. “Bucks will fight” even though they are in their own pens. The wire can be used to hold the cardboard, and, from experience, Shanna-Kaye said it can be used, by wrapping it around the pen, to create smaller pen-wire squares. She had a small Mini-Rex escape at the Fort Worth show one year, and large pen-wire squares allows for injury to your rabbit’s ears or paws from a neighboring rabbit.

In conclusion, her tip for exhibitors: “Be on time.” A judge does not like to be kept waiting, and after a few calls to the ring, the window of show-ring opportunity may close.

More work is required for breeding rabbits. And, as with all types of animals, those with genetic flaws should not be reproduced.

Andrea Carter, aformer Whitehouse 4-H member, shared her breeding tips and knowledge. “Breeding is hard to talk about,” she shared. “Usually there’s lots of giggling.”

At about four months of age, the doe can be bred. Sometimes a young buck is a bit eager, or a young doe will not want to sit still, so some human assistance may be needed. The doe’s tail can be lifted, and the buck placed on top of her.

The doe should be re-bred 36 hours after the first breeding to increase the chances of success, and increase the number of young.

A rabbit’s gestation is 28 to 32 days. Most kindle (have their young) at 30 to 31 days, Andrea added.

After a doe is bred, within one-and-a-half to two weeks, she will exhibit a few things to indicate she’s pregnant. “Feel her underbelly, and you’ll feel small, marble-like balls,” Andrea said. “She will act aggressive. And, she will start to claw the corners of her pen, or the corners of her nesting box.”

Andrea suggested once the marble-like balls are felt in her belly, it’s time to place a nesting box in the doe’s pen. It should be about a foot long and wider than the rabbit.

One audience member noted they don’t place a nesting box in the pen until about 28th day of gestation. But Andrea noted it’s good to have the box in as early as possible so the doe can have time to settle in. “You don’t want her to kindle on the (pen’s) wires,” she said, because the kits (babies) will be seriously injured.

In summer months, the nesting box should have a wire bottom; and in the winter, a wooden-bottomed box is best. Wire-bottom boxes can be used year-round, but a wooden liner can be placed in the bottom when it is cold. Audrea said metal boxes are available but she does not recommend them.

Andrea suggested using shredded t-shirts, and some hay, for the nesting box material. The doe will likely pull out some of her own hair to use as bedding, as well. Some of the hay placed in the box will be eaten, which doesn’t hurt the rabbit. She doesn’t recommend using shavings because they usually fall out of the pen.

If the doe moves the nesting material out of the nesting box, “just keep putting it back,” Andrea said. Also, a second nesting box can be added “to create less space” in the pen.

Different breeds have reputations for their “mothering ability.” Andrea said Californians, while good meat pen rabbits, don’t always make the best mothers. New Zealands are good mothers, and make good meat pen rabbits.

During kindling, “some first-time mothers may try to pull the babies out themselves,” which can result in some serious injury to the babies. Andrea said some does will eat their babies. According to one audience member, the does can be fed bacon to deter them from eating the babies, as this will supply the nutrition source they may be craving/lacking.

The new mother’s food should be removed the first day after kindling to help prevent mastitis in the doe, and slowly re-introduced, Andrea said.

Also, she said she does not touch the babies for one or two days “unless absolutely necessary,” and then she wears gardening gloves. One audience member said they put baby powder on their hands to keep the “human smell” from transferring to the newborns.

To be sure the babies are nursing, Andrea said to check their bellies. “The babies’ bellies should be big and round, and almost so transparent you can see the milk in them.”

If nursing assistance is needed, the doe can be placed on her back and the babies placed on her belly, near the teats.

If problems continue and the babies’ condition deteriorates, “put them in a big bowl with a heating pad and put something like a heat lamp over them. They have to be very warm.” Then, the babies must be fed a milk formula four or five times a day.

The babies can be weaned at four or five weeks, but some leave them on the mother for eight to 12 weeks. “But at four weeks, they can start mating ….”

When it comes to rabbit food, Andrea said foods such as carrots, lettuce, and apples should not be offered. “They can cause diarrhea,” she said. A rabbit feed is best, Shanna-Kaye and Andrea both recommended.

A rabbit that is too fat or too thin will not do well at show competition, and will not breed well. To add weight, a sweet potato is a good food source, Andrea said. For weight reduction, a mixture of 1/2 cup wheat germ oil, 1 cup (horse) oats, and apple cider can be used for the rabbit’s diet.