Gatabi Rabbits
Striving to produce show quality Rabbits
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Frequently Asked Questions
These notes are mainly aimed at the NEW RABBIT PET OWNER.....
Can I buy a baby and bottle feed it?
No you cannot! I will not sell any of my babies for you to try this. It is very difficult to raise new born rabbit babies. If a doe is not looking after her litter, I normally find another doe to do the job. Babies are sold from rabbit breeders between 6 - 8 weeks of age. Rabbit babies like all babies - need their moms - and their milk to grow up strong! There immune system is not developed properly if taken away earlier, and you might end up with a dead baby on your hands.
Do I need to wash my rabbit?
Rabbits are like cats - they will lick and clean themselves.
What to look for when buying a rabbit:
1)Is the rabbit old enough to go? The older, the better! You will have less health issues with the rabbit!
2) Is the rabbit looking alert, bright eyed and bushy tailed?
3) no runny nose, crusty eyes, discharge of any sort?
4) teeth ok?
5) check their ears for any crusts or sores?
Does my rabbit need to be inoculated?
No, we have no rabbit diseases in our country like Europe.
That is also why SA has a banned on importing rabbits, as we have no diseases in SA and want to keep it this way. You could de-worm your rabbit. Not a must - but can be done. If your rabbit is loosing weight - its a good idea to do so.
What are the different sexes called:
a boy is a buck - a girl is a doe
Can a rabbit change its sex?
No - the animal was sexed wrong - it can happen!
Re: pets - please remember that these ARE animals that DO need to be fed and watered every day! Their cages need to be cleaned regularly !( once or twice a week depending on your cage)
If you are not into picking up poop and cleaning cages - rather buy a gold fish or get and i-pad!
Rabbits can live up to 12 years old. I would say that this is unusual - but it is possible!
Breeding and keeping a pair or rabbits
When rabbits reach sexual maturity - between 4 - 6 months - they will start breeding, if you have bought a pair ( buck and doe). If you are not intending to breed it would be good to get the same sex , castrate the buck , or buy a second cage. If you keep them together your rabbits are capable of breeding every 30 days. As soon as the doe has given birth, the buck - if present in the cage, will mate with her, and VOILA - you will have another litter of kits in 30 days time.
This will carry on and on - until the doe is possibly tired of the situation and might stop looking after the babies. It is also very possibly for the buck or the doe to eat the litter. Babies born in turn will be producing their own babies in 4 - 6 months time. Depending on the rabbit breed you have, you could expect anything from 2 - 12 babies at a time.
In the book: Rabbit Breeding in South Africa - by Marion Keller - the theoretical productivity of one doe and her progeny over 3 years calculated on an average of 5 in a litter is as follows: These original 2 and all the progeny could produce and astonishing 6791 rabbits in 3 years time! This is all very well if you are intending to use your rabbits to supplement your dinner.
Please DO NOT consider letting your pet rabbit loose in a park when you have decided that you have had enough of your pet. There are some areas in Johannesburg that rabbits are becoming a problem to the residence residing in it.
It would be better to advertise your pet and find it a home, or take it to your local pet shop.
updated 5/10/2013
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