Rabbit and Goat questions BABY BUNNY PICS ADDED!!!

[FrizzleFreak]

Okay, so I'm getting an Angora rabbit. It's most likely a buck, but it's still hard to tell, as he's only 4 weeks. He has the tort pattern. His topcoat is bright orange and his undercoat is blue-gray. Do you think he'll turn out to be a blue tort?Or maybe lilac? I would post a picture, but my computer doesn't like them and deletes them. I couldn't find any pics on the internet that look like him. Also:
How old should he be before I show him?
How often should I brush him once his coat grows out?
Is he too young to take from his mother?He's eating a lot of hay, pellets, etc.
Any other info I should know?

Also, I have two does (nubians) due in July and one in June. How can I tell if they took??I can never tell if they're in heat (well, short of having a buck around...)

 

[Chirpy]

I can't help with the rabbit question but I can try with the goat one.

First, Nubians are a dairy breed and generally they come into heat starting in August and going through December or January. So, although it's certainly possible that they were bred I would guess that the one due in July didn't come into heat in February to be bred. The January breeding is more possible but still on the edge. And then again - goats don't read the books so don't rule out either breeding.

At this point the only way to know for sure is through a blood test. And, even then the doe can reabsorb the fetus after showing they were pregnant. I have a friend who just went through that - positive blood test - no kids.

In another month or two you should be able to see some changes taking place in the vaginal area. It should start to elongate and get pinker and more swollen. Around three months some does start to show by getting enlarged bellies; some don't yet.

Some does start to bag up (their udder filling) around a month before kidding but some don't bag up until kidding.

Did you actually see the buck mount them?

 

[FrizzleFreak]

Yes, all but one, and it was pretty obvious that he had (scuff marks, him drooling all over her)

 

[TC]

I can help with the rabbit questions..

Showing: You can start to show a bunny at about 4 months of age. You would enter him in the "Junior Buck" Classes. Those are for rabbits under 6 months. What type of angora did you get? There are four breeds, English, French, Satin, and Giant *rare*.

Brushing..

The sooner the better. Be gentle and work out mats with your hands so you dont break the fibers. Get the rabbit used to laying on its back in your lap so you can so the belly. Judges check those areas too. Usually you brush at LEAST once a week.

Mamma:

Yes, 4 week old bunnies are TOO young to take from mama. 8 weeks is best, 6 if you must. They do eat hay and such now but they still sneak a sip or two at the bar now and then.

Others:

To prevent hairballs get some dried Papaya at your local grocery store, and give a piece or two once a day. Then enzymes break up the fur they swallow from grooming. Feed timothy hay. Alfalfa has alot of protein and you end up with a bunny with a constantly shedding or "blown" coat.
When you buy pellets, get the firmest, darkest green pellets you can buy. Crumbly green/grey pellets are not fresh. When I showed, I used templeton feed. It was a wonderful feed!!

Plenty of water, with out water they will not eat.
Boards in cages to prevent sore hocks.
WATCH the tails!! If you got a larger angora they have super long tails. and broken tails are an immediate DQ in the show ring. Also check for white toenails. Those are also a DQ on a rabbit that color. Good Luck!!

 

[FrizzleFreak]

My little dude is an English/Satin cross. Thanks for all the good advice. Will five days away from his mom at this point be dangerous?
Would pineapple do the trick instead of papaya?He also really likes bananas, are those okay? He eats all of it. I heard that bananas are good for their digestion. If there is a section of the cage that they can go in that has hay in it, would that count as a rest area? He spends a lot of time in there, napping and eating the hay.
His nails look pink with brown to me, but I don't know what constitutes white in rabbit talk. I've never shown rabbits before, and I'm trying to learn all that I can.
Thank you all so much!!!

 

[gypsy2621]

english /satin crosses are not showable under ARBA rules, either english or satin - not crosses, you can still show then at fairs though.
usually in the pet catagory.

a white nail is just that white , with no other color, being a tort either blue or lilac the nails will be lighter than black and chocolate torts.

 

[FrizzleFreak]

I know, he's just for fun, and I can still get some wool out of him.
Pic!

So, any guesses? He has a lot more light smoke on him than this picture shows.

 

[FrizzleFreak]

Another pic! I love his adorable cuteness...

 

[dddCT]

awwwww Love the bunnies

 

[gypsy2621]

Blue Tort is correct, nice coloring, did you see the parents? how much wool did the parent have, he is a bit short on the wool side but is young and might blow the baby coat out and bring in a nice adult coat.
He also has beautiful sheen, thats the satinized coat making him all shiney.

I cant wait to see pictures as he is growing up, very pretty rabbit.