Later in the day while loading Rugby up for the car trip to meet the potential home, he did the same thing. Complete panic coming out of the cage, but then relaxed as soon as he was in the travel cage. I don't know what it is about transitions. When we came back home (he wasn't the chosen one today), #5 put him away back into his cage with no trouble at all.
So, do I say Rugby is a good kids rabbit or not? Well, I think he needs more work. He's got to learn that leaving the cage isn't as scary as he seems to think that it is. Perhaps a home where he can be more of a free-range indoor bunny, where he doesn't have to worry about being removed from a cage, or maybe a different style of cage? I don't know what it will take, but he's a fantastic rabbit in the arms of our four year old. Just not so much in mine.
It must have shown, because Trident was the lucky one today. He got picked to go to an indoor home! I'm so excited for him. He's really a gorgeous rabbit and had a great personality. I really think his new family will enjoy him.
As previously mentioned, Raisinet has started to chew the fur of her two cage-mates (Toblerone and Diana). I just looked her up this evening, and she is already over 20 weeks old. Now, typically at 20 weeks we consider butchering, especially if the rabbit is starting to cause issues. But I think I'll try something different this time. Tomorrow #3 and I are going to work on shaking things up in the rabbit barn. We are going to move Raisinet to Fabio's cage, and move Fabio over to Ulysses' cage.
Oh, yes, and other related news, today Ulysses died. Part of his cage was bent in. We don't know if this was caused by the birds somehow pushing on it or if Mazikeen was in the barn this morning and pushed it. Either way, Ulysses got out of his cage, and while we don't know what happened, we found what was left of Ulysses with Mazikeen chewing his carcass. I am furious. I am sure that Mazikeen chased down and killed Ulysses, but my husband insists that because we didn't see it happen that I can't blame his dog. So now, Ulysses' cage is available, hence moving some rabbits around.
Back to Raisinet though. I plan to breed her. She's old enough now, and if shes a good producer, she'll be a proven breeder and worth more in the spring. If she's not a good mom after three tries, then I can give up and she can go to freezer camp. Either way, as of tomorrow she will no longer be available for sale and we will breed her and see how she does.
Jumping back to Ulysses (sorry, I'm kind of all over the place tonight), I am going to need a new meat buck. Ulysses was my only meat buck. I had no spare. I have three meat does that are now unable to be bred, as I have no suitable meat rabbit to match them to. Fortunately, I heard about a second exotic auction at the end of the month. And it just happens to be on Tony's day off that week. So I'll be heading back to another auction to try to get a hold of a good meat buck. It's still going to be an inconvenience because he'll need to go through the 30 day quarantine, and I won't know his genetics. Ulysses was out of Gretchen and George, and we no longer have George. Ulysses was a proven breeder who was gentle to his does, but got the job done. His last litter is just past weaning age now and still with their momma (Snowflake), but the only pointed kit in the litter is a doe. I want a pointed buck.
So, on the plus side, I get to pay another seating fee to try my hand at getting more auction rabbits. Maybe at the next auction we'll be able to find a French Lop buck. We've only been looking for two and a half years now. There were a few does at this last auction, but we just want a buck.
There were two meat buyers at the auction yesterday. Now, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against meat buyers. I've sold breeding rabbits to meat folks before, and we eat rabbit ourselves. However, it's really sad when about 98% of the rabbits and chickens sold are all going to the same two people, and one of them is openly teasing people about what he's going to do to their beloved pet rabbits. Come on folks, that's just cruel for no reason at all. Do what you're going to do, but you don't have to rub it in peoples' faces.
It was one of these meat buyers that I outbid to rescue the two Jersey wooly bucks. I reached out to a Jersey wooly breeder and asked for tips to grooming them out. Tomorrow I'm going to have Tony pick up one or two more dog brushes while he's at work. Tomorrow we'll be working with just one brush for two matted rabbits. We will see what we can do.
I am really hoping that I can move some more rabbits to put some money in my pocket for this auction at the end of the month. I want to be able to get a nice buck, but the good rabbits were still commanding a higher price, even in the fall sales market. I saw a pair of Giant Lops go for $50+ each. I know they're worth it, but the price didn't drop out for fall like it does for other breeds. I don't want to come unprepared. So, if you're interested in getting a bunny, please consider getting one now. I've got lots to choose from, and the money will go right back into my rabbit addiction. But no, really, I'm pushing sales on the rabbits right now. Especially some of the good ones that I really want to find homes so I don't have to eat them (see photos above).
Hopefully tomorrow I can post some before and after photos of the Jersey wooly bucks if we can make some visible progress on them. As of right now they're on free-feed to try to fatten that broken black one up. I plan to weigh them tomorrow too, just to be able to see how much they gain to be healthy again.