MOTHER'S CHILDREN: IM A HARE RAISING KID!

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When I started looking into rabbit keeping, I wanted to raise New Zealand Whites ... but then I went to my first rabbit show and couldn't believe how many New Zealand Whites were on the judging table. I quickly changed my mind and decided on California bunnies . . . but soon I discovered that those rabbits were almost as popular as New Zealands. Finally, I saw my first Red Satins. I decided right away that they were for me, and they've been my favorites ever since.

I made one other mistake in the beginning, too . . . I didn't get the best rabbits possible. It's necessary to be sharp when you're buying bunnies. Most sellers are helpful, but there're always a few who see beginners as people to unload poor animals (culls) on. I was taken by a guy like that. He sold me two rabbits that were brother and sister. Because breeding close relatives tends to magnify have bad characteristics (such as buck teeth), I couldn't mate my first two rabbits.

Once I realized what I'd gotten stuck with, I was really embarrassed. Fortunately, though, I was able to sell my male and purchase a new one.

CHECK THE PEDIGREE

I could have avoided that error if I'd looked at the family tree, or pedigree, of my rabbits before I bought them. To check for inbreeding, just read the number tattooed in the bunny's right ear and see if any ancestor listed in the nosetwitcher's papers (or those of the rabbit you're planning to mate with your animal) had the same ear number. Also check to make sure all the spaces on the animal's pedigree form are filled in . . . a blank can mean that the rabbit has a completely different breed in its bloodline.

BUY OR BUILD THE RIGHT KIND OF CAGES

Unless you have puh-lenty of time and patience, make sure that your rabbit cages are kept off the ground and have wire floors and sides. I'm speaking from experience, because—back when I was about seven-my parents brought two pet bunnies home. We kept them on the ground in a hutch that had a solid wood floor . . . and that cage had to be emptied of manure every day, or else the inhabitants would get sick.

An elevated cage, made of sturdy welded wire, lets any "bunny buttons" pass right through the bottom to a tray (or the ground) underneath, so you don't need to clean the droppings nearly as often. Besides, emptying a tray—or even shoveling a pile out from under a cage—is one heckuva lot easier than getting down on your hands and knees to clean out a hutch with a small wooden trowel.

My rabbits' cages measure 16" long, 30" wide, and 32" high. If you raise giant bunnies, though (12 pounds and over), their cages should be about 18" X 30" X 48" . Use store-bought boards for the framing, not scrap, because ear mites and lice sometimes inhabit secondhand lumber. And give all the wooden parts a good coat of waterproof stain.

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