Wednesday, 28 December 2011
The Arrival of Princess Luna
Luna is here! Back in November we put a deposit on a new pony for Lucian and here she is. A palomino, 32" miniature shetland mare. She is 11 years old and very quiet.
We were not sure how interested Lucian would be in his own pony as he has had all kinds of animals around him all his life and does not know how lucky he is to have his very own pony! But to our surprise he has been incredibly excited and adores 'Princess Luna'. It looks as if he might take an active part in her care and ride her too. Luna is an ex broodmare so seems equally pleased to have found herself her very own, first child.
We were expecting to have to be very patient with Luna because although we knew she was very quiet, we did think she might take a couple of weeks to settle in and get used to a more build up semi rural home as opposed to a field with other ponies. We thought she might be a little spooky and race around a bit but have been pleasantly surprised!
She arrived home and we tethered her infront of a haynet for 2 hours, grooming her and bonding with her while she got used to the new sounds and sights of her new home.
We led her around a bit and she met quite a lot of local children.
Then we loosed her in the 'farmyard' where she could see the rest of the animals and got to meet the rabbits and Star the guinea pig. She was totally fine with them. She had a really good look around and at first was a little clingy and followed me around. Then she looked around some more, took everything in and seemed to decide that she likes the place and became a little excited! She had a bit of a binky around and kept going in and out of the goat shed as if she was playing wendy house lol
We are thrilled that Luna has settled so quickly and doesn't seem to miss her pony friends too badly.
She will of course have the goats to be friends with and if she appears to miss pony company, we will think about getting her a mini shetland gelding companion.
Lucian has already had a little sit on her bareback and a short ride but he totally lacks good balance on her so will definitely need a cub saddle with a handle before he can go far on her!
Will be sure to add updates and video when I can :o)
We were not sure how interested Lucian would be in his own pony as he has had all kinds of animals around him all his life and does not know how lucky he is to have his very own pony! But to our surprise he has been incredibly excited and adores 'Princess Luna'. It looks as if he might take an active part in her care and ride her too. Luna is an ex broodmare so seems equally pleased to have found herself her very own, first child.
We were expecting to have to be very patient with Luna because although we knew she was very quiet, we did think she might take a couple of weeks to settle in and get used to a more build up semi rural home as opposed to a field with other ponies. We thought she might be a little spooky and race around a bit but have been pleasantly surprised!
She arrived home and we tethered her infront of a haynet for 2 hours, grooming her and bonding with her while she got used to the new sounds and sights of her new home.
We led her around a bit and she met quite a lot of local children.
Then we loosed her in the 'farmyard' where she could see the rest of the animals and got to meet the rabbits and Star the guinea pig. She was totally fine with them. She had a really good look around and at first was a little clingy and followed me around. Then she looked around some more, took everything in and seemed to decide that she likes the place and became a little excited! She had a bit of a binky around and kept going in and out of the goat shed as if she was playing wendy house lol
We are thrilled that Luna has settled so quickly and doesn't seem to miss her pony friends too badly.
She will of course have the goats to be friends with and if she appears to miss pony company, we will think about getting her a mini shetland gelding companion.
Lucian has already had a little sit on her bareback and a short ride but he totally lacks good balance on her so will definitely need a cub saddle with a handle before he can go far on her!
Will be sure to add updates and video when I can :o)
Monday, 26 December 2011
no luck :o(
Sadly, the hand rearing failed and the kits did not make it through the night.
The worst part is that I suspect Binky the dutch doe could be thinking about nest building and if she had delivered a little sooner, the outcome for Crookshanks' kits may have been different.
The crueler side of nature, for sure.
The worst part is that I suspect Binky the dutch doe could be thinking about nest building and if she had delivered a little sooner, the outcome for Crookshanks' kits may have been different.
The crueler side of nature, for sure.
Saturday, 24 December 2011
4 become 3... again
Poor Crookshanks. We have lost one of her kits only to discover the other 3 in the nest, cold and obviously hungry. We decided to pull the remaining three as there was obviously a problem.
The chances of successfully hand rearing rabbit kits is slim to nothing as there is just so much that can go wrong and the absolute best chance that the kits have for survival is a foster mum, but sadly there is not one available. We can still hope that one becomes available before it is too late but in the mean time the best option was to try to hold Crookshanks and allow the kits to feed.
However, when we tried this method we found that poor mum has no milk. Therein lies the problem.
Therefore all we can do is try to hand feed and pray another doe gives birth in time for us to slip these kits into her nest.
Our hopes that they will last the night are very slim.
They are on a heat mat and we have given a small feed of condensed milk but this has to be done far more regularly than the once or twice per day that their mother would feed them. Rabbit milk is so nutritious that rabbit kits are built to take a feed in the night then receive very little attention from mum all day.
Things that could go wrong here are that the kits have to get the hang of either sucking milk from a cotton wool bud or taking from the end of a syringe. Then they could get too little or too much. The milk could go down the wrong way or go down too fast which could be fatal. The milk could end up going up their nose which could be fatal. It could be too cold for them to digest or too warm. We might fail to toilet them properly after each feed which is something their mother is most skilled at. They could physically get too hot or too cold. Mum keeps the kits naturally in a nest made from her own fur and blows air under the 'roof' of the nest, keeping it at a perfect temperature. Us meer humans cannot provide such exacting care let alone provide the natural makeup of their mothers milk which changes in properties as they grow.
Moreover, the kits may not even have received the colostrum which is the first drink of their mum's milk containing all of the antibodies which they need to remain healthy.
Many many breeders would not waste their time attempting to hand rear such young kits, but our philosophy is that at least we tried and the kits may pass away feeling cared for and loved as opposed to literally left to die by their helpless mother and by us, who are almost as helpless.. but with a little effort, a lot of skill, even more luck and some simple hand rearing supplies, there is a slim chance that we might be graced with good luck and enough time for another rabbit mama to save the day and foster the poor things.
The chances of successfully hand rearing rabbit kits is slim to nothing as there is just so much that can go wrong and the absolute best chance that the kits have for survival is a foster mum, but sadly there is not one available. We can still hope that one becomes available before it is too late but in the mean time the best option was to try to hold Crookshanks and allow the kits to feed.
However, when we tried this method we found that poor mum has no milk. Therein lies the problem.
Therefore all we can do is try to hand feed and pray another doe gives birth in time for us to slip these kits into her nest.
Our hopes that they will last the night are very slim.
They are on a heat mat and we have given a small feed of condensed milk but this has to be done far more regularly than the once or twice per day that their mother would feed them. Rabbit milk is so nutritious that rabbit kits are built to take a feed in the night then receive very little attention from mum all day.
Things that could go wrong here are that the kits have to get the hang of either sucking milk from a cotton wool bud or taking from the end of a syringe. Then they could get too little or too much. The milk could go down the wrong way or go down too fast which could be fatal. The milk could end up going up their nose which could be fatal. It could be too cold for them to digest or too warm. We might fail to toilet them properly after each feed which is something their mother is most skilled at. They could physically get too hot or too cold. Mum keeps the kits naturally in a nest made from her own fur and blows air under the 'roof' of the nest, keeping it at a perfect temperature. Us meer humans cannot provide such exacting care let alone provide the natural makeup of their mothers milk which changes in properties as they grow.
Moreover, the kits may not even have received the colostrum which is the first drink of their mum's milk containing all of the antibodies which they need to remain healthy.
Many many breeders would not waste their time attempting to hand rear such young kits, but our philosophy is that at least we tried and the kits may pass away feeling cared for and loved as opposed to literally left to die by their helpless mother and by us, who are almost as helpless.. but with a little effort, a lot of skill, even more luck and some simple hand rearing supplies, there is a slim chance that we might be graced with good luck and enough time for another rabbit mama to save the day and foster the poor things.
Christmas Babies!!!
Well, it is Christmas Eve and Crookshanks has delivered 4 huge, healthy Dwarf Lop kits!
Extra carrot for mama bunny today :o)
Extra carrot for mama bunny today :o)
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| Crookshanks |
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| Proud Daddy, Peregrine |
4 become 3
Poor Ginger lost one of her pups yesterday. We did a headcount in the morning and all were bouncing around then a short while later I could only see three and the little brown pup with a white face had just died :o(
No clues as to why, he looked fit and healthy so just one of those things I suppose but it does make us worry about the rest of the pups.
However all 3 are still doing well so fingers crossed they all survive.
No clues as to why, he looked fit and healthy so just one of those things I suppose but it does make us worry about the rest of the pups.
However all 3 are still doing well so fingers crossed they all survive.
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Guinea Pig Pups: First Pics!
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| Ginger would like to present her new brood: |
The pups are just 2 days old and thriving. We are thrilled with them. They are a very flashy bunch with some unusual markings! The black one above has already landed the nickname 'Panda' for obvious reasons and the little light coloured pup is nicknamed 'Amy' due to the eye marking that looks like makeup which the late Amy Winehouse would be proud of...
I should point out that we have not handled the babies yet and I have no idea whether 'Amy' is a boy or a girl...
Here are some more cute snaps:
Literally the size of hamsters, it is hard to believe that Ginger gave birth to these four huge fully formed and ready to go pups! When you consider that rabbits are born as much smaller, naked, blind and deaf embryos as are all rodents, it is hard to believe that scientists still insist that the guinea pig (and in my opinion the chinchilla for the same reasons) be classified as a rodent. Anyway, soapbox aside, I am very proud of Ginger who is nursing these four with her two nipples and so far there is no clear runt. GO MUMMY PIG!
Farmers Tradition
Just incase we do not BLOG much over Crimbo.. I thought I'd share a little Victorian tradition which we will be doing on Christmas Day.
It is traditional for farmers & smallholders to feed their animals a double ration on Christmas Day... wait for it... not so much as a good will gesture toward their charges.. but because they would be too drunk and inebriated to see to the animals again that day!
So cheers to all the animals and they can be sure to get a traditional double ration on Sunday.
Not to mention, the wild birds will be in for a treat because another age old tradition is to feed the wild birdies whilst feeding the poultry on Christmas Day. Now this is a genuine good will gesture to Mother Nature.
It is traditional for farmers & smallholders to feed their animals a double ration on Christmas Day... wait for it... not so much as a good will gesture toward their charges.. but because they would be too drunk and inebriated to see to the animals again that day!
So cheers to all the animals and they can be sure to get a traditional double ration on Sunday.
Not to mention, the wild birds will be in for a treat because another age old tradition is to feed the wild birdies whilst feeding the poultry on Christmas Day. Now this is a genuine good will gesture to Mother Nature.
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| In For A Treat |
Lucian's Nativity Play
St Oswalds School did a fab job of their Nativity this year with a 'Children Around the World' theme about how different cultures celebrate Christmas.
Here is Lucian's part. He played 'China' and waived paper lanterns around like a loony whilst beaming at his proud mummy & daddy in the audience LOL
Christmas Orla
Orla the Chocolate Mini Lop (or chocolate mini BAR as Lucian calls her!) gets lots of cuddles because she is so chubby and fluffy. Therefore she is turning out to be a particularly relaxed lap-bunny...
A Much Needed Update
We have been without Internet for a while and in the run up to Christmas quite a lot has happened!
We have some sad news, some extremely sad news and some nice news.
Faro, the service dog puppy has now left us to go on for further training. He left on 16th December and it is very quiet without him! We have agreed to take further puppies during 2012 but will be taking a short break because a special surprise is coming soon and will take up our time for a month or so... Watch this space!
Even sadder news is the loss of our billy goat Handlebar who decided not to see in another New Year.
We don't know exactly how old he was but estimate around 10 years old judging by his teeth and majestic set of horns! We were very sad to see the old boy slip away and he has left a big hole, the place definitely is not the same without him. We bought him up to the house and gave him a big bowl of strong tea and a comfy pile of hay where he lay, called to his little herd for a while and lay down where he sadly passed away. He may have decided that another Winter would be too much and having recently mated with Hermione, I suppose his job was done and we will very much look forward to the safe arrival of his kids in the Spring, but not without a touch of sadness that he could not see them for himself. Wilbur, the little white Mini Lop buck sat with Handlebar like a small fluffy angel and stayed there keeping him company during his last hours.
In other news, ginger the Guinea Pig successfully gave birth to 4 beautiful pups during the night yesterday, 19th December. We will endeavour to post some photos of the new arrivals.
We have some sad news, some extremely sad news and some nice news.
Faro, the service dog puppy has now left us to go on for further training. He left on 16th December and it is very quiet without him! We have agreed to take further puppies during 2012 but will be taking a short break because a special surprise is coming soon and will take up our time for a month or so... Watch this space!
Even sadder news is the loss of our billy goat Handlebar who decided not to see in another New Year.
We don't know exactly how old he was but estimate around 10 years old judging by his teeth and majestic set of horns! We were very sad to see the old boy slip away and he has left a big hole, the place definitely is not the same without him. We bought him up to the house and gave him a big bowl of strong tea and a comfy pile of hay where he lay, called to his little herd for a while and lay down where he sadly passed away. He may have decided that another Winter would be too much and having recently mated with Hermione, I suppose his job was done and we will very much look forward to the safe arrival of his kids in the Spring, but not without a touch of sadness that he could not see them for himself. Wilbur, the little white Mini Lop buck sat with Handlebar like a small fluffy angel and stayed there keeping him company during his last hours.
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| A Sad Passing |
In other news, ginger the Guinea Pig successfully gave birth to 4 beautiful pups during the night yesterday, 19th December. We will endeavour to post some photos of the new arrivals.
Monday, 5 December 2011
Ginny
Sadly, as no great surprise, little Ginny went to heaven last night.
Lucian & I were very attached to her already and wish there was something more we could have done.
Her two little friends Verity & Orla are doing great so that is some comfort but we do miss our little mini rex :o(
Lucian & I were very attached to her already and wish there was something more we could have done.
Her two little friends Verity & Orla are doing great so that is some comfort but we do miss our little mini rex :o(
Sunday, 4 December 2011
This Little Piggy...
Has been offered to us and I cannot resist! arrggghhhhh....
Kune Kune KUTE!
Kune Kune KUTE!
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| pick of the litter, ginger boar on the right |
Decline
Ginny's condition has deteriorated and we have not managed to get her swallowing either Herban or probiotic.
Not looking good :o(
Not looking good :o(
Baby Bunny Trials
This just goes to show that even for the experienced, taking on a young rabbit with little inf on their background is not easy.
Ginny the Mini Rex is now poorly and although her droppings are normal, she is very flat and lethargic.
I have put her by herself in a warm dark travel box and we are going to try to treat her with Herban which is a herbal antibiotic and we will also give probiotic yoghurt to increase the good bacteria in her gut.
Will keep you posted but we may need a trip to the vets to pick up a course of rabbit recovery.
Ginny was fine yesterday and this has happened overnight which shows how fast rabbits, especially youngsters, can crash downhill with no warning. This is a worse case than Orla who simply had a quick bout of runny tummy.
Fingers crossed as this could go either way :o(
Ginny the Mini Rex is now poorly and although her droppings are normal, she is very flat and lethargic.
I have put her by herself in a warm dark travel box and we are going to try to treat her with Herban which is a herbal antibiotic and we will also give probiotic yoghurt to increase the good bacteria in her gut.
Will keep you posted but we may need a trip to the vets to pick up a course of rabbit recovery.
Ginny was fine yesterday and this has happened overnight which shows how fast rabbits, especially youngsters, can crash downhill with no warning. This is a worse case than Orla who simply had a quick bout of runny tummy.
Fingers crossed as this could go either way :o(
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| fingers crossed for a rapid recovery for Ginny x |
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Broadwaters Laser Light Show
Made a quick video for the puppy walker diaries but thought I'd cross post here.
Went to the annual laser light show this evening and Lucian won a metal sheriffs badge on the lucky dip so he is very pleased with himself. He was also pleased to see Miss Rook, one of his teachers who had big hugs for him. 'Santa' was there too but we decided he was not the REAL santa as he was not fat enough!
Lucian had a mince pie and also a tree shaped biscuit and I had mulled wine which tasted like warm, liquidised mince pies LOL
Went to the annual laser light show this evening and Lucian won a metal sheriffs badge on the lucky dip so he is very pleased with himself. He was also pleased to see Miss Rook, one of his teachers who had big hugs for him. 'Santa' was there too but we decided he was not the REAL santa as he was not fat enough!
Lucian had a mince pie and also a tree shaped biscuit and I had mulled wine which tasted like warm, liquidised mince pies LOL
Starting New Baby Buns on Veg
The three baby rabbits that we purchased, Orla the Mini Lop, Ginny the Mini Rex & Verity the Lionhead have been on a diet of solely hay for a fortnight and they are all circa 10 - 12 weeks old.
We are now starting the risky task of introducing daily vegetables to their diet.
No greens until 6 months old, just very small cubes of inoffensive items such as carrot, swede, parsnip and apple. Each item has to be introduced one at a time and then we watch to make sure the droppings remain healthy and the rabbits remain lively.
It is important to get to know the bunny and her individual character first so that a naturally quiet personality is not mistaken for illness.
Not an easy task to notice a rabbit feeling unwell. Being a prey animal they try to disguise any pain or discomfort for fear of being picked off by a predator or bullied by other rabbits.
So far so good. Eventually the size of their tiny veg cubes will be increased. So a slice of carrot is at first quartered but then they will get half a slice and after another week or so 3/4 and so on.
We are now starting the risky task of introducing daily vegetables to their diet.
No greens until 6 months old, just very small cubes of inoffensive items such as carrot, swede, parsnip and apple. Each item has to be introduced one at a time and then we watch to make sure the droppings remain healthy and the rabbits remain lively.
It is important to get to know the bunny and her individual character first so that a naturally quiet personality is not mistaken for illness.
Not an easy task to notice a rabbit feeling unwell. Being a prey animal they try to disguise any pain or discomfort for fear of being picked off by a predator or bullied by other rabbits.
So far so good. Eventually the size of their tiny veg cubes will be increased. So a slice of carrot is at first quartered but then they will get half a slice and after another week or so 3/4 and so on.
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Ollivander Gets Into Trouble
Turned my back for 1 minute and what do I find? Olli in the fruit bowl chewing on orange peel!!!!
Not something that is likely to do the naughty rabbit much good.
I also had some biscuits out to go with my coffee and he has some very suspicious crumbs all over his nose...
Not something that is likely to do the naughty rabbit much good.
I also had some biscuits out to go with my coffee and he has some very suspicious crumbs all over his nose...
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| who me? |
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