Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]


Welcome to Rabbit Addict.

The forums are a place to discuss all things related to rabbits and cavy. From breeding to pet, emergency to genetics questions. Our members are a mix of genetics enthusiasts, breeders, and pet owners looking to share their animals.

Hop on in and join the fun!
We don't bite. I promise.



You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as joining the discussion, customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Z-Rabbit's First Lion Head Breeding Experience
Topic Started: Mar 30 2014, 07:35 AM (255 Views)
ZRabbits
Love My Lions!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
After further discussions, we have decided to continue with plans of future breeding, but with my Lion heads. Well, not the ones we have here, but with future purchases of "show quality" stock. My husband is well aware of my wish to show and to get to have the experience of developing my Z-Rabbit Lion head line. As much as I want to "jump right in again", we have to be smart about it. So we continue to plan for our "senior years" with the ability for me to enjoy this hobby, as my husband gets as much pleasure as I do being around our Lion heads. He thinks "our girls" are the Best!

As Spring comes, and breeders plan, shows really start, I found a way to "push down that envy" and review my first experience in breeding. Always good for me to review, plus already know a few things that will be changed for the next experience. With the help of learning color genetics (thanks Neubunny) and reviewing Therapybunnies' show quality LH stock, I am forming 'my vision" of a show quality Lion head.

As always, I use photos to help bring back memories, and have been looking at the photos of my first breeding experience.

This photo brings back the memory of how absolutely nervous I was to breed, and the denial that the "one mating" even took. My husband knew though.

Posted Image

When I saw Luna do this, I got "butterflies" in the pit of my stomach. My first Doe "Mustache". I knew this as the "sign" that "kindling" was going to happen.

Waking up the next morning, I walked out and saw Luna, very contently sitting in her "home made" nest box.

Posted Image

(Note to self, give husband directions for better nest box. Love him for this as his heart was in the right place, but Luna did hurt his feelings by using this one as a litter box, and her litter box as a nest box. In the end, it makes the girls, at time of rising hormones, dig out their litter boxes to form nests and even one girl (Molly) to always use the litter box as a nest. So bad habit formed for future breeders. A correct next box will help form good nesting habits.)


I hopefully thought "false pregnancy", she looks great, nice and relax, but my husband chuckled and said "go look". I slowly went over and saw a mound of fur, it moved a bit, then I slowly pulled back, and saw this..

Posted Image

Today, I am still totally amazed at how well Luna did for her first time. There was no evidence at all that she kindled other than the soft wool over a mound she pulled during the night. And she was completely cleaned up herself.


4 lovely babies. No peanuts in the bunch, but a "slow developer" at the bottom. That's our Tonks, who turns out, though flourished, had hidden problems and we sadly lost her when she was a little over a year old.

Posted Image


Here at a week old
How fast the fur came in and the "evidence" of the double mane.

Posted Image

Posted Image

Eyes opened on time! Only had to help Ginnie open her eyes, with the helpful suggestions of breeders.

Posted Image

Box of Kits! Three weeks and completely mobile.

Posted Image

(note to self: Definitely give does a shelf to get up on and away from her kits. Moms definitely need a break and these times with kits in a box did wonders for Luna. Always time to either relax or definitely hit the hay and pellets. Hard to take of oneself with growing kits around.)

Loved this stage as you can now watch the two types of fur grow in. This is really the stage that I fell in love with my REW Lion heads.

Posted Image

Here's Ginnie at 3 Weeks Old. Though she has her faults as an adult, her chocolate color has really made me want to establish a Chocolate Z-Rabbit line.

Posted Image

Here's Ginnie at 5 Weeks Old. Just was amazing to watch the fur and wool development.

Posted Image

Here's Fleur at 5 Weeks Old.

Posted Image

(note to self: Weaned kits at 5 weeks as the crate was not big enough (not a good excuse) Luna really wasn't ready to wean them at this time, did leave Molly in. Thankfully Luna "dried up" well, but I think Molly could have used a bit more time with Mom. So bigger crate, longer weaning time UNLESS doe decides she's doing the weaning. Always take your cue from your doe.)

Looking back, even though I was very nervous, kind of did really well with my first litter and learned a lot. So glad of this experience, and still enjoying the litter and learning from them as well. All to help my future Lion head vision. Love my Lions!

KAZ


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
NeuBunny
Genetics Geek!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
:)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
sidd-says-gimme
Member Avatar
sidd says stay gold
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
I love this post. What a nice look back on your first (and only... but hopefully this will change into just your "first litter" soon!) babies. Lovely kits and Luna sounds like she was an awesome doe.

I do agree on weaning times. It's rare for me to take any kits at all from mom's cage before 7 weeks old. Sometimes I even keep them in there as long as 12 weeks... hehe. Usually 9-10 though. My moms are generally very tolerant and my babies don't usually bother their moms for milk (strangely). After that stage where they first start coming out of the nest box at around 3 weeks and get greedy, I never see them pestering the doe at all. Not sure why! My babies remaining from my shaded litters are still with moms, though I did take a couple from the litter of 6 early because it was such a big litter.

Lionheads are really funny. They look strange when they're younger, but once they start filling out and getting a mane they go from "kind of weird" to "super cute"! Definitely a breed that I wouldn't mind trying out someday.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZRabbits
Love My Lions!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
NeuBunny
Mar 30 2014, 08:51 AM
:)
Thanks Neubunny,

I still remember your advice of "new LH stock" being much better, if I was to continue. It did stick and sink in. Had a hard time convincing my husband though. My husband truly believed we could continue with our pair to show quality. He just sees our Lion heads and just loves them, lol. I did finally get him to understand "show quality" and that I would need to start over and find "show quality" stock. I start talking color genetics and what I want to achieve regarding mane and wool vs roll back fur, and I watch his eyes cloud over. lol. He's just their to love on them, as he says.

I've come a long way since "researching" Lion heads and choosing this pair of Lion heads. Wouldn't have it any other way. Truly learned a lot from this experience. And feel lucky it went so well. But if I want to continue, this will be the first and last.

Looking forward to the hunt for my "show quality" trio. Definitely know there is still lots to learn.

KAZ
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZRabbits
Love My Lions!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
sidd-says-gimme
Mar 30 2014, 08:55 AM
I love this post. What a nice look back on your first (and only... but hopefully this will change into just your "first litter" soon!) babies. Lovely kits and Luna sounds like she was an awesome doe.

I do agree on weaning times. It's rare for me to take any kits at all from mom's cage before 7 weeks old. Sometimes I even keep them in there as long as 12 weeks... hehe. Usually 9-10 though. My moms are generally very tolerant and my babies don't usually bother their moms for milk (strangely). After that stage where they first start coming out of the nest box at around 3 weeks and get greedy, I never see them pestering the doe at all. Not sure why! My babies remaining from my shaded litters are still with moms, though I did take a couple from the litter of 6 early because it was such a big litter.

Lionheads are really funny. They look strange when they're younger, but once they start filling out and getting a mane they go from "kind of weird" to "super cute"! Definitely a breed that I wouldn't mind trying out someday.
Yep, first and ONLY. But so hoping one day to experience again with Lion heads.


Lion heads look strange when they are younger? Coming from a Holland Lop breeder? "Airplane" ears? lol.

Yep Lion heads do have a "strange" period. You can definitely see that "strange" period with Ginnie at 5 weeks, lol But when they finally fill out, melts me.

Definitely need a better "weaning" regiment. Since I will be breeding "show quality" Lion heads, I will need to hold on to my kits longer to see their development. Plus will have to observe my new does after a few litters to see her weaning regiment. Always a learning, development hobby isn't it?

KAZ

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZRabbits
Love My Lions!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
"The girls" will be a 1-1/2 years old this Friday. What an experience it's been with these three. Can see the personality difference in each, plus certain similarities in their habits, learned from their Mom, Luna.

Molly, the biggest REW of the group

Posted Image

Definitely didn't at first think she would turn out to be such a shy and nervous doe, being the biggest of the litter. But size doesn't mean anything. With so much wool hanging in her face, and her eye color, I really think she has a hard time seeing. Which in turn would make her nervous. The food aggression, I spoke about, in another thread has toned down. Not that Molly figured that my hand wasn't their for her to bite, but just covering my hand with my sleeve, has stopped it, so far. Don't dread feeding Miss Molly in the morning. Fingers crossed.

Molly does know her name and also has great hearing. My husband proved this to me with a game he plays with her. He whispers Molly's name, and you can watch her recognize the whispered name, ears will perk up and she will turn and look right at him. She is sweet, and with the way I changed on how I approach Molly during feeding, it's nice to see her in the morning, instead of dreading her.

Fleur, my smallest REW

Posted Image

We have noticed a big change in Fleur. For the last several months, she's been on a tear in her crate. Destroying cardboard, moving everything, along with her litter box all over her crate. But lately, she's more relaxed. Does like to tear up her cardboard, but not with the intensity that it was before. Maybe with the beginning of hormones, it does take a few cycles for a doe to understand what's going on. Thankfully no fur pulling, like a true 'false pregnancy', but do feel my does were constantly practicing and felt that urgency all the time. With Fleur, can see she's not so intense. Definitely does NOT like grooming. The only one I have to use a "bunny burito" with to do nails. She hates to be on her back. Maybe dealing with her the way I deal with the big buns. Working with them on the ground, touching their paws constantly to be able to lift them to snip a nail.


Ginnie, My Chocolate Doe

Posted Image

Sweet personality, but what a mess she can be. Digging in her litter box to a point, it's thrown across the room. She hasn't been so intense lately as I've really stacked her litter box with hay. She's my best hay eater out of the girls. Loves her hay and will go through all of it. So compensating the digging with eating, maybe?

Maybe I'm seeing the pattern of mental maturity really hitting my Lion heads at 1-1/2? With Luna, saw that mental maturity really hit after weaning her kits. Luna was less than a year old. My girls didn't have a litter, which would have probably brought this mental maturity on faster? Don't mind me, just my thoughts and observations. lol

KAZ
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
sidd-says-gimme
Member Avatar
sidd says stay gold
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Sounds like they want some babies. :lol:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZRabbits
Love My Lions!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
sidd-says-gimme
Mar 31 2014, 01:13 PM
Sounds like they want some babies. :lol:
I think you are right. They are ready and waiting. Unfortunately they will be waiting a long time as in never. Will find ways to allow them to "deal with that stress". And it's not "making babies". lol

KAZ
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Ghost Rabbitry
Member Avatar
Social Bunny
[ *  * ]
Time for some updated pics :)
Posted Image

Website
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZRabbits
Love My Lions!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Ghost Rabbitry
May 23 2014, 12:40 PM
Time for some updated pics :)
Thanks! Definitely have a nice long weekend and the camera will be out. Hoping for some really nice weather so that I can get everyone out for a nice romp.

Everyone have a Happy and Healthy Memorial Day. And to all those who served, our heartfelt thanks for all you done! Everyone please be safe!

KAZ
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Breeding Basics · Next Topic »
Add Reply