I get this question on a daily basis so that always means it’s time to blog! The number one quality families want in a bunny is for them to be snuggly. You will see in our videos we post on Instagram of us holding and handling the buns and they are calm. I’m always asked… “Which bunny is the most snuggly out of the litters?” So let’s get into the nitty gritty of what to expect when adopting a baby bunny.

First off, rabbits are a prey animal but did you know that domesticated rabbits are not even the same species as wild rabbits? Those cute cotton tails you see hopping around your backyard are apart of the hare family. Domesticated rabbits belong to the Lagomorpha family. Although rabbits are prey animals, there are many ways to socialize domesticated rabbits to have them living happily in your home.
The first and most important stage in bunnies lives is how they are raised from birth, which is the breeders job. Here at Blue Clover our bunnies live indoors in the most realistic home style environment. We have individual solid floor pens that are spacious enough for each mama and her babies. Aside from a clean and spacious environment, socializing is the most crucial part of a bunnies development. Every breeder or person has their own opinion and I respect that but this is my point of view from raising rabbits since 2011.

When babies are born here they are handled from day one. Did you know domestic rabbits eyes don’t even open until around 10-11 days? Wild baby bunnies are born with their eyes open for obvious reasons. Otherwise there probably wouldn’t be very many wild buns hopping around due to predators! So since domestic bunnies eyes aren’t open, they cannot associate anything with sight yet. They are also born deaf. So this leaves “touch”. They can most certainly feel everything around them. It’s so important to make a bond with them at this early stage so they are familiar with being handled and pet. Once their eyes open, they can associate you handling them with sight now and you are not a threat to them. This is a crucial step in development and one of the main reasons why we are not a “hobby breeder”. This is a lifestyle and it’s every single day for me. Occasionally I have helpers come too!

So all that being said, no breeder can ever guarantee personality traits in baby bunnies. We can give you a description of what they are like currently, which is usually easy to handle and sweet, but things can change and most likely will change. Some change more than others and it’s not always bad changes. Just normal bunny behavior changes! I've seen it where people have had super snuggly babies and then a few months pass by and they are still very social but don’t like being handled. Sometimes it is honestly human error and I have actually helped numerous people just tweak and adjust the way they pickup and handle their bunnies and everything is ok after that! And in rare cases, sometimes the buns just do not want to be picked up. So yes, you can have a snuggly baby bun (and you most likely will) but it “can” change.

Rabbits go through a hormonal stage and it can start as early as 8 weeks which is right when you would be getting them. That doesn’t mean that every rabbit that leaves changes the day they get home. But it’s just to educate you that it is possible that the hormone levels could increase that early. A hormonal rabbit will usually be “testy” or have an attitude like a teenager. Males will tend to run in circles around your feet and almost all male buns will spray pee once they start getting hormonal as well. Both genders can get attitudes and you may notice them stomping their feet because they don’t approve of something or they are irritated. This is all normal behavior to expect and the solution is getting them fixed sooner than later. Call to ask your local exotic (experienced with rabbits) vet to see what age they spay and neuter rabbits. Some can do it as early as 3 months while others will wait until 6 months old.

All in all, when you see cute tiny baby bunnies online, be sure to keep this information in mind when making a decision whether to get one or not. Baby bunnies are cute and snuggly and adopting them from responsible and reputable breeders will definitely increase the odds of having a social and hopefully snuggly bunny. But the reality of it doesn’t always turn out that way. We are in contact with SO many families that have adopted bunnies from us and a lot of them have snuggly bunnies still to this day. It’s not too common that we’ve had families have difficulties handling their buns but it has happened as with every other rabbit breeder in the world.

If you are completely set on only wanting a snuggly bun then your absolute best option is to get one that is at least 6 months old and already spayed or neutered. Those buns will mostly be set in their ways by then. So if they are easy to handle at that stage then you probably got yourself a winner!
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This blog wasn’t to scare you out of adopting a baby bunny. But more so to educate you on what you could possibly encounter. Like I said above, if you find a responsible breeder that handles their babies daily, your chances will definitely be higher of getting a snuggly bun!

The reason I chose to list this as the first reason is because it's the most meaningful to me. We started taking our bunnies out in the community last year and we've recently been blessed to find a few more homes and a nursing home to bring them to! There is nothing like seeing the look on families faces when they come to pick up their bunnies. Don't get me wrong, it's such a good feeling. But to see the residents in these homes smile and say that it made their whole week is simply priceless. I've heard so many stories that break my heart such as families never coming to visit them anymore because they are too busy or "not themselves" anymore due to their condition. I could rant on about my opinion on that but I won't. But I will say we only get our family once and once they're gone, they're gone. Be there for them and spend time with them. 

Also we recently just started doing bunny therapy session in our home! I love watching people oh and ah over our animals. It brings joy not only to them but us too! I'm so thankful that God has opened a door for us to be able to do this. We are in the long process of finding a new home that is bigger to accommodate larger groups and more activities for our community to come to! Can't wait to see what the future holds for Blue Clover!

Here are a few pics from the adult family homes we've been to! I wish you could see the looks on their faces but unfortunately due to confidentiality, we can't post their faces. They all have the biggest smiles though!!

We raise boxers as well and it still amazes me to this day that Bailey and Bo do SO well with our bunnies. I remember how good Bailey was when she was just a puppy and when we got Bo I said to myself...there is no way I will have two boxers that are good with bunnies. Well lo and behold Bo loves the bunnies as well! They are so gentle with them and Bailey is such a nurturing dog. I almost think at times she thinks they are her babies! From some of the pictures below you'll know what I mean! Boxers are high energy dogs but with the proper training they can be very well behaved. I've been considering writing a blog post on how I socialize our dogs with the bunnies so you may see that in the near future!

I frequently get emails from families that just send me updates on their bunnies. A lot of the time the emails start out as, "I know you're busy but..." or "I don't know if you'll see these but...". I am a very busy lady but I LOVE getting updates and I see and respond to every one of them! Never hesitate to send me pictures or updates! Some of my best days start out with messages I wake up to of families who are sending me selfies with their bunnies or letting me know how well they are doing. Some people even have questions or concerns and I never want you to feel like you can't ask me! The fact that you are reaching out and concerned or just wanting to see if something is ok gives me comfort that you care about the well being of your bunny! If you have a bunny from us than you have bought into a life time support system through us so don't hesitate to use it!

Below are pictures I've received from families! These are so valuable and they're all saved to my computer!

​​It's very important that your rabbits get the right amount of nutrients every day. Feeding your rabbit incorrectly can lead to obesity, dental issues, and possibly even death. Rabbits are more sensitive animals than a cat or dog so making sure they have the correct diet is vital to their well being.

Rabbits need a high fiber diet. Even though they can eat fruits, they should be given in small quantities. More as treats than a full meal. If you notice their stool getting soft or stuck to their bottoms, stop giving fruit and only offer them high fiber foods. Once they begin having normal stool again, you can add a smaller amount of fruits back to their diet. Remember fruits are high in sugar which is why they should be given in small quantities. Your rabbit will most likely enjoy most fruits you introduce and beg for more. Don't give in! 

Safe fruits:
Pineapple
Strawberry
Blueberry
Apple
Banana
Blackberry
Raspberry 
Papaya (Also used to unblock the digestive system when necessary)
Pear
Starfruit

Not all vegetables are high in fiber. For instance, carrots are high in sugar and should only be given sparingly. Next is a list of vegetables that are safe for rabbits but should only be given in small amounts.

Safe vegetables in small amounts:
Carrots 
Parsnips
Sweet peppers
Beetroot
Squash
Pumpkin (Also used to unblock the digestive system when necessary)
Cauliflower (Can cause gas)
Broccoli (Can cause gas)

​Most leafy green vegetables are high in fiber and should make up a good portion of your rabbits diet. Some families choose not to feed pellets to their rabbits which is completely ok. They can get the right amount of vitamins and nutrients from assorted leafy greens and a mixture of hays. A lot of families choose to feed pellets because it's already a balanced diet and it's much cheaper than 4-6 cups of fresh vegetables every day.

Safe vegetables:
Romaine lettuce
Broccoli leaves
Celery
Kale
Radish tops
Parsley 
Mint
Basil
Cilantro
Dandelion leaves
Collard greens
Bok choy
Mustard greens
Asparagus
Cucumber
Clover

Unfortunately there are rabbit foods and treats on the market that are not suitable for your furry little friends. Be careful when choosing a pellet that there aren't any colorful treats and seeds. The colorful treats are just carbohydrates which can cause obesity. Stay away from the following foods/ treats.

Unsafe foods:
Yogurt drops (A treat specifically for rabbits found in most pet stores)
Cereal
Hamster food
Bread
Pasta
Cookies
Crackers
Avocado
Nuts of anykind
Potatoes
Corn (No nutritional value)
Soy beans (No nutritional value)
Rice
Dairy
​Meat

I'd love to hear what you feed your rabbits! Comment down below!

​Proverbs 27:23 “Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds.”

​1. Willow Ball/ Nature Ball  Shop

2. Oxbow Timothy Carrot  Shop

3. Oxbow Timothy Twists  Shop

4. Willow Barbell  Shop

5. eCOTRITION Snak Shak Activity Log  Shop

6. Grass Beds  Shop

7. Apple Orchard Sticks  Shop

8. Living World Nibblers Shop

9. Loofahs  Shop

10. Carrot Sticks Shop

It’s important to have some first aid materials for your bunny in case of an emergency or illness. We always hope that nothing will ever happen but it’s best to be prepared just in case. You can have the safest housing and be feeding them the healthiest way but accidents and illness can still occur.
 
Here is a list of items we recommend you keep on hand. We’ve included links to some of the harder items to find on Amazon. It’s best to get a container to keep all these items in so it’s easy to grab.

Recommended Items:

• Q-tips
• Tweezers
• Disposable Gloves- To keep things germ-free.
• Vetericyn Wound & Skin Care- (Buy On Amazon) This is an antibacterial spray that can be used on cuts and scrapes. It’s safe for rabbits to use.
• Nail Clippers- (Buy In Our Store) It’s important to keep your rabbits nails trimmed regularly. Every rabbits nails grow differently so plan on cutting them every 4-6 weeks.
• Styptic Powder- (Buy On Amazon) If you cut their nails too close to their skin it could cause them to bleed. Accidents could also occur where their nail could get ripped off. You simply just dip their nail in the powder to stop the bleeding.
• Oral Syringes- (Buy On Amazon) You’ll need a syringe if your rabbits stops eating and needs to be fed orally. Rabbits can get GI Stasis (when the digestive system slows down or stops) so it’s important to administer the proper nutrients or medicine recommended by your vet to get their system flowing again.
• Oxbow Critical Care- (Buy On Amazon) A good supplement to syringe feed your rabbit if they stop eating.
• Papaya Tablets- (Buy On Amazon) Papaya is a natural way to keep their digestive system moving. This tablet is especially recommended for rabbits with more fiber such as lion heads, angoras, or any long haired rabbit.
• Rectal Thermometer- (Buy On Amazon) If you ever need to check your rabbits temperature it will need to be done rectally.
• Ice Pod- (Buy On Amazon) These are important to have during the heat of the summer. Rabbits can get overheated and these pods help keep them cool.
• Towel- A towel is important to have on hand in case you need to restrain them safely.

 

When to see a vet?

If there is ever an emergency beyond your knowledge please seek advice from your rabbit savvy vet. You can take your rabbit to the vet for an annual checkup once a year to make sure they are healthy. If you have adopted a baby bunny, it’s also highly recommended to get them neutered or spayed as soon as they can be. This is usually between the ages of 3 months-6 months. Every vet is different so call to ask how old the rabbits need to be. This will help with litter training or any behavioral problems.
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To find a vet near you that cares for rabbits, refer to this guide. Rabbit Vets In The U.S

One of the most important things to invest in for your rabbits is their living area. Some people are not a fan of caged animals and there are other alternatives for you to house your rabbit in a safe area without having them caged.

Pens
Exercise pens are a great way to have a cage free setup and you can be more creative with the goodies you want to put inside their area. With cages you are restricted to what you can put inside because of the limited space.
 
This first pen below is nice because it’s inexpensive and you can attach more than one if you want to expand the space. Some rabbits can jump pretty high so we recommend getting a pen at least 36” high. The higher the better, so if you want to spend the few extra to get a 42” it would be a good idea! It comes with (8) 2ft panels so it’s 16sqft. These pens are light weight and easy to move so if you wanted to give your bunny playtime outside, you just simply fold it up and setup outside!
Click on the link --->  amzn.to/2Pxy8kY
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Do you have a rabbit that is a chewer? Maybe they are chewing on wall base boards, carpet, or furniture? Well here are some tips and tricks to help!

Your Rabbits Area
How is your rabbit housed? I’m assuming most people reading this have indoor bunnies. Do they have complete free range of your house or are they fenced in a certain room or area? It can be costly to bunny proof your entire house but may be worth it for the time being. Confining them to a certain area or room is a good start to learning their behaviors and do some training. Be sure they have enough room and space to play in. If they are confined in a cage all day or most of their life, it will definitely play a roll in their behavioral changes and bad habits. Rabbits love attention and need attention like any living creature. If your bunny received a lot of attention when you first got them but then later down the road “life happened” and you drastically change how much they are interacted with, it could cause them to be bored or stressed and can result in bad chewing habits. Spend time with your rabbit in their area and be sure to give them attention daily. Try to be as consistent as you can.
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Are They Spayed/ Neutered?
If you got your rabbit when they were still a baby, chances are they didn’t have a bad chewing habit. Most families get their baby bunnies home and all is well until about a month or two later and then behaviors start to change. It’s not always a bad change. Some families choose not to get their rabbits fixed and their personalities are great and they are still good pets. When some rabbits get into that hormonal stage, they can start chewing on unwanted things. Getting them fixed is the start to calming them down.
 
Toys
Every rabbit has a different personality. Not every rabbits will play with or like the same toys. You may need to experiment around with a different variety of toys until you find something they like. Luckily rabbit toys are pretty inexpensive and some are even free! One method to try is the “digging box”. If you have a whole sale store near you such as Costco, be sure to always grab an extra empty box on the way out! Rabbits usually love a digging box and it keeps them entertained for along time. You can fill it with newspaper, toilet paper rolls, or any safe material that they like to shred. Put the box in their main play area and monitor their behavior to see if it’s helped minimize the chewing problem.
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All in all, rabbits chew and need to chew to ensure healthy teeth. Some chew more than others and you won’t really know until they grow out a little more and hit that hormonal stage. Try these tips to deter from any damage to your home!

Understanding rabbits and their behaviors is important when wanting to add them to your family. Rabbits do make great pets but they are not the same as your dog or cat. Read through this list of behaviors to educate yourself on bunny behaviors!

​Binkying (Twisty jumps)- When rabbits are excited they will run, jump, and twist in mid-air. This is called a binky. Your bunny is happy and getting their exercise in!
 
Biting- Biting usually means they are angry or scared. If you are handling them and they really don’t want to be messed with, they could potentially bite you. If they feel threatened by anything such as an aggressive dog while you are handling them, they may bite out of fear. Give them space if you’ve been bitten and regroup later with a treat and head rubs. Never hit your rabbit. That will only make the bonding process worse for you and the bun! Abuse does not correct rabbits.
 
Buzzing sound- If your rabbit is making a buzzing sound, it usually indicates they are happy or ready to mate. Even if your rabbit is fixed, they can still make this buzzing sound.
 
Chinning- Rabbits have a scent gland under their chin. If you see them chinning things, they are essentially marking their territory. It does give off a smell but not strong enough for us humans to smell. So next time your rabbit starts chinning you, they’re saying “you’re mine!”.
 
Circling- Rabbits do this when they are looking to mate. It could be displayed as a courting behavior, or they just want your attention. A good head rub, quality time, and a treat will get them to stop. Until the next time that is.
 
Grunting- Grunts usually indicate that they are unhappy or angry about something going on around them. If they feel threatened they may grunt, scratch, or even bite. They are territorial of their things such as food, food dish, bed, ect. So if you are cleaning out their area while they are inside of it and they begin grunting, just relocate them to a different area while you clean. If your rabbit is grunting, it’s best to give them some space.
 
Honking- If your bunny is honking, then he/she most likely wants to be more then just friends. This is an act of courting. They also could just be happy.
 
Flopping- This is usually a very dramatic and entertaining action your rabbit will do when they are extremely comfortable and feel no threats at all. Not to mention it is adorable to watch! It usually starts out with a long stretch and then a dramatic flop to one side or even a full roll.
 
Frog legs- Your rabbits hind legs will be stretched out behind him/her into a frog shape. They are content, relaxed, and feel safe.
 
Leaving random poos in the house- Sometimes you will see random scattered poos here and there. These are territorial poos to let other animals or anyone in the house know that this is their area. Especially when they enter a new environment this may increase for a period of time until they feel like it’s “their” space. Simply vacuum or sweep them up as necessary.
 
Licking- If your rabbit is licking you this shows signs of complete trust. They love you!
 
Lunging- This mostly happens when they feel you are invading their territory such as reaching your hand in to feed them. They are being territorial. Some ways to get them used to it is to have a treat noticeable in your hand. Open the cage and let them run up to you before sticking your hand in. Slowly and gently hand them the treat just outside of the cage door. When they approach you, be sure to give them head rubs so they associate cage opening with something good!
 
Mounting- Sometime families adopt two bunnies that are the same gender and then they catch one mounting the other one and immediately panic thinking they got one boy and one girl. Not saying that it’s not true because it does happen a lot especially when you buy from an uneducated breeder. Although even the best breeders still have room for error. If you are ever worried about their genders, take them to a vet to have a professionals opinion. Mounting is to usually show dominance or if not fixed yet, they could be trying to mate.
 
Nipping- This can mean multiple different things. They may just want attention from you. Rabbits sometimes groom each other by nipping softly. It doesn’t usually mean they are angry. A bite is different then nipping. Nipping is a soft bite. If you are bit by a rabbit it will usually break the skin and hurt pretty bad.

Nose-nudging- When a rabbit is nudging you with their nose they usually want to be pet or they want you to get out of their way. If you are petting your rabbit on the head and stop, they may nudge you for more pets.
 
Playing- Rabbits play by grabbing their toys in their mouth and throwing them around. They also like a “digging box”.  If you shop at Costco or any wholesale store that gives away boxes, grab a few next time you’re out. Your bunny will thank you. Fill the box half way with newspaper, toilet paper rolls, ect.
 
Ripping up carpet- Every rabbit has different behaviors. When you start off with a baby bunny, they are not hormonal so they usually don’t have any extreme behaviors yet. It’s usually a few weeks after you’ve brought them home that their personality really sets in. If they are digging up carpet try to have more toys for them in their area to deter them from scratching the carpet.
 
Screeching- If you ever hear your rabbit scream a high pitched sound, which is horrifying to hear, they are either in excruciating pain or extremely terrified. Some rabbits that are not very socialized with people may have trust issues. Never pick up your rabbit without them being aware of what you are doing. If they are asleep, be sure they are awake and alert before picking them up. Side note: Also educate yourself how to properly handle a rabbit.
 
Spraying- Males that are not fixed will nine times out of ten spray urine to mark their territory. When I say nine times out of ten, what I really mean is nine point nine out of ten times. It’s very unlikely that they won’t spray urine. Some females can spray as well but it’s more common in males. Females still leave urine as territorial markings but they usually don’t spray it out like males do. Getting them fixed will reduce their hormone levels and will likely stop them from spraying. It can take anywhere from one week to 4 months or in some cases even longer for their hormone levels to drop so don’t get too impatient or give up on them! Sometimes getting a higher litter box works great for the time being so any urine that is sprayed in the box will stay inside instead of spraying outside of it.
 
Thumping- This is usually a way of expressing anger or that they are irritated with something going on around them. Un-neutered males will thump when with a female to show dominance as well. It also could mean that they are wanting attention.
 
Tooth clicking- This light sound usually means they are pleased and content. Similar to cats purring, you will mostly hear this sound while petting your rabbit while they are completely calm and comfortable.
 
Tooth grinding- There is a difference between tooth clicking and tooth grinding. Clicking is more of a purring sound. Tooth grinding means they are in pain. Usually this will be accompanied by them looking very sickly. Hunched over, eyes closed, and not very active. If this is happening, immediately seek a vet.

Step 2. Gather Ingredients/ Supplies
-1 Heaping cup of rabbit feed ( about 6 ounces )
- 1/4 Banana
- Sliver of apple ( I cut an apple into 8 equal pieces and use half of one of the 8 pieces )
- 1/3 Cup water
- Food processor
​- Cookie sheet
- Set oven to 275 F

This blog post is long overdue but since I'm getting a lot of emails from breeders lately, here it goes!

We used to sell to breeders but due to many different reasons, we no longer will be effective April 2018. I'm not against breeding, I mean I am a breeder myself. I do believe if you breed any kind of animal, they should be apart of your family and not just stuck outside in a tiny cage and fed twice a day. If that's how you are raising you "pet" bunnies or any animal, shame.

There are several people who are interested in getting into breeding. We all have to start somewhere right? When I first started out I googled A TON of information and Facebook also has groups you can join that cover just about any topic you can think of! It's one of my favorite sources to use. There are several good books out there to help you understand rabbits from A-Z as well.

Some good books I've read are "Good Rabbitkeeping" by Sue Fox. This book covers a galore of information like the different rabbit breeds, diet and nutrition, behaviors, taming and training, and breeding. Another great book is "How To Raise Rabbits" by Samantha Johnson. This book goes a little deeper into breeding and what to expect when you have baby bunnies and how to care for your does when they are pregnant.

Click on the link below to order these books!
Good Rabbit Keeping- amzn.to/2NaaJbO
How To Raise Rabbits- amzn.to/2oBsva9

I am not the rabbitry for you beginner breeders to buy your bunnies from because I simply don't have the time to answer all the questions. You may think you just have one question for me but I hear this multiple times a day. It's not only you. I wrote this nice long email to a lady who was asking about breeding her buns and told her about all the groups to join and books to read and she responded to me that she just would rather ask me because I was a good source. I talk to between 50-100 people per day now and it's only increasing so I have to direct my business in a different direction. I want to spend my energy and time answering questions to past adoptees and for people who'd like to have rabbits as a companion. I have helpers that come to socialize with our buns but I am the only person that responds and meets all the families that contact us. This is a full time deal for me 7 days a week. I offer to all our families that adopt a bunny from us that they can contact us anytime with questions and as Blue Clover has grown tremendously in just this past year, I have to sort through what I can and can't do. I am only going to be answering emails from past families that have questions or possible future families that are interested in taking home one of our babies to be a companion. I try to keep the website packed with information for everyone to read up and have an understanding of what it takes to own and care for bunnies. If you ever have any questions (not breeding related), that you can't find on the website please contact me and ask away!

I will vent a little on here since it's my blog... I get messages from people that say " I put my boy bunny in with my girl bunny and they had babies, what do I do now?" These questions irritate the tar out of me and no offense, how irresponsible can you be? Before you put a boy bunny and girl bunny together, do some research. They will breed even if they are related! Rabbits don't have a heat cycle, their eggs drop down when they are bred. So they can get pregnant anytime. PLEASE please please don't breed at all if you haven't done the research and preparation it takes to care for a pregnant doe and baby bunnies. It's sad how many messages I get on instagram from people that say " I just bred my doe, now what?" You will not get a response from me. Now there are some exceptions such as families that buy two bunnies from a breeder that are both supposed to be the same gender and then a few months down the road they unexpectedly have babies!  It happens more than you know and I understand that it's not your fault! My best advice is read up and google questions. Maybe join a group on Facebook where many people have the time to respond to your questions. Or better yet, hopefully you adopted from a responsible breeder and you can contact them and they can help you. Sorry to say this....but you get what you pay for. Search and read sales policies and read reviews before buying a pet. Just because a bunny is $5 and the ad on craigslist says they are friendly doesn't mean they have good and healthy breeding does and bucks. Ask to see pictures or ask to visit. Ask questions!! If they can't answer easy questions than that is a sign. STAY AWAY!

Anyone that adopts a bunny from us can contact us at anytime with any questions. If it is health related, I can only give advice based on my experiences. I am not a licensed vet so I can't tell you what to do but if I have experienced something similar I will give you advice on what I did and then always say if you have any doubts of their health at anytime, to take them to a vet. I get potty training questions, bonding questions, and I've even had to coach people on how to hold their bunnies properly. I am here for you for the entire life of the bunny and I will support you the best I can! So if you are a family that has adopted from us, please don't be afraid to ask any questions even if it seems silly. I want you to be comfortable and confident in raising your bunny/bunnies! 

So back on track to the no selling to breeders thing... We raise our rabbits to be completely social with us. We not only bond with our baby bunnies, but ALL of our adults as well. They aren't just "breeding stock", these are my babies. I spend hours and hours every single day spending time with them, talking to them, picking them up, ect. When it's nice outside I have several pens I setup in the backyard. They get to run around and eat fresh grass and dandelions. Not only are they socialized with but they have an 1,800 sqft house all to themselves that I just remodeled! Talk about spoiled... I know it's a bit much but it's worth it to have happy healthy animals with free range space. I don't know the conditions or how other rabbitry's raise their bunnies and words and pictures can be deceiving. I want to believe all of you and it's not that I don't believe some of you, but I have had a few bad experiences where I almost cried on my way home from seeing these rabbitry's. I am not here to blast anyones name so I will never give names of who these people are. But I don't want one of my babies that I so delicately hand raised to go into a breeding program and just get fed twice a day and a head pat here and there. That's not a suitable life for a rabbit. Again, not all rabbitry's are like this!! There are some really great ones out there from what I can see from their website and reviews. 

The other day I had a very disturbing conversation on the phone with "the biggest rabbitry in America". Again I don't give names so I won't say it on here. A girl that comes and helps with our buns told me about them so I thought I'd check them out. They had some really cool colors but as I kept scrolling down on their bunnies for sale page, it literally never ended. I thought to myself...it had to maybe not of been updated or maybe they had some employees that helped out. Then they had a video of their setup. It was tiny cages and it just kept going and going with what looked to be like hundreds of rabbits. As I looked through the litters I could see the color of the dam and sire and babies and some were genetically impossible to get. I know I don't know it all so I went to my genetics Facebook groups and asked on there from the pros. So anyway... I'm talking on the phone with the owner because I had some questions. He said they had 135 breeding holland lops. 135!! That's a lot. He said they breed 6-7 does per week. So I asked if he had employees or how it worked. He said it was just him and his mom or maybe he said step mom. The point is, it was two of them. He said some other people would come over and cover if they were out of town or what not. This is when my heart sank. I asked him if he socialized with the baby bunnies and he responded with "oh yeah every day". He said they had 400 rabbits for sale right now!! 400!! People let me tell you there is no way on Gods green Earth that two people are socializing with these 400 babies every day. I have anywhere between 10-35 babies per month and when we socialize with them we don't just pet them while we're walking by to feed them. They have a run in our living room where I sit in and hold each of them and snuggle and talk to them. EACH individually. I can tell the same colored ones apart, that's how close I am to them. There's no way two people are "socializing" with 400 bunnies per day. I also asked him what size their cages were. He said they were 18x30 up to 24x30. I'm not against cages, but I am against those size cages especially with no free range time. I asked if the rabbits ever got to go in pens outside or taken out of their cages. He hesitated and trying to find his words said..."well....yeah about every two to three weeks we let them out for a little bit". TWO TO THREE WEEKS?! My heart is breaking just writing this right now. I could tell by the way he answered that he was lieing or just really had no idea exactly how often the bunnies were let out. Lastly I asked him about genetics, pretending I didn't know much. I asked how he could of gotten a frosty colored baby from a blue tort and black otter. He said "throw everything you think you know about genetics away. I've been breeding for 11 years and have had impossible colors come from my breedings." Genetics don't lie and there are some crazy things that happen but either he doesn't know his colors or he couldn't remember who exactly he bred to who. Or maybe I'm just being rude but this conversation really bothered me. I told him I was interested in coming to see his setup this summer and he said they don't breed too much in Summer, mostly just for Easter and Christmas. HORRIBLE!! People if you ever talk to a breeder and the conversation is anything like what I am describing right now...run. Some people say that they are rescuing the poor bunnies from that mill but you aren't. You are giving them business which they keep increasing their breedings. Their bunnies started at $250 so if you do the math and they had 400 bunnies for Easter and 400 for Christmas, that's $200k per year. This ladies and gentleman is called a bunny mill. If you have a different opinion I respect that and maybe this blog isn't for you to read.

Wow that felt really good to get off my chest. I will not name the rabbitry or their names so do not ask. I've given enough information that if you ever came across their website you will know what i'm saying!

So due to one thing after another, I can't imagine one of my babies being sent to a place like that or being housed in a tiny cage and never let out. I did cut back a few months ago and was just selling to breeders I have a trusting relationship with but then came the floods of emails how it wasn't fair that certain people got a bunny from me but they couldn't have one. So I just decided to cut it all off completely and my mind is made up. I still have people emailing me telling me they take good care of their bunnies and they are apart of their family as well. They are pleading to have one of our babies still. All I have to say is good! Keep up the good work and give breeders a better name! There are no more exceptions. We are selling to pet homes only and I would appreciate if everyone could respect my change in direction! I love seeing all the great things on instagram with certain rabbitry's and it fills my heart with joy! So keep up the good work and never stop improving your rabbitry, not for money's sake but to better the care you provide for your fur babies!

Blessings,
Adriana