Easter is several weeks of sweet goodbyes

When we sell our pet bunnies, I really interview the people who want to buy them, but  they are really not aware of the interview process....I find out if they have ever had bunnies, what they know about bunnies, what their expectations are in terms of care, maintenance, and the long term commitment.  When I sense that it's a whim, just a spur of the moment decision, I explain that we have had bunnies live over 10 and 12 years, that this is a major commitment.

When I sense that there is no understanding of the care needed we review what a bunny needs to prosper,  I share handling and feeding techniques.  If I decide they are fully ready for the responsibility we proceed with the sale, but we do Not sell when the nursery is not ready for the baby bunny or if for any reason we feel that the bunny will be neglected or harmed in any way.

God gave dominion of the earth to Adam and Eve but with it I believe there is a responsibility to see appropriate placements.   So if you come to our farm to shop for chicks, bunnies, goslings, ducklings, expect not to rush in and rush out....We care about our babies and take their placement very careful.  Expect to learn and be able to ask questions and make informed decisions....This is an educational process.  We want our animals to thrive in their new home, so give yourself time to look and ask questions,  We will not rush you.  We're hear to help you... The picture is of me saying goodbye to Digital Photography by Christy, one of several photographers who bought Easter bunnies.   I take the time to let the babies say goodby to their bunny mothers and let the mothers know they are leaving, and then I kiss them and say a prayer over them with closed eyes.... praying over them and their new owners.   We love our babies and want you to love them a long time to, through the teen times and into adulthood and old age.  We are just as serious as when we sell ducklings, poults, keets or goslings... You see we love all our babies..

March 10 - a day of ups and down!

A cool moist rain enveloped morning chores, making this a challenging morning for chores...But my heart beat with excitement as I approached the rabbits pens...Our White New Zealand mother, huge with child could not be found as she literally had white fur flying all around her.   She was desperate to build that nest...For five days now I've been bringing hay and she just put a thin layer in her nest box and it turned cold and she knew it was not enough. I ran to get her more hay and she was literally in the nest having babies, too a break turned around and grabbed that hay stacked by the nest.. Made the nest as she was having the babies and cleaning them up....Snow White Is just the epitome of a great mom...We think she had 12 babies ....Tomorrow I'll try to quickly count with my fingers, not my eyes!!!

Shana, our rescue bunny had I think 4 or 5....She's is so cute,,, it hit her all of the sudden that babies were due and she was a last minute builder but took about 1/2 her fur off!!!  

Isn't it just miraculous how God made the mother rabbits with built in messages on how to make a nest and that it's always just right for the weather...Those little bunnies are born with no fur.

I think we have 2 mini rex and 2 rex that will  give birth tomorro or the next day.. It has been a rough bunny season with all our changes in weather...I can almost forecast the weather by the depth of their nests and ho much fur was pulled.  Looks like a few cold days are coming up!!! So spoke the Mother Rabbits nest boxes.

Had 4 shots in my ankle to try to break the cycle of tarsal tunnel syndrome.  Let's hope it works...One managed to numb my leg and foot...Apparently I have foot arthritis...Ah the ravages of working and walking a lot, but I will not stop! Bionic feet are out there....I had one of the first surgeries for implants in my feet about 12 years ago for bunions and apparently I have no needed fluid between the bones especially in the surgery area...

Well enough of all that, I made huge chocolate chip cookies for Jacque, he needs the weight and now at almost 9:00 pm it's time to begin to rest!

Here's my favorite photo of me with 3 of our mini Lop's babies - Nea Nea, named after my good author friend Renea Winchester.

Keep your eyes open for everyday miracles and wonders.   God has placed them all around us! Have a blessed time and Remember the Past is History, Today is a Present and Tomorrow is a Promise...So live, love, hug, pray and praise today!








 

Foster mothers located for Bluesie's babies & memories of Bluesie

Some of you know that yesterday was another heartbreaking day for Farmer Nancy...A tiny 2 1/2 pound Netherland Dwarf Doe, color was blue with beautiful eyes, left our farm for bunny heaveb... Her name was Bluesie and her charm was extensive.  She came to us in Spring 2010 as a farm to farm exchange farm from friends in Alabama.  They left with a treasured Blue Copper trio and several Black Copper and blue copper Marans babies and Nancy got to play with two white netherland girls, one black otter girl, one blue netherland girl and one chestnut boy otter and one white Netherland boy.  This was my First experience with the little ones.   I would often bring the babies into the living room to scamper over me while we began to wind down for the evening.   Bluesie never really ran far away. She preferred to tuck herself under my shoulder length hair and lean her head against my head and she was so content, nusling in to warm her tiny body by neck and in my hair.

Being farmers we know that we are caregivers of our animals only for a short while, as many are rehomed and some will also die too young for our wishes....   Bluesie had given the Farm 2 litters of beautiful, healthy babies. Yesterday, I was concerned as she seemed very slow and sluggish.   Her first set of babies was born Late Dec. 2010 and the second just 12 days ago... I lifted her and knew she was in trouble.  Her normal petite self was thinner than normal. 

As Jacque and I dashed to try to save her life, it soon became apparent to me that it was too late for live saving measures and I held her throughout the day and rocked her, petted her, told her how very much we loved her and we were so happy we had kept her lookalike daughter born in December.  Then, she died in my arms at 3:55 pm.   I had remained on watch all day and still her death struck me into a fury of tears. 


At exactly the time of her death, a prescheduled visitor to the farm named Beth was so super sweet and nice because I was so distracted, I could not focus on the animals I was trying to show her!  The farm with it's 500 animals last night seemed oddly empty.  There was no tiny Bluesie jumping off the top of her nest box to come and see me and there would not be again.   Her daughter at 3 months old was larger than her mother had ever been. Although very affectionate.  She had never traveled to my shoulder and nested in my hair and falled asleep there as content as any bunny has ever been.


I'm pleased to say that all of Bluesie's babies inside the nest of three other mothers, one is located with Nea Nea (our petit mini lop), another with Ola, the Black Otter, and two With Chinup or Chinchilla rabbit.   All mothers looked at me when I checked on the babies, like I didn't birth that baby, but all have accepted their foster children but I imagine they will be rather amazed to see the size of them when they jump out in the pen in a few days with their eyes opened!!!! We are grateful to the foster mothers and their willingness to help.

As this is the time for much bunny buying, I write this story only to say Love your Bunny, Take good care of her or him.  You may have them for 10 years, 1 year, I don't know, but what I do is that they will carve a place in your hard or perhaps your shoulder that nothing or no one else will ever hold.