My Private Farm off the Farm
• Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - Stinkin baby bunnies....
| As a child I raised rabbits (English Angora and Rex's)... and I loved it. I loved the babies and the differences between the breeds. The babies were obviously the best part. So I wanting to pass along the fun get my daughter both breeds. We have since scaled back to just the Rex's...since we could not keep up with the angoras.
We have just not had any successful litters. We just had a beautiful doe lilac doe make a wonderful full nest last night. We have fed her good food and for a week before she birthed we gave her huge dandilions...too boost her iron. This morning the kids burst in the house to tell me she had at least 3 babies.... we decide to keep out of the barn so she can tend to them. At 11:30 the baby takes his nap so me and dd go out to take a count of the kits....and they are ALL cold and lifeless.
So frustrating... I don't get it.. she made a great nest... I aam not a novice at this... but I am no expert. So I remembered the story of Pat Day and how his grandmother wouldn't give up on him when he was born early and she popped him into a shoe box and into the oven to keep him warm... so we brought the babies in and it did not look promising. They just had no life to them.
So we rubbed and held them in front of the heater....desperatly speaking Life over them .
One perked up in color!
Then the littelest started to move his legs...
They were still cold but they started to come around.
We got so excited.
In all she had 6 but we only got 3 to "stay" alive... one just wasn't strong enough and the others never did perk up.
So here we are at 8:30 and I have little baby bunnies in a nesting box on my stove. The oven is on and is just barely warming the box. At one point today I did hold the bunnies under the mother and one got something. So my logic is this:... since rabbits only nurse once a day.. I will let her see them when it warms up tomorrow and then leave them out there for the duration...But darnnit I am bringing them in at night.
Don't get me wrong I know momma rabbits often have a sense about who is good and bad.. but come on! not the WHOLE litter!!! I may be setting myself up for failure but something in me HAS to try.. I am not sure where it comes from...Lord knows I have an odd compassion for animals.
The horse has to go and get bred. I am hoping the man of my dreams picks me up two dairy sheep on the way home. But at the same time.. I feel like I have just suck at letting animals birth on this farm. Ironically *I* can birth unnassisted in my bedroom and then go to sleep... but these animals that should have SO much instinct are really dropping the ball. Good thing I didn't have these dingbats to learn about birthing instincts from! Sheesh.
Tomorrow I NEED to make some mozz cheese and yogurt.
My brother had bought me this little digital picture frame. I finally set it up in the new living room. I loaded it with all kinds of shots... and loads of the girls (in process for adoption internationally)... and it makes me nuts that they are not here. Don't get me wrong... I know the time will be right.. but my birthday is coming up.. and I would love to be in Guate picking them up... what an awesome gift that would be! I know God is making it happen as it should.. Lord knows they are healthy and have been kept safe from harm....which is more then I can say about others with our agency. I look over and see their sweet faces....they shouldn't have to do grownup things and be strong.. they should be here and if it wasn't for my agency's complete ineptness.. they would have been here 3weeks before Easter!... but no the agency must not see me as a priority... they don't see these girls as a priority. UGh!
On a wonderful note... My Handsome man took my dog to the groomers!...she was beyond embarrassing...I never would have taken her because I would think that any groomer would not grasp that she is a farm dog and lives a great life...even though she looks like a hot mess. So now my dog haas been shaved down and is welcomed happily into the house. That was so touching to me....that he would do something for me that he would know that I would want but would never (and I mean NEVER) would have had the ovaries to do! She looks like a huge lab rat... but at least she has been shaved cleaned and shined up. I can live with a huge giant CLEAN lab rat...I mean really is that worse then the nest of bunnies sitting on my stove!
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