Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[SnowWhite]

Hi all,

 

I'm thinking about holding rabbit parties (like the hen parties but for rabbits!) and I's love to know what you think.

 

The idea is that I host a small party of say 6 people, show them the rablu, how to use it etc then focus on rabbit care, handling, health and nutrition that sort of thing. I've got many years of experience and lotsof knowledge and advice to share. Guests can ask loads of questions, handle my rabbits and get to enjoy coffee and cakes etc.

 

I've been in touch with Omlet who say it's a goer. The question is, would you or someone you know find this sort of thing interesting. What would you think I should cover in my rabbit talk?

 

Any ideas welcome!

[catherinee99]

I think it is a good idea and had been wondering about doing it myself as I hadn't seen anyone else doing them.

 

There is a lot of ignorance about basics like how to handle a rabbit so it's a really good idea and could help future bunnies so accidents are less likely to happen.

 

You could follow the structure of what they do with hen parties. I would do:

 

rabbit bit and pieces- how they work

neutering pros and cons (pros really)

How to handle one

 

Feeding- what to, what not to.

 

Common problems- teeth and nails.

 

Show them how to trim nails but don't let them do it on your bun

 

That should take an hour or so with lots of dismantling of eglu -how to clean it etc

 

Catherine

[The Dogmother]

Omlet asked me about hosting them, but TBH there weren't enough people interested in bunnies to make it worth doing a course.

[new_minilops]

I think thats a really great idea, being a new bunny owner i would have liked the oppourtunity to really get to know how they work and the list of things mentioned match all my concerns! In fact, i'm wondering at the moment how often their nails should be trimmed? I am getting them neutered in Jan/Feb and was going to wait and get the vet to trim them. They are house rabbits so don't have access to really hard floor...

[SnowWhite]

If you check your bunny's feet, their nails should not extend much further than the fur on their bottom of their feet. You need to check them once a week as if they get too long, it causes the bunny to put too much weight on their hocks (which can rub sore especially on carpet) and their toes can twist over.

 

It is really good if you can learn how to trim the nails yourself. Of course the vet can do it but a trip to the vet can be quite stressful for a rabbit. Buy yourself a pair of guillotine type cutters - I've included an example below. Stainless steel with a nice sharp blade are best. This is the type where you pass the clippers over the nail and squeeze, the blade slides up to trim the nail. I hope this makes sense.

 

Ask someone to hold the rabbit while you clip the nails. Take your time. Line up the clippers where you want to cut and cut firmly without pulling or twisting. If your rabbit has white nails this is easier as you can see the quick. Be careful not to cut this as it will bleed and bleed - but it is not the end of the world! If you rabbit has black nails, it takes more guess work but you can always trim a little, then a bit more if you need to.

 

The good news is the more you do this the better you will get and your rabbit will get to know the routine too.

 

I hope it all goes well!

 

P.S Omlet have an article on nail clipping here.

http://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/guide.php?view=Rabbits&cat=Rabbit%20Care&sub=Nails

 

[new_minilops]

Thanks!

I have them booked together to see the vet on saturday for the nails. I would try it myself but i think i will be more comfortable after watching the vet do it, and hopefully they will be ok, they will be together which may be more comforting for them!

I'll get some of the clippers anyway and see if i can manage it before we bundle them off!!

Thanks for your help!