Breeding Quality Rex Rabbits since 1993 https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/ 2026-04-17T08:13:13+00:00 https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/ https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=logo.png text/html 2020-09-18T18:28:59+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:cold_weather&rev=1600453739&do=diff ... stay tuned ... text/html 2016-06-08T19:23:56+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:hot_weather&rev=1465413836&do=diff Hot Weather Care We also installed a misting system this year. The spray is aimed outward so the rabbits don't get wet. Rabbits don't do especially well in the heat and the mist helps to keep the air cool when it gets really hot. We usually only get a handful of days that are very hot (over 30C/86F) and it worked quite well this past summer (2014). text/html 2018-08-01T15:52:35+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:housing&rev=1533138755&do=diff Rabbit Housing My rabbits aren't house pets, but they are well looked after and have good housing. They all have things to chew, toys to play with, and places to sit off the wire. Most also have litter pans that get changed regularly (some refuse to use them). Most have places to hide - I occasionally get a bunny that insists on using every house I try to give them as a bathroom. With these, I usually remove all hidey-holes for a while. I always try them again after a while to see if they've ch… text/html 2022-03-31T05:00:22+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:inside&rev=1648702822&do=diff This page shows some of my rabbit housing, both old and new. Rabbits can be very territorial so it is not always possible to have them share cages or pens. Sometimes it is possible to keep rabbits in a colony setting (that's a large space where multiple rabbits live), but this usually only works with does or immature juniors, and then only if they all go in the space at the same time. Introducing a new rabbit to an established 'colony' usually results in fighting. Many who use colony housing us… text/html 2018-02-11T20:53:00+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:nesting&rev=1518382380&do=diff Nest Boxes I use two main kinds of nest boxes in my indoor cages (the outdoor cages have built in houses so don't need nest boxes): Plastic ones made from storage bins with a hole cut in the side: Note that you will have to cut or drill some holes at the top edge of the bin or in the lid, otherwise frost can build up inside. When that melts, the whole nest can get wet, which is really bad. text/html 2023-08-14T00:21:09+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:outdoors&rev=1691972469&do=diff The Outdoor Rabbitry Over the Years This page shows some of my rabbit housing, both old and new. Permanent link: <http://bit.ly/mhr-housing-out> Rabbits can be very territorial so it is not always possible to have them share cages or pens. Sometimes it is possible to keep rabbits in a colony setting (that's a large space where multiple rabbits live), but this usually only works with does or immature juniors, and then only if they all go in the space at the same time. Introducing a new rabbit … text/html 2016-07-26T18:05:43+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:retirement&rev=1469556343&do=diff Retirement Many of our rabbits spend their “golden years” in retirement, where they get to enjoy big pens, and a fair amount of freedom. Rabbits can often live together peacefully when they are older, and most have little interest in digging holes. text/html 2019-05-22T20:38:48+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:shelves&rev=1558557528&do=diff Shelves and Cage Height The care regulations that were instituted in Canada in 2018 include a requirement for higher cages than before. I've been moving towards higher cages for some time, and while my stackers are still 18“ high (which is above the minimum required height), most of my other cages are 2' - 3' high. text/html 2016-06-08T19:23:56+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:sprouting&rev=1465413836&do=diff ... stay tuned ... text/html 2019-07-16T18:59:40+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:starting_out_101.1&rev=1563303580&do=diff Starting Out in Rabbits 101 Reposted with permission from Oceanside Angoras October 31, 2017. I'm watching a lot of beginners start in rabbits and I'm watching a lot of mistakes being made. I'd like to address some of them: 1 - Not waiting for quality. This is the first and biggest mistake. You contact the top breeders and every one of them tells you that they have a waiting list, or they might have something in the spring, or maybe fall around convention time. Meanwhile another breeder is … text/html 2017-06-07T17:29:57+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:test_breeding&rev=1496856597&do=diff What We Can Learn from Test Breeding (pictures to come) There is a lot that can be learned from test breeding, however, it is usually only used to test for the presence of easy to identify traits - typically those that are determined by a single gene. People don’t usually test breed for type - developing type is a much slower process and can take your whole career. text/html 2016-06-08T19:23:56+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:toys&rev=1465413836&do=diff Toys Toys are important for your bunnies. Almost any hard plastic toy will work. Also clean wood (no cedar - it can be toxic).I've used 'megablocks', hard plastic cat toys (many bunnies love those cat balls with bells inside), table tennis and golf balls (practice and regulation), practice hockey balls and pucks, toy traffic cones, baby plastic links, and various other baby & building toys found at second-hand stores. text/html 2021-01-04T20:12:25+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.minkhollowfarm.minkhollow.ca/doku.php?id=care:winter_litters&rev=1609791145&do=diff Winter Litters October gets to be that time of year in the Northern Hemisphere when the nights get colder and sometimes the days don’t get much warmer than the nights. I've been raising Rex for over 20 years and I didn't used to breed in the winter but I've had occasional litters in the past when the temperatures were well below freezing - usually they do fine. I've had a few does lose singleton babies when it was 40 below but I rarely loose babies to the cold.