Bunny Behavior & Health
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bunny behavior
Bunny behavior and health issues are addressed in the Hot Cross Buns Blog. Check back frequently, as we plan to post information on diet, treats, exercise, spaying/neutering, and much more.
A peanut is a rabbit kit that carries two copies of the dwarf gene, inheriting one copy from each parent. A healthy dwarf rabbit will inherit one copy of the dwarf gene from one parent, and the “normal” gene for size from the other, while a “false dwarf” will inherit a copy of the normal sizing gene from each parent. A peanut is a rabbit that is genetically unable to grow and thrive. Within a matter of hours or days, its brief life will end.
A peanut has some telltale characteristics that are present at birth or shortly thereafter.
Even if a peanut is able to take supplemental milk from syringe feeding, its body is unable to process the milk and it will still grow weaker until it dies. Many breeders remove the peanuts from the mother as soon as it is apparent that they are, in fact, peanuts and are incapable of surviving. At Hot Cross Buns, we prefer to leave the peanut kits with their mother and litter mates, allowing them to derive as much warmth and comfort from them as possible for the duration of their short lives. The mama rabbits know that something is wrong with these special babies, and will often spend extra time with them, trying to get them to nurse. We have witnessed our does gently licking a lost little one, nudging the lifeless body of her baby, to wake it up. These mamas mourn the loss of their babies, and we think it’s important for them to have time to say good-bye to them. Below are some photos of a healthy Holland Lop kit and its three peanut litter mates. Note the size differences. They are three days old. The largest kit has a full tummy, and well-developed legs. It was obvious the smaller kits were peanuts when we checked the litter at birth. The larger solid blue baby (left side) was believed to be healthy at birth and was of similar size to the other solid baby, although more prominent eyes were noted. After one day, the kit was not gaining weight and weaker hind legs were noted. Also note the more pointed area just above the tail. Their bottoms should be nicely rounded, rather than pointy. The smaller peanut will most likely pass in the next 24 hours, while the larger ones may live for several more days. We will give them all the love and comfort they can have during their brief lives.
3 Comments
Ashley
4/7/2021 10:53:09 am
I am so glad to have found a more recent blog post about peanuts - specifically for Holland Lops. Our sweet mama just had her first litter and I am trying to determine whether we have a mildly thriving peanut or if he's just a runt.
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Amy
4/8/2021 02:21:22 pm
Hi Ashley! I'm so glad we could help with some new information for you. My apologies for the lack of pictures. I don't know if it's my computer or the hosting interface that keeps changing them from the pictures I select. If you contact us through our email, hcbhollands@gmail.com, I will be able to send you some peanut pictures.
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Heather
2/13/2023 12:24:36 am
I have Mini Rex that I had two kits come up as peanuts. It was rough because I got conflicting info if they should be immediately culled or left to nature. Knowing that they wouldn’t make it is always the worst news but also knowing that the Mom could get closure did help. I ultimately let nature take its course and Mom pushed them to the side when death did occur. She was very calm when I took them out as if knowing they had passed. She isn’t like that if I have to take some kits to be fostered due to large litter sizes. Your article helped me to let Mom be Mom and mourn in her own rabbit way.
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AuthorAmy, the Big Bunny at Hot Cross Buns, enjoys raising the Buns (of course!), writing, crafting, woodworking, Bible studies, reading, gardening, being a wife and mom of five. Does she really have time to do it all? No, but she tries her best and drives her husband crazy in the process. She wishes to point out that she never said she enjoyed interior decorating (hopeless!) and organizing (that's her younger daughter's gift). Please don't expect a home worthy of a spread in House Beautiful when you arrive to pick up your Hot Cross Bun. Categories
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