I want to thank everyone who reached out on Facebook this week with love, prayers, advice and even offering to give us new bunnies. You guys are amazing.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Well, I am working on an instructional manual post on how to help your rabbits NOT DIE. Thanks to all of your advice I think I am now an expert. Not only could I write a book on “How to Help Your Rabbits Stay Alive” I think I am the poster child for, “What NOT to do when Keeping Rabbits.”
Go me!
No, I am not the person to be writing either of these subjects, since all my rabbits (except one) were killed this week.
What?!!
Ugh.
Darn it. Darn it. Darn it.
If you happen to be hearing about the attacks for the first time, here’s the short version:
We came home on Tuesday evening to find our rabbit hutches torn to tatters. The fronts of the hutches were literally ripped off and lying on the ground. There were bunny parts everywhere. It was horrible. One of the does (female rabbit) was apparently pregnant it because there were even baby bunnies still in their sacks lying on the ground dead. Two of the bunnies were missing.
DH and my oldest son grabbed some flashlights and went searching for the 2 missing bunnies. They came back to the house empty handed.
It appears that a German Shepherd and another large dog were to blame. Since the bunnies were only killed and not eaten, we figured it was a dog. The next morning we were able to find dog footprints around the cages. We also heard later from our neighbors that they saw 2 dogs in our yard.
Tuesday night, I tucked very weepy children into their beds. Wednesday morning when DH left for work he spotted one of the bunnies in the Cow field. He scooped up a very tired and grateful Hulk (our buck) and brought him back to the house. Words cannot describe the joy on my children’s faces when they saw that rabbit! One of the bunnies had survived the attack! It was one of those moments that brings tears to any mother’s eyes.
After being hugged for about an hour, Hulk spent the rest of Wednesday morning asleep in my living room. After his 3 hour nap he woke up to snacks and celery. Since his home is currently demolished, Hulk is enjoying the privilege of living with the ferret.
Our ferret cage boasts an upstairs and downstairs with a closable doorway dividing the two. We closed the door, removed all the ramps and now have a rabbit living upstairs and a ferret living downstairs. It’s like bunk beds.
We decided the ferret should be the one to get pooped on since he always stinks anyway. So, we now have 2 furry, happy critters in our homeschool room.
It is NO FUN when your animals die. No matter how small or insignificant they may seem.
If your small child is crying because his goldfish died – I will not laugh. I will not judge. I will hug him and tell him I am very sorry that his goldfish is dead. Because it stinks.
If you have animals you are going to loose animals. Period. The end.
This reality doesn’t make it any easier when an animal suddenly, unexpectedly, prematurely dies (or is killed).
It’s kind of funny when you realize that many of the animals around here are going to be killed by us (so we can have food), but I am upset when someone or something else kills them. Whether it’s a coyote, opossum, raccoon, dog, round-up or other outside party, it’s equally sad because it wasn’t intentional, it wasn’t time and you just feel violated.
Yes, we are going to continue keeping rabbits. I never would have guessed that we would enjoy having rabbits so much.
- My children play with them all the time.
- It is common to find a rabbit in our homeschool room during school.
- They are easy to keep.
We have our favorite buck in the world, Hulk, and a dear friend is giving us a doe. We can’t wait to meet our new doe and are looking forward to baby bunnies this summer.
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XO,
Candi
Betty Walker
03/04/2016With what & how do you process your pigs without nitrates etc and how do you age the pork?
Candi
03/04/2016We don’t do it ourselves. We take our pigs to a processor who offers nitrate-free, MSG-free processing.
Wanda
03/07/2016Just keep an eye out for those dogs. Once they learn to run in a pack they will continue the joy killing and will move on to other animals. I just experienced a dog attack on my Dexter heifer last month.
Candi
03/07/2016I am so sorry about your cow!! Is she OK?
Girl!!! If you only knew – they did come back – killed one of our chickens this time. Grrr!
Wanda
03/07/2016Her ears are ragged now on the ends where the teeth marks tore them, but thankfully the two large holes at the base of her left ear filled in completely. I was initially afraid she might lose that ear. They were trying to drag her down by her ears and then planned to go for the throat to make the kill. My daughter heard them from her bedroom and I ran out without thinking (should have taken the 5 to get a weapon) screaming like a mad woman. I was really close before they came off of her ( my older heifer was trying to get them off of the smaller calf, but couldn’t) and I know one of them, (the pit bull) thought about coming after me. I could see it in his eyes. They haven’t come back yet, but I know they will. Attack happened 1:00 in the afternoon and they did a lot of damage in five minutes.
Donnie Johnson
04/08/2016I would be going on a dog hunt if it had been my rabbits killed. Turn about is fair play, Right?
James Noel
04/27/2016It’s legal in Florida to kill dogs that are attacking livestock.
Candi
04/27/2016Yeah, stray dogs are a HUGE problem. I know that many homesteaders say the #1 reason they loose chickens & small livestock is due to dogs.
Wanda
04/27/2016Hi Candi, I thought I’d update you on the dog situation we’re still battling here in Texas. So far said dogs that attacked my heifer end of January have killed two calves, ripped the nose off another, killed a goat, worried two horses in their pens, have killed chickens, and attacked and almost killed a dog in it’s yard. Other injuries in the area that have occurred, but not proven to be the dogs are cattle with bite marks, a calf with it’s tail ripped off, and livestock running thru fences or found dead. Animal control has citations against the owner of the dogs and the dogs are now supposed to be confined at all times. Somehow they have not been deemed dangerous yet!? !(Blows my mind) It feels like a time bomb ready to explode until they get out again. Unfortunately, no one in the area has been able to get a good bead on the two to make a hit, but there are witnesses to the attacks. It’s been frustrating, and I worry that a child attack will be next. Dogs that start this habit don’t stop and unfortunately owners rarely take responsibility. I feel guilty for not taking the time to get a weapon and take care of them in January. I would have lost my calf, but others wouldn’t be suffering and stressed because of these dogs. Lesson learned.
Candi
04/28/2016Oh HOney! How horrible! That is a nightmare. Not only are these calves our treasured babies – as a full grown animal cattle are extremely valuable. It is not only heartbreaking to continue to lose them, it is a huge paycut. If the calves were female – those grown cows have the potential to produce a baby each year. To lose one is devastating. I will pray for you!