Happy New Year! The past couple of years have been crazy for everyone. In the rabbit world, there haven’t been any shows, so many have been re-evaluating their herds and choosing the direction they want to go. Some are downsizing, some sadly, may have closed their doors; however, Laughing Lapins has been growing. This past year, I have added 3 does, 1 pair, and retired 1 buck. Well, actually Duke retired himself by having a bout with bloat. Thankfully, I caught it right away and was able to get him help before it turned into an emergency. However, after this crisis was over, it was too cold, as he was now used to indoor temps, for him to go back outside. So now he is a pampered house rabbit and enjoying every minuet of it!
The does I purchased are both for my buck Snickers. First, Shelia, a Broken Black Silver Martin. She is friendly once you get her out, but otherwise she is very territorial. I was hoping for a few litters from her, as her broken pattern and light color will complement Snickers dark color. However she does not like Snickers and is very aggressive towards him. Snickers is a proven buck who isn’t shy; so I think Shelia just doesn’t like a buck that is smaller than her. I have a few more options for a litter from her which I will be trying after she gets her RHDV2 vaccine later this month. If those options don’t work I will spay her and find a her a pet home.
Second, Freyja, a Broken Black Netherland Dwarf, Jersey Woolly cross. She is friendly but still scrambles when held, and likes to explore new places. Freyja’s coat is slightly more fluffy than the other rabbits and I’m hoping that she will pass that trait on to her babies. Now, for a little rabbit genetics. When Snickers is bred to a pure ND, the babies have a flatter coat which costs them points on the show table. But when you breed a pure ND, whose babies have flat coats, to a ND, Jersey Woolly cross, the Jersey Woolly brings the right amount of fluff back into their coats. This is what I am hoping will happen with babies from Snickers and Freyja. Freyja will hopefully have her first litter in February and depending on how many she has, I may be looking for pet homes for 1 or 2 kits.
The third doe, Pankin, a Blue Otter, I got as a match for my blue otter buck, Duke. As for conformation, the two compliment each other very well. Pankin is a sweet rabbit, although she is not fond of being held. Arriving at the Rabbitry during the summer, she had a small crises due to the heat. However, with help from family, the crisis didn’t get worse and she got better. Just before Duke’s retirement, I bred them and if pregnant, she is due in mid January. The babies for this litter have already been spoken for, and will only become available if something falls through. Pankin’s next breeding will be with my other buck, Snickers. Not sure what to expect from this breeding, but hopefully that will happen in April or May. Keep an eye on the “In the Nestbox” page for the Snicker’s /Pankin litter.
The last addition to the barn was a very nice pair of Champagne rabbits. Champagne is a new variety of Netherland Dwarf that I am happy to be raising. Mojito, a Broken Mid Champagne buck and Martell, a Champagne doe. Both rabbits are nice in conformation as well as attitude. While not keen on being held, they are not aggressive or territorial in any way. Martell or Mar as I call her, will eat out of your hand and Mojito loves to hear about you day. I am new to this variety, but have wanted it for a long time. Any litters from this pair will be listed as “Champagne Litter #” on the “In the Nestbox” page instead of giving them a litter name.
This month, January, will be the first show I’ve gone to since 2019. Since I didn’t attend any virtual shows, I am really excited for this show and hope this is the beginning of a full year of showing. I am also excited about the breeding line up I have scheduled and look forward to having little hoppers once more. During this month, my rabbits will be getting their vaccines for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2. And, if things go as planned, I will now be able to offer slightly older babies that have already started their vaccine series. By slightly older, I mean 10 weeks old instead of 8 weeks old. This is because kits cannot get their first vaccine until they are 10 weeks. I will keep the “For Sale” and “Policies” pages updated on this as needed. Thanks for reading and until next time, happy hopping!
Laughing Lapins 