The First Babies of the Year: a nestful of Blues!  What lucky babies to lie in a nest of one of the most luxurious fibers in the world!
 
 
I'm not going to offer these bunnies for sale until they are out of the box and weaned; but wanted to share this picture of a nest of newborn bunnies.
 
Rabbits for Sale - I do have a few 2003 rabbits for sale. They are ready to breed! Contact me at hmffarm@fidnet.com for a list of available rabbits. $40 for females $30 for males.
 
Bunny Wool for Sale - 1 oz boxes of plucked angora wool for sale in white, black, grey, peach and assorted multi-color.  Each ounce is handplucked, clean and uniform. No further processing is required. Can be spun right out of the box. 
 $6 per box  To order contact me at hmffarm@fidnet.com
 
Breeding Tips Angora rabbits are sometimes finicky breeders and mothers.  They aren't like meat rabbits at all.  Here are a few tricks of the trade :
 
1. remember they are seasonal : wait a few weeks after the winter solstice to begin breeding efforts... once the weather gets hot, they get out of the mood... so your best window of opportunity is from late January to May 
2.  if she shows no interest in the buck: try her after a show or just take her for a ride in the car (this actually works)... I guess a change of scenery does her good. Try her the day after grooming (this works too).  If you see a doe that is rubbing her chin on her feed bowl, she is IN THE MOOD... get her to a buck immediately!
3. If she looks like she intends to kindle outside the box: put a feed sack on the floor of the cage so the bunnies have a solid floor, then transfer the paper and all into the box.
4. Use baby-saver wire (or some other metal edging) around the inside walls of the cage to save out-of-box bunnies from crawling through the larger mesh and dropping to the ground.
5. If she pulls no wool to cover the bunnies, YOU pull it off her belly (to help expose her nipples) and cover the babies... she will get the idea and do the rest herself.
6. Found cold babies on the wire? -   bring them in the house and warm them up with a hairdryer OR put them in a shoebox with a heating pad set on low  OR put them under a heatlamp. Once warmed and wiggling they can be returned to a well padded nest and covered with bunnywool. Their squeaks will draw moms attention and usually she will take over from there.
7. Always breed more than one doe at a time in case you need to foster.  Remember rabbits can't count... if one has a bunch and another has only a few, you can mix and match. Remove the doe for 6-8 hours while the mixed litter cuddles together . They will pick up each others scent and the mom, when returned to the cage,  will never know the difference.
8. Got a large litter?  Give your doe fresh broccoli to increase her milk production.
9. babies born on an extremely cold day?   place a heat lamp above the nestbox (not too close... watch your bunnies and see if they are trying to snuggle close or spread out away from the light)  OR invest in one of those bottom heating pads (metal) that goes under your nest box. (I am trying one of these out this winter)
10. Check your babies daily to make sure they aren't tangled in the wool. Remove excessive amounts or soiled wool. Remove any dead kits promptly.
11.  Don't be discouraged if your rabbit does not raise every litter. That is not unusual for angoras. Try try again. 
 
.... and people wonder why these rabbits are more expensive than other rabbits!