Why We No Longer Raise Rabbits

The rabbit story that was never told.

SHOW NOTES:

We are a better together family of 6 living in an 800sqft Shed to House Conversion and currently converting a 336sqft shed into a tiny house for our new studio! Oh yea, we are doing our best to build a sustainable homestead in central Texas raising pigs, chickens, and rabbits…. and hopefully more!!!!!

#familycow #buildingahomestead #chickens

[Dominothespotcat]

RHDV2 is spread by cottontails and is contracted from contact with infected ground where wild rabbits have been. The tractor was your vector, once the tractor rabbits caught it, your contact with the tractor rabbits spread it to the hutch rabbits. I'm so sorry yall went through this, but this is why most rabbit breeders keep our rabbits off the ground and in sheds/barns.

[maryannhicks]

When I was a young girl. We raised rabbits. One year all of them were killed by a huge dog. I lost 6 baby bunnies that were already sold for Easter. I was devastated. My grandparents called up our customers and told them what had happened. They told me to keep the money to buy a new pair of rabbits so I could start a new family.

[noodlewig]

Thank you so much for sharing your story and spreading awareness of the issue. As a rabbit owner, I've done quite a bit of research on RHDV2 and worked with ARBA officials to understand the virus and take measures to prevent it. I would like to address a couple of points that were in the video/comments:

1. Breeding for tolerance
At this time, all rabbit breeds that are kept domestically can contract RHDV2, as can other members of the lagomorph family. Being able to breed resistance would far exceed the expense of vaccines with less effective results. RHD is a necrotizing pathogenic lagovirus (an organism that causes viruses in host members of the lagomorph family) and is similar to hepatitis in humans.

2. Tractor systems
I want to make it very clear that I am not attacking what Better Together Homestead or other operations have done, however, tractor systems are ill-advised by rabbit experts for multiple reasons and should not be part of any rabbitry. Firstly, being on the ground facilitates the transfer of external parasites (ticks, mites, etc.) and internal parasites (E. cuniculi, intestinal worms, etc.) as well as RHDV2, respiratory infections, and other diseases from rabbits and other ground-dwelling creatures. Insects can be a means of transfer and having them on the ground will facilitate that. In addition, most grasses (lawn grasses in particular) are unhealthy healthy for rabbits which can lead to bloat and will reduce the vitality of the rabbit in the long term.

3. Prevention
RHDV2 is a contact pathogen, which means that it will be transmitted through contact with anything an infected animal has come into contact with. There has not been enough research done to determine how many contacts the pathogen can be passed through, however, it is accurate to say it is moderately to highly transmissible in most circumstances. Biosecurity measures and vaccinations are currently the only ways to prevent exposure. When introducing new rabbits or equipment, returning from a show, or allowing people to interact with your animals, sanitization and quarantine processes are essential. I have a hydrogen peroxide-based decontamination spray that I use before and after quarantining new equipment (even if purchased new), however, there are many other effective options. In addition, be very cautious about interacting with rabbits that are not your own, and reduce contact with wild rabbits, hares, and pika to the bare minimum.

4. Vaccines

Online resources and references:

[noonespecial]

Sorry for your loss😞... We raise rabbits out in the country in Texas, but one thing we have chosen not to do is put them on the ground where they can come into contact with areas that wild rabbits roam. We have nice big hutches that they can move around in. Not a perfect sinerio but feel it can cut the chances of them contracting it if the virus was to make its way onto the property. We do feed cuttings of things, but nothing that isn't directly from our garden or brush that grows high up off ground. We also have no purebreds, we keep mixed meat breeds in case that too helps with any possible genetic tolerance. Our past research had shown that mixed breed might be hardier. Rabbits are definitely delicate little creatures ❤️🐰❤️

[VictoriaBjerring]

RHDV has always been a big concern when owning rabbits. You can get the bunnies vaccinated each year but that doesn’t 100% prevent them from getting the disease.
Here in Denmark it blows up at around spring and fall each year. Keeping the bunnies in a contained environment and not mingle with people that got bunnies themselves is the best way to avoid this horrible disease.
I’ve had bunnies for almost 20 years and luckily mine have never caught RHDV but I’ve seen so many other bunnies around the world that has.
The main transmission is unfortunately through us owners. If we’re in contact with someone who has sick bunnies and we then go home touching our own then they end up getting sick. Also the more bunnies you got the bigger the risk is of an outbreak.

[Obliteratedphonevlogs]

I’m so sorry to hear about this! I’m 13 and live on a small farm and rabbits will forever have a very special place in my heart. They are the animal that first helped me find my love for livestock and agriculture. It all started when I was 12 and wanted to show rabbits for 4H. I found a mini Rex breeder and got 2 beautiful rabbits, a doe and a buck. They truly brought me so much joy every day. Eventually I decided to breed them. It was very successful and the doe had 5 baby bunnies. Only a couple days after they were born I found the wire of the cage pried open from the outside and the doe and all 5 babies we’re gone only a little blood and fur was left. I was devastated but still so grateful I still had my buck. I moved the cage into the garage where it was safe from predators and I was very careful with him. I grew very attached to him since he was the only rabbit I had. 5 months later My friend and I bread our rabbits together because we both wanted kits.Then about 3 weeks after that I found him laying in his cage dead. I hugged his body and cried so much. I had been aware of RHD and how bad it was and I immediately thought that was what it was since I have him a peice of pear wood from my yard. I felt extremely guilty. My dad sent him to a laboratory to get an autopsy to know for sure if he had it since we were expecting kits any day. We got the results and he did not have RHD he died of a cancerous tumor in his lung cavity. I prayed that the breeding with him and my friends rabbit was successful since I didn’t have him or any rabbits anymore. A few days later the kits were born. 2 look just like my buck and 2 look just like my friend’s doe. It’s amazing how god woks his miracles. And now today I’m just waiting for the kits to be old enough to take home. I wish you and your family well with your homestead and hopefully you will be able to have rabbits again someday. ❤️

[kimmyswann]

Thank you for video. Most states now have the RHDV2 vaccine made in the US and is protecting rabbits in our County in California. We have been vaccinating for 2.5 years at our rescue, shelter and public. As you know how easily contagious RHDV2 aka bunny ebola. We are so sorry for your loss. There is a bright light and you can protect these amazing creatures!

[thefiresidefarm]

I could only hold it in so long...when I saw Rex's decline I burst into tears. So sorry this happened to you guys. And so brave of you to share. Glad you are bringing awareness...i had never heard of this before. ❤

[me-qpjo]

Keep them off the ground when you hear of stuff going around like that.
My mother had well over 100 head in my childhood growing up and they all were super healthy, in cages 3 to 4 ft off the ground.
But then again, come to think of it, I never really heard of stuff like that going around in "wild" game back then....
🤔🤔🤔🤔

[MrTmax]

Wow, that’s pretty sad, thank you for sharing. I had not heard of this rabbit pandemic until this video. Hopefully rabbits ultimately become immune, or at least resistant.

[SouthernTexasVaqueros]

I did rabbits some time ago and they multiplied by 10s quite often. At the time I lived in Colorado and was new at it all. Sadly I lost them all to the cold. And I never returned to raising them. Now I just peacefully watch them romp run and play wildly here in south Texas. Even found some kits under a palm tree. Watched from day one till day run! Exciting to see in the wild. Not so much so in a rabbit hutch. Anyway great story. (The things we never knew). Appreciate the share.

[TheShmeebitdog]

Top 3 things to always do when raising rabits 1)never give them food off the ground unless properly sanatized 2) if you have bunnies showing signs of ilness keep that group separate from all others and sanitize very thoroughly before handling unefected rabits 3)always keep your rabits off the ground atleast 2.5feet to keep ticks and mites from getting on them and its best to treat the ground around the cages with peppermint oil as ticks and mites hate it you can also feed peppermint to the rabbits once a week they love it and its good for them

[erinbean]

I has the disease go through my colony but I didn't stop. Sometimes you have setbacks. The value we get from the meat far outweighs the burden of loss. The rabbits that lived produce healthy strong babies and I butcher at 16 weeks have had no loss since.

[gonnaposeto]

When I first heard that this had hit the west coast, I knew that it would eventually (probably sooner rather than later) become a problem for everyone in America. After purchasing a rabbit out of state that had my own rabbits on the pedigree, I realized how quickly bloodlines travel all over, and how quickly any sort of disease could spread, including genetic, but of course anything contagious as well. It's futile to try to restrict the movement of livestock; that would require everyone's voluntary cooperation, including wildlife. People lie/are mistaken/make mistakes, and wildlife poop and pee on the "Coastal" hay we buy. I feed my rabbits from trees that grow in my yard, but they have birds perching in them whose feet could have touched down anywhere. It is a "sticky" virus that can travel via bird feet or unaffected wildlife such as possums and raccoons, as well as on human shoes and car tires and anything that a bird or possum might ever brush up against. RHD can stay in the ground for up to 2 years. It seemed inescapable, and I braced myself to lose my rabbits to this awful disease. If that happened, I planned to also quit raising them. But...

I used ivermectin on my rabbits and never saw this in my herd.

When my stock from the west coast was on its way to me, I dosed all of my own rabbits. When I picked up my new stock to bring them home, I dosed them too, and left them in their transport cages for 24 hours. One drop per 3 pounds of body weight. One dose for a 180 lb mammal is still less than a quarter teaspoon; my rabbits are less than 12 lbs each, so one or two drops in each ear is plenty. Since the virus shows up within 24 hours of exposure, I quarantined the newcomers for 24 hours after they arrived, and found out later that they had actually (unknowingly) been directly exposed to a rabbit who was bred to one that died 24 hours after they were bred. But the ivermectin seems to have worked. The newcomers were successfully integrated into my herd, and I've still never had any deaths.

[larisavassilieva]

Sorry, for you lost. My rabbit pass away last winter, it's very hard, it's part of the family.

[god-family-country]

Okay, I cried watching Rex slip away...even a little sparrow's fall matter to our Heavenly Father (Matthew 10:29-31). We do all we can to help our animal friends, but it's the things we don't see that are sometimes the cause. God knew, but He will never give you more than you can handle, it's His promise. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, good advice on all fronts.

[wendyhall]

Oh my goodness this is so sad! I'm so sorry for you and your family loosing all your bunnies to this disease, especially sorry you had to watch Rex suffer and die! Tears came to my eyes when you came to tell about him. Thank you for the transparency and imformation to make other homesteaders aware of this issue!

[nathans.]

I lost my 4 colony bunnies to a coyote Sunday night. When you think your cage is secure enough, do more. Then do more again.

[MyLifeRefining]

Thank you for raising awareness about this. I’m contemplating raising meat rabbits here in Upstate NY once we get living on our land. I will look into this disease in our area before making the decision for sure.

[erikawoods]

I’m very sorry for your hardships. Thank you for sharing and helping others understand the downs of homesteading better.