New Baby reindeer to my herd

Oh what a dilemma Karen. They are sweet little babies. Maybe put up a sign by the road...that hidden camera's are in place. That might deter some of them. You don't really need to put cameras up....but they will not know.

 

More cute babies to take care of!

 

Karen, good photos of Mischa and Katya, hopefully they will have babies and all will be well. I hope Dilly gets better real soon and the operation goes well. You sure are a very busy woman!

 

Animal dumping is a problem everywhere. Anywhere there is a farm that has well cared for animals, people know there will be someone likely to take care of the animals they dump. We always got kittens dumped.

FYI. We can't post "between" your posts after the fact. Post get placed in order by timestamp. Just edit your last post. We will see it.

 

The tiny baby white rabbit I found accidentally several months ago when I picked up a fence post to use (in a pile of 3) and there was this tiny baby white rabbit, shocked me as much as the rabbit... Checked it over quickly to make sure it wasn't injured and then spent a few seconds wondering what to do... Decided it was too small to be weaned and it's mother was/maybe about... so put it back where I found it... Haven't seen it since.... But the wild rabbit problem is becoming a real issue with lots of wild rabbits and deep holes in pastures that could break reindeer legs. A couple of weeks ago I found white rabbit tummy hair - which says a doe is about to kit so purchased live traps to catch this white rabbit and hopefully re-home before I get in someone to ferret... but instead of the white I caught a black.. I have been trying to rehome but even rabbit rescue aren't interested as say babies are "wild"..
Early this morning, I thought I only had one black to worry about and if needs must I'd try it as a house rabbit... BUT morning reindeer feed saw 3 baby blacks playing together... I have an explosion of tame rabbit babies but potential broken reindeer legs and horse people will know that broken legs can't be mended!!

 

They aren't "wild" they are feral. Yeh, I know, a fine line. Sad. If you can "tame" them, can you then tell the rabbit rescue that you "hand raised" them? (Probably too late if the rabbit rescue already knows you.) I don't have any other suggestions for you unless you think that giving them a humane death is better than letting your reindeer get hurt.

 

Noelle, I just don't know...I can cope with taming and keeping one BUT not whole litters and I have sent out a FB SOS for homes BUT only sympathy NOT homes!!!
If the original owner of their female tame rabbit had spent the time finding it a new home then I wouldn't have this problem... and many like me!!! Don't abandon pets - if you do, neuter them first it would be slightly easier for the rest of us to cope... Just don't know what to do...
Brooke....reply to your comment......"Oh what a dilemma Karen. They are sweet little babies. Maybe put up a sign by the road...that hidden camera's are in place. That might deter some of them. You don't really need to put cameras up....but they will not know."

I already have those signs up since travellers were lurking 3 years ago.. but there's a track to my paddocks with another paddock that isn't mine (closer to road but bordering mine) I think that is where tame rabbits are abandoned as they are living in our boundary hedgerow...

 

If it were me and if it is legal, I'd find a careful hunter to take them off my hands. I know it may seem cruel to some but...

 

Yeah.... doing a happy dance!!!
Despite FB SOS and contacting rabbit rescue nobody wanted him. He was in a trap/cage in paddocks (with food and water) but hardened my heart overnight and decided humane despatch was the only option... I caught him up from cage, expected him to struggle BUT he didn't struggle.... so he went in my jumper while I fed reindeer... I changed my mind 100 times as to what to do with him. Even came in the house making a cup of tea for hubby with rabbit in hand... hubby didn't see him while we talked about what to do with baby rabbit (just goes to show husbands don't really get in tune!!). Anyway long and short, decided to make him a house rabbit and worry about his 3+ sibblings once I catch them....
And the VERY good news is one of my FB contacts that had said they would love him but partner had said NO has not only brought hubby round but said they will have any other boys from litter that I manage to catch!!!! Yeeeah - earlier argument in this household was hubby wanted to call him Norbert and me Benji...
Now I have a home for this boy and any other boys.... If I catch girls then an argument I can cope with... a name!!!
PS Noelle once the tame babies are sorted, then the ferreting hunting has to take place as the holes in the paddocks are getting very scary...

Who needs a "mouse" when you have a rabbit to do those crop harvesting clicks!!!

 

Awwww !!!! Glad things are working out, congrats

 

I agree.... Awww!!! What a cutie! He was so lucky to find an animal lover like you.

 

awwww so adorable

 

Thanks for going the extra mile for this little one Karen! Your kindness will certainly reap blessings, Hope the paddock holes are quickly fixed.

 

BTW I didn't know but may be useful to share... I got shouted at by one of the Bunny Rescue centres I contacted (that wouldn't help re home as classed him as wild but I will definitely take on board) not to put a bunny on it's back as it goes into stress mode. Must admit I didn't know... but if they had helped I wouldn't have needed to interfere at all... Anyway this little cutems now "hopefully is a little more tame" and has a forever home.
Rabbit problem, for today has been sorted....
The reindeer were particularly lazy this morning. Yesterday I wormed and vitamin drenched the 5 easy reindeer. The 2 remaining take tactics, today just wasn't the day - for that I need time and hungry reindeer in order to catch them! Reindeer weren't hungry, rabbit needed delivering and someone was coming to see me (I needed to pick brains for next build project).. Tomorrow, we will see... bruises for me from Twiglet if caught... she doesn't like medicine

 

Total BS about the bunnies on their backs issue... yah maybe to a wild/feral rabbit it would be stressful (because they are not used to being handled), but if they are tame, relaxed and submit to being in that position then it's NOT stress and you are NOT hurting the rabbit whatsoever. I have raised hundreds of rabbits during my lifetime (for pets, for human consumption and for reptile food), and never had one single rabbit stress out about being on their backs, lol.
Idiots. Don't listen to them Karen... some people have nothing better to do with their life than rag at others.

 

Dilly Dog has had her big op. She's feeling pretty miserable. Dilly has always been a big eater, her full sister Diva went through exactly the same op 6 months ago and coped far better (and yet Diva usually lives up to her name!)... Dilly won't even eat a scrambled egg this evening...
Dilly will be fine but just feeling very sorry for herself..
Today, while Dilly was under the knife, couldn't really concentrate on proper jobs. I played football with Hector instead.. Maybe not a good idea as he gets way too excited.. He was leaping in the air, punching the ball (or me).. nothing malicious at all... But giggled to myself when I left their paddock... felt like the Grandmother that had fed the kids loads of e numbers and left them with parents... Not his mother but Mischa was giving him grief when I left their current paddock as he was trying to "score the perfect goal/ jump the highest hurdles/just being a serious pain"
Didn't take photo's today BUT could this cutems ever be a pain???!!!! YES but a wonderful one... This photo only 4 weeks after birth (have loads... sorry)

 

Sounds like loads of fun!!! Hector is such a spirited and "all boy" reindeer!!! I wish someone would video you 2 playing!!!! Awww...what a cutie patootie he was as a wee baby. What yoga pose is that????

 

Awwww cuuuuuute pic!!! No matter how much Hector grows and matures, the age he is in that pic is the age I always "see" him as, even in the current pics and vids you post. Guess it's that cute adorable face

 

As it is Mothering Sunday (in the UK anyway), it seems quite an appropriate time to announce that I am certain Katya is in calf (Hector's mother) and fairly sure Twiglet and Mischa are too.
For the last 10 days, on occassions, I have been seeing flutterings in tummies (like a small pulse), very unlike the normal workings of the rumen, I put these down to early kicks. Maybe wishful thinking but today's certainty with Katya is that her udder has started to "wax up", she is the only one of my girls that gets large waxy plugs over her teats before she calves and I don't think reindeer suffer from false pregnancies - looking very positive for Katya!!!
In a couple of weeks I should be seeing very obvious kicks lower in the abdomen and then there is no doubt unless they are extra's for the next making of The Alien movie!

Sorry no pictures, as have had mind elsewhere looking after Dilly Dog and then today had two children (unknown to each other) "having a reindeer experience", one had been severely bullied so introduced her to a lovely lad who also loves the reindeer and they worked together feeding, grooming, mucking out, pooh picking. It was lovely seeing them wheeling the barrow to the muck heap and racing back together... Sitting on my old tractor (Wilma) and really bonding... Lovely day.. Obviously their parents were on the sidelines and didn't mind the child labour!

 

YAY, early kicks!
Sounds like those kids had a great time getting some "farm(work) therapy", and who can complain about the free labor, lol.
Hope Dilly gets back to her old self soon, it's hard to comfort animals when they aren't feeling great... but I'm sure she's being treated like a Queen during her recovery