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The Highland Thumpers & Everything Pink
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The Highland Thumpers
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Everything Pink Rabbitry
tell's of rabbitry safety..........
St. Nick --- A baby English Lop I once owned
I have seen more rabbitries go down or come close to going down because of other people. Wether you live in town, a big city or even the country, you can be a victim too. There are about a hundred reasons why people will call on you. Some of the more popular ones is that someones kid got in a fight with your kid, or a neighbor is mad because their landlord won't allow them to have pets and yours does or you own so of course you can have them and they don't think thats fair, or you beat someone at a show and they feel the need to eliminate some competition, or someone is mad that you won't sell to them, or they are simply board and causing trouble for others is entertaining for them......... Anyway, what ever the reason, people will call on you for having those rabbits. And let me tell you, they can cause you a lot of trouble and heart ache.
I have found that there are certain steps that can help prevent the loss of your rabbitry.
Get along with your neighbors as much as you can. Even if they are really annoying, and with some I know how hard that can be, but the minute they get mad at you, they will get you back by calling you in. Of course its really nice when you have neighbors who you get along with anyway.
Wether or not you get along with your neighbors, don't tell them about your bunnies. Don't show them off. Keep them a well hidden secret. Talk bunny with bunny people not neighbors. People don't call on things that they don't know you have. Just because you get along today, doesn't mean you'll get along after their teenager crashes into your living room in the middle of the night.
When I say keep your rabbits a hidden secret, that also means out of sight to public. Your neighbors are not your only threat. That bored old man or lady going down your alley or a city worker noticing your rabbits will call you in too. If you don't have a building to put them in at least have a wall or tall fence or keep the front of your hutches turned away from public eye (without facing them north in the winter). You can even disguise your hutches as something else, covered lumber, an old shed, or just a lean to to put a lawnmower or something in.
Find out what the laws are in your state or county about having rabbits. Be sure you follow them as closely as you can. Your caller doesn't know the laws, they are assuming its the same as cats and dogs and there for you must be violating something. But even if the caller doesn't know, the person who comes to check you out does know. and they can get you on things that the caller didn't know was a violation.
In keeping your rabbitry well hidden and even holding to the laws in your state or county about rabbitries, keep 2 or 3 decoy hutches in the front of your house or at least away from your rabbitry. (keep locks on them because people like to steel rabbits as well. I am always hearing about stolen bunnies) You can keep pet bunnies in them if your not wanting your good bunnies out front. These hutches are for people to notice. If someone does call on you, you can point the 2 or 3 hutches out to the officer or who ever comes to your door and say "ya, I have bunnies." They aren't going to do anything about a few bunnies. I will tell you right now, it doesn't matter how good your set up is or how clean it is or even that you are following the laws, they will not be impressed. At least most will not anyway. Even if they can't find anything wrong now, should they be called out to your place enough times, they will make something up if they have to, but they will make you get rid of everything so that they don't have to deal with the calls anymore instead of dealing with the caller. Just be sure your decoy hutches are away from your rabbitry so that you are leading the officer or who ever away from your rabbitry, kind of like the way a mother bird will act injured to lead a predator away from her babies before flying off.
If you can, be sure that wild or domestic animals and people can't just walk right up to your rabbits. animals are very destructive and people can be too. Also, keep in mind that if your called on, and you are not home, the person checking you out is allowed to roam your unfenced property to see what they can see. If you do have your property fenced in, they have binoculars to help them see what you have. Keep this in mind when you are hiding your rabbitry. The decoy hutches won't work if they have already been out to your place and saw what you have. Thats why you should keep them out front. If they see them right away and can walk right up to them, chances are, they won't look any further.
You are your rabbitries parent, you have to protect it from the predators. Do your best, good luck and have fun.
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