Post by katievt on Jul 24, 2015 18:34:02 GMT
I have a young bunny with rear splay legs. He pulls himself around with his front legs really well; eats and drinks just fine; but he is a disabled rabbit.
In my 12+ years of raising angoras, plus the last year of meat rabbits, I've never come across it. There are supposedly three possible reasons for it: injury, genetic, and environmental. I don't believe it is environmental as it became apparent while still in the nestbox with plenty of traction. Mother is a very large NZW who could have stepped on him. She also comes from some very inbred NZWs, but was completely outcrossed (Flemish/Californian) for this litter. I have several other litters right now from the inbred NZWs bred to inbred NZWs (wasn't aware how inbred until talking recently with their prior owner). So either injury or genetic is possible.
I am wondering if anybody has dealt with splay legs and what did you do for/with the rabbit? I know eating him is probably the way to go. We are raising meat rabbits and I've been doing really well about not getting attached to the litters. But this little guy has stolen my heart. He is so sweet and docile, shows a lot of pluck keeping up with his littermates, and is Pointed/Californian/Himi marked, so he's extra cute! He is currently wearing a ziptie/medical tape hobble to attempt to keep his legs together. Anyone have any experience with that? I'm holding out a slight hope that it will strengthen his legs enough, so he's not so disabled and maybe would be a decent housepet for someone.
Again, I realistically know that it may be best if he is grown out and then eaten. If poor Hobbles was YOUR bunny - what would you do? Keeping in mind that anything done would have to be free or very cheap.
In my 12+ years of raising angoras, plus the last year of meat rabbits, I've never come across it. There are supposedly three possible reasons for it: injury, genetic, and environmental. I don't believe it is environmental as it became apparent while still in the nestbox with plenty of traction. Mother is a very large NZW who could have stepped on him. She also comes from some very inbred NZWs, but was completely outcrossed (Flemish/Californian) for this litter. I have several other litters right now from the inbred NZWs bred to inbred NZWs (wasn't aware how inbred until talking recently with their prior owner). So either injury or genetic is possible.
I am wondering if anybody has dealt with splay legs and what did you do for/with the rabbit? I know eating him is probably the way to go. We are raising meat rabbits and I've been doing really well about not getting attached to the litters. But this little guy has stolen my heart. He is so sweet and docile, shows a lot of pluck keeping up with his littermates, and is Pointed/Californian/Himi marked, so he's extra cute! He is currently wearing a ziptie/medical tape hobble to attempt to keep his legs together. Anyone have any experience with that? I'm holding out a slight hope that it will strengthen his legs enough, so he's not so disabled and maybe would be a decent housepet for someone.
Again, I realistically know that it may be best if he is grown out and then eaten. If poor Hobbles was YOUR bunny - what would you do? Keeping in mind that anything done would have to be free or very cheap.