Caring for a lop-eared dwarf ram rabbit
Lop-eared ram dwarf rabbits attract the eyes of millions. The main feature of these funny animals is adorable drooping ears. Among other things, pussies have a very wayward, but very cheerful character, so many exotic lovers choose them as pets.
Lop-eared Dwarf Rabbit Ram
The emergence of the breed
Lop-eared rabbits have a very characteristic description of their appearance, which distinguishes them favorably over other relatives: the ears, with their shells, look inward, and the size of the head cartilage is slightly larger than usual. This makes pets look like dwarf lambs.
Darwin, who traveled the whole planet in search of new species, rarely met on his way such interesting and unusual creatures as dwarf fold-eared rabbits, the progenitors of which were the French fold giant rabbit and the dwarf Scottish rabbit. Many years have passed since then, and all this time, breeders have continued and continue to cross these lop-eared fluffies with other breeds, trying to bring out the ideal look.
Features of the breed
Immediately after the start of the experiments, the breeders had certain difficulties associated with the not very large size of mini rams, namely, with their short small ears. Which did not want to hang in any way, but began to stand upright. Only through careful research and the enormous painstaking work of scientists, the required effect was achieved.
At the age of twelve weeks, the ears, which in babies stand upright in different directions, gradually descend along the head and by three months the dwarf ram acquires its usual appearance. In some individuals, this occurs simultaneously, and in some, alternately - first the left ear, then the right. They look very funny at this time, like naughty pranksters.
The mass of an adult dwarf pet at six months reaches a maximum of two and a half kilograms (the average individual weighs 1.5 kg), these sizes are ideal for any fluffy pet, especially a rabbit. The only thing sellers of future owners of lambs immediately warn about is that they have a hard time getting along with cats. Lop-eared little rabbits also need to be cared for carefully.
The dwarf ram is very friendly with people, he loves affection and is endowed with a peaceful, friendly disposition. But, having offended such a baby, be prepared that he can stand up for himself and, on occasion, can bite very hard.
A rabbit can live for eight to twelve years. Its duration largely depends on the living conditions of the animal and nutritional balance.
The nursery, where dwarf fold-eared rabbits are bred, contains many individuals of this breed of a wide variety of colors, there are even blue eared rabbits - a dwarf fold-eared Dutch beautiful rabbit. But most often you can see a fluffy lump, the color of which will be:
- white,
- gray hare,
- dark beige,
- black and tan,
- black without markings,
- redhead,
- gray-siamese,
- spotted.
Tips for maintenance and care
When starting a rodent as a pet, you should understand that his whole life will be spent in constant search of something to chew on. A favorite delicacy that the decorative dwarf pet rabbit ram adores is the wires scattered on the floor, as a rule, these are chargers from phones and laptops. But, if the damaged cord can be bought again, then it will be more difficult to survive the loss of a pet who died from an electric shock.
The permanent residence of the rabbit at home should be a specially equipped spacious cage. You should choose and equip a dwelling based on the following requirements:
- The minimum area of the cage where one rabbit lives: width 50 cm, length 70 cm.
- Arrangement of the cage is a small house that will become a reliable shelter for a pet.
- The optimal location for a ram's cage is a well-lit and ventilated room, where there is no likelihood of even the slightest draft.
- Dwarf fold-eared rabbits are clean, so they will go to the toilet exactly in that part of the cage where you place the tray. You can buy it at any pet store and outwardly it is no different from a cat's. For convenience and saving free space in the cage, there are special triangular rabbit corner trays.
- Growing pets have a habit of scattering their bowls and all their contents on different sides. To prevent this from happening, fix the drinker well against the wall, and use a heavy ceramic cup with a thick massive bottom as a feeder, one that the animal cannot gnaw or move, even if it wants to.
- Rabbits need constant movement, and in the cage in which he lives, albeit very spacious, not a single hare can run around to its fullest. Therefore, be sure to release the fluffy at least once during the day so that it stretches its paws a little.
- And so that during a walk the animal does not scratch expensive furniture, first cut off its claws using a special claw cutter.
Food
The main food for a young rabbit is grain nutritious dare and some hay for a snack. In addition, up to six months of age, babies must be fed with freshly cut grass and seasonal raw vegetables. At this time, the still not strong digestive system is not able to assimilate coarse fibers and cellulose, which are so necessary for the animal for growth and harmonious development.
The older the decorative rabbit, the less it needs fruits, vegetables and herbs, you can gradually reduce their dosage every month to a minimum. Be sure to make sure that there is always fresh hay in the pet's feeder, this is a vital source of all useful vitamins and minerals that animals eat with great pleasure.
Lamb is also eaten in hard ones like crackers, wheat or oats. But, the dosage of these products should be minimal. The stomach of rabbits does not tolerate meat and milk in any form, therefore, animals should not be fed with these products. In rare cases, babies under three months of age can be given a little milk.
Make it a rule to always make sure that the rams always have clean filtered water and a feeder from which they eat in the cage. To fill the pet's need for useful minerals, you can buy a special stone at the pet store and attach it to one of the walls of the cage, not far from the feeder and drinker.
How to train an animal
Small rabbits by their nature have increased caution, so the owner is not immediately accepted. Carrying out care, try to frighten the eared eared as rarely as possible and never pull it out of the house by force.He will hide in the farthest corner and watch your actions with caution. Instead, just open the cage and wait a little, as a result, the baby's curiosity will prevail over his fears and first his muzzle and ears will appear in the open opening, and behind them the animal itself.
Always approach the cage with a calm measured step, and do not swing or move your arms sharply. Try to arouse your pet's interest in a tasty treat while he eats, talk to him, quietly, almost in a whisper, and most importantly, affectionately and friendly.
If you notice that your pet is being overly aggressive, gently press it to the floor with one hand. So he will feel his dependence in front of you and will slow down a little. The thing is that in natural nature, in order to win a victory, a rabbit needs to jump on the back of its opponent; the one who does it first is a leader and it is customary to obey him. If you are not sure that you can properly overcome the aggression of rams, you can watch a video tutorial on this topic on the Internet.
What if the baby is sick?
The first signals indicating that your decorative pet is sick:
- During illness, the coat lacks a natural healthy shine, it is dimmer and duller every day;
- A sick dwarf rabbit, a lop-eared mini ram, eats practically nothing, he even refuses his favorite food;
- The rabbit's body heats up to 39.6 degrees, sometimes even higher
- The animal is absolutely indifferent to everything that happens around it.
If you notice at least one symptom of the disease in a ram, immediately seek medical help from a veterinary clinic. While waiting for the arrival of the doctor, you can keep an ice pack in the abdomen of the animal, so you will slightly lower its body temperature.
With proper maintenance, lop-eared dwarf rabbits very rarely get sick. But if you love your ram and take care of him with affection and tenderness, he will definitely reciprocate and become a great friend.
Usually the first question, a person who saw a dwarf lamb at an exhibition - how much does this fluffy miracle cost, and only then do people ask about what kind of care they need? So: one lop-eared dwarf minor costs 2,000 rubles, provided that he does not have a pedigree. The price of rabbits with pedigree is several times higher. If you liked the Dutch dwarf lop-eared rabbit, then be prepared to pay about 5000 rubles for it. Without the pedigree, the price is slightly lower. A pet and breed dwarf rabbit of the class costs about eight thousand rubles. A cub of titled rabbits will come out even more expensive - from 10 thousand and more. Now you know what a dwarf lop-eared ram wants, about the origin of the breed, and how to care for a representative of an ornamental breed.