Hi Everyone,
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| Yollie here, I know I don't do this bloggy stuff very much - preferring to leave the reporting and updating to my very clever and bold, young bunny Sweetie... I hope you enjoy her posts as much as I do! |
Welcome - I hope you are all well and enjoying the change of Seasons. Wherever you may live, Autumn or Spring, less extreme, to me they are both the most magical times ..... I would also like to welcome all our new followers and thank wholeheartedly our regular visitors for stopping by and always saying "hi"... It is truly a wonderful experience to be able to share and connect with so many interesting and delightful people, thank you...
Today I share with you how the Bunnies of Fairy Castle Farm found their way to our Kingdom..... Oh, you may want to make a cuppa and get comfy, I can wait...................... -
did you get comfy? - Okay?
Ready?
Great I shall begin .....
Late one Autumn Saturday afternoon Mr Stewart, Miss Princess and I made a quick stop into a local nursery/fodderstore, not finding the plants we were looking for we were making our way out the door. Suddenly, just out the corner of my eye I caught sight of a lady with a 'bread basket' in hand. I hesitated, just for a moment, then I could not believe my eyes. Two, four week old (at most) rabbit kittens were cuddling together, cowering from the sights and noises of the busy and bustling Warehouse.
I am so glad I stopped.
I signalled to Mr Stewart to wait, he was happy to continue browsing - as I did some investigating. (Well to be honest, eve's dropping). This Lady was confirming with the sales clerk that they would accept her rabbits to on-sell, my jaw nearly dropped to the floor, they were only babies, they needed their mother!! - They then exchanged money and 'goods'. I was disgusted.
The clerk took the bunnies and popped them in a plastic feed-bin with a wire top... I was literally in a state of shock. I could not bear the thought of these babies spending even one night in the dark cold shed with only each other for comfort. Let alone the thought of what would become of them without the care they needed.
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| Teegee cuddles up to Miss Princess and Angel is patiently waiting his turn to snuggle |
My mind raced, voice of reason screaming; "don't do it" - "you're only fuelling an already huge problem" "turn and walk away" "R-U-N". Instead, I spoke with my husband, I had his support that providing they were both girls we could take them from this nightmare.
Moments later they were sold to us as two girls, sisters of the same litter, 8 weeks old (read on to see how wrong they were, not only with their ages!!).
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| L-R Angel, Braeview the toy Koala, Tegge. Top Miss-Princess |
My husband and I hand raised our new babies. My daughter named our 'girls' Teegee and Angel our babies lived inside for 3 months until slowly they were integrated to their outside abode (I did not know how allergic to bunnies I was until I had 3 emergency hosp stays in those 3months).
Now as you recall we had 'sisters' two girls?? Right? Wrong!! Very wrong infact although siblings, Teegee is a girl but Angel is a BOY!
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| Angel is a boy!! The morning he fathered 9 Baby Kits |
I found this out the hard way. I went one (September) morning to find a nest Teegee had made with 9 kits squirming inside!!!!! A very bloodied mummy bunny and a bewildered daddy bunny, frantic and racing round wildly.
I could not believe my eyes. A rollercoaster of emotions passed through me, what was my husband going to say.... they were 'girls' ... 'sisters' WHY???? - but basically I could not believe my eyes!
Angel (daddy bun) was immediately separated and booked into vets to have the snip! (I swear you could barely even see parts), I could not understand how it had happened!!
What totally floored us was the next lesson we learned, the hard way...
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| 9 Kits grow ever so fast! |
Even though I separated the parents the very moment I found the babies, Angel had already begun the process AGAIN that very morning. Exactly 30 days later (he was already desexed and had been separated the whole time) I went out to check on my brood (9 babies) and two parents and guess what I found.... yep more!
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| Uh Oh!! 7 More!! |
Seven more!!! There are no words to describe my emotions... how was I going to find homes for 16 bunnies??? How is Teegee going to cope, how will they survive? The list of worries and questions boggled my mind.
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| Chester is demonstrating the expression on my face the morning I found 9 babies!! |
Teegee, was such a wonderful mum, but it proved very difficult in that her first litter were not weaned and really did need longer with mum. The newborns would not survive without enough milk, I was really worried.
Lucky for us Angel is truly his namesake and a wonderful father, he took the toddlers in with him, groomed them, taught them to forage, master stealth and flee, but most of all like humans.
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| Accomodating mum to 17, Teegee - keeping her sane was a full time job. |
Teegee was given room. Space away from the toddlers and a home big enough that her newborns were at a safe distance but that she could get to when feed time came around. Each day she spent time with her hus-bun and toddlers, even continuing to give them a daily feed! Each night she visited her newborns and after tucking them into the nest I would sneak in and feel that there were 7 warm and plump tummies, which there always was!! She had done it.
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| Teegee enjoying "Mummy-bunny alone time" |
All too soon the time came when the babies were all old enough to find their fur-ever homes. I am just happy that I was able to find homes for 14 of the babies and screened the new owners as best I could - I kept their names and numbers, called them often - offered to take back any bun if it did not work out. Provided them with a bunny care booklet and contact numbers. It was a very sad time for us ... Oh 14 I hear so say, what about the other two??? Well they were not up for adoption!!
We were fortunate to be able to keep two of these precious miracles - Sweetie the 'runt' of the first litter or as you know her "Princess Sweetie, Spokes-bun of Fairy Castle Farm" and her brother, Patches the 'butter-ball' or as Sweetie refers to him her "Goof-ball brother" of the second.
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| Sweetie as a Kit |
Patches is also neutered .. I affectionately call him my 'special' boy. I am convinced he was the last born as at times can be a little vague .. **A special mention, since first writing this post, Patches has now crossed rainbow bridge, RIP my beautiful boy... here is a link farewell beautiful Patches ...
This is my story - This is my bunnies story.
Thanks for reading, take care and remember .... What Sweetie says.
"Don't be shy to hop by and say Hi!"
"Don't be shy to hop by and say Hi!"
Yollie xxx
