RABBIT TALES

If you read this blog regularly, then you probably know that we haven't been able to let the dogs go out their doggy door into the dog pen because of Daisy. She's jumped the pen twice which puts her in the bigger yard, and she's managed to get out of the bigger yard too.

At one point, I filled in all the spots around the yard where she could get out but rabbits made a place under the fence and she got out there. I fixed that spot but then she dug her own gully to get out.

She really only tries to get out if she sees something in the field in the back, usually a rabbit! We have a privacy fence on three sides but the back is barbed wire and regular wire fencing. The dogs, especially Daisy, love to lurk and watch the other side of the fence when we're at the pavilion. I usually keep Daisy on a leash now when we're back there so there's no contemplating how to get out of the yard when she sees a rabbit.

We plan to redo the fence around the dog pen eventually but for now we came up with a temporary fix--we weaved rabbit guard in and out of the pickets and reinforced it with wire ties. I was so excited to be able to let the dogs out that I let them out the doggy door while we were finishing up the fence.

This is our weaved fence
on top of picket fence.
Not exactly beautiful
but it works for now!

(It doesn't look like it but there's also a temporary
five foot tall wire fence across the driveway area
where you can see the house next door.
We plan to redo all the front fence too.)

So within minutes of being in their pen, the dogs gather 'round a little area. The next thing I know, Daisy comes up with something in her mouth and throws it on the ground. This time my lightening fast mind knew it was a rabbit!

I immediately started screaming, "No Daisy, No girls!" I ran into the yard, picked up Daisy, rallied Sally and Mitzi, got them out of the yard and back into the house.

The rabbit Daisy grabbed was dead--guts coming out, mouth open-- so gross and so sad! I buried it.

When I investigated the hole, I found two more rabbits. I lightly touched one with my gloved finger and they both started squealing. We had just mowed over top of them an hour earlier. Between the loud mower, and Daisy sticking her head into the hole to steal a sibling, I'm sure they were traumatized! Poor little things!

I covered their hole back up with the
original matter--grass and Mom's fur.
(Not my Mom, the rabbits Mom!)

That was two days ago, and I've been checking on them twice a day every day since then.

Can you see their cute little ears?

The rabbits are about

1-1/2 to 2 inches long.

I researched wild baby rabbits on the web and found out the mother will stay gone during the day so as not to attract predators. She returns at night, actually in the evening and morning to feed which she does for no more than five minutes a day. They open their eyes in 10 days and are weaned in three to four weeks. I will continue to keep the dogs out of the pen and when they get big enough to find their own way, I may move them if they don't move on their own.

The website also said a mother will sometimes move them within 48 hours if the hole has been disturbed. If she does move them, I didn't want her to move them to another spot in the pen so I filled in the other rabbit hole with garden soil. (The hole where we found rabbits recently and thought they were mice). Actually, I ended up filling two holes.

And speaking of predator, several days ago when I walked up to the pavilion with the dogs, I was hooking Daisy to her tie when I heard a large bird make an unpleasant squawking sound right over my head. I looked up and caught the shadow of a big black bird soaring off just above the trees but didn't give it much thought.

When I turned around Sally and Mitzi (not on leashes) were gathered around something. Much to my horror, about 3-1/2 feet off the back of the pavilion was a rabbit with it's head bit off! The head was laying next to it! Talk about being beside yourself! It was fresh too because the blood was bright red! OH YUCK!!!

Once again, I'm screaming, "No girls! Here girls! Come on girls!" and I'm shooing them away. They were good about listening and we all went right back into the house. No sitting under the pavilion for me that day!

I checked later that afternoon and in the evening, and the headless rabbit was still there. The next morning, George and I headed up to the pavilion with a shovel to pick it up but it was gone. Not a trace was left but a little fur and some bird do-do. I guess the bird (probably a hawk) finished it off!

Getting back to the baby rabbits, this afternoon when I took the dogs out to do their duty, this is what I see--a wet fence and water in and all around the dog's pen!

My first thought is
"Oh no, the rabbits!"

George had been watering the patio earlier which is on the opposite side of this area. This part of the pen is the only part that's wet. though I'm stumped!

In any event, I hooked Daisy to the outside of the dog pen and went inside with Sally & Mitzi. I pulled the grass and fur out of the hole only to find that the hole is full of water, and the two babies are holding their little little heads just above the water!!!!

They're usually in the hole head first or sideways. I've never seen them with their tiny little heads facing me. Even at this young age with their eyes not even open yet, their innate rabbit instinct knew what they had to do to survive the massive flood! Well, I'm sure it was massive to them!

I reached in and gently pulled them out. One started crying and squealing right away and continued to do so even after I placed them on the ground. The other one was breathing and eventually let out a few cries too. I think it is okay.

I took this photo just after

I pulled them out of the water.

I left the rabbits laying in the grass outside the hole, and took the dogs back into the house. Daisy was going berserk wanting over the fence to get at those rabbits but I wasn't having it!

I retrieved a cup and a clean hand towel and dipped the water out of the hole. I stuck the towel in and absorbed water, rung it out, absorbed more, etc. I placed some of the grass and fur back into the hole first since it was really wet in there, and then set the rabbits on top of it. I pulled up more grass from another area, and covered the hole with it.

When I set them into the hole, they immediately went head first and got comfy. I am about to go check on them again! I hope they survive!

Stay tuned for more Rabbit Tales...
D~~~~