Merry Christmas!!

Don't forget to vote!

We're having another poll--and this time, you get to vote for your favorite 'Mini' breed. Be sure to take a moment to vote in the poll (see left) and cast your vote for your favorite!

Other sources for How To Raise Rabbits:

How To Raise Rabbits (as well as The Field Guide to Rabbits) can be purchased at Target.com:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/176-5345621-1157921?asin=B002RREU7S&afid=yahoosspplp_bmvd&CPNG=bookmarked&lnm=B002RREU7SRaise-Rabbits-Paperback-Samantha-Johnson_:_Books&ref=tgt_adv_XSNG1060

HTRRabbits is also now available from Acres U.S.A:

http://www.acresusa.com/books/closeup.asp?prodid=1902&catid=11&pcid=2

Looking for the book?

How To Raise Rabbits is now available from eNASCO Farm and Ranch Supplies (they offer the world's largest selection of unique livestock supplies!)

Click here: http://www.enasco.com/product/C29461N

How To Raise Rabbits is also now available from Meyer Hatchery:

Click here: http://www.meyerhatchery.com/get_item_bkhtrr.htm

New Poll!

Don't miss the new poll---this week, we're asking you to vote on your favorite dwarf breed. :-) You can find the poll on the left-hand side of this blog, just underneath the photo of the Holland Lop. Have fun voting!

New Varieties Approved!

All week long, I have been eagerly awaiting news from this year's ARBA convention in California. As an afficianado of rabbit breeds and colors, I was delighted to hear that several varieties passed their third showing before the ARBA Standards Committee, including: Broken New Zealands, Opal Mini Satins, Siamese Mini Satins, Red Mini Satins, and Chinchilla Mini Satins.

Congratulations to all!

Halloween Greetings!

A special Halloween greeting from Pierre!

For all of your rabbit supply needs: Bunnyrabbit.com

If you're looking for a great resource to shop for everything you need to raise rabbits, then "hop" right over (rabbit pun, couldn't resist!) to www.bunnyrabbit.com and browse their selection. They carry virtually everything, from brushes and cages to exercise pens and jewelry, and everything in between. Their website is very thorough and there's lots to look at. I was impressed with their prompt shipping, too. :-)

And if you're looking to order a copy of How to Raise Rabbits or The Field Guide to Rabbits, you can find both books at www.bunnyrabbit.com :-)

Enjoy!!

Don't forget to vote!

This week's poll is now up, check it out!

Just because. . . .

. . . I like posting adorable photos. :-)

Another Review of HTRRabbits

Check out the nice review of How To Raise Rabbits in the March/April 2009 issue of The Pet Gazette: www.scribd.com/doc/19615990/Pet-Gazette-March-2009 !

Tasty Treats :-)

It's a wonderful time of year with the garden producing so well. We're enjoying the fresh produce, and so are the rabbits.

It's kind of a treat to hand out organic heirloom carrots to eager bunnies. :-)

Find us on Facebook!

How to Raise Rabbits is now on Facebook! Click the box below to go directly to our Facebook page, and keep up with our updates and news. Don't forget to "become a fan" and tell your friends, too! :-)

How To Raise Rabbits by Samantha Johnson

Be a fan! Join us on Facebook!

New faces. . .

There are a couple of new faces in my little rabbitry. . . :-) Photos and details to follow shortly!

Now Available at BunnyRabbit.com!

You can now purchase How to Raise Rabbits and The Field Guide to Rabbits at www.bunnyrabbit.com ! Simply go to their website and click on "books."

. . . and a review of "The Field Guide to Rabbits"

Check out this review of "The Field Guide to Rabbits" on Helium.com:

http://www.helium.com/items/1555449-book-reviews-the-field-guide-to-rabbits-by-samantha-johnson

Reviews for How To Raise Rabbits

"How To Raise Rabbits" was reviewed in the March 2009 edition of SciTech Book News:

http://www.booknews.com/sci_issues/sci_mar2009/voyageur1.html

The book was also recommended in the Spring '09 issue of "Out Here" magazine. Click here to read the review, scroll to page 2:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/wps/wcm/myconnect/31166c004d106f619967df75c71f1acf/OutHereSpring09_f.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

Check out the current issue of California Country magazine---"How to Raise Rabbits" is reviewed: http://www.californiacountry.org/features/article.aspx?arID=607

Read an excerpt!

Read an online excerpt from "How To Raise Rabbits" in the Spring 2009 issue of TSC's "Out Here" magazine:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/WcmDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10551&catalogId=10001&contentName=/tractorsupply/magazine/current/spring_09_how_to_raise_rabbits

Going Green(s)

What do you like best about summer? Vacations? Relaxation? Time at the beach? Time in the sun? Gardening? Hiking? Biking? Swimming?

Eating greens? :-)

My rabbits are enjoying summertime with great gusto and enthusiasm. Each day they devour a hefty handful of freshly-picked grass. For the months of April, May, and most of June, they also dined on the delightful delicacy of dandelions. Now that summer is stretching towards August, the dandelions are not as easy to find, and so I've switched to bringing them raspberry leaves, which they appear to enjoy even more than the dandelions (if one can judge by the rapid rate of consumption).

It's a pleasure to watch them enjoy their summertime treats! (Disclaimer: I've slowly introduced the greens over time and carefully made any changes to their daily diets. It's important to avoid major disruptions to a rabbit's daily fare, so introduce new foods slowly and make steady increases. And if you feed raspberry leaves--watch for the poky parts on the stems!)

Here is Tessa, saying "Gimme my greens!" as she pulls them through the cage door. Of course she couldn't possibly wait for the door to open . . .

Yum, yum, yum!

Colony raising, anyone?

It's a beautiful spring day and the warmer weather started me thinking again about colony raising. There is an extensive section in How to Raise Rabbits that is dedicated to the pros and cons of colony raising. Rabbits do enjoy being outdoors and they love having the opportunity to move about, run, play, jump, and dig. The above photo shows one of my Dutch does, "Sofie"; she particularly enjoyed her adventures outdoors in her fenced-in exercise area. It's fascinating to watch the natural instincts and behaviors of domestic rabbits playing outdoors. The digging was especially entertaining to watch---the dirt was flying as she burrowed into the sod. At one point, a large crow flew overhead and Sofie immediately flattened herself against the ground, trying to make herself invisible to the bird.
So while I have not yet attempted any type of "full-blown" colony raising, I do see the benefits of occasional opportunities for rabbits to enjoy the outdoors and do the things that they would in a more natural setting. But I sleep much better at night knowing that they are safe in their hutches in the rabbitry. :-)

Welcome to How to Raise Rabbits!

For the very first post on this brand new blog, I suppose it would be apropos to write something by way of a brief introduction. If you've already read How To Raise Rabbits, you know that it is a brand-new 192-page book, published by Voyageur Press and written by Samantha Johnson (that would be me). The book is filled with full-color photographs by Daniel Johnson (my talented pro-photographer brother) and covers all topics related to rabbit raising. If you haven't yet seen How To Raise Rabbits, then you'll become acquainted with the book as you browse the blog and keep up with the future posts.

HTRRabbits is my second book on rabbits. The first, The Field Guide to Rabbits (Voyageur Press, 2008) is a full-color guide that is designed as an introduction to the 47 rabbit breeds currently recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). I am also the co-author of How To Raise Horses and Horse Breeds: 65 Popular Horse, Pony, and Draft Horse Breeds, and I have written articles for several magazines including Hobby Farm Home, Out Here, Rabbits USA, Pony Enthusiast, and Welsh in Canada. In addition to freelance writing, I raise Welsh Mountain Ponies and Holland Lop and Dutch rabbits. I'm also a horse show judge, and am certified with the Wisconsin State Horse Council and the Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America.

I hope you'll check back here from time to time, as this blog will feature updated information on HTRRabbits but also on topics related to raising rabbits, from breeds and showing to colors and care. Enjoy!