They have made it through to week 4 and are both developing really well and are starting to look more like Angora rabbits now, well in some of the photos they look more like Chinchilla’s but as they grow this will change. They have developed fun personalities and have some very distinctive character traits developing like the larger one is more inquisitive and wants to climb and both stand on their back legs to get a better vantage point to look out. While the smaller one tends to like to try to burrow and dig and run in and out of the cardboard box.
Upgrade to housing
They have had to have another upgrade to their housing, after the larger of the two babies managed to escape the smaller box, so a larger more secure cage was needed at the end of week 3. This now takes up most of the living room floor but has allowed them to run around and play more inside the cage and strengthen their legs.
Inside are various food bowls, with a newspaper on the bottom of the cage and some towels which the smaller bunny tries to dig through. There is also a cardboard box which they sleep inside sometimes but the larger bunny spends more time jumping up on it. I have placed towels over one end to provide a bit more cover and they have a water bottle attached to the outside, and a bowl of water on the inside.
Feeding changes
Both are starting to test out a range of food types from the grass and greens to hay and straw, plus the short feed as well as the biscuits. They are also starting to use the water bottle and do not need the milk as much now. By providing a range of foods in their cage they can try different things and start to have a more varied diet.
A new addition is also a ball of hall as well as some hay stuffed inside a cardboard loo roll tube. They are regularly cleaned out to ensure they have a clean cage to live in and their food is refreshed twice a day and water and hay topped up.
Growth and development
The smaller of the two baby Angoras is still not a defined colour, it is starting to look a bit like a chin in colour but I will wait and see what the longer wool fibres look like before confirming the colour. The head and body size are now more in proportion whilst the feet still look oversize in comparison to the body. The wool has started to grow in length and starting to feel silky in texture.
The larger baby Angora rabbit looks to be a Brown grey in colour and has a very square head and face. It has large front and back paws and the nails are extending and you can feel them when they move. The wool has a good texture and silky feel and is growing in length and gives a fluffy appearance.
They are both very social and easy to handle due to being hand reared and tend to look up when someone talks in the room and do not mind being picked up and handled. They have potentially imprinted on me but not as much as if it had been a lone baby Angora even though I am the main one who has fed and hand reared them.
Look out for next weeks post to check on their progress.