One of the hardest lessons new rabbit keepers have to learn is that rabbits are prey animals, and keeping prey animals safely requires planning before the animals ever arrive. Housing and predator management are not optional parts of rabbit care. They are the foundation of it. Before bringing rabbits home, you need a system in place that protects them from the things that naturally try to kill them: dogs, cats, raccoons, weasels, rats, hawks, and even neighborhood pets that wander onto your property. A safe setup usually includes a few basic things. First is secure housing. Rabbits should be kept in a barn, garage, shed, or other enclosed structure whenever possible. This creates the first barrier between them and predators. Second is proper cages. Wire cages with secure latches prevent rabbits from escaping and prevent predators from getting in. The wire spacing should also be appropriate so babies cannot fall through and predators cannot reach in. Third is height and positioning. Hanging cages several feet off the ground helps prevent dogs or other animals from reaching rabbits through the floor and reduces predator access. Fourth is barriers and management protocols. Doors, gates, fencing, or kennel panels around the rabbit area create additional layers of protection. If you have dogs on the property, rabbits must be physically separated from them. Dogs are predators. Even very good dogs can revert to instinct if given the opportunity. I learned that lesson firsthand. Years ago Bernie my mini schnauzer, Like most ratters had a very strong prey drive. One day a four-week-old kit managed to fall from a cage and Bernie did what schnauzers were bred to do and killed it. That was not the dog being “bad.” That was a management failure. After that incident I made several changes. I blocked gaps near feeders where small kits could slip out, switched sections of cages to baby-safe wire, and tightened the overall cage setup so young rabbits could not fall through or escape.

Two days ‘til due date for Mia and Collette. Mia is getting ready, but nothing from Collette. The side view photo is Collette, a Wilford daughter. And Willy is sticking his head out to say , “hi.”

“Alfalfa only for babies.” Too absolute. Alfalfa is widely used in rabbit feeds because it contributes protein, minerals, and fiber. Whether it is appropriate depends on the whole ration and life stage, not a TikTok taboo. The statement “alfalfa is only for babies” gets repeated like a rule, but it’s not a rule—it’s an oversimplification that ignores how rabbit diets are actually formulated. Alfalfa isn’t some special “baby-only” ingredient. It’s one of the primary base ingredients used in rabbit nutrition across research, commercial production, and feed manufacturing. The reason is simple: it brings a dense package of nutrients—protein, calcium, digestible fiber, and energy—that are useful when you’re trying to build a balanced ration. What matters is not the ingredient in isolation, but the entire diet around it. Why alfalfa is used in the first place Alfalfa contributes: Higher-quality protein than most grass hays Calcium and minerals needed for growth, reproduction, and lactation Fermentable fiber fractions that support cecal function Energy density that helps meet metabolic demands That’s why most complete rabbit pellets—across decades of formulation work—are alfalfa-based, not timothy-based. Where the “baby only” idea came from The myth usually comes from a real observation that got turned into a blanket rule: Young, growing rabbits need more protein and calcium → alfalfa fits that well Adult maintenance rabbits need less excess energy/minerals → people were told to “switch away” Somewhere along the way, that turned into: “Alfalfa is dangerous for adults” That leap is where the logic breaks. The actual issue: balance, not the ingredient Alfalfa becomes a problem only when the overall ration is wrong, not because alfalfa exists in the diet. Problems show up when: It’s fed free-choice with no intake control It’s combined with high-energy treats and excess feed The rabbit is already overweight or inactive The diet isn’t balanced for fiber-to-energy ratio That’s not an alfalfa issue—that’s a ration management issue.

Took 15 rabbits to their new home in Illinois today. Sara is restarting her meat herd, and it felt good getting them settled in while a new lean-to is going up. While I was away, I got the news that Cindy had passed. She gave me one last strong litter, one doe in IL, and a Tricolor I kept . I had planned to give her a well-earned rest—but Cindy had her own timing. The night before, she was exactly as she’d always been—gentle and social, coming up for long head pats, and visiting with Kranitz just an hour before he found her. She was stretched out between her feed and water on a warm spring day. He thought she was simply napping, like her daughter tucked beneath her and Martha a few rows down… but her rest had gone deeper, and she didn’t wake. Cindy was my first Best of Breed harlequin doe. She leaves behind daughters both in Harlequin and Senita lines that will carry her forward, and a mark on this barn that won’t be forgotten.

Sketch from tonight's live