The Bun House

21/12/2024

Need to get some last min Christmas presents for your bunnies?
The Rainbow Rabbit has you covered!
The summer bumper beds are a genius idea for getting bunnies through the heat waves, highly recommend them.

19/12/2024

FIRE EVAC ASSISTANCE

We have space for rabbits, poultry, small birds or guinea pigs if anyone is evacuating the fire and needs somewhere for their animals to stay short term. Send us a message if you need help 💜

Rabbits must be up to date on vaccinations.

🔥 PLEASE NOTE: this bushfire warning has been updated for people in CARABOODA in the CITY OF WANNEROO. For the latest information visit www.emergency.wa.gov.au 🔥

06/12/2024

Following on from my last post, this is a great summary for anyone looking for more information about calicivirus.

If you have any questions about the virus or ways you can protect your rabbits please message WARCI, they know everything there is to know and are the most reliable source of information currently.

So most of you read my previous post, a reminder to revaccinate your rabbits, however what this showed is many people still don’t know there is a vaccine available and even more so, need an update on Calicivirus facts and protocol.

I will be publishing the Calicivirus tracker for WA and pinning it to the top of our page - this is updated quicker than feral scan so check back here for CONFIRMED and possible cases. We’ve been relatively lucky and had a couple quiet years, but like I’ve previously said, the weather patterns have made WA the perfect breeding ground for RHDV2 to take hold again.

✅But first, let’s go back over some RHDV2 facts.

- RHDV2 incubation period is 1-3 days
- Australia has RHDV1, K5 & most common RHDV2 calici viruses, Filavac is the only vaccine available for all strains
- within 6 - 12 hours of noticing subtle changes in your rabbit, death usually occurs, it is that quick
- Warning signs are lethargy, off food, change in temp, seizures, not wanting to move, grinding teeth etc
- RHDV2 is EXTREMELY contagious
- You might get one death or multiple, test anyway if it’s unexpected
- Most rabbits do not infact bleed from the nose and mouth, however it can happen
- “Pain Pose” is common with most deaths (this also happens with any painful death not just Calicivirus)
- 120 day quarantine period from the last rabbit death is recommended before bringing a new bunny home
- RHDV2 tends to have a second reappearance after the initial outbreak so it’s important not to be complacent, clean clean clean
- F10 and Virkon are great disinfectants if the correct method is followed
- Fabrics, wood, soil, toys, castles etc should be destroyed in an outbreak as the virus is hard to remove from these items
- Calicivirus can be carried on shoes, clothes, pets, food, cars, insects etc, it can blow in with the wind and even be bought home by you.

💙 How can I protect my rabbit from Calicivirus?
Unfortunately you can’t 100% protect them, you can however do you best to minimise the chance of contracting Calicivirus by following the below points.

* VACCINATE WITH FILAVAC - every 12 months, a small overlap is recommended if Calicivirus conditions are endemic in your area
* eliminate insects, insects are one of the main spreaders of rabbit viruses including myxomatosis, fly wire pens, use pest control, plant insect repelling plants.
* Keep on top of flea control for your rabbit and other pets in the home - advocate, advantage, revolution etc
* dusk and dawn rule, keep your rabbits indoors during the “prime insect time”
* spray your yard with coopex, this helps to eliminate flies and insects
* keep your rabbit indoors or flyscreen cages
* remove shoes before entering your home
* keep a bottle of f10 at your door for a quick spray before coming inside
* wash your floors with an F10 solution
* wash bedding with F10 solution
* store hay for a minimum of 3 months
* wash vegetables and fruit especially if bought from markets or picked from your garden
* minimise contact with other rabbits, if you do come in contact, remove and wash your clothes before interacting with your own rabbits
* keep your rabbits area clean, this reduces pests and dust particles
* quarantine - if you are bringing a new bun home, quarantine it for a minimum of 7 days before introducing to your current rabbits
* if you park your car in the garage or on lawn your bunny or children play on remember that your car potentially travelled through infected areas…. Give the tyres a spray of F10 or even better give it a wash before coming home and block off access to your rabbits
* other pets, we all know dogs like to explore, eat dead things and roll in the grossest of smells they can find, if you’ve been out walking in parks or areas where rabbits are inhabiting, give your dog a bath before entering your home.
* rabbit proof your yard
* don’t take your rabbit for walks in parks, bushland or beaches. The virus is invisible so you can never be sure where it is. Keep them home, it’s not cute to risk them being on the ground.

I like to think of RHDV2 as rabbit Ebola…. It’s horrible so anything you can do to minimise the risk helps.

💙 My rabbit is vaccinated so it can’t catch the virus.
Wrong. The vaccine Filavac is only around 90-95% effective. However that being said, we’ve witnessed rabbitries with outbreaks of RHDV2 and the survival rate was impressive, very few vaccinated rabbits die vs unvaccinated.

💙 How long does it remain in the environment and can I get a new rabbit?
- 3 1/2 months in warm temperatures up to 7ish months in mild…. It’s that potent. It’s why we recommend 120 days quarantine before you look at bringing a new bunny home or before you move rabbits from your property. No rabbits in or out.

💙 My vet confirmed my rabbit died from the virus so I don’t need to test.
- Wrong, your vet cannot confirm if your rabbit died from the virus, the only way to confirm this is by a liver sample sent to the CSIRO - rabbit savvy vets know this. If you rabbit does suddenly pass away you can assume Calicivirus and take precautions to minimise spread, it is good practice to disinfect your home/rabbit area when a bunny suddenly passes. But remember, just looking at a rabbit even during an autopsy cannot confirm the virus, and I’ve looked at a lot of post mortem bodies.

💙 How do I test?
- you can send us a message here or email [email protected] or PM the page and let us know you want to test, or if you are unsure if you should, let us know what’s happened and we can help guide you. We keep a stock of test kits in Perth for quick access and can provide them to you or to your vet. You will need someone to take a liver sample for you, whether it be a vet (this is at a cost), yourself or if you have a friend without rabbits that is able to, unfortunatly we cannot do this for you. We will give you instructions and guide you through the process. Once the sample is taken, we pop it in a tube, fill in the forms and get it express posted to the CSIRO and update feral scan. Results take from 1-2 weeks. You can also request a kit directly from the CSIRO however this can take up to 2 weeks due to post delays.

💙 Can people catch it?
- there is no evidence to suggest humans can contract RHDV2. However never say never.

💙 is my information private when I test?
- yes, warci & CSIRO do not disclose individuals information, your information is seen only by the testing coordinator and the CSIRO, infact the CSIRO does not give me details of your information, just the strain, suburb and vax status. The only public post in relation to your test will be if it comes back positive or if it’s a huge number of deaths I will pop up possible, and even so it will only be a post to say the suburb, FeralScan is also eventually updated by CSIRO.

If you have any questions, pop them in the comments, I will do my best to get them answered. No question is silly.

05/12/2024

We are, as are many other rabbit owners, extremely concerned about the current calicivirus outbreak.

Infections have been reported in the swan view area from unvaccinated pet rabbits. We are taking as many precautions as possible to keep our boarders safe, but will happily refund anyone who would prefer to cancel their booking due to calicivirus concerns.

As always, all rabbits must be fully vaccinated to stay with us.
We are currently requiring all shoes be removed before entering the house and have F10 available at the door to spray down clothes.
We also ask that no one pat any rabbits when they enter the house; and that if they have been in contact with unvaccinated pet rabbits or around wild rabbits while away, they stay outside the house and let us bring their bunny out to them.

We are using f10 to clean all supplies, are quarantining hay before feeding it to our boarders, keeping pens clean to help minimize any risk and mopping floors daily with f10.
All pens are separated with a 3 barrier system to ensure no contact can be made with bunny neighbours, any grooming is now done outside to prevent fur or dander traveling around the house, and the house is (as always) being kept free of any bugs, flies or mosquitoes that could be a virus vector.

If there is anything extra you'd like us to do to ensure the safety of your bunny please let us know, and if it is within our power we will do our best to do it.

Updated as at 18.12.2024

🦠🐰RABBIT CALICIVIRUS TRACKING WA

This post will remain pinned at the top of our page until outbreaks settle down. Please refer to this post, if you have deaths to report, please pm our page so we can look further into it.

We’ve had confirmed (tested) RHDV2 outbreaks in:

❌Aug - Dardanup(wild rabbit unvaccinated)
❌Sept - Parkwood (pet unvaccinated
❌Oct - Boyup Brook (multiple pets unvaccinated)
❌Oct - King River (wild rabbits)
❌Oct - Albany (wild rabbits)
❌Nov - Alkimos (lots of pet bunnies unvaccinated)
❌Nov - Coolbellup (multiple pet rabbits unvaccinated)
❌Nov - Perth airport
❌Nov - Swan View (multiple pet rabbits unvaccinated)
❌Nov - Midvale (multiple pet rabbits unvaccinated)
❌ Nov - Bennett Springs (unvaccinated pets)
❌Nov - Two Rocks (unvaccinated pet bunnies)
❌Dec - Belmont (unvaccinated pet rabbits)
❌Dec - Perth Airport/High Wycombe - (wild rabbits)

Outbreaks/not confirmed or pending but highly likely V2:

⚠️Outbreak reported in Middle Swan by a non warci breeder. Unsure if testing but huge loss rate.
⚠️ Outbreaks reported on the Bolgart side of Toodyay. Not confirmed yet however reliable sources.
⚠️Outbreaks reported in York - yet to be confirmed however reliable source.
⚠️Outbreak Bunbury
⚠️Mundairing - heaps of dead wild bunnies reported
⚠️Perth Hills - heaps of dead wild bunnies reported
⚠️ Secret Harbour - couple pet bunnies (unvaccinated)
⚠️ Toodyay - heaps of dead wild bunnies, pending results
⚠️ Carramar - several pet rabbits pending results
⚠️ Nowergup - mass wild rabbit deaths

Thank you.

01/12/2024

How cute is Millie?

24/11/2024

Look how this incredible human has transformed some of our garden produce!

All treat ingredients are locally sourced, hand picked, dried and processed, and guaranteed delicious for bunnies.

10/11/2024

When you wanna nap, but also have quick access to snacks

09/11/2024

Are your bunnies due for a vaccine and health check? Then this is the raffle for you!
Last day to enter, make sure to get your tickets and help out an amazing rescue at the same time.

05/11/2024

A crime has been committed at the Bun House! Bonbon claims he is innocent.

The crime scene is currently being investigated and witness statements are being taken, anyone with information is asked to call nine-bun-bun.

01/11/2024

Did any of you spot Chook at the open garden? She's nesting right on top of our Jujube tree, which doesn't seem to mind - it's covered in flowers.

29/10/2024

Whew! The weekend is over and I am still absolutely buzzing with how amazing it was - and already planning the next one 🤣
All up, we ended up raising an incredible $2,754 for Under the Willow Tree Rescue Inc. - I can barely believe it!
It was so wonderful to be able to combine my passions for sustainable gardening and rabbit welfare, and have this opportunity to share my knowledge with anyone who would listen.

Thank you SO much to everyone who came along. We didn't get a full count, but estimate between 250 - 300 people attended which is just incredible.
A huge thank you also to the team of volunteers who worked all weekend to help the event run smoothly - we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you also to Curtin Radio for giving me the opportunity to chat gardening and bunnies on your radio show, and to everyone who helped share and promote the event.

Together, we have achieved a wonderful thing and I'm so proud of our community.

We were so busy that we didn't get a chance to grab any pics of our talks, or of us with people in the garden. If anyone has any pics or videos they'd like to share we'd love to see them!

27/10/2024

Our fundraiser weekend is over which means it's time for a very important decision: naming our (not so little anymore) duckling.
Thank you everyone who came along and entered the duckling name raffle.

Without further ado, we would like to introduce you all to the newest member of the Bun House: Lucky Ducky McDuck Face!

(The first name we drew was Lucky, the second name for a last name was Ducky McDuck Face. What a brilliant combo!)

26/10/2024

Goose says thank you very much to the almost 100 people that visited us today!
We managed to raise a whopping $542 for Under the Willow Tree Rescue Inc. from our door and plant sales. They have reported being blown away by the love, generosity and support they received at their stall too.
We had so much fun showing people around the garden, picking mulberries and teaching everyone how to grown their own human (and bunny) food.

Can't wait for round two tomorrow!
Goose agrees and is ready for another full day of demanding pats from strangers at day 2 of the Open Garden Fundraiser tomorrow.

23/10/2024

Can anyone help?

Injuries: 0/10 - not recommended. 😅
I’ve done a really nice big fracture in my right hand today.

I currently can’t lift above 1kg of weight, so I’m desperate for help.

If anyone can help me with the following:

I’m desperate for volunteers to help with our event at the Bun House this weekend, helping with our stall including setting up and sales throughout the day, watching over our adoptive buns, and transporting items to and from.
If you can help either the Saturday or the Sunday, please message our page, all help is very much appreciated! 💛💙

I still have 21 rabbits that need carers, I currently can’t effectively provide their care whilst I’m right-handless. If anyone can assist with fostering, even temporarily, please reach out to us!
We provide a full set up and starter supplies, as well as constant support, and a positive and friendly community. 💛💙

Hoping to be on the mend soon!

Thank you everyone!👨‍⚕️

22/10/2024

The cavalry have moved in! The aphids were getting so bad that I almost gave in and started spraying, but I'm so glad I was patient and gave nature a chance.
The lady bird nymphs are here and are devouring aphids at a rate of knots. Their speed and efficiency is actually quite incredible.
This is how I grow all our bunny food organically - using natural predatory bugs to keep the pests away. Come see it in person and learn more at the Open Garden Fundraiser this weekend!

The nymphs have started on my roses which were the most badly infested, but will move to my veggies once they run out of food on the roses.

It just shows how important patience is - after all, for the nymphs to show up we first have to have enough adult lady birds find the food source, mate, lay eggs, and then wait for the eggs to hatch. If we spray part way through that cycle the eggs either die from the spray, or hatch and have no food.
I've noticed parasitic wasp activity has dramatically increased this week too, I guess they've also reached the crucial point in their life cycle.

18/10/2024

This explains really well why lopped ear bunnies are so prone to ear infections and can be permenantly injured or even die from them if left untreated, and why it's so unethical to knowingly breed them.

It's a well kept secret within the breeding community that so many well meaning pet owners are unaware of, just like the myth that rabbits can happily live in hutches, so please don't feel judged if you've been unaware of it in the past. My own first rabbit was a lop kept in a hutch too; we all start somewhere!
It's so good to be finally shedding some light on it and raising awareness.

If you do want a lop bunny, please consider adopting from a rescue instead of buying directly from a breeder and supporting them. Hopefully one day we can stop this cruel practice.