First off - my internet and home phone line have been down for a couple of days if you were wondering where I was. Just part of rural life. But I've also been busy busy busy planting those 500+ trees and some fruit trees in my orchard (really, really excited about the fruit trees!).
But then I heard some nasty news. The local council are releasing calicivirus into areas around Northland to control wild rabbits. Calicivirus was released illegally into New Zealand in 1997 and is now licensed for tightly controlled use as a pest-control measure. But it doesn't discriminate between domesticated rabbits and those little wild ones who do all the damage, but there is a vaccination.
I rang my vet and explained that transporting my five breeding adults into the surgery was going to be difficult. I don't like the mums leaving their litters and one doe is due to kit today or tomorrow. Plus I don't have that many cages. I also explained that I was a midwife and very used to giving injections (to humans, but it can't be that different, huh?). She said that seeing as they were a 'stock' animal and not a pet, and that she could trust me not to inject myself, she would sell me five vaccination doses over the counter without an actual consult. Yay!
So tonight when Hubby gets home, he gets to hold the bunnies, I get to inject. The young kits (under 6-8) apparently don't die from it even if they contract it. But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.
