Sometimes with rabbits they pass quite suddenly and you don't see it coming. So it was with Lilla Bunny a while back. For Stella though it was more of a slowing down, a knowing and then a quiet passing. It wasn't bad as such, it was her time, she wasn't suffering, she reached a good age for a large breed rabbit, she enjoyed her life and seemed comfortable in her final days.
Almost 7 years ago these big rabbits were born on a farm two towns away. After seeing an ad for their sale on a farm page, we bought three of them to join our farm. We know bunny "leftovers" are great garden fertilizer and the kids would enjoy them as pets. We have had bunnies off and on (mostly on!) over the years and they fit in well here.
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Stella (black), Lilla top (Harlequin), Matilda bottom (Harlequin)
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The terrific, terrible, three at 3 months old, already causing trouble but pretty cute too!
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Stella, Lilla and Matilda proved to be pretty wild big bunnies! Many times myself, Hayley and the boys had to find escaped bunnies. These rabbits could find their way out of any enclosure it seemed!
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We love digging!
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As the rabbits got older they stopped trying to escape and ave been allowed quite a lot of freedom within the fenced farmyard. In fact over the last few years I have found that I can let them out into the large fenced yard in the morning and they return to their cage in the chicken coop/barn for lock down at sundown.
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Fun times in the farmyard
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Surely the chickens food is tastier than my bunny food!
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Over the last few weeks Stella had been slowing down and staying nearer the coop area, she seemed to enjoy pats and attention more than in the past too. While Matilda would still run around all over, digging and looking for snacks Stella was content to watch and have snacks brought to her. She seemed to enjoy this years young chickens and hung out with them a lot right near the coop.
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Stella and the baby chicks
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Stella and a chick
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Then sometime in the last week Stella decided that she would just watch the goings on from the small back door of the coop. I think she wanted to feel a part of the farmyard but getting around was too hard for her.
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Stella watching the goings on in the farmyard
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Stella, slowing right down but still wanting to see what's going on. She doesn't go far just watches out the door.
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Finally her last day Stella did not leave her large cage in the coop and in fact Matilda stayed in and kept Stella company. Stella ate a little, fresh garden lettuce, but mostly slept that last day. When I shut up the birds and buns for the night I knew Stella would not be with us the next day.
A few days have passed. Matilda is the lone bunny now in our "flock". I don't know how she feels about it but being near 7 years old and a large breed bunny I don't think she will have a great many years left. She seems happy enough and we have no plans to add another bunny. With the kids grown now and all of our busy schedules there are no plans to add new farm animals right now. Hopefully Matilda will continue to provide rich garden fertilizer in exchange for lovely garden produce for awhile yet.
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Matilda wayyyyy under the coop, one of her favorite places to stay cool on hot days.
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Matilda under the coop digging holes!
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