Bigwig the Elderberry was a gorgeous big New Zealand White buck that was sadly used for breeding rabbits for meat. He came to us in July 2018 with eight other rabbits from a breeder who had been convinced to stop the slaughter by his mother. Apparently he had lately been kept as a pet in the garden, he certainly is very friendly. Perhaps getting to know him helped them change their minds about what they were doing to these lovely creatures.
He was suffering from horrible raw open sores on his feet, front and back that were likely caused by the wire breeding cage he was in before the playhouse. His feet were so painful at first that he could only hobble. Another of the does had very bad ones too and they all have callouses. Poor blood supply due to lack of movement contributes to this too. They are all thin and the younsters are very uncoordinated and their ligaments are weak so their feet splay out. They need to build up the muscles they need to play properly.
As soon as Bigwig is in better condition we will get him neutered and bonded. For now he is on nice deep bedding in a stable alongside one of the does who he undoubtedly has met before.