After The Rain Rabbitry is owned by Ashlyn Crowsey. She closed down the rabbitry in February 2010 but still holds ownership of the name, in hopes of getting back into the hobby again someday. ATR was a small rabbitry dedicated to breeding bunnies with snuggable personalities and excellent type. Our herd consisted of Lionheads, Holland Lops, Netherland Dwarfs, Lionlops, Mini Rex and Thriantas. We chose to work with many of the harder-to-find varieties in these breeds (like Blue-Eyed White, Orange and Chocolate) in effort to better their quality and support their success on the show tables. Our greatest delight, however, was to sell our bunnies to pet homes. While we enjoyed passing our rabbits on to show careers and breeding programs, we loved nothing more than to adopt our beloved bunnies out to forever homes where they would be thoroughly loved and played with often. This is why we put so much effort into handling and taming our baby rabbits before they left us. Even if they are headed for a breeding or show career, our hope was that eventually they would end up in the arms of someone who will cherish them as a beloved pet and permanent part of their family.

As you can see, we really cared about our bunnies! We knew each and every one by name (yes, even the kits!), and we strived to provide them with the best care possible. All of our rabbits were kept in appropriately sized cages with plastic floor mats to provide extra comfort for their little feet. Our bunnies were pet and socialized daily, and they were exercised in bunny pens on the lawn when the weather allowed. We thoroughly groomed our rabbits on a regular basis, brushing their fur and trimming their nails. Our rabbits were dewormed 3-4 times per year to enhance their overall well-being, and our kits were always dewormed before going to their new homes. Our rabbits were fed a balanced diet of quality Manna Pro feed (containing 16% protein), organic timothy hay straight from a nearby farm, and occasional fruit and vegetable treats like apple, banana, parsley, spinach and carrot. Our little ones grew up on Manna Pro mixed with Calf Manna and rolled oats to support their eager appetites and growing bodies. All of our bunnies had chew toys to support their dental health and to help keep them entertained. We did our best to provide them with everything we can afford to keep them happy and healthy.

Our wonderful rabbits were kept in a beautiful blue 10' x 12' wood building known as our "bunny barn." (Scroll down to see pictures). It had four screened windows and two air vents that allow plenty of light and ventilation. Windows were opened on nice days in Spring and Fall to let in extra fresh air, and to allow our bunnies the pleasure of experiencing the sights and sounds of nature throughout the day. We had an oscillating fan blowing at all times to keep the air moving in the barn, and a smaller fan pulled air from outside in through one of the vents and blew stale air out through the vent directly across from it. The building was insulated so that we could provide our rabbits with air conditioning on hot summer days and protection against the chill on those bitter cold days in winter.

We had 36 "holes" in our rabbitry, stacked 4 high on castors. Our cages came from Quality Cage Company in Oregon, and we highly recommend them. They had urine guards on 3 sides and baby-saver wire on the front. They were suitable to use with 2.5" deep plastic Dura-Trays, which we also recommend -- they were a lot lighter than metal trays, and more durable than most plastic cage pans. We used EZ-Crocks for food and hay, and no-leak, top-fill Edstrom Water Buddy bottles for water.

We went through great lengths to keep our rabbitry organized, sanitary and clean. Our bunny barn was waterproof on the inside and we regularly hosed the entire building out, mopped the floors and disinfected all of our cages. Water bottles were disinfected often, and cage pans and food dishes were cleaned at least once a week. Weekly cleaning days usually lasted 5+ hours and were very exhausting. Extensive monthly cleanings took an entire day. It was a lot of work but our bunnies were worth it!

We were obviously hooked on cute fluffy things. Ashlyn has always had a love for animals. She grew up in a rural area with everything from dogs and cats to chickens and turkeys (not to mention hamsters, mice, snakes, turtles, tadpoles, frogs, parakeets and of course rabbits). Ashlyn dreams of someday owning a farm with ducks, geese, chickens, sheep, donkeys and other livestock.