Fun in the Snow

With the weather so nice today Katie let Spencer and Ben go play in snow behind the barn # 2.  Man did they loved being outside.

Hard to believe but next month - hopefully around March 25th (if the Farmer's Almanac is correct) we will be letting the herd out to pasture.  Boy are they ever ready to go outside and graze.

Are Rabbits Left Pawed or Right Pawed?

Many long time friends of Ralph’s Rabbit Ranch know we get all sorts of questions each week from people around the world. Last week was no exception.  A young girl from Abilene, Kansas, a High School sophomore named Melissa, wrote seeking help with a term paper she is writing on Animal Husbandry.   Her question was:  ‘are rabbits right pawed or left pawed’.  I thought it was a good question so I will share our reply back to her.  

Science tells us that 10 - 12 % of the human population is left handed and that that percentage has remained constant the past 300,000 years.  We are told 30,000,000 people in the U.S. are left handed and that woman are more likely to be righted than left. 

Up until the mid 1950’s scientists claimed that “handedness” was only a human trait that did not apply to lower forms of animals.  Today we know this is wrong.  Animals of all species display traits of “handedness” whether they are Cats, Dogs, Cows, Horses or even Goldfishes.  “Handedness” is a universal phenomenon in all living creatures.

To help you think about ‘Handedness’ here’s a question for all NASCAR enthusiasts.  Which way to NASCAR vehicles race around a track?  Clockwise or Counter Clock wise?. For those of you who don’t understand the difference – clockwise races are designed to favor right-handers drivers while counter clockwise races favor left hander drivers.

Try this. Think about baseball.  Do ball players run the bases clockwise or counter cock wise?  When a player runs from first to second base and then to third and finally home is he running clockwise or counter clockwise?  If you said counter clockwise you are correct. Ball players run a left hander lap just as NASCAR drivers drive counter clockwise.

What about thorough breed horse racing - either saddled or buggied?  Do the horses run clockwise or counter clockwise. The answer = “left-handed” laps.  There’s no real plausible explanation for this however since the vast majority of professional athletes (human and horses) normally lead with their dominant hand or foot going left makes them have to excel harder in order to win. 

My understanding of rabbit ‘handedness’ has been acquired over the 14 years I have been raising rabbits commercially. Even though experts say 10 - 12 percent of the human population exhibits left handedness our personal observations here at the ranch reveals almost 30% of any given rabbit population is left pawed. We know this from three things.  First, by the way rabbits initiate their leaps and hops.  Left pawed rabbits push off with their left paws whereas right pawed rabbits kick off with their right paws.

Second, when rabbits position food a left pawed rabbit will use the left front paw more than a right pawed rabbit will.  Finally, when a rabbit gnaws on food like a carrot - left pawed rabbits gnaw from their left side while right pawed rabbits begin gnawing from the right side.

Since we keep accurate records on our breeding cycles we know that older does tend to give birth to more left pawed kits then younger does.  We also know that left pawed rabbits are more aggressive and appear more intelligent.  How do we know this?  Left pawed rabbits are generally the first ones to come out during feeding times and they push and buck to defend their position in the feeding line.

Studies conducted by the AMA suggest left handed males have higher levels of testosterone and mature later sexually than right hander’s - which we agree.  Left pawed bucks are always more prolific during our scheduled breeding sessions; unfortunately the downside from a Rabbit Ranchers perspective is since left pawed bucks sexually mature later we get less quality breeding time out of them.

Finally and this is an easy test for you to perform on your own.  The next time you see a rabbit in your yard or in a field take a moment to study it.  Left pawed rabbits tend to look to their left about 70% more often than their right pawed counterparts.  Right pawed rabbits favor looking to their right side seldom to their left.

Hope this all makes sense and gives you a better appreciation for rabbits.  Your friend Ralph

The Japanese Banker and Erotic Intercourse

A respected banker from southern Japan is arguing with his wife about he wants her to perform highly erotic sex.

The man: "Sukitaki. mojitaka!"

Wife replies: "Kowanini! mowi janakpa!"

The man now angry says: "Toka a anji rodi roumi yakoo!"

Wife literally on her knees begging: "Mimi nakoundinda tinkouji!"

The man shouting: "Na miaou kina Tim kouji!"

I can't believe you just sat there trying to read this – you don’t know Japanese.  Boy some people will read anything as long as it is about sex or politics.

Do Rabbit’s Feet Really Bring Good Luck?

Interesting question so let’s start at the beginning to answer this question correctly. 

History tells us the ancient Chinese believed the human foot was very important because they saw every organ in the human body had a pathway or a what they call a “meridian’ to the foot. Consequently individuals who practice alternative medicine today still believe our feet provide access to all of our body’s internal organs – just think acupuncture. 

Scientists estimate there are approximately 7000 nerve endings in every human’s foot - so many nerve endings, in fact, that main stream doctors often recommend their patients walk barefoot whenever possible when they are on grass or in sand just to help stimulate their nervous system and generate better health throughout the body.

Now with all that said are rabbit’s feet really lucky? As the owner of a large Rabbit Ranch we see thousands of rabbit feet each year and to tell you the truth I am not sure if they bring good luck or not. In fact, most “expert’s" I know and have talked to can’t agree if they do or not. 

For many the luck of a rabbit's foot is just an old wives tale or  superstition that should be ignored.  However, the reality is that the rabbit's foot is the most common good-luck charm found around the world. A far distant second would be the shamrock (a 4 leaf clover) which is then followed by soft piece of bark from a eucalyptus tree coming in third.

The origin of the rabbit's foot providing good luck goes back to around 6 BC; though there is no connection between the luck a rabbit’s foot with any scriptural references many European Christians associate the rabbit’s foot with the goddess Eastre the goddess of fertility.   (Coincidentally, Eastre is the goddess many associate with Easter today). 

True believers say you can only get the benefits of good luck from a rabbits foot if you carry it in your right front pocket or hang it from your garment on the right side. Others say you will get good luck if you keep it secure in the glove box of your car while you travel.  Still others say it should be tucked away in a purse or handbag and never hang from the purse strap or on a key chain.

Here is a good fun experiment I encourage you to try.  The best part is it’s easy. The next time you watch an awards program on TV like the Oscars - the Emmy’s - the Golden Globe Awards - the Grammy Awards etc. quietly count the number of actors, actresses, directors, producers, songwriters, artists etc. who are holding a rabbit's foot in their hand during the evening. Pay attention to watch how they gently rub their rabbi's foot as the list of nominations are called out. 

It’s amazing how many celebrities who held a rabbit’s foot at an awards night actually won an award: Earl Flynn, Meryl Streep, Henry Fonda, Loretta Young, William Holden, Betty Davis, Burt Lancaster, Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, Robert De Niro, Gina Davis, Al Pacino, Kate Winslow, Michael Douglas, Ben Affleck, Spencer Tracy, Sylvester Stalone, Humphrey Bogart, Kathryn Hepburn, Tom Hanks, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg just to name a few you might know? Did they deserve the awards they won? You bet! Did the rabbit’s foot help? I really don’t know.

Now if you are not in to watching award shows here’s another exercise you can easily try. Observe the number of NFL, NBA, MLB and college coaches you see holding rabbit’s feet during title games or super bowl events,  Heck you can even see NASCAR pit crews and PGA caddies holding rabbits feet.

Personally, I was amazed to learn that Michele Obama clutched a rabbit’s foot during both of her husband's (President Obama’s) Presidential debates. Was that just a coincidence? Perhaps. It could be! I just don’t know.

Finally look at the old hand painted portraits of Christopher Columbus, Admiral Byrd, Captain Cook and even Captain Morgan (that’s right the Caribbean pirate who after he retired from high seas began to distill spiced rum in Jamaica).  Look closely at all their belts, sashes and straps boots - look for the small rabbit’s foot dangling? Did they carry or wear them for luck?  I don't know.

All I conclude is people from all walks of life from around the world think rabbit’s feet are lucky.  I encourage you to decide for yourself.  For me it was a no brainer.  I try to keep a rabbit's foot with me where ever I go and people always comment I am a pretty lucky guy.