My Rabbit Journey~New Pics pg 17

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
How old are the does? That might make a difference. I had difficulty with this last breeding too, she basically acted like a rock in the cage with the buck. Just sat still as stone in one spot without moving no matter what he did. Finally after day two of having them together for close to an hour she relaxed enough to lift once.

One thing I recently did was put a light in one side of my hutch, the side of the bred doe, because I know, like chickens, that their physiology is run (partially at least) by the light hours in the day. I am making sure she gets 14 hours of light because I want a nice big litter. I know lots of people have litters in the winter time, but most of the breeders I talk to also have a lit rabbit area. We will see in a few weeks if she is pregnant.....

 

[Lark Rise]

Quote:
How old are the does? That might make a difference. I had difficulty with this last breeding too, she basically acted like a rock in the cage with the buck. Just sat still as stone in one spot without moving no matter what he did. Finally after day two of having them together for close to an hour she relaxed enough to lift once.

One thing I recently did was put a light in one side of my hutch, the side of the bred doe, because I know, like chickens, that their physiology is run (partially at least) by the light hours in the day. I am making sure she gets 14 hours of light because I want a nice big litter. I know lots of people have litters in the winter time, but most of the breeders I talk to also have a lit rabbit area. We will see in a few weeks if she is pregnant.....

The does will be a year old this Christmas. They are sisters. The buck turned a year old Thanksgiving week.
I'll talk to DH about putting in a light and maybe keeping them together for longer.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Lark: what times of the day are you attempting a breeding? I have been told that the best breeding times are early morning and late evening. I've confirmed this for myself in that my does seemed less likely to raise up for the buck in the middle of the day, no matter how warm or cool it was. They seem to really like evening and that is when I've had my best breedings. Also, are you putting the buck with the doe or the does with the buck? That matters a lot, the doe should always visit the bucks cage.

 

[hemet dennis]

Quote:
+

and i hope you don't have the does together

 

[Lark Rise]

They are all in separate cages with the buck's cage between the 2 does. The does are taken to the buck. We have only put them in late morning/early afternoon. Thanks for the tip on early morning/late afternoon.We'll give it a try.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Dusk seems to work best for us....they seem to always been frisky then

 

[Lark Rise]

Quote:

Thanks for the tip. Will keep you updated.

I also read somewhere that apple cider vinegar in the water helps.....old wives' tale maybe....

 

[wolftracks]

I think ACV is good for everything. I should own stock. LOL

Jamie after all this time I didn't realize you were just in Washington. Port Orchard is a nice little place.

I'm glad someone is having a good run on breeding. I swear back when I had rabbits years ago, they bred like them. This time around I have show lines and ummm..NUTTIN!

I started reading this thread way back. I haven't gone back through it to catch up, but wondered if you were still using the garbage bags and tubs and how that has worked out for you. I haven't been happy with anything I've done and with all these rabbits, even my little Lionheads can put out more poop than a litter of Rottie pups! None of my breds are big rabbits. Thinking maybe after the first of the year I will start with them though.

I'm glad you got this going so well for you. I still, after years of cooking rabbit, have never tried it. LOL I just keep hearing it tastes like chicken. I sure hope not.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
Haha Yes just in Washington. I like Port Orchard, it is a nice smaller town. It's one of the smaller towns this close to Seattle, after all we are only about 6 miles from Seattle when you consider the water route. Of course you have to use the Tacoma Narrows Bridge or the Ferry to cross it..both take the same amount of time to get to Seattle LOL

I'm no longer using the bags and tubs. Since then we've built a waste ramp using corrugated roofing materal -- it is made of PVC or some kind of plastic and works really well. We have a gutter system in the back and it drops into old recycle containers. It works well, except, when it rains the container fills with water making poop soup.

and I am finding that we didn't leave enough room between the shallowest are in the ramp and the bottom of the hutch so poop tends to pile up there. I clean it out well about every two weeks and it is OK for now. Roofing material I used

We eat ours regularly, it does taste *kindof* like chicken. It is definately the mildest meat I have ever had off a mammal. The meat is very dense though, akin to pork loin. I have found the easiest and most cost effective way to eat our rabbit is to poach the whole carcass, then pick all meat off the bones. I then will bag the meat up into 1.25 lb. packages and freeze it. With the bones I will spray with olive oil and roast in a hot oven for about 45 mins, along with some veggies like carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and make a really good stock out of it. I have about two gallons of stock in my freezer right now and about 12 pounds of meat.

I was making the rabbit in recipes on the bone, but my family is turned off by the small bones in the legs (tiny hard bones that you don't get in other animal carcasses). Having the cooked and shredded or chopped meat on hand is a time saver and it is very versitile. I use it anywhere I would use chicken or pork: enchiladas, soups, casseroles, tacos, lasagne, ect.

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
Haha Yes just in Washington. I like Port Orchard, it is a nice smaller town. It's one of the smaller towns this close to Seattle, after all we are only about 6 miles from Seattle when you consider the water route. Of course you have to use the Tacoma Narrows Bridge or the Ferry to cross it..both take the same amount of time to get to Seattle LOL

I'm no longer using the bags and tubs. Since then we've built a waste ramp using corrugated roofing materal -- it is made of PVC or some kind of plastic and works really well. We have a gutter system in the back and it drops into old recycle containers. It works well, except, when it rains the container fills with water making poop soup.

and I am finding that we didn't leave enough room between the shallowest are in the ramp and the bottom of the hutch so poop tends to pile up there. I clean it out well about every two weeks and it is OK for now. Roofing material I used

We eat ours regularly, it does taste *kindof* like chicken. It is definately the mildest meat I have ever had off a mammal. The meat is very dense though, akin to pork loin. I have found the easiest and most cost effective way to eat our rabbit is to poach the whole carcass, then pick all meat off the bones. I then will bag the meat up into 1.25 lb. packages and freeze it. With the bones I will spray with olive oil and roast in a hot oven for about 45 mins, along with some veggies like carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and make a really good stock out of it. I have about two gallons of stock in my freezer right now and about 12 pounds of meat.

I was making the rabbit in recipes on the bone, but my family is turned off by the small bones in the legs (tiny hard bones that you don't get in other animal carcasses). Having the cooked and shredded or chopped meat on hand is a time saver and it is very versitile. I use it anywhere I would use chicken or pork: enchiladas, soups, casseroles, tacos, lasagne, ect.

My mom took me to Rainer after I was born, back to Oklahoma until I was 3. We did move up to Alburn for a short time. I have lots of family up there. Some in your area.

Do you have pics of how you set up the trays undernieth? You can even pm them if you think they're to used at the moment. LOL