My Rabbit Journey~New Pics pg 17

[mama24]

Hey all! Hope you don't mind giving a newbie some advice! Does everybody here separate their rabbits into individual cages? I thought that was the only way to do it, but I bought my first 2 meat rabbits yesterday. Their parents lived together in a large hutch, at least twice the usual size of meat rabbit cages I've seen, with another of the same size that they kept the young rabbits in. He said this was their 2nd large litter and he's always housed them together with no problems. I got 2 boys, Californias, they were all he had left. I need to email another seller back to get 2 or 3 New Zealand does. How old do they need to be before breeding? I believe the boys I got are 8 weeks old, and I assume the does will be somewhere around that age, since that seems to be what they all are when they're for sale. So 2 mos old, I have heard 4 months, and I have heard 6 months minimum for breeding, which is it? I'm purposely breeding mixed breeds, so they'll have some nice hybrid vigor, growing bigger faster. My kids are eating me out of house and home now. My only daughter is my youngest, and she barely eats anything. My 3 boys are a different story, and all they want is meat! With that in mind, do you think should get 2 or 3 does? Or even more??? I would like to be able to have 1 whole rabbit for a meal probably 3 times per week by next year. That's my goal. I already know we like rabbit. I just got some milk goats from the farmer's market guy I get chicken, lamb, and goat meat from, and I occasionally buy rabbit from him, too.

 

[hemet dennis]

Hey all! Hope you don't mind giving a newbie some advice! Does everybody here separate their rabbits into individual cages? I thought that was the only way to do it, but I bought my first 2 meat rabbits yesterday. Their parents lived together in a large hutch, at least twice the usual size of meat rabbit cages I've seen, with another of the same size that they kept the young rabbits in. He said this was their 2nd large litter and he's always housed them together with no problems. I got 2 boys, Californias, they were all he had left. I need to email another seller back to get 2 or 3 New Zealand does. How old do they need to be before breeding? I believe the boys I got are 8 weeks old, and I assume the does will be somewhere around that age, since that seems to be what they all are when they're for sale. So 2 mos old, I have heard 4 months, and I have heard 6 months minimum for breeding, which is it? I'm purposely breeding mixed breeds, so they'll have some nice hybrid vigor, growing bigger faster. My kids are eating me out of house and home now. My only daughter is my youngest, and she barely eats anything. My 3 boys are a different story, and all they want is meat! With that in mind, do you think should get 2 or 3 does? Or even more??? I would like to be able to have 1 whole rabbit for a meal probably 3 times per week by next year. That's my goal. I already know we like rabbit. I just got some milk goats from the farmer's market guy I get chicken, lamb, and goat meat from, and I occasionally buy rabbit from him, too.

With new Zealand does if you want them for long term breeding I would wait till 8 months. And i would not leave the doe and buck together you have no control of when they breed and you only need one buck if you only have 2 or 3 does. A good breeding schedule is when the babys are 6 weeks old is when you should breed again. You want to average 8 per litter and 5 litters per year. You can get more litters but you will make it hard on the does and the litters you will have to feed them longer to get up to weigh.
As far as how many to have i would say as many as you have room and time for. If you end up with more then you can eat that is not a bad thing nothing wrong with making some money. Also check out raising worms under the rabbits. once you have a bed of droppings just add some worms after a couple months turn the droppings and you will not believe how many worms you have. Just some more money to pay for the feed.
good luck

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Keeping them separate is the best plan unless you want to do a LOT of research to find out how people successfully keep rabbits in colonies. Personally, for me it would be more of a hastle. For a better way to find out if you should breed them, weigh them first! Regardless of age a medium-to-large sized breed should be around 7-8 pounds before breeding (if it is a doe, for bucks it is ok to do younger). My doe I just bred is right around 8 pounds and my other doe I just got is only about 6.65lbs so she has a ways to go before she is ready. My heavier doe is 7.5 months old. The other is about five. Good luck

 

[jerryb]

I am far form an expert, but the last two years my daughter has been keeping meat rabbits for 4-H. we have pure new zealand, I think the NZ/Cal cross will be a winner for your table. We will be switching to pure bred Cals this year I think.

as for how many to a cage we keep a litter together in one cage until the start to get crowded ~7 weeks or so then we choose the best three to be our fair entries and put them together in a 30x30 cage and keep them together until the fair week. the others we separate by gender and house them in twos or threes until the get adopted out or sold. I would just process them but the family says: NO WAY!

we keep our breeding stock rabbits in single cages, but if you are going to process around 12 weeks (standard market age around here) you can keep two or three in a cage up to that size. that is about the age when the bucks start testing the waters so you might separate them sooner if that bothers you.

we have bred two of our does and learned to take the doe to the bucks cage and stay there until they are done. I give them a second chance the next day and if the doe refuses then we start counting days.

good luck
Jerry

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Good news as of last night, the doe is confirmed pregnant. When I fed last night I took some time and she allowed me to put my hand on her belly for about two minutes. I clearly felt squirming little bun buns

 

[hemet dennis]

So what is the due date ?

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

So what is the due date ?

She is due on the 29th-30th of this month

 

[Lark Rise]

Good news as of last night, the doe is confirmed pregnant. When I fed last night I took some time and she allowed me to put my hand on her belly for about two minutes. I clearly felt squirming little bun buns

How do you do that? Our does are so skiddish. I've heard it feels like grapes. I wonder if we can bring a special treat to distract her.
Our doe #1 should be due Jan 31 if the buck did his job.
Doe # 2 we bred on Saturday evening and again on Sunday morning.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

We're off to a rough year so far. Out of the first four does, 1) didn't deliver, 2) didn't make a nest and kindled on the wire, 3) didn't make a nest, kindled on the wire AND partially ate them, then died the next day, and 4) Success!

 

[Lark Rise]

Did you do anything differently with #4 than #2 and #3? I want to be prepared. Thanks. They are really cute, btw.

We're off to a rough year so far. Out of the first four does, 1) didn't deliver, 2) didn't make a nest and kindled on the wire, 3) didn't make a nest, kindled on the wire AND partially ate them, then died the next day, and 4) Success!