Raising Meat Rabbits

[nayeli]

@misbehavin nice! I just got two large rabbit cages with nesting boxes and feeders and 1 waterer for $60. It was supposed to be $55 but send my husband and thats what I get smh*

 

[regcal966]

I have 14 day old Californian bunnies, this is my first litter. None of them have their eyes open yet. I'm getting different reports on the internet about when they should open. I thought it was 10-12 days but some people say 2-3 weeks. When have your kits opened their eyes? I think I'm going to bring them in the house and wipe their eyes with a warm washcloth so I can get an idea about what's going on. Starting to get worried. I did change their nest box material, but I did that on day 11, did I wait to long?

 

[PatriotofFlorid]

Just leave them alone. They will be fine.

 

[chiques chicks]

Just leave them alone. They will be fine.

Preface with, I'm new at this and winging it.

My first litter I did nothing, new mommy and all. I let nature do it's thing, never change nest box material, never messed with babies other than to check on them. They all survived.
I'm now on litter two, different mommy. Treating it the same. I assume nature has its ways. Some may live some may die
I try to not intervene with my chickens or rabbits unless there is an obvious case of injury or illness I can treat. I believe this gives me stronger survivor stock.
Just my opinion.

And I don't like auto correct.

 

[nayeli]

I will intervene if necassary but there is wisdom to nature. The weak die, the strong survive: Darwanism.

 

[regcal966]

You all were right. I just checked on them this afternoon and a couple of them are opening their eyes. Not much but they are doing it. I just need to have patience. This is my first time with rabbits and I'm worried I'm doing something wrong I guess.

 

[Loc20chick]

Got a real bad case of allergy after handling one rabbit yesterday, rethinking keeping rabbits. Gave them away except one will keep it for my daughter, she started crying saying wabbit wabbit

 

[juststruttin]

Got a real bad case of allergy after handling one rabbit yesterday, rethinking keeping rabbits. Gave them away except one will keep it for my daughter, she started crying saying wabbit wabbit

Sorry to hear that.

 

[nayeli]

I bought a doe that was supposed to be bred, and I bred my doe.

The doe that I bought wouldn't eat for a couple days and we expect her due date is soon so we gave her a bigger cage with a nest box full of hay... we caught her removing hay from the nest box and arranging it around the cage. She is eating again and drinking ALOT!

My doe actually growled when I threw the male in with her for a few minutes to clean out his cage and he tried to hump her. She has NEVER growled, but otherwise I don't see much going on with her. She isn't eating a lot right now so I'm hoping she is also pregnant and just a week or so less pregnant than the other one.

I don't have experience with rabbits so my efforts at palpatating weren't great and the rabbit we bought won't let us although she is warming up to us.

Oh I gave both does nestboxes btw. Advice?

 

[SA Farm]

I bought a doe that was supposed to be bred, and I bred my doe.

The doe that I bought wouldn't eat for a couple days and we expect her due date is soon so we gave her a bigger cage with a nest box full of hay... we caught her removing hay from the nest box and arranging it around the cage. She is eating again and drinking ALOT!

My doe actually growled when I threw the male in with her for a few minutes to clean out his cage and he tried to hump her. She has NEVER growled, but otherwise I don't see much going on with her. She isn't eating a lot right now so I'm hoping she is also pregnant and just a week or so less pregnant than the other one.

I don't have experience with rabbits so my efforts at palpatating weren't great and the rabbit we bought won't let us although she is warming up to us.

Oh I gave both does nestboxes btw. Advice?

My advice would be to invest in a spare cage for when you need to clean out your buck. Does can be very territorial and she could have done some serious damage to him - especially since she most likely is pregnant. (Growling at the buck is a good sign in that department.) You should have extra cages on hand for when you'll need to separate the kits later on anyway.
I personally don't palpate. I don't want to take the risk of doing it wrong and damaging a kit. I just make sure my does are well and truly bred (Buck falls over at least twice and repeat again in a few hours).