Raising our New Zealand Meat Rabbits *Start to finish - Birth to processing* Possible Graphic pics*

[DUCKGIRL89]

Congrats on the new litter!

If Libby doesn't feed the babies, it will most likely be because she doesn't understand that she needs to. I have had a few does that did that. If I have a doe that hasn't fed her new litter, I put her nest box in a carrier that is just larger than the box, put the doe in the box, and close the lid of the carrier. I stick around, to make sure the doe doesn't totally freak and stomp the little guys, but most of the time, the babies and the doe find each other, and the kits get fed. When it seems she is done, I put them all back in the cage. I usually don't have to repeat the process; most does catch on the first time, or within the first 3, anyway.

Chances are, you won't have any problems with her. I have had countless does that didn't want to use the nest box the first time. As you have learned, when the weather is warm enough, kindling outside of the nest box isn't a disaster. Obviously, the babies couldn't stay where they were - they would wind up scattering themselves all over the cage and probably get stepped on. You did exactly the right thing by moving them. Now you need to check on them every morning and evening, to make sure Libby does feed them. Since this is her first time, she won't have a whole lot of milk for the first couple of days. The kits' tummies probably won't look really, really full, but as long as you can see they are getting some, they should be fine. At about day 3, Libby's milk should really come in, and the babies' tummies will be round and full when they've been fed.

Thank you for all your advice, I'm glad someone finally answered my questions haha! But now I have quite a serious dilemma with Libby and her kits. The Tennessee heat got to the litter and killed NINE of them. Now all I have is one kit. I brought the entire nest box inside and he did fine by himself. Yesterday when it got cooler outside I put the box back, and he is still alive as of this morning. Will she take care of just one kit though? Would he be dead by now if she hadn't fed him? I don't mind growing out just one kit, but I don't know if Libby is even taking care of him. I knew it was probably to hot for kits in June, but she was seven months old and someone told me she would be ruined for breeding all together if she hadn't been bred at this age.

 

[Bunnylady]

Don'tcha just love the doom-and-gloomers?

I have had does that were well past a year old the first time I bred them, and they did fine. I don't know where this "if a doe doesn't get bred before X date, she's ruined" business comes from, but my experience doesn't support it. Of course, a doe can become too old to breed; most does are pretty much infertile by the time they are 4 years old, whatever their breeding history. It's true that if a doe is allowed to get fat (which is easy to do, when she spends months and months with nothing to do but lie around and eat), she is more likely to have problems, but she's also more likely to die of heat stroke if she is trying to raise litters in scorching heat.

Sorry to hear that you lost most of the litter, that's a bummer. But as to the one remaining kit . . . It takes about 3 days for a kit to starve to death, so the fact that he is still alive isn't an indicator that he's being fed. Some folks will tell you that one or two kits won't stimulate a doe enough, and her milk supply will dry up - once again, that hasn't been my experience. Kits that are born singletons seldom survive the birth process; sole survivors of otherwise numerically more normal litters generally have problems staying warm without siblings to snuggle with. A baby that is getting all of the milk intended for a whole litter can wind up growing too fast, and have skeletal or digestive problems as a result. Single babies have a tough time of it, and I usually breed my does in groups specifically to try to avoid single-kit litters (I've never had a doe reject other does' babies; I remember visitors' consternation over one "litter" that was made up of two Holland Lops, two Mini Rex, and a Jersey Wooly). But things often are beyond my control, and I have had a few babies that grew up as singletons. I remember a buck that I named Solo, and a Holland Lop doe that had the unfortunate name of Toady because she was such a fat baby, she looked like a toad . . . . So all is not lost; the one remaining kit has a chance.

But I often take nest boxes into the house during cold weather; I have even been known to bring does due to kindle in, and put them, cage, nest box, and all, in my hall closet. I call it the "maternity ward." My does put up with a whole lot of things that people told me you couldn't do with rabbits; I think they are a lot more tolerant than people give them credit for being.

 

[saltandpepper2]

I love this thread! Very informative, and I love the genetic books written in it. Lol. I do have a question. I'm planning on getting a rabbit or two next week, just for fertilizer though. I can butcher a chicken no problem... Not so sure about a rabbit. Anyways. I was doing research on care, etc, and honestly, started getting really scared with how expensive and labor intensive they made these rabbits sound. So, how much $$ is it really to raise a few rabbits? Have you ever had to take yours to the vet? Can you supplement hay with fresh grass? Thank you for your time.

 

[kacklinkelly]

I believe the answer to your question will vary depending on a persons reason/style of raising rabbits. Ours are intended for meat. However, I don't have one in my freezer yet.

I've had our initial does for about a year and half. The start up was simple. Their first home was a very large dog cage that was modified to meet their needs and provide protection so they couldn't sneak out. The food is not very expensive in my opinion. I now buy a 50 lb bag of rabbit pellets from the feed store for about 20.00. That lasts almost a month. (we now have 7 rabbits) A bale of hay cost me about 25.00 and I've had it for what seems like forever. The housing has been more costly with more rabbits. We recently turned a shed into a bunny barn. We insulated it and put in a window a/c unit. It gets into triple digits here for about 4-5 months. When I only had 2, I brought them in the house. Won't do that again.

The clean up takes more time for us. We have several different types of cages. Both wire and wooden. I clean cages every weekend. Easiest to clean are the wire cages. If I were to do it over (or when I get more disposable cash) I would replace all cages with wire ones. We have LOTS of fertilizer. Some people have more efficient set ups than mine which don't require as much time cleaning.

Best cleaner and odor neutralizer I have discovered do far is straight vinegar. Makes clean up a breeze and really knocks down the ammonia smell from the urine.

All in all, we are thrilled with our rabbits. We spend as much time as we can with them daily because we want them to be friendly. (some are more friendly than others) I have rehomed many as pets. Ours also get to exercise out of their cages when the weather permits.

Lastly, I am not intending to take any rabbits to the vet. Again, personal preference. If home remedies do not work, they will be humanely dispatched. We do what we can to provide a healthy and clean living environment for them. I'm sure you will discover your preferences. The research I did indicated that rabbits can live up to 10 years. They are a longer commitment than most people realize, unfortunately. (check out your local humane society)

Wishing you all the best.

 

[saltandpepper2]

Thanks for the answer! So for two rabbits, it should be perfectly reasonable. Yeah, I guess if o wouldn't take my chickens to the vet, the rabbits will be in the same category. Thank you for you time!

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Don'tcha just love the doom-and-gloomers?

I have had does that were well past a year old the first time I bred them, and they did fine. I don't know where this "if a doe doesn't get bred before X date, she's ruined" business comes from, but my experience doesn't support it. Of course, a doe can become too old to breed; most does are pretty much infertile by the time they are 4 years old, whatever their breeding history. It's true that if a doe is allowed to get fat (which is easy to do, when she spends months and months with nothing to do but lie around and eat), she is more likely to have problems, but she's also more likely to die of heat stroke if she is trying to raise litters in scorching heat.

Sorry to hear that you lost most of the litter, that's a bummer. But as to the one remaining kit . . . It takes about 3 days for a kit to starve to death, so the fact that he is still alive isn't an indicator that he's being fed. Some folks will tell you that one or two kits won't stimulate a doe enough, and her milk supply will dry up - once again, that hasn't been my experience. Kits that are born singletons seldom survive the birth process; sole survivors of otherwise numerically more normal litters generally have problems staying warm without siblings to snuggle with. A baby that is getting all of the milk intended for a whole litter can wind up growing too fast, and have skeletal or digestive problems as a result. Single babies have a tough time of it, and I usually breed my does in groups specifically to try to avoid single-kit litters (I've never had a doe reject other does' babies; I remember visitors' consternation over one "litter" that was made up of two Holland Lops, two Mini Rex, and a Jersey Wooly). But things often are beyond my control, and I have had a few babies that grew up as singletons. I remember a buck that I named Solo, and a Holland Lop doe that had the unfortunate name of Toady because she was such a fat baby, she looked like a toad . . . . So all is not lost; the one remaining kit has a chance.

But I often take nest boxes into the house during cold weather; I have even been known to bring does due to kindle in, and put them, cage, nest box, and all, in my hall closet. I call it the "maternity ward." My does put up with a whole lot of things that people told me you couldn't do with rabbits; I think they are a lot more tolerant than people give them credit for being.

Thank you so very much! So far the baby is still alive. It's day two now. His belly is constantly very empty, and makes me wonder if she's even actually fed him since she lost all the others. I knew she fed them the first day, because half the kits died with fully, white bellies. If his belly is skinny, does that mean she isn't feeding him? He squirms around and moves whenever I go to touch him, so its not like he's weak really. Thoughts? Sorry for asking all these questions by the way haha!

 

[Bunnylady]

@DUCKGIRL89 If his belly is slack and empty looking, it sounds like he isn't being fed. His belly wouldn't have to be swollen like a balloon, but you should be able to see a white blob in the middle of him, at least in the mornings. I would put the two of them together so that I know he's getting a chance to nurse. Some people hold a doe on her back in their lap, and put the baby on her. Others have managed to get babies fed this way; I've never had much luck with this method (the does I have tried it with usually end up spending a lot of time fighting me; for me, it hasn't been worth the stress and scratches). Anything that works to get the kit fed is fair game at this point.

 

[kacklinkelly]

Does anyone have suggestions on how to keep the ammonia smell down in an enclosed bunny barn? Ever since we moved our rabbits inside an air conditioned shed, the weekly cage cleaning doesn't seem to be enough. The ammonia smell is terrible by about day 4. I use wood shavings and sweet pdz in the trays. When I clean the trays on the weekend, they are cleaned with vinegar. On cleaning day, it smells fine. The smell could almost knock me out by day 4 or 5. We have some venting in the shed as well as a fan to move the air around. I'm looking for an odor neutralizer. Cleaning the trays more than once a week isn't possible. Any suggestions are helpful.
So far I have put an open container of baking soda in the shed. No luck. (must only work on fridges) Have found all the areas that I think pee may be going. (these critters are crafty) created a pee barrier around the culprit cage. Poured vinegar and sweet pdz in those areas. When the smell gets strong, I open the door and use the fan to blow the air outside for a while until it gets too hot inside the shed. Today, I added an open container of vinegar while I'm attempting to find another solution. Thanks in advance.

I know I might be crazy but I'm at the point where I think the rabbits are just trying to figure out ways to keep me on my toes

 

[saltandpepper2]

I use lime and DE for chickens... Don't see why it couldn't work for rabbits too? Do they only urinate in one area of the cage? If so you could get inventive and have a draining system leading to one bucket, and then empty the bucket more often... Just throwing out ideas!

 

[saltandpepper2]

I believe the answer to your question will vary depending on a persons reason/style of raising rabbits.  Ours are intended for meat.  However, I don't have one in my freezer yet. :/  I've had our initial does for about a year and half.  The start up was simple.  Their first home was a very large dog cage that was modified to meet their needs and provide protection so they couldn't sneak out.  The food is not very expensive in my opinion.  I now buy a 50 lb bag of rabbit pellets from the feed store for about 20.00.  That lasts almost a month.  (we now have 7 rabbits) A bale of hay cost me about 25.00 and I've had it for what seems like forever.  The housing has been more costly with more rabbits.  We recently turned a shed into a bunny barn.  We insulated it and put in a window a/c unit.  It gets into triple digits here for about 4-5 months.  When I only had 2, I brought them in the house.  Won't do that again.  

The clean up takes more time for us.  We have several different types of cages. Both wire and wooden. I clean cages every weekend.  Easiest to clean are the wire cages.  If I were to do it over (or when I get more disposable cash) I would replace all cages with wire ones.   We have LOTS of fertilizer.  Some people have more efficient set ups than mine which don't require as much time cleaning.  

Best cleaner and odor neutralizer I have discovered do far is straight vinegar.  Makes clean up a breeze and really knocks down the ammonia smell from the urine. 

All in all, we are thrilled with our rabbits.  We spend as much time as we can with them daily because we want them to be friendly. (some are more friendly than others) I have rehomed many as pets.  Ours also get to exercise out of their cages when the weather permits.  

Lastly, I am not intending to take any rabbits to the vet. Again, personal preference.  If home remedies do not work, they will be humanely dispatched. We do what we can to provide a healthy and clean living environment for them.  I'm sure you will discover your preferences.  The research I did indicated that rabbits can live up to 10 years.  They are a longer commitment than most people realize, unfortunately. (check out your local humane society)

Wishing you all the best.  

Sorry to bother you again, where exactly do you get hay from? I've been shopping around for places to get hay in larger quantities and can't seem to find anywhere!