What Rabbits Do You Have? Show Off Your Rabbits Here!

[CyndiD]

@BeachyFarmChx hi, i am not qualified to answer any new kit Q's, since i am a beginner. but having had lots of other animals, i am wondering if mama may have bit the kit, since you said there was an abrasion on its back. maybe she knows there was something internally wrong w/it?? sometimes w/puppies and kittens we need to clear nostrils, i dont know if this is something kits need done? are they born in a membrane sac that needs to be cleared away? did you do a necropsy on the little kit? would pics help us determine the problem? just trying to help.

 

[BeachyFarmChx]

Ah, @CyndiD I had never considered the doe may have been singling it out with the abrasion. No, didn't do a necropsy. No, there's no membrane that has to be removed. Good idea, I should try to grab a picture if I can...

Thanks for your feedback!! I was puzzled, but your ideas make me think.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Just one dead kit? I mean, there's so many things it could be. The mark just sounds like she got rough during cleaning. Very common. My guess is it may have gotten squished, maybe it didn't develop right or it could have aspirated (choked) on milk. And milk is what the yellow crusty liquid you're describing sounds like to me.

Cyndi, I like rex and new zealands, personally (duh) but cals are great too. Some people like to use 1/2 cal 1/2 flemmish giants and cross them with new zealand whites. This apparently produces some of the best meat litters you can get your hands on. The resulting rabbits grow huge and fast with a good meat to bone ratio... But they are like cornish crosses in that they don't breed true and rely on hybrid vigor to get the results. Modern production rabbits are very cool, though.
The problem with finding good meat rabbits in heritage/non commercial breeds is that many of the rabbit breeds have fallen into disuse as production animals and exist only on the pet/show scene. As a result, most of the best breeding stock for the animals are not good examples of production stock. Some breeds have serious issues with things like producing consistent, large litters. You see this a lot in dogs, too. Working dogs get bred only for show and pets and loose the ability to server their original purpose. All rabbits are made out of meat but when I first got into meat rabbits I tried contacting about a dozen different good Palomino breeders and mostly I heard that they didn't produce rabbits that had rabbits with consistent, large, fast-growing litters. One person specifically told me that their rabbits regularly produced 4-6 kits and that's what they got their best show rabbits from.
I think the most important thing when picking your rabbits is not nesicarilly the breed but rather the conditions under which the animals are consistently raised. If they are raised in the same climate and for the same purposes that you're looking to raise rabbits for they are much more likely to succeed for you. If you buy rabbits raised for show when you want to raise for meat you might not get the best rabbits for a meat operation. If you buy rabbits raised indoors and you want to raise them outdoors you might find that they can't survive temperature shifts. If you buy rabbits raised in suspended cages that eat only pellets you might find that they do very poorly on hay and fresh greens and weeds.

 

[CyndiD]

@ChocolateMouse wow, so much to think about and to consider. thanks for all the info. how would i go about finding out the correct breed of rabbit for my needs and breeding program? i should seek certified breeders so i know for sure? how would i find a 1/2 cal & 1/2 flemish? are their sites for specific breeds? i will google this.
there is so much to learn and plan for, just like for my ducks and chickens. it can take yrs to get the flock we want, huh?

 

[CyndiD]

Ah, @CyndiD I had never considered the doe may have been singling it out with the abrasion. No, didn't do a necropsy. No, there's no membrane that has to be removed. Good idea, I should try to grab a picture if I can...

Thanks for your feedback!! I was puzzled, but your ideas make me think.

Hi, after posting a reply to your Q, i watched a few youtube videos and this one i really liked cuz she answers a lot of FAQ. check out this video

tell me what you think

 

[AmandaVirginia]

My first two bunny rabbits!

My Himalayan Netherland Dwarf, Ruby

My Harlequin Lion Head/Holland Lop, Reesie

Ruby is 14 weeks and Reesie is 6 weeks! I love my babies!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Cyndi, the ARBA has a list of all the rabbit breeds and their national breeders clubs. Those clubs have lists of breeders registered with those clubs. You can also find breeders if you look at rabbitbreeders.us or on Cragslist (usually in farm and garden). You could also contact your local 4H groups. The most popular meat rabbits are californians and new zealands (the whites especially) but I have seen Americans, Chinchillas (all sizes), Rex and Silver Fox used with significant success as meat rabbits. Ultimately, all rabbits are made out of meat, so the most important thing is to look for healthy, productive members of that breed. Palominos are probably great meat rabbits... If you can find a breeder who actually has pals that have litters of 6-10 kits that grow fast.

I suggest not specifically looking for certified breeders. Certified breeders means nothing. I am an ARBA registered breeder and half my rabbits don't even have full pedigrees, all I did was pay the fee and I became a member... The certification either means the person shows their rabbits (which isn't necisarially a plus for someone looking for production rabbits) or they were willing to drop the money on making themselves look more official... So take that how you will. The rabbit world is far looser than some other animal worlds. You can show a rabbit without a pedigree and as long as your rabbit's pedigree has three generations of rabbits that meet breed standard in their history they're considered "purebred". And pedigrees are not tracked in any sort of registry, they are filled out and produced by the breeder. You could get a pedigree for a mixed breed rabbit, even. No way to know if they're being up front, honestly. The rabbit world operates on an honor and due diligence system and that means that some people get boned. (Like the people I mentioned from the county fair.) There's no inspections of rabbitries, no rating systems, only reputations within the community.

I would suggest looking for someone who already breeds rabbits the way you want to. You want food and furs, right? So find someone who also mostly breeds for food and furs. 4H groups are great for this because many of them breed market rabbits for fairs and that means they need to have a litter of six big, healthy rabbits every time from moms who produce lots of milk. They also have people who understand the system, and their breeders and suppliers have to be good enough to not have dozens of angry 4H parents breathing down their necks about sick/poor quality rabbits. Know in advance what a healthy rabbit looks like (clear eyes and nose, healthy coat, no sneezing, etc.) and what a rabbit that meets breed standard for the breed you're buying looks like. Ask if they have pictures of the parents they can send you, pictures that are from the side so you can see the body shape and head properly. Ask about average litter sizes for the rabbits, and about parents/grandparents. If they have no idea what the smallest and biggest litters the rabbit (or the rabbits mom if they're young) have thrown, that's a red flag for me. Another red flag is if they don't know how to sex a rabbit. Learn how to sex a rabbit and then ask them to show you the gender on the rabbit. If they don't know how, that's a serious problem. Some people can sex rabbits as young as one day old, any responsible breeder should be able to sex a fryer rabbit (8-12 weeks) with fair accuracy. Don't buy from breeders who sell kits under 6 weeks, and reconsider breeder who sell kits under 8 weeks. But most importantly, buy from a breeder that you feel like you can trust, someone you get good vibes from, and someone who will happily swap emails with you to share info or will spend 10-20 minutes with you answering questions you might have about their operation when you come out to buy the rabbit.

Better yet, find someone who offers long-term support or guarantees their rabbits. This isn't super common, but for example when I sell a rabbit it comes with rabbit food so they can transition without risk of GI stasis, a clear return policy (within 48 hours for a full refund, within 1 week if they are sick or die for a replacement, or I will take any rabbit back any time after that for no refund if they can no longer be cared for), and if anyone ever has any questions about their rabbits or how to care for them I am always available by email or text message for the lifetime of the rabbit. If someone is willing to offer post-purchase support and stand by the quality of their rabbits, I usually take that as a very good sign. If they just want to sell you a rabbit and be like "Sorry, no refunds, can't answer questions, bye" (which is very common, as rabbits are small sensitive animals that can sometimes die easily), then it's a buy at your own risk situation and it's even more important that you get all your info and feel good about the rabbits health before you buy.

 

[CyndiD]

My first two bunny rabbits!

My Himalayan Netherland Dwarf, Ruby

My Harlequin Lion Head/Holland Lop, Reesie

Ruby is 14 weeks and Reesie is 6 weeks! I love my babies!

ME TOO!! ADORABLE.
how big will they get?

 

[AmandaVirginia]

ME TOO!! ADORABLE.
how big will they get?

Thank you Ruby a pound or two, Reesie three or four pounds!

 

[CyndiD]

@ChocolateMouse hi, your info is Amazing and very helpful. I have been online checking ARBA, Youth Rabbit shows, Breeders, clubs, etc. there were quite a few breeders very near the town i just moved from. Fortunately there are alot around where i live now, just a little further away. This is fun searching and finding all these breeders and younth shows. i can hardly wait to go to smne and see all the bunnies. i went to a feed store near my home a couple of weeks ago and 2 of the men there raise and sell meat rabbits. they gave me some info, not nearly as much as you have given me, however.

I am so thankful for all your info, suggestions and examples. I especially agree w/the return/guarantee policy. i am that way when i sell my ducks. but, with all the diseases our farms can be subject to, i am more afraid now to let my animals go and have them come back w/out quarantine and even then it still scares me. alot of your suggestions of how a buyer/sellers responsibilities should be upheld to the utmost, is common sense, but not always prevelent, unfortunately, huh?

you were talking about litter size. what is the signifigance of size of litter? I havent researched breeding size yet.
i appreciate the time you are taking to explain rabbits to me. i hope i can pay it forward someday when i learn much more.