➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

[H@tcher]

I am leaning more towards rabbits now. I would let me son make pets of the first breeding stock, ideally two does and one buck. We would keep them alive into their retirement. Their offspring would be raised for meat. I'd have to add more breeding stock later to maintain a healthy gene pool. The trouble I am having is sourcing rabbits. Shipping them is not as easy as chicks or eggs and there's not a rabbitry near by.

Are you wanting the NZW? I had those but got tired of them all looking alike. LOL

Now I have the New Zealand Broken. Lots more colors and still a large meat rabbit.

Watch the classified's and Craigslist. In the mean time, start thinking about your hutch. You need one for each rabbit. That is unless you want to start a colony.

 

[Morrigan]

I loved my Brinsea heat plate when I first started using it. But I’ve since switched to ceramic reptile heat bulbs.

Why do you like the ceramic reptile heat bulbs better? I may need to invest in some.

Scrub with hot water and Dawn dish soap, spray down with half and half bleach and water and sit in the sun if possible to dry. Don't get the electrical parts wet.

Ditto that. For areas near the electrical part, I use a can of compressed air to blow the fluff out. I like sitting it in sunshine for a few hours too.

I'm thinking rabbits too.

They are easy and fun to raise and tasty to heat. The biggest downside is that it's really easy to get attached. Butchering day is rough.

 

[BReeder!]

Are you wanting the NZW? I had those but got tired of them all looking alike. LOL

Now I have the New Zealand Broken. Lots more colors and still a large meat rabbit.

Watch the classified's and Craigslist. In the mean time, start thinking about your hutch. You need one for each rabbit. That is unless you want to start a colony.

I would do a colony initially with 1 male with 2 or 3 females. I could always remove the male or increase the number of females as desired through breeding and adding new stock. As for the breed, I like the NZ. It looks like a lot of people offer NZ crossed with another breed. I found 1 source of white rabbits that are a NZxFlorida from a source 45 miles from me. I'll make the drive. They want $15 per rabbit and the rabbits are still small, so I'd have to grow them to maturity and hope they live. The price doesn't seem terrible to me though. I was expecting $50 per rabbit because that's what I was seeing on some rabbitry sites.

 

[Morrigan]

Are you wanting the NZW? I had those but got tired of them all looking alike. LOL

We have Florida whites. They are an excellent meat rabbit. Them all looking a like was a good thing from my perspective. Variations would lead me to knick-naming them and even more attachment issues.

Our breeding pair actually needs to be retired soon. Not sure if my husband (they are his hobby more than mine) will get Floridas again or not.

 

[Morrigan]

I would do a colony initially with 1 male with 2 or 3 females.

What does your set up look like? Do you leave the male in while the does are pregnant?

 

[H@tcher]

I would do a colony initially with 1 male with 2 or 3 females. I could always remove the male or increase the number of females as desired through breeding and adding new stock. As for the breed, I like the NZ. It looks like a lot of people offer NZ crossed with another breed. I found 1 source of white rabbits that are a NZxFlorida from a source 45 miles from me. I'll make the drive. They want $15 per rabbit and the rabbits are still small, so I'd have to grow them to maturity and hope they live. The price doesn't seem terrible to me though. I was expecting $50 per rabbit because that's what I was seeing on some rabbitry sites.

Guess I've been lucky. I haven't paid more that $5 a rabbit so far.

 

[BReeder!]

What does your set up look like? Do you leave the male in while the does are pregnant?

I could leave him in... I would ideally have a birthing unit though where the doe would go once I knew she was pregnant until the babies could be separated from her.
My setup is not in existence just yet. Ideally I would have a colony cage, birthing/nursing cage, and a grow out cage. Breeding group of 1 male and 2 females would be kept in the colony cage. When a female is pregnant I'll move her to the birthing/nursing cage. When babies are weaned, I'll move them to the grow out cage and mother back to the colony cage.

 

[BReeder!]

I could leave him in... I would ideally have a birthing unit though where the doe would go once I knew she was pregnant until the babies could be separated from her.
My setup is not in existence just yet. Ideally I would have a colony cage, birthing/nursing cage, and a grow out cage. Breeding group of 1 male and 2 females would be kept in the colony cage. When a female is pregnant I'll move her to the birthing/nursing cage. When babies are weaned, I'll move them to the grow out cage and mother back to the colony cage.

I would prefer solid bottoms on my cages also, angled a bit for poop to roll forward for easy cleanup. I'm thinking of litter boxes that I could slide out too. We had a pet rabbit before, and it was amazing how he nearly exclusively used the litter box.

 

[BReeder!]

Back to qualies! @RUNuts did #10 hatch out?

 

[WVduckchick]

Why do you like the ceramic reptile heat bulbs better? I may need to invest in some.

Beautiful rabbit pic!

I like the reptile bulbs for a few reasons--
- no light, so they get used to night/day routine (I use a tiny nightlight for the first few days)
- I can watch the chicks! When they go under the plate or cave, its hard to watch them. Have to pay better attention when they go up under, to make sure they are all coming out to eat and drink, etc. That was the main thing I disliked about the brooder plate.
- Supposedly they are safer, less chance of breakage or explosion with them, over regular heat lamps.
- They are about as cheap and seem to last longer. I bought a few and haven't had one to burn out yet. Got mine thru Amazon
- Lower wattage bulbs still provide enough heat, using less electricity. (I think lol)
- plus the perk of it being easier to take pics without the red light, or them huddled under a heat plate or cave!

I also got one of these clamp/flexible neck things, makes it easier to position.

Just my 2 cents, folks!