Been searching all over for answers and can't seem to find anything that states or lists the following: I have gotten a good start to my rabbits now or at least I think so. Found 10 more rabbits last night that I am picking up. Here are my questions and I know a lot of you have raised rabbits as well. How long (years) can a doe produce? How long can a buck do his thing? How many rabbits can 1 buck service? And a day? How far apart does the line have to be keep breeding? I will have have 4 Californian Does, 2 bucks and 4 Red Satin does and 2 bucks. Do I need a different mix of bucks? More, less? If you cross these does anyone know what kind of meat they will produce? Or do I need to stick with all of one breed or try and find New Zealands? Those are hard to find and no one has any. It is all new to me but would like to do it proper. I am raising mainly for my family and Bird of Prey Program that rehabilitates injured birds to release back into the wild.
This is the link to BYC sister site BYH. Check out the rabbit section. http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=68
I have been out the sister site and can't seem to get info on what I am looking for and seems to take days if not longer to get a response.
Rabbits can reproduce into ripe old ages, but I'd say about 4 years is going to be your best bet for meat stock breeders. I'd say you've got a nice mix of bunnies there. One male of each breed could service all of them, but you have to put the buck in the cage with the doe for the afternoons for several days to make sure breeding takes. So you could get a nice herd going with the four bucks you have. Not sure about the crossbreeding, but both Californians and Satins are really good rabbits. I would think if you have hefty buns of good stock, then you should do fine with the kits whether you cross them or not. Oh, and you can breed parent/child, but never brother/sister.
Quote:Doe production years depend on how hard you push her. At 4 litters per year, you can probably expect close to 3 years. Bucks depend on not getting too fat and not getting too hot. Probably 3 years to be reliable. A working buck should be used no more than once every four days or so and preferably at least a three times per month. You can breed daughter back to father and that offspring back to the same buck, but then need to go outside of that line for the next breeding. I don't know much about Red Satins for meat, but the Californians are really nice. I prefer a Californian buck over a New Zealand doe. The litters are usually a little larger, but the buck adds a thickness that the New Zealand does not have. Anytime you cross two pures, the first results will display hybrid vigor---just as chickens do. Regarding the earlier response, I don't leave my buck in all afternoon. You will know pretty quickly if the doe is going to accept. If she does, give it another 10 minutes or so for multiple chances. It will be pretty obvious if it is successful. If it is, there is no need to bother your doe (or buck) on subsequent days. You might also discover that out of your 8 does, not all of them are worth keeping around. Some does just aren't good mothers. Others have babies that just don't grow quickly. You will find that some of these will take a whole lot of feed for what they offer. Good Luck!!
Quote:By the time a doe is 3 years old, her numbers usually will have dropped significantly. Most does are pretty much out of production by the time they are 4. Bucks can lose their fertility during hot weather, although this seems not to affect younger bucks as much as older ones. I wouldn't rely on any buck past the age of 5, at any time of year. I keep my does and bucks separate, and only put them together for a few minutes (in his cage) to breed. I only put them together when I think she's ready, and as matte said, it's obvious pretty quickly if she isn't. After a few minutes, I remove her. I don't think I have ever bred more than two does to the same buck in one day, and that isn't an every day thing. By doing careful back crosses, and ruthlessly culling the results, it is theoretically possible to continue working the same few lines for many generations. Most people aren't that persistent (or lucky) and wind up introducing new stock much more quickly. Satins are considered commercial ("meat rabbit") in type, though they may not have quite as high a dress-out ratio as some of the Californians. For your table, and the raptors, the few percentage points won't make much difference. It may take you a week or two longer to get a Satin fryer to 5 lbs than it does a Cal, but there are other factors besides breed that may be coming into play, too. I usually make a point of breeding several does to kindle at the same time. The "ideal" number of kits in a litter is said to be 6, so this allows me to rearrange kits to even out the litter sizes or combine very small litters to give the kits the best chance to grow well.
How long (years) can a doe produce? *It depends on how hard you push her & on the breed,but I've have does that produce for me for 5 years and tohers for only 3. How long can a buck do his thing? Again it depends. I've had soem bucks that lasted for several years & some for only a few. How many rabbits can 1 buck service? And a day? 1 buck can be bred up to 10 does. you can use the buck twice in one day. How far apart does the line have to be keep breeding? You can breed mother to son, father to daughter,two cousins can be bred together, etc. But not brother to sister.
