Meat rabbit colony in a chicken coop?

[darkwolf423]

So, I haven't gotten into any animal for food production yet. I currently live in Phoenix, Az but we're planning to move to denver. I've grown up around livestock all my life.

One of the things my husband and I have decided for the future, aside from keeping chickens, is raising rabbits for meat. This is something I have never done before. I am insanely against factory farming. I am insanely for giving the animal the best life you can afford. My dogs and my cat are on all natural diets and even my fish get legit food grown for them to eat. I love animals and I jsut want to keep them the best I can and the happiest I can. I take my role as care giver very seriously.

Needless to say, I really want to carry that over to raising rabbits for meat. My only problem is space. I would only have one buck with two to three does. It's only my husband and I for now and I figure three does total would be enough to feed us for when we start having children. I don't know of course, so if I'm wrong, feel free to correct me. We only plan on two kids and are just looking to dramatically cut down store bought meat.

I've seen most rabbits kept in small cages, which I don't like at all. I want the rabbits to have room to run around, lounge in the sun, be a rabbit. But I don't want to have to move each individual from a cage to a separate run out. I've thought of trying to design a hutch with individual runs but can't come up with an idea that gives the rabbits enough space.


I'm just trying to drum up ideas that would make rabbits for meat aesthetically and ethically acceptable to me. (I also hate how traditional hutches look lol I much prefer the coops on here)

One idea I have wondered about is modifying the idea of some of these large lovely coops I've seen on here to a rabbit colony. Nesting boxes would be still be nesting boxes and some minor modifications would be made for rabbit habitation. Has anyone seen this done before? think its a good idea? bad idea? different ideas? This is far in the future, but while I have a good knowledge of chickens, I have relatively little of rabbits.

Thanks!

 

[Bunnylady]

A lot of people have come up with various ideas for colony raising rabbits. There are a variety of things to consider, space being the first one. Some rabbits get along fine with other rabbits, others are absolute beasts - and that goes double for the does. Making sure each rabbit has enough space to get away from the others as much as it wants seems to be the answer. One person I know of keeps a colony of 6 - 8 does in a horse stall; they have enough boxes and other lounging spots so that each rabbit can have a place to call its own. (Obviously, provisions had to be made to keep the rabbits from digging through the floor.) Rabbits will fight until they establish dominance; it is critical to supervise the introductions and make sure that not too much damage is done.

You might be able to get 2 or 3 does and a buck to live comfortably enough in a large coop, but you would still need to provide them with adequate "cover." Rabbits are small herbivores, and as such, are on the menu for a large number of predators. Rabbits are frightened by anything that comes from above, below, beside, behind - you get the idea. I have rabbits in cages, and I have seen animals get frightened by a garter snake and jump into a nest box with such force that they broke their own necks.

Rabbits are capable of breeding immediately after kindling, so if you don't want a doe to have a litter every 31 days (plus or minus) you will need to either separate out a doe that is close to kindling, or remove the buck when it is apparent that some of the does are pregnant. Once the babies are weaned, you may need a grow-out area for them to live in until they reach slaughter weight. Rabbits create a bit more waste than chickens do, with a higher moisture content, so you would probably need to clean a rabbit enclosure more often (particularly with young, growing rabbits and lactating does - they eat and pee the most).