Quails VS. Rabbits

[Ibicella]

I don't know anything about quail, but I did raise rabbits for 10 years so here's my two cents on them:

How often can they be bred?

You can breed them about 2 weeks before the kits are weaned if you really wanted to, but personally I wait till the kits are ready to leave the mother at 4-5 weeks and give her a couple of weeks at least to rest. If you can give her longer, I prefer to do that and breed other does and focus on them. I've personally have had better luck if I can allow a mother rabbit to rest at least a month after weaning and between litters. Others may well disagree with me, but that's my personal experience. I like to treat my food kindly, especially if they are my best breeders that I want to keep around a few years.

Getting a breeding pair seems to be pricey

It is, but if you want to breed good quality meat, then you MUST start with good base stock. Personally, of everything you need, I think this is the most important part to invest in.

Same question....can they eat corn & other grains, or must I buy rabbit pellets

Do NOT feed rabbits corn or grains. It's not good for them, and they don't digest them well. Feed them good quality rabbit pellets, hay, fresh vegetables, dandelion leaves, and grass (none that's been sprayed, of course).

Do those raising for meat let them have ground space to exercise?

It makes for happier bunnies, no. They DO need adequate cage space, and you need to keep the bucks and does seperate (to the point of making sure that the boy's and girl's cages are not touching because they will mate through the wire!).

Pregnant and nursing mothers will need their own cages at least. You can cohabit rabbits of the same sex, but again, you'd need a big cage for that or they will fight.

As for weather, rabbits are really cold hardy, but not so much with heat.

Also, be aware that it's not uncommon for first time rabbit mothers to lose their first litters because they don't know what to do or they will kill them. But then they do fine the second time around.

Also, rabbit mothers NEED to be kept as stress free, quiet, and safe as possible. They will abort, re-absorb, or abandon their kits if they are stressed out.​

 

[sommrluv]

Thanks for all the advice. This is really helpful.

You know I'm not sure...how much do rabbit pellets run? I've gotten game bird feed before for my chickens so that is pretty cheap here.

 

[terri9630]

Quote:
I pay $9 for a 50lb bag at the feed store.

 

[sommrluv]

Wow that's cheap.

They aren't medicated? I'm hoping to feed a soy free diet to anything I'm going to eat.

 

[terri9630]

No. That isn't medicated. I don't feed any unnecessary meds. I don't have a bag right now, I keep the feed in a metal can and toss the bag, so I cant check the ingredients but I don't think there is soy in it. Mostly alfalfa. I don't think I've ever seen a medicated bag of rabbit feed.

 

[Warfrost]

When I was young we raised rabbits and chickens(separate of course). I remember at first when my Dad would butcher a rabbit, he'd club it over the head with a large stick, but he bought a book about it because he also had no desire to make the animal suffer(clubbing isn't usually the quickest death unless you get lucky on the first hit). He learned how to quickly and painlessly snap the rabbit's neck. I do not know what book it was, but I am sure there are plenty out there that will teach the same technique. Anyway, once he learned the neck-snap, they didn't scream or struggle- it was pretty much instant(a little blood came out of the ears and occasionally the nose but that was it). As far as day-to-day stuff, rabbits do fine in winter but can suffer heat stroke VERY quickly. especially in hot areas of California.

I don't know much about quail, but I went with chickens because quail are so small, and I have heard it makes them a bit more difficult to dress.

Not much you haven't probably heard already, but I thought what I know might help a bit at least.

Good luck!

 

[terri9630]

As far as day-to-day stuff, rabbits do fine in winter but can suffer heat stroke VERY quickly. especially in hot areas of California.


Very true. We lost 2 of the kids 4-H rabbits last week to the heat. Today we had to move the last 3 inside because it was 110 and they were panting hard. They aren't inside permantly, but we will bring them inside in the afternoons for now on. They are to good at peeing OUTSIDE their cages to stay inside.

 

[anthonyjames]

I am currently raising both.

I can tell you the quail I have are nice and should start laying within the week. But they are noisy and messy. But that being said they are just as noisy as my hens but seem to go at it all night outside. My kids love them and I wanted another food source for our home. My kids also love the fact that we incubate the eggs and they get to hold baby birds. I keep my breeders in my back garage with my breeder rabbits.

My rabbits started as meat for my family. I currently have 6 does, 1 buck. And we have 2 does in grow out pens that are about 5 weeks old. I breed my does 4 weeks after the kits are born. I only breed from May - fall. I let them rest all winter long and I keep them outside in the winter. During breeding time they are kept inside. My kits I have in grow out pasture pens. You can see them here: http://gallery.me.com/anthonyjames420#100423&bgcolor=black&view=grid the pens are 3 x 4 x 2 and it get's moved a couple times a day. They also get fresh cut clover and all purpose pasture. I put in a handful in the AM and my kids feed them in the PM. Plus, they get unlimited pellets which they devour a full feed bin daily as well. Currently at this time we have about 70 baby bunnies and of them all my kids only wanted to keep 2. A brown one and a black one. I was fine with that since we needed 2 more does. I am still looking for a buck to keep out my batch. But I plan to grow out about 150 - 200 rabbits. 2/3rds of which are sold already. Only thing I dislike about the rabbits is the amount out poo and pee that are in the trays during breeding season. I have my breeders in my back garage since my hens seem to bother them and stress them out a lot.

I like raising both as well as my meat birds, and I am looking for a few dairy goats, jersey cross dairy cows and a couple pigs and sheep to round it all out. I enjoy raising animals from start to finish and the relaxation they bring me and the joy I get to see in my little girls faces when something new is brought into the world.

 

[Country Living Farm]

I had both. Key word is HAD. I now have rabbits. I raise both large and small breed for both meat and sales. I raise pure Flemish and meat rabbits in the winter. In florida it is too hot for the mom's plus the buck's go sterial in the summer from the heat. But, my last breeding of the year is for pure NZ White, which I use the Does in the upcoming winter as breeders for the meat rabbits. I will breed several does at a time along with the pure flemish. I butcher the meat rabbits and sell some to pay for the food. I sell the flemish to cover for food as well. I can tell you they pay for themselves. I breed lops, mini rex, also for those that want pets. My last breeding of the year is also pure flemish. I do not sell right away. I go out to about 3 months them sell in June. Actually I just sold 5 and have one left. This income pays for the feed and stuff through summer. Also, I keep the girls from the flemish and NZ white and sell the breeders from the past year so make sure the does are not over breed. I try to find homes for them where they are not breed. I do not eat them. Something about eating the doe who gave you babies. Starting up can be $$ but after doing so, it will pay for everything.

Now, it takes me about 6 minutes to kill butcher and clean a rabbit. I give all the insides to the chicks, along with some bay parts to pick clean.

Hope all this makes sense.

 

[terri9630]

Quote:
I wish Fla was was closer to NM. I'd buy a few. I have been searching everywhere I can think of for a couple of NZ does. My guy is lonely.