RABBIT help and advice needed!

[OPIE]

Ok,I picked them up last night and got them home, 11 cages 6 does and1 buck, them buck is only around 4 months though, the buck and 1 doe have tattoes in there ears(?)

not sure why. but anyway. There are 2 older does that have been breed once already. so there are only 4, 6 month old does. 2 of these are NEw Zeand/cinchila cross(?) any heard of those? Anyway. Im up and running know.

 

[luvzmybabz]

Did you get any paprers with your new rabbits? The tattoo in the ear is for showing etc. ususally with pedigree papers.

 

[Maidservant]

Some people tatoo ears just to keep them apart. Doesn't sound like the case here though. I know that my father used to tatoo all of his meat rabbit breeders to keep them apart, since they were all NZW's.

Emily in NC

 

[kenman]

I just started raising rabbits this summer and LOVE IT! I feed pellets and grass hay that I bought in small square bales from a local farmer. I also use this hay in the nest boxes. You may want to call around to some local rabbit growers to find a buck to use until yours is old enough. Be careful, though, it is easy to get in over your head in a hurry. Rabbits are not expensive, cages, feeders etc. are, and there are always "good does" for sell. My advice is to limit yourself, let these have a couple litters before you buy more. Enjoy!

 

[OPIE]

Thanks once again for all the great advice. As for papers, no Ididnt get any. I was wondering why they were tattoed. Ill be in touch as my experiences grow with these guys.
Thanks again

 

[1chickescapes]

We raise rabbits also, New Zealand, Californians and Giant Flemish crosses for meat. Lion Heads for pets. They should be at least 6 months old before breeding. Let them get used to their new homes for a few weeks anyway. Always bring the doe to the buck. Always always (the buck would be more interested in her hutch then her) (plus they taste real good and are very healthy for you. Be carefull they can overgrow your surroundings quickly. Each litter can be more than 3 bunnies (we've had litters of 13). It doesn't take very long to have rabbits rabbits everywhere. (Know from experience.) When we moved we had to sell our overabundance of bunnies. 130 of them. We feed ours 18% rabbit food and about 75% of their diet is hay and fresh water at all times. They are alot of fun. You can put their droppings on your garden right away. It's super fertilizer. We even use it on our house plants (no smell) Good Luck

 

[Southernbelle]

Sounds like you got some fantastic rabbits! I have 2 purebred New Zealand White (NZW) and 2 NZW/American Chinchilla crosses. NZW have been the traditional meat rabbits for years, they have an excellent meat to bone ratio and will dress out nice for you.

American Chinchilla are a rare breed and have a really pretty coat. They are also a meat type breed, but I personally don't think they dress out as well as NZW.

The woman I bought my rabbits from bred both types of rabbits. She found the Chinchillas to be a more calm and motherly rabbit, while the NZW can be more nervous, so she had been experimenting with crossing them to produce a NZW type rabbit with a Chinchilla disposition. The 2 crosses I bought from her are 75% NZW and 25% Chinchilla - they look like pure NZW. My purebreds were tatooed with papers and I paid a little more for them; my crosses were not papered or tatooed and they were about 1/2 price.

All my rabbits are about 6 months old, too. I'm waiting for my first litter and I can't wait to see how the crosses do compared to the purebreds. I feed pellets and water, sometimes hay. Keep us posted!

 

[1chickescapes]

I forgot to mention that we also cut maple and apple branches for them to chew on. It helps keep their teeth in check and they love it. The branchs are at most 3" diameter. They will even eat any leaves that are left on the branch. They love to peal off the bark. Plus it tastes good to them.

 

[springview2]

Hello,i have been a breeder for 23 years,I always feed pellets every 3rd day a carrot or apple,not store bought,right off the tree,any other greens will give your rabbits diarhea,DO Not feed extra greens.Never feed rabbits corn,this causes severe intestinal upset and in some cases fatality!!!thru out the entire year I give my rabbits hay also,they have a natural chewing instinct and will keep them from eating their bedding.I keep a nest box in every cage for every rabbit w/straw year around,young ones even in the summer,believe me will get chilled.All my does have nest boxes,always use straw,nothing else!!Last but not least,baby bunnies are very cute but if handled very often they will die of stress very quickly.If you suspect this ,here are the symptoms,they will lay on side still alert,but in an almost paralyzed state,rapid breathing and eyes open,..within hours they will die unfortunately.Keep it simple and I wish you all the luck,I do hope I have not upset anyone with this article but I am a vet tech and sell and raise rabbits thru out central and southern illinois and any extra advice you may need feel free to contact me.

 

[Maidservant]

I feed what works for me. I do not feed apples and carrots because of the high sugar content. I have seen too many diabetic rescues and when you ask the owner what they fed the rabbit they always say "carrots and apples, isn't that what they are supposed to be fed?" I am NOT saying you are wrong, like I said; I feed what works for me and my rabbits.

Again, every rabbit is different. I have bred my rabbits to be able to eat a wide range of things, including maple branches, apple branches, pear branches, radishes, and small amounts of turnips, turnip greens, and mustard greens. The corn I give mine is always cracked, and is certified pesticide and herbicide free. I think that the pesticides and herbicides is what causes most of the digestive problems, and thus I do not recommend feeding any produce that has been bought from a store. I do not give pregnant or nursing does corn, due to the high phosphorous content. Phosphorous binds with calcium making it unavailable to the body and skeletal system, a horrible thing for the growing babies.

I also raise meat rabbits only, not pets. Smaller breeds do need boxes to sleep in or get warm in, larger breeds usually only need a windbreak (I use feed bags on the outside of their cages, but I would love to have a barn).

I always suggest to find out what the previous owner was doing with the rabbits, how they were housed, how they were fed, etc. If I cannot find the information (usually with rescues) I feed them a pellet and rolled oatmeal diet for at least two weeks and keep them in quarantine for a minimum of one month. I always provide fresh hay (try to get first cutting if possible, more fiber) to all of my rabbits from day one. The hay is the first thing I've noticed kits eating, and the second is their mom’s oatmeal treats. I've never lost a kit due to diet. I've lost one kit at three days old due to the mother squishing it by accident, but no others. I've been breeding for five years, but my father and grandfather have raised meat rabbits since the 1940's. I have changed some of the procedures that they used to do, just because of what is available in today’s world. One of the major things I've changed is I provide a board for the heavier breeds that I have to sit on to keep their hocks from getting sores on them. I also use a beeswax and tea tree oil mixture on any sores or cuts that they get. I've never had any infections since I started doing this, and I also have a lower instance of ear mites (they hate the tea tree oil vapors).

What I do works for my rabbits, but may not work for every rabbit. There are many factors for what will work for your rabbits, including, but not limited to - previous experiences/foods, environment, temperature, genetics, age, breed, weight, number of litters, as well as many others.

I do recommend that if you want to introduce greens, do so gradually and only introduce one at a time. Don't give a single rabbit a bucket full of greens and expect them to be ok with it. Sure they will suck it down, but that many greens when they aren't accustomed to them will make them very sick and possibly kill them. When I started out giving greens to my rabbits, I would pick one leaf for each rabbit per day. I have one rabbit that cannot have alfalfa hay at any time and who cannot have apples or mustard greens. I knew about the alfalfa from her previous owners, but I have discovered the other two things on my own. I also give plain dry oatmeal any time I introduce a new food. Oatmeal helps their digestive tract to stay normal with new foods.

The main thing to remember, rabbits need more fiber than most other critters, that's why I always have hay available. Pellets contain hay, but it has been soaked and ground up and extruded into the pellet shape, plus pellets are mostly alfalfa. Around here they are anyway.

Sorry to kind of go off on a tangent, I just want others to know that there is no set in stone "you have to do it my way" way of raising rabbits. Find something that works for you, and do it! I give advice based upon my rabbits because they are the ones I have experience with. I am continually doing research on rabbits (as well as the other species of animals I care for).

Hope this helps,
Emily in NC

Also, check out the Homesteading Today forum (www.homesteadingtoday.com). They have a section entitled "Raising Rabbits for Profit" but we cover all aspects of rabbit ownership, including pet ownership, breeding, kits, natural diets, food recalls, and venues to sell rabbits. The "Profit" in the title is most often the joy of raising them or the joy of being able to care for them, not actual monetary gain.