Raising our New Zealand Meat Rabbits *Start to finish - Birth to processing* Possible Graphic pics*

[Angelicisi]

Anyone cure ears?

 

[Angelicisi]

Continued list of safe from above pic.

 

[Angelicisi]

8 more fat lil babies! My favorite ever buck has come of age! Decent number too! I was so scared he was too perfect - Big, beautiful, super lovey - but then would throw 3 kits at a time but NO! He's got the moves like jagger!

This Doe has been amazing too!

We are building more cages....TIP # 23 n you will neva Eva have enough cages once your bunnies get going!

 

[guineagirl23]

8 more fat lil babies! My favorite ever buck has come of age! Decent number too!

I was so scared he was too perfect - Big, beautiful, super lovey - but then would throw 3 kits at a time

but NO!

He's got the moves like jagger!

This Doe has been amazing too!

We are building more cages....TIP # 23 n you will neva Eva have enough cages once your bunnies get going!

I can back that tip up

so we got our grow out cage done, had two litters born, but lost quite a few even for a first litter. started with 17 in all, and 12 have made it to 7 weeks

I can't really complain though, because it could be worse. Everyone is wanting a blue new zealand, but just my luck all I have is ONE solid blue. The don't want the broken blues though!

My broken black and blacks are selling good, and i have a few that will be able to be butchered. I ave another doe bred, due any time, who is said to eat her babies, so wish me luck! I will be putting bacon in her cage to see if its just a deficiency. I didn't really want a baby eater, but ya know

I couldn't just leave her how she was. She was extremely obese (NOT good for a bun) and had ear mites and poop stuck everywhere. Shes slimmer now and looking good and ear mite free!

 

[ChickenerMan]

Hi how do you make your cages? I would love to breed rabbits but don't have enough cages and they are expensive to buy. Do you have any tips?

 

[Angelicisi]

I was given a baby eater on bad shape, poor girl was quarantined aalmost 2 months. But we got rid of her mites, washed her (not recommended but she was matted so bad with poo lodged deep in fur) and fed her really well a good diet. When I bred her we hung around, forced a bit of love on her, and let her be when she kindled. She didn't eat her baby's and I was told she had birthed 4x's and eaten all each time

Deficiency will be fixed with a really good diet , now she has you and you can see she's overweight and needs the proper diet, if its not a genetic issue (rare) and the "eating" babies part in the wild often signifies a threat to the nest or instinct she will not be able to care for them. If SHE feels food is scarce and she won't be able to produce enough calories to milk (rabbit milk is Soooooo rich, takes a LOT of Proper food calories to keep it up for up to 6/8 weeks, then she'll choose herself over kits. Nature doesn't want her to drain all her resources, she can make many many more- if they won't make it instinct tells her to start over. Kill/rebreed when calories are bountiful. The right calories....fat doesn't mean milk, too fat from bad diet can even impeded making enough milk if they are too over weight, blocking ducts.
You're a sweet heart for rescuing her and giving her a chance. Process of elimination works often. You're keeping her diet in check now so soon she will be used to good food on a steady basis coming from you (and some affection - if you do that for meaties, I do, some dont and that's understandable too). Her feeling safe with a "home" not a "cell" so to speak can make all the difference in breeding her.

Major producers don't have the extra time to babysit "bad doe mamas", and sometimes there is "just a really bad mama no matter what" but if given the adjustments they're looking for they'll usually try and be good mamas. I give them homes with our rescues. Then they're not on our breeding lines for business but get love and special needs attention still. Breed them half as often for meat or pets (avoid using them in breeder stock because I have read the "tick" of nervousness that causes baby eating is hereditary)

I can back that tip up   so we got our grow out cage done, had two litters born, but lost quite a few even for a first litter. started with 17 in all, and 12 have made it to 7 weeks   I can't really complain though, because it could be worse. Everyone is wanting a blue new zealand, but just my luck all I have is ONE solid blue. The don't want the broken blues though!   My broken black and blacks are selling good, and i have a few that will be able to be butchered. I ave another doe bred, due any time, who is said to eat her babies, so wish me luck! I will be putting bacon in her cage to see if its just a deficiency. I didn't really want a baby eater, but ya know   I couldn't just leave her how she was. She was extremely obese (NOT good for a bun) and had ear mites and poop stuck everywhere. Shes slimmer now and looking good and ear mite free!

 

[Angelicisi]

My husband makes our cages. Wire being the most expensive part! We search craigslist constantly for wire rolls at great cost savings. Sometimes I will post an Ad stating I want to trade! I love to barter. Rolls of wire we need for extra bucks or meat (we do chickens too lol saves us tons of money)
We bought a good J-Clip tool and non rusting J-clips. We have a hog ring wrench and depending on the cage will use rings or j-clips.
I like to work with the long cages. He gets more cage outta the wire rolls this way to and less cutting.
Cutting sux! We invested in awesome clippers...still sucky! But saves money! Probably one of the reasons cages are so expensive to buy made is the cutting part! we even tried a Sawzall and a grinder type cutter...Don't! Just don't clip clip clip...is the PIMA part. I will hunt down pics later.

Even if you're not building now...you should stock pile wire! Lol can always sell it later if you don't use it.

Make the doe cages bigger than you need them! Sometimes does have twelve babies!

Hi how do you make your cages? I would love to breed rabbits but don't have enough cages and they are expensive to buy. Do you have any tips?

 

[kacklinkelly]

How large do you make your doe cages? Also, how large do you make your grow out pens? Currently, I have two 8 lb NZX does that are sharing an xpen that is about 2.5 feet wide by 6 feet long x 2.5 feet tall. They get free range time when the temp is below 90. They seem happy enough for now. They are sisters. I got them when they were 5 weeks old. They just turned 6 months old. I have a nice 4 x 2.5 ft wooden/wire hutch that I got for free. I recently purchased a cage off of craigslist that I am hoping to keep a buck in when I get him. We are trying to set up a more permanent weather proof shed system before breeding time. Right now they are staying in our home because of 100+ degrees outside. Some people think I'm a bit off. I'm not willing to risk loosing one to the heat at this point after all the time put into raising and keeping them healthy.

 

[Angelicisi]

We have 32 wide/tall 8ft long - 3 hole lengths for does actively breeding right now. Grow out cages are different sizes. Usually 2 hole 6 ft cages per litter. We separate per litter and by sex so we often need multiple cages for short periods before bunnies go to New owners. We have a separate pen that's 3 ft high/deep and 6 ft long for culls to pet or meat out too.

 

[kacklinkelly]

Thank you so much for that info.