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

[Bunnylady]

Was really just wondering if it was possible or likely to get a full color kit from her. Guess I won't know unless I try! Still have my eye open for a male. Have a while until I want to breed her, few months I suppose. She's only about 17 weeks old. Bit young

As rabbit colors go, what she is (chestnut) is considered "full color." Red, as the New Zealands do it, is a hard color to get right; it requires two recessive genes (non-extension and wide band) plus some rufous modifiers to get good, deep color on the whole rabbit. If this doe has a good red parent, and if you breed her to a good red buck (or one that has a good red parent) you could get red babies from her; otherwise, you could breed her from now until the cows come home and never get a red from her. Unless you know that both parents are carrying the necessary recessive genes, breeding her to a buck of any color is just shooting blind; there is absolutely no telling what you'll get (though knowing rabbits, if it's red you are looking for, they won't give it to you, even if the necessary genetics are in place . . . .

).

 

[chiklee]

Well, we are getting our rabbits. Today I went to pick up what I thought was a New Zealand Red doe. Upon arrival, however, I noticed that she is most certainly not red. I am going with Agouti (sp?) of some sort. Wanted to post here and see what you all thought of pur new addition, Dumpling.

She is beautiful I have one like this Mine gave me 5 new kits yesterday 3 are black looking and two are white looking she was bred with a Californian so as for colors Being true I have to wait to see in a few weeks That is the fun part seeing what their true color is for sure . My agouti does give nice colored rabbits no matter what color the buck is. You will have fun with this color of rabbit . When I can touch the babies I will post pictures of them. I let her do her thing for a week before I disturb her she is my picky rabbit she don't like to be disturbed. she don't bite or anything but she will kill her kits.

 

[Angelicisi]

omg! Adorable!

my 8 week old Flemish mixed

I use wire cages too. Falls into pulse with used hay below to the riversilt/sand base of our rabbitry. I use a large rake and rake it out. This pulls old hay into a pile I use that in my gardens as mulch. Then I rake into a pile the rest of poop pile and shovel it into bags. I keep bags dry. It's icky looking because its composting. Lol that's the good stuff gardeners NEED! Til that waste right into a garden bed or pile it on a compost pile and it will turn to soil. Nutrient rich soil! Put it in a barrel composter and have soul in 8 weeks. Sell the miracle all natural soil!

No such thing as a dumb question. Always ask and shame others if they knock you for asking!

This may be a dumb question For you so don't think I am stupid for asking . How do you collect the rabbit poop is it on the ground- tray or what. I use wire caged bottoms and mine is on the ground but messy looking the rabbits always dumps food in their too so you get seeds and food pellets with mine so I don't see how people would want this. and the chickens rake it for me . So how do you do it do it properly ? I seen at the feed store Bags that are prepared called rabbit popo I always thought this was a good idea they came up with but never tried to sell my own.

 

[chickadee5002]

Hello everyone! I just wanted to share my first rabbits I picked up yesterday!

This is Lyta my white Doe

Stormy my Agouti Doe

Honey my red Junior Doe

Punkin' my red Junior Doe

Dotty my Broken Black Junior Doe

Cookie my Broken Black Junior Doe

Olaf my white Buck

Ramses my Black Buck



Sorry for all the pics

just had to show them off!

 

[Angelicisi]

I love pics! Beautiful bunnies! Great job

Hello everyone! I just wanted to share my first rabbits I picked up yesterday! This is Lyta my white Doe Stormy my Agouti Doe Honey my red Junior Doe Punkin' my red Junior Doe Dotty my Broken Black Doe Cookie my Broken Black Junior Doe Olaf my white Buck Ramses my Black Buck Sorry for all the pics just had to show them off!

 

[SA Farm]

They are gorgeous @chickadee5002 ! Congrats on your new rabbits!

I think Stormy is a gold-tipped steel rather than a chestnut though...Here's my GTS next to an Agouti or Chestnut kit for comparison

 

[chickadee5002]

They are gorgeous @chickadee5002 ! Congrats on your new rabbits!

I think Stormy is a gold-tipped steel rather than a chestnut though...Here's my GTS next to an Agouti or Chestnut kit for comparison

Thank you! I really wasn't sure about the agouti as I have never before seen one! lol but she told me it was an amber/chocolate agouti? Does that sound right? I'm just not sure as I have never had NZ's before I used to have Californians.

 

[Double Kindness]

I'm joining everyone! I have 2 does Alice is an 11 week old nzw pure breed with a 16 lb daddy, Grace is a 6.5 month old nzw x sf that I will breed with Alice's daddy Jilly in 3 weeks or so.

My bf built them a big cage with 1/2" hardware cloth and old leftover oak hardwood flooring from a 1925 house we didn't need to finish our floors with.

We have 25 dp meaties that are 9 weeks old, 10 in my laying flock, and 12 ayam cemani with 3-4 haffies in the bunch between 2 days and 5 weeks old. 12 white bresse ship today I hope. All a part of not buying meat at the grocery store.

Grace is warming up to me, Alice is a cuddle bunny! I hope they end up both being good mothers. I guess in a few months we need to have a couple grow out cages built, but I might only keep 1 good big buck from when I breed them. Grace can be breed onto a blue nzw x sf buck, but I'm trying her with a big nzw first. Then see if there's a marked difference in hide/meat to bone ratio etc. I'm giving the extra parts to my 2 older greyhounds to eat from my chickens and rabbits when the time comes. Mine are outside with a tarp over them and I feed calf manna and the gro pellets, they LOVE the calf manna pellets! And hemp leaves and stalks. Grace is dark, sable? Idk. Alice is white, I want to tan their babies hides to make moccasins to wear around the house, will the silver fox leaning pelts be better for this than the nzw pelts? Grace looks like stormy from up above.

 

[chickadee5002]

I love pics! Beautiful bunnies! Great job

Thank you! I can't wait to breed the 2 does. Hopefully later this week when they get settled.

 

[SA Farm]

Thank you! I really wasn't sure about the agouti as I have never before seen one! lol but she told me it was an amber/chocolate agouti? Does that sound right? I'm just not sure as I have never had NZ's before I used to have Californians.

She looks like a GTS to me... Amber and chocolate aren't New Zealand colors, I'm afraid. The only official NZ colors are red, black, white and broken. When the colors are crossed, you get chestnuts and steels and a blue variety is currently being worked on. As far as I know that's it...