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

[Angelicisi]

Well I have a bucket of rabbit feed and alfalfa cubes starting to bubble. Smells awesome but looks like vomit. Lol

Set of cages going up tomorrow that frees up a cage to try the FF in rabbits. I took a treat dish today and put a lil bit on it along with some basil from the greenhouse and they're tasting it at least! I wouldn't lol but it does smell very sweet

 

[Angelicisi]

When you just want a few rabbits...remember very shortly you'll need a Lot more cages!

Hubby built some more grow out cages for current 2 litters last night. We will mount them tomorrow most likely.

 

[guineagirl23]

By "brown," I am assuming you mean Chestnut?

You seem to be overlooking the Steel gene (E[SUP]s[/SUP]). Steel is the most dominant allele in the E series, even more dominant than the normal extension allele. Steel is really weird; when it is paired with the normal extension allele (E), the rabbit is a visual Steel. When paired with any other allele in the E series, the rabbit looks like a black self. This is what was so puzzling when I bred the NZW doe to the Harlequin buck. The buck was a pedigreed Harlie; I knew that he didn't carry a self gene. So, how could not just some, but every single one of the 20 or so babies that I got from the pair wind up being black selfs? Answer: the Steel gene. Steel paired with Harlequin (E[SUP]s[/SUP]e[SUP]j[/SUP]) looks like a black self, even if the animal is a homozygous Agouti (AA). (note: I have seen animals that I knew couldn't be E[SUP]s[/SUP]E that were visual Steels, so that part may not be set in stone). Two copies of Steel (E[SUP]s[/SUP]E[SUP]s[/SUP]) makes a black rabbit, too. I suspect, but haven't confirmed, that the black New Zealands don't carry self  (aa); they carry Steel (I don't know anybody who breeds the NZ blacks, and have never actually seen one in the flesh). From my own experience and that of a number of others, I can confirm that a lot of NZW's carry Steel. There aren't a lot of rabbit breeds that work with Steel; it seems to me that the most likely place for a bunch of pedigreed NZW's to  have acquired the Steel gene would be the black NZ's.

Yeah I forgot about steel. I'm just getting into genetics and steel is still a mystery to me it's so confusing!

 

[guineagirl23]

And yes I was using the term brown for those who don't know chestnut agouti

 

[Angelicisi]

Like me

And yes I was using the term brown for those who don't know chestnut agouti

 

[Angelicisi]

Hubby finished grow out cages! Yay! Tomorrow we'll set them up in the rabbitry and separate kits by litter and sex while they get a little bigger.
This frees up a weaning cage for the next set and helps me keep an eye on them easier

Ug weak signal won't post my pic lol

 

[Mahlzeit]

They look great!

 

[Beekissed]

Progress pics on the buns? Can't wait to see how much they've grown!

 

[Angelicisi]

I should have some today. I have to get this 10ft monster cage across the property to the rabbitry and get these babies in it!
Hubby is at work and I have about 100 yards to drag it-without dragging it lol. I'm buff mind you but still I'm only 100lbs and physics may not let me move this new cage alone from shop to rabbits

But doesn't stop me from attempting! Lol

 

[Beekissed]

I should have some today. I have to get this 10ft monster cage across the property to the rabbitry and get these babies in it!
Hubby is at work and I have about 100 yards to drag it-without dragging it lol. I'm buff mind you but still I'm only 100lbs and physics may not let me move this new cage alone from shop to rabbits

But doesn't stop me from attempting! Lol

Put it on a tarp, fasten it to the back of the tarp so it doesn't slide off ~ make it easy on yourself and give it more glide. You've no idea how many bulky, moderately heavy things we ladies have moved with the use of tarps, blankets, rugs, etc.