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

[ChocolateMouse]

Yay, progress! I just had two first time moms in a row flop on caring for their first litters. Pretty bummer.

 

[Angelicisi]

Noooooo hopefully they'll get the hang of it next time around!

 

[cassie]

When I was raising rabbits I gave the does two tries. If she lost the first litter she was promptly rebred. If she had the second litter on the wire so they died she soon found herself in a 325 degree oven in a covered baking pan with a can of cream of mushroom soup, some peas, and some cut up potatoes for about an hour. Sure cure.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Ours have a standing three strikes rule. If they fail at three litters in a row that is three strikes and they are out of the herd, regardless of age etc. Two fails in a row with one successful litter is just one strike, but if that becomes consistant (happens 3 times) they are also out.

Litters of less than four kits are also a strike even if they raise them out.

 

[Angelicisi]

We ordered some protector strips for cages. It's awesome stuff lol easy to use, snaps right in place. We cut to length and snap around door edges so no fur gets caught while handling them.

 

[guineagirl23]

I'm excited! We're building our 10 ft. Grow out cage this weekend! And my Flemish giant doe is pregnant; I palated yesterday!

 

[Angelicisi]

Yay! babies coming!
I love our 10 footer.

I'm excited! We're building our 10 ft. Grow out cage this weekend! And my Flemish giant doe is pregnant; I palated yesterday!

 

[Angelicisi]

Oh my goodness guess what?!
Imma newb at sexing baby bunnies. I always had bunnies with, um, obvious swinging parts lol.

I had sexed the 2 litters and marked them, separated them into their cages and let them grow. Today I went to go remark ears (we temporarily mark them at the moment Doe or buck with the parents codes)

I took a peek at a few in the "boys" cage and they all looked like they looked beforehand, I marked them and moved to the girls cages...whoa buddy! Lil bits popping out! Hmmmm seems I thought wrong and my boys are girls! Yay! I hope because I thought I only had a few girls lol so my mistake may be a good mistake! I got 2 pics of the bits! Let me know if you have a guess from these two pics?

Thinking, does look like this (marked as boys doh!)

And boys look like this? (i didn't previously see anything "pop" out now I do lol)

 

[SA Farm]

You are correct

I always remember that boys are round and girls are more tear-drop shaped. It seems to help for me, anyway!

 

[kacklinkelly]

So glad I found you all. I am new to raising "commercial" mutts. I thought I got what I requested, a male and female. However, as I'm checking "their bits" over the past few weeks, I'm not seeing any changed and they both look the same. According to your photos, they look like your girls. I am happy with that. I will be letting them grow out through our warm/hot weather. I'll pick up a buck about a month prior to breeding time to allow for quarantine. The girls are growing great. They are 3 months old tomorrow. When I weighed them last week, they were over 4.5 lbs. I keep them separate, but they do get to have free range time together daily and continue to get along well, so far. Since these are going to be my breeders, I have been kind of spoiling them. I will be treating the offspring with kindness and respect, but probably will not be giving them free range time in our back yard. I have noticed a change in their coats recently. Do they shed their baby fur around this age? Thanks for all the info posted here. Even if some of it is way over my head. Glad to meet you all