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

[chickadee5002]

Nest box was built today and is in place.  Fingers crossed 

Yay! Fingers crossed!

 

[kacklinkelly]

OMG your pictures are making me crazier than I already am with anticipation. Today is day 29 for our doe.

 

[Double Kindness]

Grace is now 9 days pregnant and has started to refuse to eat her pellets. She's only eating the calf manna pellets and hay, her poop production went down. Should I be worried? Less than 2 weeks before we put in the nesting boxes, what size should it be? It started snowing today, it's expected to get down to 17f tonight. I'm sure the buns will be ok, but I'm worried.

 

[chickadee5002]

OMG your pictures are making me crazier than I already am with anticipation.  Today is day 29 for our doe. 

Lol it seems like overnight they are getting their fur! The white kits already have a bunch more hair than yesterday! I can't tell as much with the black kits because their skin is the same color! Lol

 

[kacklinkelly]

Grace is now 9 days pregnant and has started to refuse to eat her pellets. She's only eating the calf manna pellets and hay, her poop production went down. Should I be worried? Less than 2 weeks before we put in the nesting boxes, what size should it be? It started snowing today, it's expected to get down to 17f tonight. I'm sure the buns will be ok, but I'm worried.

I'm new to raising rabbits. In researching, it seems like this is common because most animals prefer the calf manna to their regular feed. Unfortunately, I don't know how to insure she eats her regular pellets except to feed them separately. If it were me, I would only offer calf manna after she ate the pellets. I chose not to use calf manna and supplemented our doe's pellets with black oil sun flower seeds and oats. The kits are due any day so we'll see how healthy they turn out. We built a nest box that is too big in my opinion. Our rabbits are quite large (over 9 lbs prior to pregnancy and around 26 inches when stretched out) so we made them 12 wide by 22 long and 12 high. When we make the next one, I will cut the length and height to 20 inches long and 10 inches high. We built ours with a resting spot on top for the doe and the wire on the bottom. It never gets much below freezing out here. It's still in the 80's during the day believe it or not. Good luck and I hope you find someone more qualified than me to answer your concern.

 

[chiklee]

Grace is now 9 days pregnant and has started to refuse to eat her pellets. She's only eating the calf manna pellets and hay, her poop production went down. Should I be worried? Less than 2 weeks before we put in the nesting boxes, what size should it be? It started snowing today, it's expected to get down to 17f tonight. I'm sure the buns will be ok, but I'm worried.

OMG your pictures are making me crazier than I already am with anticipation. Today is day 29 for our doe.

My doe is on her 29 day too first time mom so I am getting very worried and excited as I always do I put bedding in and she just stared at it hoping she will know what to do as the others did . bunny's soon I hope crossing fingers

 

[chickadee5002]

I lost a kit this morning.

Momma most have squished her. They were a week old Monday. I know there are loses all the time but it is still hard every time you lose one. But on a good note the other 7 kits are fat and happy!

 

[Chicken-Farmer]

Sorry for your loss. Unfortunately things like that happen. Look at the situation, see if there was anything you could have done differently, and learn. Chances are you did nothing wrong.

Chicken-Farmer

 

[Double Kindness]

I got my bun some timothy hay and trying to cut this cardboard box to fit in her cage for her nesting box. I'm nervous as can be. 7 days will be 31 days since she was with the buck.

 

[chiklee]

I got my bun some timothy hay and trying to cut this cardboard box to fit in her cage for her nesting box. I'm nervous as can be. 7 days will be 31 days since she was with the buck.

last time I used cardboard in the nest box it was all chewed before the kits were born so look out they love that stuff try a plastic 5 gallon bucket for a fast nest box . cut lid in half pound it on drill some holes for drainage support it to the cage with wire and wham a instant nest box .