Share about recent or expected rabbit kindling?

[FoodFreedomNow]

Finally...both does kindled yesterday!

The American Chinchilla doe kindled first (overnight, kits were there at morning check - on the wire, so thank goodness the room is heated). She had 7 kits, all look healthy, are wiggly and had frog bellies this morning. This is her second litter. Her first litter all looked exactly like her in coloring, but the sire was a REW NZ; this time, the sire was an agouti NZ, so it'll be interesting to see what they look like as their fur comes in. I thought I saw a hint of brown in there...

The Silver Fox doe kindled in late morning (in the nest box), 6 kits including a runt. Appears to be 2 possible lilacs and 4 black.

Am Chin/NZ kits:



SF kits:

 

[supersymmetry]

We have 5 Does and 3 Bucks in a closed herd. For the last 3 years we have been out-crossing and line breeding. Have some really nice rabbits right now... just thought I'd drop a baby picture here and surf the thread later... Glad to meet other NZW lovers.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

We have 5 Does and 3 Bucks in a closed herd. For the last 3 years we have been out-crossing and line breeding. Have some really nice rabbits right now... just thought I'd drop a baby picture here and surf the thread later... Glad to meet other NZW lovers.

Welcome to the thread and glad to meet a fellow NZ fan, too!

Great photo - your kits are so cute! I have some REW youngsters, too...my NZ buck is a chestnut agouti (carries the REW gene) and doe is a REW, so their last litter was half of each. Have you noticed any difference in temperament by color? The REWs have consistently been calm and easygoing, but some of the earlier agouti litters (none in the most recent one) seemed pretty "wild", skittish. I'm not convinced that there's actually a causal relationship, but it's made me wonder.

 

[supersymmetry]

Finally...both does kindled yesterday!

The American Chinchilla doe kindled first (overnight, kits were there at morning check - on the wire, so thank goodness the room is heated). She had 7 kits, all look healthy, are wiggly and had frog bellies this morning. This is her second litter. Her first litter all looked exactly like her in coloring, but the sire was a REW NZ; this time, the sire was an agouti NZ, so it'll be interesting to see what they look like as their fur comes in. I thought I saw a hint of brown in there...

The Silver Fox doe kindled in late morning (in the nest box), 6 kits including a runt. Appears to be 2 possible lilacs and 4 black.

Am Chin/NZ kits:



SF kits:



Congrats on the successful litter/s! They are looking good!

 

[supersymmetry]

Welcome to the thread and glad to meet a fellow NZ fan, too!

Great photo - your kits are so cute! I have some REW youngsters, too...my NZ buck is a chestnut agouti (carries the REW gene) and doe is a REW, so their last litter was half of each. Have you noticed any difference in temperament by color? The REWs have consistently been calm and easygoing, but some of the earlier agouti litters (none in the most recent one) seemed pretty "wild", skittish. I'm not convinced that there's actually a causal relationship, but it's made me wonder.

Thank you! It's been 7 years ago since I did any hybridizing, nowadays we just stick with the whites on a pretty regimented breeding path. I will say that in general, larger breeds seem to have better temperaments. I personally believe that it would have more to do with environmental factors then genetics. I certainly notice a difference between my breeders and my kits (which I handle significantly more).

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Thanks! So far, so good.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Thank you! It's been 7 years ago since I did any hybridizing, nowadays we just stick with the whites on a pretty regimented breeding path.  I will say that in general, larger breeds seem to have better temperaments.   I personally believe that it would have more to do with environmental factors then genetics.  I certainly notice a difference between my breeders and my kits (which I handle significantly more).  

Logically, nuture makes more sense than color, but the odd thing is that the litters are raised similarly, and handled regularly.

The REWs are always sweet-natured.

 

[supersymmetry]

Logically, nuture makes more sense than color, but the odd thing is that the litters are raised similarly, and handled regularly.

The REWs are always sweet-natured.

It very well could be some form of sex-linked genetics from wild-type color and flighty temperament... I've been reading so many scientific studies about the phenotype (visual) and genotype (hidden) relationships in NZW and there is an abundance of information about phenotype, but not so much about genotypes.

Do you have any links or pictures to your pasture setup? Perhaps we should start another thread for it... I've spoken with Julie in the video below... and know many people who raise in colony setups. I still raise in cages for a number of reasons, but they do make their way outside for a month or so before processing.

 

[Bunnylady]

Quote: I sincerely doubt it. I have raised rabbits of several breeds and many colors for over 30 years , and have never seen any correlation between temperament and color. In fact, one of the friendliest and one of the nastiest rabbits I have ever owned were both REW Netherland Dwarf bucks. For every "wild" or "mean" animal I have ever owned, I can point to one of the same color, maybe even the same breed, that was the absolute opposite. The only correlation I have found, and it's a loose one, is that cranky rabbits tend to give birth to more cranky rabbits, which is why any rabbits that get obnoxious with me vote themselves out of the gene pool.

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[supersymmetry]

I agree... I've even had civil proven does who have turned on me... my breeding mantra: "Breed often, cull harder."