Those of you with Rabbits for meat... *Pics Page 4*

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Oh! *BIG HUGS* I'm so sorry you've had a rough run these past few months.

I wish you much, much luck from here on out for the rest of the year.

That was a "DUH" thing on my part about the flemish buck... As soon as I went and read your reply I went

"Why didn't I think of that?!" Of course you'd want the larger female, just like crossing horses, thanks!

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Well I just had the flemish person I know offer to let me use her pure pedigreed buck whenever I want for free... She has 8 week olds for sale right now. I'm tempted to take a doe from her, and then a doe from the NZ guy and maybe one of his bucks too, that way I could cross my NZ buck with my own Flemish doe as well as bring my NZ doe to her Flemish buck and see how that works out delivery wise... Options, options... That would still only start me with a trio too.

 

[MissDeb]

Careful! They are like potato chips, the multiply before your eyes!

If it were me, I would get two NZ does, and breed them back the your flemish boy you have access too. Im telling you, flemish giants are not cheap to feed and since you already have "free" access to a boy I'd just breed to him. You would be throwing feed into a buck that would really do nothing but sit there eat....at least your girls supply you with babies which can be put on the table.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Miss Deb,
Do you feel that the NZ doe's can safely kindle the half flemish babies or do you think I'm taking the risk of them getting stuck?

THANKS!

 

[MissDeb]

Well, since thats how I started it and didn't have any problems Im not sure what to tell you. I do know that people have said not to cross a large buck with a smaller female but the NZ isnt exactly a tiny breed. I certainly wouldn't cross a mini with a FG.

I never had a problem starting out with a 18lb buck and a 8lb doe, he was the sire to our very first litters 5 years ago (NZ, FG cross) I have two litters from him sitting here now but our doe is a purebred 14lber. I'd hate to tell you nothing can go wrong because thats the farthest from the truth, but I personally have never had a litter get stuck. Could be good luck. I probably just jinxed myself! LOL!

You have to sit back and see what you can afford. We gave ours a whole lot of thought and knew that we didnt want to put money into rabbits that wouldnt produce or "pay" for themselves. If you can justify a buck, go for it. But for production purposes, if you have access to bucks I wouldnt keep one that I would have to house and feed. My flemish eat twice as much as my NZ cross did. It blows me away how much they can put away, but I also free feed.

The NZ by itself is a very good choice for meat production, I only mentioned FG because they have cut about 4 weeks off my babies hanging around. The quicker you can butcher the less you feed.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Thankies again

For me too I sort of have to take what I can get to some degree since there is such slim pickings!
I have acsess to a FG buck and a guy who has NZ doe's for sale, so that's what I'm going to start with. I certainly cannot afford to feed someone who's not going to earn their keep!

 

[chickenannie]

I made a "rabbit tractor" pen (like a chicken tractor) for my New Zealand rabbits so I could raise them naturally. After moving them every other day to new grass, I decided to let the pen stay in one place. Well what do you know, they built burrows for themselves, but they never ever dug themselves out of the cage! I kept them that way for a year. I didn't want to keep them in wire cages where their poor little feet had to be on wire.

I've also heard of raising large groups like this naturally, by building a large shelter, than digging down a foot and lining the ground with straw bales, maybe 2 layers of bales. Then they can live healthily and burrow to their hearts content and produce babies naturally.

Just an idea....

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Annie,
Do you mean like you dig a trench into the ground and insert the whole hay bale or you just put them around the perimeter of the "run"?

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
You insert the whole hay bale, not just put them around the perimeter. And it would not be just a trench, but perhaps 10 x 6 ft or so. It has to be covered by a shelter so it doesn't get wet, but apparently they burrow through the straw and make nests in it. After your done with a group, wa-la, compost!

 

[penelope77]

my rabbits live in a colony. i really like that system. i think the rabbits do too. i'm thinking of a rabbit tractor for day time. mine have little holes dug all over the pen they live in. i had one major digout once while we were finishing security measures. oh yeah thanks for the hugs.