Tre3hugger's Rabbit Thread

[Skye'sDucks]

I know I haven't replied in a while, but I have been following your breeding adventures! I'm sorry to hear Crewella miscarried. Hopefully she'll make a better garden bunny than a breeder

And hopefully your new girl will do well! Make sure to share pictures whenever you can after you get her.

 

[Tre3hugger]

I know I haven't replied in a while, but I have been following your breeding adventures! I'm sorry to hear Crewella miscarried. Hopefully she'll make a better garden bunny than a breeder

And hopefully your new girl will do well! Make sure to share pictures whenever you can after you get her.

I appreciate your kind words. Some rabbits just aren't meant to be mommas in confinement I guess.

I am going to pick up the new doe at 11 oclock! Excited and hopeful. Pictures to come!

 

[MissE]

I think it is safe to say Crewella has miscarried. Her belly has shrunk and she isn't acting pregnant anymore. If she expelled anything solid she must have cleaned it up because I am yet to find even a piece of a kit. Seeing as this is her second failed litter, I have decided to retire her. Usually that'd mean the soup pot but my wife has taken a real liking to this rabbit, so has decided to take responsibility for her and raise her as her garden bunny. I am a little discouraged, but am also hopeful. I am picking up a new pedigreed AmChin today around 11. She is 5 months old and very pretty. I will give her a month or two to grow, and after the high heat of summer I will try breeding amchins again.

That's too bad. I know some breeders give three strikes, but I don't blame you for going with two. In reality, the difficulty getting her bred the first time could count as the first strike.

Exciting news about your new doe! We expect lots of pictures.

How is Maple doing with her huge litter?

 

[Tre3hugger]

That's too bad. I know some breeders give three strikes, but I don't blame you for going with two. In reality, the difficulty getting her bred the first time could count as the first strike.

Exciting news about your new doe! We expect lots of pictures.

How is Maple doing with her huge litter?

I was thinking about giving it one more shot, but she seems like she is in kinda rough shape physically and mentally. With the heat coming up and her past failures and current state I don't want to put her through another pregnancy.

The doe I am gettin is 5 months old. I will likely breed her August 1st with hopes of a litter early September as it starts to cool off. I am picking her up at 11 and will be sure to do a photo shoot!

Miraculous mama Maple has 11 chubby jumping beans in the nest. It is funny to see them with the hotter weather sprawled about the nest, seemingly milk drunk lol. Instead of cuddling in a pile for warmth they are spreading out and sprawling about and it is just too cute. I wonder if this also kind of solves the issue of the "bottom kit" getting least milk. Now there is no bottom kit!

Her first litter is 8.5 weeks old today and I am starting to really mentally prepare for processing. I will have them done by 10 weeks. I am seeing agouti, chinchilla, and tortoise shell colorings but I am not positive. I will def post pics of the 3 types for confirmation before processing so I can learn.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Here is the new doe, Momma! Born Feb. 2nd.

 

[Tre3hugger]

And here are some pics of Maple's litters. Her most recent, about a week old

And her first litter. 8.5 weeks old.
@MissE are these agouti?

tortoise shell?

LOL at this bunny pile. I think those are chinchillas in the middle.

 

[MissE]

And here are some pics of Maple's litters. Her most recent, about a week old
View attachment 2729963
View attachment 2729965
And her first litter. 8.5 weeks old.
@MissE are these agouti?

View attachment 2729969
tortoise shell?
View attachment 2729970
LOL at this bunny pile. I think those are chinchillas in the middle.
View attachment 2729982

They are very nice looking buns! The older ones look like they're almost ready for freezer camp

I'm not good with most of the colors. I had Champagne d'Aregnts and Silver Fox, so mine were all grey/silver and black.

Champagnes are a good heritage breed, if you ever decide to try another kind. One of the first domesticated rabbits. Came from France. Black when they are born and turn silver as they grow up. Large breed with a high meat to bone ratio.

Silver Fox are a little smaller, at about 8 lbs, but still great meat rabbits. The cross between the two resulted in meat bricks at 10 weeks, and beautiful, dark grey pelts at 16 weeks.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Rabbit update!
Yesterday I processed Maples first litter. A batch of 9 at 10.5 weeks old. They weighed between 4.5-6 lbs! I was thrilled with the weights, my average being right above 5 lbs. This was my first batch so I am VERY happy to know my meat breeding pair (Am. chin buck and NZ doe) produce litters of this size. They were weaned between 4 and 5 weeks and fed free choice 16 percent pellets. Maple has another litter of 9 in with her now ready for weening this week.

Momma, the newest addition, has settled in nicely. Yesterday, first attempt, she took to Sir Hops and successfully bred! Hopefully I will be getting some pedigreed Am Chins out of her in 30 days.

Crewella, at my wife's behest, escaped processing yesterday and has been retired to a pet/garden rabbit. My partner has taken responsibility for her and filled her new outdoor hutch with toys and treats. She will live out her days in comfort, free loading and making my wife smile.

 

[MissE]

Rabbit update!
Yesterday I processed Maples first litter. A batch of 9 at 10.5 weeks old. They weighed between 4.5-6 lbs! I was thrilled with the weights, my average being right above 5 lbs. This was my first batch so I am VERY happy to know my meat breeding pair (Am. chin buck and NZ doe) produce litters of this size. They were weaned between 4 and 5 weeks and fed free choice 16 percent pellets. Maple has another litter of 9 in with her now ready for weening this week.

Momma, the newest addition, has settled in nicely. Yesterday, first attempt, she took to Sir Hops and successfully bred! Hopefully I will be getting some pedigreed Am Chins out of her in 30 days.

Crewella, at my wife's behest, escaped processing yesterday and has been retired to a pet/garden rabbit. My partner has taken responsibility for her and filled her new outdoor hutch with toys and treats. She will live out her days in comfort, free loading and making my wife smile.

Everything about your post is awesome! Great weights on the littles. You'll be eating well!

Was this your first time processing rabbits? I found them to be much easier than plucking chickens, but the initial dispatch was harder due to the cute factor. Once the first one was done, it was easy sailing, but no matter how many litters I've done, it takes me a while to work up the nerve for the first one. I started mixing a Bloody Mary first.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Everything about your post is awesome! Great weights on the littles. You'll be eating well!

Was this your first time processing rabbits? I found them to be much easier than plucking chickens, but the initial dispatch was harder due to the cute factor. Once the first one was done, it was easy sailing, but no matter how many litters I've done, it takes me a while to work up the nerve for the first one. I started mixing a Bloody Mary first.

Thanks @MissE ! It was ,my second time doing rabbits, my first being some adults I got at an auction a lifetime ago when i knew nothing (2 years lol). That time there was old white males. This was the first time I processed young rabbits I raised from my breeders.
Your synopsis of processing rabbits is SPOT ON. They are theoretically/logistically incredibly easy. I did all 9 myself in about 2 hours with a couple knives and a rope and my ballista captive bolt gun. But the emotional toll is real. Much harder than the batches of Cornish x chicken I have processed. That damn cute factor!! I'm a step ahead of ya on a bit of...medication to help steel the resolve. I have also been icy and robotic with this litter for the last 6 weeks, trying to think of them only as food. I suppose it worked to an extent, because I got them done and slept last night too. I will have another litter to process in about a month. After that Maple is getting a break, and I will focus on my new Heritage birds for a bit. Hopefully Momma has a litter I can baby and cuddle and then sell as pets before the next round of meaties.