What Rabbits Do You Have? Show Off Your Rabbits Here!

[kacklinkelly]

Thanks!!! That's great! Have your raised meat rabbits before? If I where you I'd start looking for a buck now and maybe get one. Nows the time of year to do so. Thanks for the comment!!!

No, this is my first time raising meat rabbits. My family doesn't think I'll be able to do "the deed" when the time comes. Only one way to find out. If not, I guess I'll be placing adds on CL or starting a petting zoo

. I keep thinking that I'll be able to find a Jr or proven buck easy enough when the time comes. I'm planning on getting one in August. They will likely be sterile at that time because it can get close to 120 here. I figure that will be my quarantine time and I can put the three of them in our attached/insulated garage, with a cooler set up to keep them more comfortable. It's already over 80 here. One step at a time for now.

 

[kacklinkelly]

The first two were about the size of my middle finger, when stretched out. I have small hands, and my finger is around 2 1/2 inches. This recent kit was around 5 1/2 inches when stretched out! Huge difference. I can only think that was because the big kit was the only in the litter (as far as I know, I'll check on her in the morning) it took up all the nutrients momma was providing and became jumbo-sized.

This is the first kit next to my hand.


I'll upload picture of the recent kit tomorrow.

I have another question though,
How long could the time space be from each kit? Minutes, hour, couple hours?

WOW - That baby looks chunky to me. What type of momma do you have?

 

[Bunnylady]

My doe kindled today! I actually got to watch it. Unfortunately, the baby was still-born, but HUGE! The first kit that my doe had last time was almost 1/3 the size of this one. Is that normal? I'm seriously thinking not. Also, when the doe eats (what I thought was the placenta) does that mean she is done kindling?

I've heard new brood does (especially dwarf breed does) commonly have still-born litters in the beginning. I'm hoping that's the case with my doe.

Each baby has its own placenta, and the doe eats it as she cleans the baby up.

Generally speaking, the more babies there are in a litter, the smaller they are at birth. A New Zealand won't be giving birth to babies the size of Netherland Dwarf kits, but if the litter is numerically large, the kits will be relatively small. Numerically large litters are often born a bit sooner - day 28 or 29, maybe, rather than day 31 or 32. A doe that is carrying only one or two kits frequently will go well past her due date, and kindle on day 34 or 35. The kits are usually huge, and take so long to deliver that they usually die during the birth process.

Rabbit does are capable of conceiving almost immediately after kindling. If I have a doe that has lost a litter at birth, I will give her a day or two to recover, then breed her again. She hits a pretty high hormonal peak right after kindling, and will usually conceive a pretty good sized litter when bred back like this.

Sorry that you lost the litter. Here's hoping it goes better next time!

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Quote: Momma is a Holland.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Quote: That's actually what we did after the first litter. Would it harm her to breed her again, like last time?

 

[Bunnylady]

How long could the time space be from each kit? Minutes, hour, couple hours?

Normally, kits are born one right after another, with the whole litter being born within maybe 20 minutes. I have known the odd doe to take a lot longer. I had one doe that gave birth to 3 babies one day, and 3 more a few days later, when she had only been bred to a buck once. I've heard that Angoras are notorious for spreading a kindling out over the course of a day or two (not having bred them myself, I can't say whether that's true or not).

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Quote: Thanks for the info.

With that being said, I'm fairly confident that's the only kit she'll have. *sigh* I'm worried to breed her a third time.

 

[Bunnylady]

That's actually what we did after the first litter. Would it harm her to breed her again, like last time?

Nursing is what really takes its toll on a doe; as long as she has a balanced diet, rebreeding after a failed kindling shouldn't be a problem.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Quote:

That's actually what we did after the first litter. Would it harm her to breed her again, like last time?

Nursing is what really takes its toll on a doe; as long as she has a balanced diet, rebreeding after a failed kindling shouldn't be a problem.

Okay, sounds good. I'll give her a few days rest then see if she'll take the buck.

Thanks for your help!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Agreed, breed her back after a day or so. She will be fine if you can get some litters out of her. Make sure she has a buck with good swimmers and she gets hit a few times so you can try to ensure more, smaller kits. I never do a final count on the number of bunnies I get until the next morning. Too many "I have seven babes... I mean, uh,,, 11 babes? Those weren't there before...!" moments. XD That kit looks about the size of one of my NZW kits... So yeah, pretty big!