My first rabbit hutch. Plus more now.

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  • kcinnick

    Training Ferrous Metal
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    Dec 24, 2008
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    Baton Rouge
    Well I just received my first ever bite by rabbit. I was a little too close to it's knawing stick and it took offense to it. Didn't break skin and no harm no foul. Was suprised it was the black rabbit though. The black one seems much more laid back. This weekend I will be getting rid of the Tin on the sides, adding a divider to separate my does, and adding a buck hutch on one end. The Rabbit project continues.

    I love when my predictions come true...building an add on hutch and all. Wait till all those wittle wabbits are running around.
     

    Scott.Thornton

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    Jan 23, 2012
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    I love when my predictions come true...building an add on hutch and all. Wait till all those wittle wabbits are running around.

    Yeah you are right on that one. And them "Wittle Wabbits" will run around about 3 months till they go in a pot, get sold, get tanned, or all three. The little ones won't last long. But yeah I see a dangerous road ahead of me with a lot of rabbits.
     

    Scott.Thornton

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    how do the new zealands or the other types compare to the brown swamp rabbits that im always seeing in my yard taste and size wise? this is very interesting. might have to try this out

    From my very,very limited experience in all things rabbit is that the meat breeds have a smaller bone to meat ratio than the other types of breeds. They are actually bred to have smaller bones. Gotta love genetics. The people I have been learning from say that the meat is a less gamey meat than the wild swamp rabbits, and these are at about 4.5 pounds now at 3 months and will get to about 10 or so. So about a 1/3 to 1/2 larger than the wilds rabbits.
     

    toddrod

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    Feb 14, 2007
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    Vacherie, LA
    To answer the question comparing New Zealands to wild rabbits, there is no pellets in the meat of a New Zealand when you eat it. On a serious note though, I fing the tame rabbit flavor a little more mellow than the wild rabbits.
     

    CrkdLtr

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    Sep 12, 2006
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    I wuv when my pwedictions come twue...building an add on hutch and all. Wait till all those wittle wabbits are wunning wound, huh huh huh huh huh huh.

    20_elmer_fudd2-copy.png

    Fixed. :)
     

    barbarossa

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    Jun 18, 2010
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    Baton Rouge
    I am so happy to see you guys raising rabbits! I love to eat rabbit. My German grandparents raised them for the meat. I have so many recipes...

    See, the funny thing is, it is really, really difficult to buy a Louisiana rabbit in a store. In fact, I've tried for years to no avail. Ask the local "Cajun Meats" place where their rabbit is from. It's all from China. Which I won't eat.

    I wish you guys a ton of success, and please, if you need to sell some meat rabbits, I'm a buyer. I'll drive to get them.
     

    Scott.Thornton

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    Jan 23, 2012
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    Denham Area
    I am so happy to see you guys raising rabbits! I love to eat rabbit. My German grandparents raised them for the meat. I have so many recipes...

    See, the funny thing is, it is really, really difficult to buy a Louisiana rabbit in a store. In fact, I've tried for years to no avail. Ask the local "Cajun Meats" place where their rabbit is from. It's all from China. Which I won't eat.

    I wish you guys a ton of success, and please, if you need to sell some meat rabbits, I'm a buyer. I'll drive to get them.

    We will see how it goes, and I will keep you in mind.
     

    Corregidor

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    Jun 5, 2007
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    Cenla
    the hutch looks great

    View attachment raising_mrabbits.pdf

    I am currently raising New Zealand Reds crossed with checkered giants for meat, and in the first year, I have learned a lot that I wish I knew when I started. Oh, well. That's how it goes, though. As you already know, the Denham Springs and Walker areas have numerous breeders; unlike us in the Alexandria area (I acquired mine in Lafayette from Liz Bergeron, great people and very knowledgeable breeders). I currently keep two bucks and 5 does, and have had an average of 40 little ones throughout the fall and winter (kill 10 one week, 10 more are born the next). Anyway, here are some things that I thought would be helpful and attached is the easiest to follow rabbit guide that I have found. It simplifies everything and keeps you from thmbing through numerous novels for the important data that you need. As a disclaimer, the information below is how I do business and you may find other ways of accomplishing your mission that are tailored more specifically to your needs, but I hope it helps.

    1. Keep good books. Write down in a calendar organizer the birth dates of the rabbits, (males are breedable at 5 months, females at around 6 months) annotate the dates bred, when you should insert nest boxes (28 days after breeding), who you bred the doe to, etc. I write down everything.

    2. Use quality feed. I am not sure what you have in your area, but we have Petrus Feed and Seed here in Alexandria, and rabbit breeders drive from Lafayette and Lake Charles to get thier 700B feed. It contains calf manna which helps to ensure healthy litters and a good milk supply for the does. Ween kits at approximately one month old. This can vary, and you can ween them as soon as you see that they are eating and drinking on their own. This also explains why I prefer individual water bottles ( you can monitor consumption).

    3. Water everyday. I add 2-4 tsp of apple cider vinegar to each bottle of water. It keeps the bottles cleaner longer, and it cleans the rabbits out. (no urinary, kidney or bladder problems). I know that some people use the multiple water systems, and you can also buy the smaller water bottles at any pet/livestock store. I personally prefer the water bottles because, unlike the multiple water systems with hoses, you can personally observe how much water the rabbits are using. With that being said, attach the largest water bottles you can to the sides of the cage. you will be amazed at how much water the mother and all the kits can use. Especially if you are getting litters of 10 kits at a time.

    4. Feed Storage. I personally prefer the feeders you attahced to the side of the cages and just keep full. You must cover them, though, to avoid moisture getting into the food. (just sit a piece of 2x4 on top of the opening and that will suffice. The feed must also be kept in a dry container or it will swell up with the moisture and they will turn their noses up at it.

    5. Keep them cool in the summer. I know others have already stated it, but it is serious. I keep fans on mine all day in the summer time. I turn them on before I go to work, and turn them off in the evening. Also, bucks will go sterile in hot weather, so in the fall, you have to ensure that the weather has been cool for a week or so (<85 degrees) for them to breed effectively. DO NOT breed does late in the spring or in the early summer when temperatures are climbing. This is how many breeders lose a lot of rabbits. They not only lose the kits, but they lose the breeding does as well. For this reason, some breeders will stop breeding in April and not resume again until September or October (temperature dependant). Use the calendar and plan effectively so that the gestation, birth etc. are not going to fall in the warmer months.

    The reason for having two bucks for four to six does is to ensure separate families. With good book keeping, you can have separate families and replace the bucks and does with kits from your litters and not have to worry about defects associated with inbreeding.

    Well, that is all I can think of for the moment, but good luck on your rabbit operation and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
     

    Scott.Thornton

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    Well we bred our first two females 29 days ago So this morning I threw in the nest boxes and they immediatly started diggin holes in em and pulling fur for the nest. Should have our first 2 litters in a day or two. We have now moved up to 4 breeder females, fixing to be 5 and will be getting another 5 hole cage going next weekend. Hanging feeders are a god send, as are the new 2 liter coke botter nipple attachments. The new ones don't use gravity to seal a ball they are more like a really weak valve stem with a spring.
     

    Scott.Thornton

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    Jan 23, 2012
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    any updates shiner?

    been doing a lot of research into this. just got to get the g/f on board. she will probably want to keep them all as pets and sleep/cuddle with them[/QUOTE

    Actually we have had our first litters off of our first 2 does, wound up with 7 and 7 but lost 2 to inexeperience with the little bitty ones. Managed to keep 7 males and 5 females so I am happy. We have a 5 hole setup for our little ones and 3 breeder does now. We use the two end spots for the wean up pens and keep the litters on the does for 4 to 5 weeks for weight gain purposes. The buck stays in the first hutch we built so he has a condo. We have been keeping 4 does but decided to cut it down to 3 yesterday to save a little money on food for the time being. We have also figured out they are very heat sensitive and have taken to freezing 3 liter bottles and throwing them in during the day. Also found some 2 liter bottle water drippers with a spring loaded seat that work a hell of a lot better than the small craft pet waterers. We are using fine-x feeders that work amazingly well. Rabbits hate filings in their food and these have a rounded screen portion at the bottom that lets them fall through without much maint. at all.
     
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