My first rabbit hutch. Plus more now.

[Hattrick 22]

Just two things i didn't see was that adding a small box fan would help keep them cool (you could run it on a timer etc for day and off for night during the summer months) the second thing would be to make sure when you do breed you put the doe in the bucks cage. The doe in the bucks cage was something i learned from a guy that has been raising rabbits since he was a kid (now 62) told me that the doe will sometimes be aggressive/attack the male because she see her cage as her territory (i guess) its been awhile since i breed rabbits i did it when i was a freshman in high school.

Great info though i even learned a few things.

 

[Scott.Thornton]

Just two things i didn't see was that adding a small box fan would help keep them cool (you could run it on a timer etc for day and off for night during the summer months) the second thing would be to make sure when you do breed you put the doe in the bucks cage. The doe in the bucks cage was something i learned from a guy that has been raising rabbits since he was a kid (now 62) told me that the doe will sometimes be aggressive/attack the male because she see her cage as her territory (i guess) its been awhile since i breed rabbits i did it when i was a freshman in high school.

Great info though i even learned a few things.

Actually looking at running a 12v fan off of a solar cell I have laying around and a battery.

 

[toddrod]

The hinged tin would work OK. Thing to remember is during the summer they need ventilation to keep the heat down and the ammonia, from the droppings under the cage, from staying around them. During the winter it is important to keep the wind off of them.

Feed - Any commercial rabbit pellets from a feed store is good. All you really need is the regular protein level one.

 

[toddrod]

Another high protein feed supplement is dried clover. What you do is pick the entire clover plant in 1 piece. Then just let them air dry, like hay, and then feed it to them. Remember, try not to feed them any plants that are fresh because, as the previous poster stated, you can give them diarrehea real bad and it could kill them. Also, if you now anyone who gets government commodities, those big boxes of dried milk makes an excellent protein supplement for the young rabbits when they are weaned from the mother. Just put the dry powder in a small can that is secured to the cage floor. It looks like they were on a cocaine binge when they are done.

 

[toddrod]

If they ever go "off" feed, meaning not eating, check the water supply. They will not eat without adequate water.

 

[Scott.Thornton]

Hey Toddrod, I know you got your rabbits from a breeder but I was wondering if you could point me toward how to pick out good rabbits? Just wondering since I found some new zealands over in Walker I'm thinking about looking at today.

 

[toddrod]

Unless he has records to show litter size it will be a crap shoot. To get started they would be OK. Anyway, what you want to look for it the width of the loins. The wider the better. Look at the fur and make sure it is straight, no mange. The eyes should be clear and without discharge. Check the bottom of the feet for sores. Check the fur around the rectum. A rabbit that has normal droppings will have clean fur here. Dirty if they have had diarrehea. Some crusty material in the ears is not to bad as it can be fixed with plain old cooking oil or medication from the feed store. This is caused by mites. Check the nose to see if it has been running (like a humans) and red. This could be an indicator of lung problems.

 

[Scott.Thornton]

Unless he has records to show litter size it will be a crap shoot. To get started they would be OK. Anyway, what you want to look for it the width of the loins. The wider the better. Look at the fur and make sure it is straight, no mange. The eyes should be clear and without discharge. Check the bottom of the feet for sores. Check the fur around the rectum. A rabbit that has normal droppings will have clean fur here. Dirty if they have had diarrehea. Some crusty material in the ears is not to bad as it can be fixed with plain old cooking oil or medication from the feed store. This is caused by mites. Check the nose to see if it has been running (like a humans) and red. This could be an indicator of lung problems.

Thanks, that will get me started down the right track I believe. Yeah litter size I have no clue yet, gonna call after 8 or so. Thinking 2 does and one buck to start off with.

 

[toddrod]

For the buck, make sure he has a good pair hanging.

 

[Scott.Thornton]

For the buck, make sure he has a good pair hanging.

Okay. Eyes, ears, fur, balls, nose, loins, fur around anus, and if possible litter size records. Excellent. I feel much more informed. Haven't been this excited about something in a while now.

 

[Scott.Thornton]

Updated with rabbit pictures. Does only right now and not quite old enough to breed but they will get there.

 

[toddrod]

The white one is a New Zealand (possible pure) but the other is some type of cross. The body types look good.

 

[Scott.Thornton]

The white one is a New Zealand (possible pure) but the other is some type of cross. The body types look good.

I was able to look at the stock and they looked really good also. Your suggestions helped a ton. The doe that had the white one had 7 bunnies, and the black ones doe had 8 and seem to keep the numbers up for every litter. They even offered up free breeding in a few months if we didn't want to buy a buck. Seemed like they knew their stuff pretty well. No bad looking animals except one that had a bad leg, but it was fixing to be butchered.

 

[toddrod]

Here is alot of Louisiana based breeders with a couple right around your area with New Zealands.

http://louisianarba.net/Pages/Links.htm

 

[Scott.Thornton]

Here is alot of Louisiana based breeders with a couple right around your area with New Zealands.

http://louisianarba.net/Pages/Links.htm

Good lord have mercy that is a lot of folks around here with rabbits. Excellent.

 

[toddrod]

Here is a quick online meat rabbit raising resource page

http://www.rudolphsrabbitranch.com/rrrpt1.htm#GOALS

 

[dyslexiateechur]

Nice! Looks like the one we had as a kid.

 

[Scott.Thornton]

I have now figured out that rabbits have very different personalities. The black rabbit come up to you and want to be petted, the white devil eyed one gets really pissed at my wife and charges its food bowl and stamps its feet at us. It's pretty funny actually. I'm hoping the white one doesn't produce good numbers, I'll enjoy eating it.

 

[Scott.Thornton]

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.

 

[jimdana1942]

I thought you were talking about Starsky and Hutch.