Countdown to Meat Rabbits: A few pics from planning the colony

[pinkfox]

if pasturing is out of the question consider making a rabbit garden. a raised bed, make it at least 24" deep, you only need 12" of dirt in there, plant with something that can grow relitivly tall grasses tall clover, basil (a bunny favorite) dandelions, ect...
then make a wire frame for the top, itll sit ontop of the bed it wil need to have extra support but the ideas is the rabbits can sit on it and graze BUT they wont be able to graze anything right down to the ground meaning things wont be killed by overgrazing
id also try growing things like squash cucumber and snap peas up the kennel walls the rabbits can nibble on anything that goes through the fencing

the dog runs are perfect for this, regular small chicken wire aroudn the bottom 2ft will keep babies in and racoon fingers out.

sounds liek a great plan.
for feeding ive found a trough system works better than individual bowls...you can make your own with a vinyl rain gutter or cut a pvc pipe in 1/2 (gutters are easier though lol)

ive not had issue swith bucks and fighting, but keeping your bucks in hutches or suspended cages inside the colony house is a great idea if fo no other reason than everythings in the same place for feeding cleaning ect

sounds like youve got a solid plan...hope you plan on posting lots of pictures

 

[BarredBuff]

if pasturing is out of the question consider making a rabbit garden. a raised bed, make it at least 24" deep, you only need 12" of dirt in there, plant with something that can grow relitivly tall grasses tall clover, basil (a bunny favorite) dandelions, ect...
then make a wire frame for the top, itll sit ontop of the bed it wil need to have extra support but the ideas is the rabbits can sit on it and graze BUT they wont be able to graze anything right down to the ground meaning things wont be killed by overgrazing
id also try growing things like squash cucumber and snap peas up the kennel walls the rabbits can nibble on anything that goes through the fencing

the dog runs are perfect for this, regular small chicken wire aroudn the bottom 2ft will keep babies in and racoon fingers out.

sounds liek a great plan.
for feeding ive found a trough system works better than individual bowls...you can make your own with a vinyl rain gutter or cut a pvc pipe in 1/2 (gutters are easier though lol)

ive not had issue swith bucks and fighting, but keeping your bucks in hutches or suspended cages inside the colony house is a great idea if fo no other reason than everythings in the same place for feeding cleaning ect

sounds like youve got a solid plan...hope you plan on posting lots of pictures

Pinky I appreciate ya!

The peas up the outside sounds fabulous, but Im not gonna try a rabbit garden right away because we usually have a lot extra out of the garden. So Im gonna start with that first. Right now I bought those 5 lb. metal feeders, they are maybe a foot long. I think that would work for feedings. As for watering, Im not gonna use the bottles on the colony because thats alot of work with just 4 and 5 buns. So Im gonna get a tire and take one of those heavy duty rubber tubs to set in the middle of it to use as a water. Then I want to put a thick layer of straw on the floor of the run. And if I get my way, the entire complex will be 18 by 18 with shelving in the houses. 40 sq ft per rabbit

On another note, I have my cousin on the look out for the rabbits. But I dont figure it will be problem with Easter coming up.

 

[Denim Deb]

Just be careful w/that set up for water. They might chew on it.

 

[BarredBuff]

I was skimming through colony info on BYH and most 'serious breeders' do the cage/hutch setup and said mainly idiot breeders did the colony setup. But in your opinion, do you all considered this good for SS purposes?

 

[Wannabefree]

Buffy I consider it as good as the next style of raising as long as it meets all your personal criteria. Nobody does everything the same way as everyone else. It's your choice, and i think it's great for SS. If you decide later you don't prefer it, you can always go back to cages. what do you have to lose? Don't let nay sayers get to you

 

[BarredBuff]

Buffy I consider it as good as the next style of raising as long as it meets all your personal criteria. Nobody does everything the same way as everyone else. It's your choice, and i think it's great for SS. If you decide later you don't prefer it, you can always go back to cages. what do you have to lose? Don't let nay sayers get to you

I wont I was just asking opinions on it. I think its great, its more 'natural' and I guess at the same time more SS as well. I will have cages open. AND will not have much new invested in this. Except a few do dads......

 

[Denim Deb]

I don't worry about what others think. Find out what works for you, that's all that's important.

 

[pinkfox]

thenay sayers dont like it for a number of reasons...
1: its not what there "used to", here in the USA its "normal" to raise rabbits individually in cages
2: its not as "efficient" large scale breeders like to be able to just pop a doe in with a buck let em have at and be doen with ti...rake out the droppings from under the cages when the pile gets too high and stick a nesting box in there when shes due...tada...daily upkeep is minimal, give em food make sure theyge got water and done...
in a colony set up youve got a little more involved, it takes longer to clean out an entire colony pen of old straw/hay/shavings/watherver, it can take a while to cats each female to place her with a buck, its more work to make sure each rabbit is eating enough in good condition ect...
3: they CLAIM its harder to "keep track" now i can se this being true of a colony with a loose buck...but in a properly managed colony for people who know each individual rabbit theres no difficulty

in the UK colony keeping, tractor keeping ect is the norm, cages simply arnt used by any but the BIG producers (and usually fur farms)
personally i prefer a colony, its much more natural, its mentally healthier for the does assuming enough space (and it sounds like your girls will have a perfect set up with the run )

most colony keepers find their first few litters can be small, does left to kindle in the pen will have thier kits and sometimes other does will hav thier kits in the same nestbox sometimes stepping on the babes...this is more common in adults introduced to a colony as opposed to babies raised to maturity in a colony setting...
BUT once they get through the learning stage long term colony setups tend to find BETTER fertility, better survival and better quality in terms of offspring...i thik mental well being is just as important as managing things...
if YOU can set up a colony with enough space, and are wiling to put that little bit of extra time involved to make sure the conloy stays healthy then there is NO reason for it not to work...

i think its just a case of its not the way they were taught to do it and therefore its different and different is bad.

you may set up the conolny and decide after a couple of years this isnt the set up for you...but you may absolutly LOVE it...im a big beliver of doing what works for you!

i love gorwing the peas up, provides shade in the summer too.
bunnies also LOVE sunflowers...not just the seeds either, i mean the whole thing lol

 

[CheerioLounge]

Buffy I consider it as good as the next style of raising as long as it meets all your personal criteria. Nobody does everything the same way as everyone else. It's your choice, and i think it's great for SS. If you decide later you don't prefer it, you can always go back to cages. what do you have to lose? Don't let nay sayers get to you

Just like my neighbor the "old man", Just because he wasn't able to grow a garden out here, it doesn't mean I can't! If it works for you, you can tell the "serious" breeders that an "idiot" was successful!

 

[KaboomAngel]

I would love to one day be able to raise meat rabbits (I am a senior in HS and will be at college next year, mom doesn't need a NEW project of mine around here...) and origially thought that I would do a colony. But the more I think about it I can't figure out how to keep track of who the mother is (pressuming that the rabbits are all of the same color/breed)... Or do you not keep track? And if you don't keep track then I am guessing that you pick the best doe kits for replacement irregardless of dam side herritage, but how do you know which doe/does to replace? Also in a non-colony situation when/if you foster kits how/do you keep track of whom the kit really belongs???

Thanks! and sorry if slightly off topic