Getting rabbits this spring

[Trying2keepitReal]

Doing some research and planning out cages for rabbits and breeding. going to start small with 1 buck and 2 does---will then keep from first couple litters from each doe to keep growing. Thinking about starting with Californians and/or New Zealand.

Couple questions--
How many does can I house together realistically, so that I can build more than needed now without having to expand immediately? (I am not sure that Google isn't always the best for realistic answers)

I read/heard that you can give your chickens rabbit manure as it is full of nutrients, bugs, etc that they can benefit from--true?

For those of you in the North/Winter climates, any advice on the best direction to face the open side of cages? Am thinking of doing 3 solid sides with wire front, wrapped in hardware cloth around bottom half.

 

[tortoise]

I housed my does in pairs in cages or small colony-ish groups. I separated does from kindling to weaning and never had an issue reintroducing them back to their cagemate. My cages were 3 to 4x larger than recommended for the size of the rabbits. The breed of rabbit may have been a factor? IDK. Some wild rabbits are social and live in groups up to 20, but other wild rabbits are nearly solitary - so there must be a genetic factor. I had dwarf breeds for the pet/show markets.

My colony-ish groups were in approximately 4 foot by 6 foot pens. The had deep litter over cement and were indoors (in my barn. I commandeered lambing pens, lol) I kept 4 - 5 mini does in each. I also had cages to use for bucks or if I needed to separate. Sometimes I used cages more and the colony pen was for exercise.

If I add rabbits again I would do it similarly with indoor colony + cage backup.

I liked the colony pens best in winter. I would put straw and hay in the pen 2 - 3 feet deep and they burrowed in it. I felt MUCH better about their welfare this way in winter versus in wire cages.

A downside of keeping rabbits on the ground/floor was a rat problem. I didn't cage does for kindling because I wanted them to be able to build a natural nest however they wanted (I put a variety of nest boxes in the pens). Rats ate all the litters. I didn't figure out what was going on until months after I gave up on raising rabbits - there was a HUGE rat nest and burrow in the hardpack litter of the sheep pen adjacent to the rabbit pens.

 

[tortoise]

I would suggest colony also, unless you want controlled breeding. I think it's more humane. Rabbits can't express their natural behaviors in a wire-bottomed cage!

 

[Chic Rustler]

idk anything about colonies. but rabbits in cages need to be separated before sexual maturity. grow outs can all stay together until butcher.

 

[CrealCritter]

I'm following this thread and learning alot - thanks 👍 My wife wanted rabbits. I'm not opposed to the idea at all. But I talked her out of rabbits for now. It's just we have almost too many wild ones hopping around the property. Now that my wife has made my hunting dog an inside dog, there are a lot of rabbits around at night. I hardly see them during the day but they are plentiful at night.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

 

[Mini Horses]

Rabbit is excellent meat, healthy. Plus they produce a lot, fast. 👍. I used to help grandad with cleaning, skinning those wild caught. Ate it. I'll butcher a chicken even not liking the job. But only bunnies I've ever raised were cute pets. 😊I'm hopeless so long as alternatives are here. No issue with those who raise them for food. It's good.

If ever I need to raise more meat than now, I'd learn real fast to harvest them! Wipe that mental issue.....I'd sure cry though!!. But good, fast production.

Deer aplenty here. I have gun to hunt. I don't...but could do! I take pigs to a facility. Then, I cut and package. Easier for ME. Same with goat. Although a neighbor who hunts, is set to skin, gut, etc, did my last goat. 30 min max and I iced, parted, and packaged.

 

[CrealCritter]

Got rabbits this spring. My wife feeds them. So does that count?

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

I have been doing colony vs cage raising. Thank you for your input. I was also looking into kindling and cooling totes partially underground with runs.

 

[Rammy]

You cant house two does together as they are very territorial. I would put them in seperate cages.
I currently raise NZW and just processed two bucks I was unable to sell.
If you do a colony set up understand that a doe can be bred again within days after birthing her kits. So you will have continual litters every 30 to 31 days while nursing her first litter. Thats very draining on a doe who is gestating a litter and feeding one. Unless you keep the buck out of the colony and not let him breed the females until the litter is 6 to 8 weeks old, plan on never ending bunnies.
I keep my does in thier own seperate hanging cages when they are close to thier due date. Usually about a week out. When the kits are 6 weeks I will take out 2 at a time depending on litter size to slowly wean them off. Doing them all at the same time can cause whats called weaning enteritis. I learned the hardway. Take the kits ftom the mother, not the mother from the kits.
I will give my does a couple weeks after the last kit is gone to recuperate if Im going to breed her again.
If I dont breed again, she goes back out to her hutch for some downtime.
Make sure to feed a good quality hay like timothy ir orchard grass. Do NOT feed alfalfa as this will cause a condition called sludge, which is basically the urine thickening and they cant pee. Most pellets already have alfalfa in them and has all the nutrients for a balanced diet. Giving them alfalfa hay ontop of that is not good.
Get together a good bunny emergency kit.
You can find lists online as to what to get just in case.

 

[Medicine Woman]

Thanks Tortoise for the inspiration. I believe in setting up a Coop Knox for poultry so possibly Warren Knox too. Here is the idea you helped conceive in me…Warren set up , followed by various Coop Knox projects all around Warren Knox so before rats get to rabbits they have to make it past chickens and GUINEAS.