The Barn
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Meat rabbits
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Meat rabbits
We acquired our New Zealand white trio in July. Plan on breeding around the end of October. I’d like to introduce Jodi, Alice and Mack. Jodi and Alice are siblings from a blue eye white line and Mack is an albino from a red line. The offspring should have color variations. Looking forward to starting this journey in lower Michigan. Any tips, experiences or recipes welcome.
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145 Replies
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I just got done a second ago breeding my Rex with a New Zealand Doe. It will be his first Progeny since my original Buck (New Zealand) died during a heat wave here.
P.S. – I am trying to encourage the admin to create a subgroup here for Rabbits so that we have our own discussion area.
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Hi – I’ve been considering re-breeding Buck, my New Zealand White pappy to Annie NZW Doe or Lovey ( same ) now that our SC heat is letting up a little but I dont need the meat at this point ( have 14 in frzr) wanted to sell some kits but dont have much inquiry for them or folks want breeding pairs – I wont sell kits before 8 wks and dont keep em beyond 10 – 12 wks max. My breeders are 3 yrs old now and I will have to breed for replacements soon – its a dilema keeping supply going, not overbreeding and keeping them slim ( fat rabbits go sterile ).
I pasture them until the grass goes dormant in fall, moving them to winter hutch off ground where I separate & capture urine for compost and fertilizer – planting extra winter crops for us & them this year because Timothy Grass & other Hay just cant be trusted commercially now ( herbicides ) – I really depend on the rabbit poo for vineyard & garden – having no tolerance for toxins in my soil – tomatoe leaf curl etc – I’ve worked to hard keeping it top notch to ruin it, compliments of the Chemical Indudustry.
Ok, well – sorry if long winded – catch ya later 🙂
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how do you pasture your rabbits? do you move them around like in a chicken tractor? do you have trouble with them digging out? do they raise their bunnies on grass too?
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Hi Jen- in – Ok – yes I tractor them around the yard, twice a day – spring through fall until grass goes dormant then put em up in the hutch for winter – thats when I collect the pellets for fertilizer separating pellets from urine using a screen system that lets urine fall through to double tubs and pellets stay dry in screen until Imget to em – man, I’m tellin ya, the lawn gets so lush ,thick and green from tractorin them around all summer – I’ll get some photos together and post em here
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This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by Kingscairn.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by
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that is awesome! I’d love to see how you make that work!
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Sorry it took long to get back – picture of Winter Hutch with poo capture and urine separater tubs, auto water system on side with nipple lines runing in back ( not shown ) – Spring, summer, fall lawn tractor of 2×2 frame including handles, wire , hinged and corrugated plastic roof – it can be compartmentalized in 3 sections by by dropping divider boards down into u channel tracks but It used as the nursery and growout for kits when Mom is removed to ween – I have simpler cages of only wire now for adults – all cages have 1×2 ” wire bottoms to keep Buns in & predators out – hope this helps – again, sorry for delay.
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Btw Jen -in – ok
Making your own cages is way cheaper, not hard ( wear gloves ) and you can customize design
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Wow!!! you have an epic set-up! thankyou so much for showing so many pictures! they really help for me to understand what you are doing with the bunnies! your “travel hutches” look like they would be easy to move around. is that just windowscreen under your winter hutch to catch the pellets?
one day I would like to have rabbits, but the ones we had permanently in a hutch as a kid got so messy underneath that i wouldn’t want to do it that way again. but you collecting all ‘fertilizer’ they produce for you there would make it so much less messy (and now useable!)
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Yes it is – just your run of the mill window sreen
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Great idea. . For rabbit poop!
Thanks
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Does putting them out on grass reduce the amount of feed pellets they eat in the summer?
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Absolutely it does reduce storebought – and they love it – just bein down on the ground – makes we wish I could remove the wire bottoms for more comfort but predators and the burrowing out would be worse – tradeoffs I guess – Did you notice the water reservoir on the ‘ Above Ground Hutch ‘ 4″ pvc Tube with lines that lead around back to nipple waterers in each cage – reduces watering frequency to 4 days or so.
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Hi, interesting discussion. Can you answer the question on digging out of the tractor? We use chicken tractors quite a bit for the birds but not yet for the rabbits. Do you think they don’t dig out because you move it twice a day? What about at night? Has it been an issue at all? Thanks for any thoughts!
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I’ve seen some rabbit tractor designs where the bottom is wired. Grass can still poke through so the rabbits can get at it, but they can’t dig. A tractor with wire floor could double as a cage on a stand when needed if it wasn’t too large or heavy to lift and set/hang somewhere.
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Yes, rabbits will dig burrows – its a natural thing – but – I’m more worried about what will get in – funny thing , Lovey got out ( the cage door was tampered with in the way only a human could do 😡 ) but she’s such a baby 💕 that she just meandered about munching grass and I just walked up talking normal to her picked er up and put her back into the cage she shares with her sister Annie, although separated by wire divider – no big deal – my rabbits are so mellow
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Well Donna – for me – they could make a heroic effort at digging out but I dont think they would ( maybe ) make it all the way (?) – BUT – for me, it’s more of a predator getting under and in – especially for the young kits – a big ole barn snake could slither and eat, no problem – but I worry about coons, coyotes and dogs that have the ability to flip, dig and generally just tear it up – somebody’s roaming pit bull tore the shade awnings and food container off ( leaving a hole big enough for a smaller predator to maybe get in), off of the girls tractor but my motion sensor cameras alerted me and I got out their pronto so , no real damage done – I might be going on to long here – you know the song – Dont start me talkin, I’ll tell everything I know 😁
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Donna – sorry , I replied but not in the right place (?) So here is the answer in your > reply < box –
Yes, rabbits will dig burrows – its a natural thing – but – I’m more worried about what will get in – funny thing , Lovey got out ( the cage door was tampered with in the way only a human could do ) but she’s such a baby that she just meandered about munching grass and I just walked up talking normal to her picked er up and put her back into the cage she shares with her sister Annie, although separated by wire divider – no big deal – my rabbits are so mellow
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We ar planning to making a dog pen with betonmatten on the grass, so they can not dig and still eat some grass.
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What is Beton grass ?
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Beton matten ?
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Concrete mats sorry about that.
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Do you have any issues with RHV (I believe is the acronym) with tractoring buns vs. keeping them in hutches? I am looking to possibly tractor mine this warm season. I would definitely appreciate a dose of wisdom. New rabbiter here, and I feel like a 5 year old with all my questions 🤣
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We do inoculate against both, cause they do come in contact with wild rabbits and there is no treatment or way back. Others also do the young for meat, cause they have lost all their rabbits that way.
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Good looking rabbits!
We are looking in to satin rabbit, for meat and fur.
Any experiences with this breed?
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No, not I – sorry !
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We raise Californians. We too lost a buck to the Texas heat along with a couple of kits. We will be sectioning off a part of the barn for them this winter and adding a small a/c unit for them for next summer. JIC
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Pukalani-Farm.
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Yeah , a swamp cooler would work great in west texas because of dry heat ( I worked oil fields out of Odessa 70’s ) – east & south Tx needs refriderant style cuz of excessive humidity – rabbits really suffer in heat dont they – I built awnings on my hutch & tractors for extra shade – they pretty much lay napping all day and party all night😁
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Definitely. Lol.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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My first doe produced 6. I kept 1 female. Sold 2 to the rabbit butcher. Daughter took 3. None in the freezer. Will breed again in February probably. Plan is to smoke the meat and can it.
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Just made some awesome shredded rabbit barbecue on toasted english muffins with baked sweet tater fries – yeah baby Emerils got nothin on me – I dont can ( I dehydrate ) but if I did i’d sure can some barbecue – considered a Harvest Right Freeze Drier whish is an awesome longevity concept but I dont have 20 years left in me so It doesnt make sense – its best to raise & grow, to eat fresh daily anyway
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👍
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That rabbit recipe made me want to stop over for dinner. My goodness! So much delicious all in one place!
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Hello to all of you 🙂
I have a rabbit as well. Only one. It’s been hard to find rabbits to purchase around here. I am in Southern California. I got one from a friend who had two and she gave me one. I use the droppings in my garden. I would love to get more for breeding and butchering. Any ideas where I might be able to get more?
Thank you for any ideas
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you tried craigslist and ARBA (american rabbit breeders association) and asking around at local feed stores? i’ve also talked to people that got some through a local 4h club. fairs also have rabbit shows and you can find people selling them there too.
i found my silver foxes on ARBA. I started with rexs that i got from the neighbor of a lady at the feed store and added a few more from craigslist.
I’d recommend getting pedigreed ones. at least that means the breeder has some record keeping and they aren’t just siblings breeding for 5 generations.
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That is great advice. I got my trio from “the rabbitry center” in bath Michigan. I found him on YouTube and decided the value I gathered from his channel was worth the price and trip. Bobby is exactly the same in person as on the tube. He has a passion for what he does. My rabbits have a pedigree since dated since 2014-2016. I had considered silver Fox before settling on New Zealand. Maybe a little further down the line.
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Great advice Mark. You win today’s “wise prize”. 😁👍
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OneWay,
I know it is a bit far to travel, as I am in Siskiyou County but I currently have 7 silver fox rabbits. They are heading to the freezer soon. But if you want to travel to the northern most county of the state to pick up one (male or female) I have them. At this point I do not need the meat, so giving one up to you is not a problem.
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Very generous of you to offer to help oneway out. Awesome.
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Feed stores for rabbits around Easter.
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We also have meat mutt, TAMUK composites. And yes in Texas they love to lounge around during the day and play at night. We run both cage and tractor setup along with supplementing from our garden beds and the mullberry tree. It definitely helps reduce feed costs.
We have pan fried, grilled, baked, canned, and slow cooked our rabbits although I think slow cooking or canning is the most tender since the meat does dry out easily due to being so lean. We also make bone broth from the rabbits for other cooking and as bad as it sounds we blender bunny as well.
We take any leftover bones and meat and pressure cook it. Then combine the meat and soft bones from the pressure cooking with organ meat and blend it together. Our “rabbit slurry” then gets a light mix with oats and quail eggs and goes in an old cupcake pan in the freezer to make bunny cakes for the dog. The inspiration came from “Teal Stone Homestead” with slight modifications. We try not to waste what we can and what we cannot use goes into compost.
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This its my first year with Tamuk breed. Finally found some out here. Not quiet old enough for breeding yet. Favorite way to eat rabbit is rabbit (chicken) salad. Great for all my hot summer days. I mix rabbit and chicken together when canning. It all seasons and tastes the same. I also make rosemary rabbit broth for winter soups.
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I read about these this week. I’m interested in trying the TAMUK out. I have no experience with domestic rabbits so I’m still trying to figure out like where and how I’d house and feed them.
I’m in south TX where we can get humid triple-digit heat indexes for 3-4 months straight. Neighbor has two large oaks that cast a lot of shade in my back yard so I was thinking about that as a spot to keep them out of the hot sun, but that area still gets a few hours of morning sun in the summer.
Thoughts on if that would work?
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@Jonathan Regardless of where you keep them (shade trees sound good), you will still be putting a roof type cover over them because you need to keep them out of wet weather somewhat also. They need a dry place to rest and or raise kits (babies) and other health reasons.
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Yes, definitely. I was planning to try making my own cages out of old fencing material (2×4, 4×4, slats) and hardware cloth that I’ve already got available. For roof I was hoping to find some scrap roofing tin or sheet metal.
I read about nesting boxes needing to be designed differently and possibly kept indoors.
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Jonathan
Naw – I’ve used cardboard grocery store boxes but my favorite is a gray plastic box open part way down on 1 side, with side holes for carrying – with lid – got it from Dollar General and guess its for onions/ potatoes (?) It’the perfect nest box – just drilled some1/8″ holes in bottom
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I might try to find something different for your roofing than using tin or any kind of metal that absorbs heat. I think of how HOT my tin roof on my deck gets and how stifling it is to breathe when you stand up. Even tho you are planning on putting the hutch under shade trees, there may be periods during the day when it may be exposed to the sun.. My rabbits were extremely stressed this past summer with that extreme heat wave we had. I ended up having to buy a couple of SHOP fans (one on a stand that oscillated) in order to TRY to keep my rabbits cooler. I have a breeding trio of TAMUKS (can tolerate heat much better than other meat rabbits) and then 2 breeding pairs of New Zealand & Californian meat rabbits. Lost a couple of chickens to the heat as they were sitting on eggs and refused to come out of the nesting box area. Tried to ventilate it as best as I could but just wasn’t enough. Broke my heart to lose the broody hens & all those potential chicks.
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I have some thin plywood on hand, do you think that would be better? I was just worried about the elements affecting wood more than metal. That, and the extra weight that a wooden roof would add. But I can certainly use wood if you think metal would be too much of a heat radiator.
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Personally, I would go with the thin plywood and either paint it with an EXTERIOR paint (that will help preserve the wood) or you could cover it with some tin or metal roofing. I know how hot tin gets as we use it for almost everything down here. Sit a piece out in the direct sun for a couple of hours then touch it. It will almost burn you. The porch/deck roof I referenced that was so hot I couldn’t breathe was just an 8 ft high roof. You were hot just sitting in a chair but if you stood up, the heat was UNREAL! I ended up having to insulate it with 2-inch styrofoam insulation. Cut to fit between the rafters. Dropped the temp on the porch/deck by 15* and the heat no longer hit you when you stood up. And that was 8 ft up on an 18′ x 38′ area. Imagine the heat from the tin roof radiating in a tiny enclosed or partially enclosed box you’re going to build. If it is 3 ft high and the rabbit is 12 inches from the roof (or closer), in your area and heat, you would have roasted rabbit if we have temps like we did this past summer. I know your supplies are limited but would rather you be safe than sorry. The only other alternative would be to double roof it. Put down the tin roof. On top of that use some 2×2’s and add another layer of tin. The air space between the two roofs would allow for ventilation and give the lower roof a break from absorbing all the heat.
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I can certainly do some 5/16ths plywood and paint it. I should still have some exterior light-colored paint that will not absorb too much sunlight. The sides and bottom will be hardware cloth so there should be plenty of good ventilation!
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That sounds like you have a great roofing plan.
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Hey GRITS – dont know who your addressing re tin roof ( I get confused who’s answering/adressing who ) but – you make a good point regarding the hot metal – I use corrugated plastic (cheaper ) – but – give the cage / tractor a little height, open on the long sides for breeze and I built awnings that fold up out of the way for feeding but really give good shade and diverts rain away them & food tins
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Wow, I’m just now seeing this reply you sent Dec 7th! I was replying to Jonathan that was going to use tin fir his roof. He lives way down in southern Texas where it get hotter there than here in zone 8b (coastal AL).
I also use either corrugated fiberglass panels (I had found a bunch of scrap pieces at RESTORE for almost nothing) and also have 4×8 sheets of half-inch styrofoam insulation sandwiched between some sort of roofing tin/metal, Got these sheets at RESTORE also for a couple of bucks each. My rabbit hutches have nesting boxes built off the backs of the hutch that I used this to make the nesting box hinged lids as well as the boxes themselves for added insulation. They have hardware cloth (wire) floors. It helps keep the does warm in the winter since these nesting boxes are not removable. I just stuff them with hay/straw for them to burrow in to stay warm. I also got partial boxes of large ceramic tiles that I put in the hutch area for the rabbits to lay on in the summer to help keep cool PLUS to take the strain of them being on the hardware cloth floors all the time. RESTORE is the place to go if you have one in your area to pick up all sorts of bldg. materials to use around your farm/homestead. Contractors sometimes donate their leftover construction materials to RESTORE or stores going out of business so there are bargains to be found. I may not need what I buy at the moment but know I will find a use for it eventually.
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Yeah, funny you mentioned restore – I’ve been using the cheap polyethelene cloth for the rabbit tractor & hutch awnings and sick of it’s short mortality in the elements soooo, I found, and bought, used 8’x15′ roadside billboard sign to cut & replace the cheap poly – pro, cost $35 & free shipping. – con , heavy but will last forever !
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This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by Kingscairn.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by
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Depends on whether its for a stationary hutch or for a mobile lawn tractor – tne mobile tractor should be as lite as possible – the Hutch boils down to cost and weather – If the edges are sealed as well as the broad surfaces it should last 5 years or so but it will need resurfacing periodically
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We have a trio of Americans. They are still growing and should start breeding in late winter/early spring. They are in a 16×24 covered colony that they share with our chickens. I feed food scraps/garden waste, hay and pellets for now. Hoping to get off pellets soon.
I have a couple of good recipes I will dig out and post soon. After making bone broth, I plan to roast all the bones and make my own bone meal for the garden. Organs, etc will go to the chickens.
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They look happy! Just finished building our covered colony and am getting prepped for picking up our buck. I still need to find does.
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I’m like you and save ALL bones after making broth and roast to make bone meal. Some think I’m NUTZO for even saving the blood from animals I dispatch, rabbits, chickens, deer, etc., as you can cook it down then bake (I use an outside fire for this) to make BLOOD meal. Once it is dry, it crumbles up and you can crush/grind it up for blood meal. With all the fertilizer shortages and rising prices, I’m looking at ways to make what I need to successfully garden when there is none to buy in the stores. I save all my rabbit poop and use for fertilizer. THE BEST EVER and it is a natural source.
If you have dogs, you could grind up the organs and freeze them or can to add to their food. In hard times the extra nutrients will be most beneficial to our pets as well. WAY BACK before canines were domesticated they ate what they could find in the wild, and that did include organ meat. They didn’t have stores to go buy dry or canned dog food. I wouldn’t feed them JUST ORGAN MEAT as they would be a bit too much or too rich for their tummies. I used to raw feed my dogs but got a bit expensive when prices started going thru the roof. I now cook their meals using some kind of protein meat, liver or other organ meat, eggs, rice & a small bit of dehydrated Kale that will rehydrate by putting a lid on the pan and a bit of water for a few min. About once a week I will add some sardines to the mix for their omega 3 fatty acids & sometimes vary the veggies I add to the mix. They have got to stay healthy, too.
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Like that you use all, just for the respect for the animal that gives his life after lived a good life. I do that to and alway thank them, from the beginning to there end take good care and with respect.
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I always thank any animal I dispatch or harvest for their life and for giving me & whomever I feed, food to eat. Guess that is the Native Indian in me. I also thank Mother Earth for her bounties of harvest whether I grow it or forage for it.
I was raised on a farm and we didn’t have much. We never wasted anything. Looks like folks are going to need to go back to that mindset as well as learn to live with less. Have done that all my life so I am always grateful for what I have or acquire and anything above & beyond is a blessing to me!
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Wow yes – glad youre so productive – making bone broth – I just boil the carcass strain the stock from meat which becomes shredded rabbit barbecue – bones get burned and innards get buried deep in compost
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Youve got the key of respect for your gifts – my admiration !
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Thank you for your kind words. So thankful for the upbringing I had & what I learned as an appreciative adult.
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Update: Just discovered that both does kindled around Dec 1st. Looking forward to some meat in February!
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Is there anyone here within a few hours of the Kansas City Metro area? I am looking to buy 2 does and can DM my contact information.
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Our young buck is loving his private greenhouse colony.
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Update: we just had our first successful breeding tonight. Paired Mack with Alice and had five (5) falloffs
We tried to pair Mack and Jodi yesterday with no success. We will probably try again in a few days.
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Maybe Macks a little burned out
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What do you think about this rabitt cage? 6 should be enough for 2 female and 1 male rabbit, 3 for the young as soon as they can leave the mom?
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You have thought your space requirements out really well. If you are breeding NZ, you may need another baby cage if you have 2 litters near or at the same time. A breeder near me has litters of 11 pretty regularly. Her litters are always 8 or more. Your hutch cards and waste trays are so professional! Your buns may need a suit and tie at such a nice “office”.
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<div>Thank you for your kind words and advice, it is a used one that has 6 cages. You can open them up, so they can use 2, if needed bigger cage. For the start I have to work with what I can arrange. So I must plan well, and think about what you have written.</div>
As soon as the jung are old enough, they are going outside in tractor cages. Also the breeders, plan is in winter and with breeding.
Thinking about satin x giant rex and than select the best out from the 2 lines. Hope to buy 3 different lines, unrelated to be able to select.
Well dressed for office, great humor.
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If you get large breeds, when a doe kindles she may need the 2 cages put into one.
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Very nice – lots of effort – is there a pee separator in there somehow
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That is an AWESOME setup for rabbits! LOVE the design and especially the pull-out trays for cleaning!!
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That is what I am counting on, and she can.
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Are you sure you want to be breeding your rabbits in Oct in Michigan? I’m a bit late to this discussion so excuse my delayed comment. Excessive heat AND cold is not good for does and their kits. I have heard of them freezing to death and it stresses both the does & kits. Their water will freeze unless you intend to keep them in a very secure warm location during the winter months.
I’m no expert nor am I criticizing what you are doing. I know the does have a 30-day gestation period but then you’ve got to keep the doe & kits WARM for 6-8-12 weeks. Here in coastal AL I can pack their hutches with hay for them to burrow into and cover their hutches with tarps to help keep the cold air out. And we very seldom have freezing temps but they DO get cold, even down here in Coastal AL. If it gets TOO COLD, I have trucker tarps I use to block off the cold wind. I only breed my rabbits in spring and fall and can normally breed a bit later in the fall as our COLD months are Jan/Feb. NEVER can I breed in the summer here with the super high humidity and temps pushing 100(F) for weeks on end. Rabbits can suffer heat exhaustion/strokes and hyperthermia just as we humans. Does generally do their feeding at night and can be off/on during the night so the kits could be exposed to extreme cold once the doe leaves them for a while. They aren’t like dogs/cats that lay with their babies 24/7 for them to nurse.Just trying to help you out a bit with some info as I am not sure how long you have been raising rabbits. I’ve been at it over 20+ yrs. I want you to be successful with your rabbits and not go thru the heartache of losing any of them for not knowing. Check out a YT channel called LIVING TRADITIONS and go to their playlist on RABBITS. They offer a LOT of great info on breeding, when to wean, how to sex the kits, and even a humane way to dispatch and process the meat.
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Update: We have does and bucks. Everyone but our original buck are silver fox purebreds. If someone is in the Kansas City area and is looking to get silver fox rabbits next year, feel free to reach out to me.
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Hi Ken,
I am new to SF, and I feel like a 5 year old with constant stream of questions. I have had rabbits before, but it’s different this time. Last time I had a standard rex doe who was demon possessed. Growling, biting,lunging with claws, cage defensive, the whole 9 yards.
So these silver fox are AMAZING. They came from a less than ideal situation, buck and doe housed together. She had lost 2-3 litters because no nest box was provided and they died on the wire. She had pulled fur and tried very hard, but the then-owner wasn’t knowledgeable and/or attentive, and they got to be a hassle. He got them last fall. No tattoos or papers, from KY. For all I know, they may be siblings.
I separated them ion arrival. I was told she had kits two weeks prior. She
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(continued) She kindled one week after I got her. She has been the best mama. Only 3 kits. The kicker is this last weekend it was down to 10 degrees. The nest box has a wire bottom lined with cardboard, brown Amazon packing paper, straw and mama fur. The sides are wood, with a mamaescape resting pad on the top. I have been using hand and toe warmers (air activated) that last for 8 hours behind a later of cardboard so they don’t get chewed on, tucked into the sides of the nest box. Everyone is still alive, I have a seed starting heat mat under the nest box and more cardboard and straw packed around the nest box as well.
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Today I picked up 2 cages, tomorrow 2 more. And saterday the first female, next week a female and male rabbits. All not related and German Giant, pictures come.
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May I ask why you chose the German Giant rabbits? The reason I’m asking is I was raising Flemish Giants until I learned a little more about them. They have a HUGE appetite and are constantly eating. They went thru twice as much pellets (if not more) than my New Zealands & Californians. I was under the assumption that they would produce 2-3 times more meat than the NZ’s & Cali’s and could be dispatched at a much younger age due to their size. When doing research on the breed, after I purchased them, I found out that yes, they get massive in size BUT their size is mostly BONE and no more meat than the standard breed of meat rabbits. So when I did the math and calculated the amount of pellets/Timothy Hay they consumed vs the amount of meat I would have in the end did not warrant the cost to raise these Giants. The Giants are generally raised for pets and not for meat production.
Here are pic’s of Flemish Giant Bucks. Pic #1-6 months old 12 lbs, Pic #2-6 months old 10 lbs, Pic #3 6 months old 10 lbs.
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Good question try to answer, newbie with meat rabbits. Your rabbits are good looking and thank you for sharing your experience.
Was reading a lot and they say the difference between the Flamisch and German giant is the bone meat ratio. They are built stronger but also have more meat, guessing we will see for ourselves and find out.
We have enough greens, how mutch feed we have to feed can not tell you yet. A trio siamesisch color German Giant rabbits to start and see, maybe in a couple years we change to other breeds.
Also have Jersey giant chickens, they need so much food that it is never economical but I love this breed so mutch! The poule de Bresse make up for that loss and also the Barbezieux like the Jersey but then the biggest chicken from Europe. They are huge but take 2 years to become fully grown, Barbezieux foraging a lot and need a lot less than Jersey who just foraging for fun and looking good most of there time.
But they all give us eggs, meat, joy, composting and gardening. And yes that costs with food and all, but we now what we prepare and eat.
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So now I know how you got your name. LOL!! I figured you love the Jersey Giant chickens. This spring I’m ordering the Bresse since they are an excellent meat chicken. I love all my chickens and sit with them in their coop almost every day and they love & actually know me as their “mom”, crazy for some people to comprehend the closeness you can develop with ALL your animals.
When I started raising chickens, I had to have every breed I thought was beautiful and at one time I had over 150! Ameracauna, Auracana, Buff Orpingtons-even have some (at the time considered rare Lavender & Chocolate Orpingtons. They were much larger than the Buff Orpingtons & the roo’s stood upwards of 3 ft tall and very majestic looking roo’s! I had bought a “straight run” of them from a local breeder and as you know with straight runs, you never know what you’re gonna get. Most were roo’s, so I sold my excess to people that had poults & needed roo’s for breeding. The biggest breed I had bought was Black Australorps. They were massive in size and were the size of turkeys! I also raise Naked Necks (Turkens). They are one of the strangest looking chickens having no feathers around their necks/chest area. Excellent layers and meat birds and always strike up conversations when people see them for the 1st time.
I had/have White/Silver Laced Wyandotte’s, Black Copper Marans, Olive Eggers, Easter Eggers, Delawares, Frizzles, Dominiques, Barred Rock, Rhode Island Reds, Black & Red Star, Welsummers, Sussex, Favorelles. and the list goes on & on! See some cute pic’s below of some of my chickens & the eggs I would collect EVERY DAY. So many different colors it was like easter egg hunting without having to dye them! LOL! Also, some pic’s of me in the coop with my Delaware chickens loving on mama. Caught one of them actually laying an egg and got a pic right when she laid it!As far as the German Giant rabbits, I say go for it. I loved mine and actually kept a male from a litter because I hand held him every day and he is my very docile GENTLE GIANT. I could breed him with a NZ or Cali and have Flemish Mixed, which is what a lot of people do.
The reason I got Flemish Giants without doing research 1st was that my Dr had one that was a pet. Her children grew up with it and it was kept inside but had an outside run (with a doggie door it could go out when it wanted). She told me it was the most loving, docile rabbit and huge. At one of my Dr appts with her she was very upset. She knew I had meat rabbits so she shared with me that a neigborhood dog broke into the Flemish outside run and killed Max (his name). Her children were very upset to lose it so I got the Flemish to breed & get her a replacement for Max. Unfortunately after I got into raising them, covid hit and she wouldn’t go along with the required protocols and moved. She joined a group of Dr’s out of state that didn’t go along with the CDC Protocols. I didn’t get to see her before she left and have no idea where she went. Anyway, if you know anything about rabbits, some can be very aggressive if they aren’t SOCIALIZED to human touch and can put up a good fight leaving your arms/hands a bloody mess. With the stories she told me about how loving her Flemish was, I decided to raise them. THEN I found out about their huge appetite, etc., and after my doe had one litter of 6 I knew I would go broke feeding them out so I sold all of them (but they had to take them ALL as the kits were just 4 weeks old and they were just starting to wean from the doe). See pic below of the 4 week old kits. They were huge but gorgeous!
I have 2 rabbit tractors now that I will begin using once I get everything set up so they can graze planted vegetation they love to eat. Clover is one and there are others. I also plant extra kale & collard greens that I can grow here year around so that helps with the cost of feed. I also feed them some of the fruit I grow when in season. And they LOVE LOVE LOVE sweet potato leaves/vines so they get most of mine (that I don’t save to eat myself).
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