# The Rabbits are Here!



## Crazybirdlady2 (May 26, 2017)

My does are here! Received 4 gorgeous does from a wonderful older gentleman. They are all different; a American Blue, a Californian, a Black Flemish Giant and a English Spot. Now to find "Mr. Right."  The man's buck was killed by his own dog, and he decided it was time to get out of the business. Does anyone (or everyone) have an opinion on a good buck? My father, when living, always seemed to prefer the New Zealand.


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## Latestarter (May 26, 2017)

Congrats! I'll leave the recommendations to the Rabbitteers... I have no clue.


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## Hens and Roos (May 26, 2017)

Depends on what your goal is- pet or meat.  Whatever you chose for a buck make sure he isn't bigger then your smallest doe so not to cause possible birth problems(ie kits to big to pass through)


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## Hopalong Causually (May 27, 2017)

I sure don't profess to be any kind of authority or know your intentions but, if it were me, I would consider getting a buck of one of the breeds you already have, other than the Flemish Giant.  That way, you could use him for stud for all the does and still have the option of raising some that weren't crosses with the doe of the same breed.  It always pays to keep your options open.


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## Crazybirdlady2 (May 31, 2017)

Definitely meat for us. If someone wants a pet, that's great. But ours will go to freezer camp.


Hens and Roos said:


> Depends on what your goal is- pet or meat.  Whatever you chose for a buck make sure he isn't bigger then your smallest doe so not to cause possible birth problems(ie kits to big to pass through)


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## Hens and Roos (May 31, 2017)

we raise Californian and they are a nice sized rabbit. It looks like the English spot would be the smallest of your breeds- senior doe averaging 7 lbs.

keep us updated as to what you decide to get for a buck and post some pictures of your buck when you get him!


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## Crazybirdlady2 (May 31, 2017)

Thank you for the advice. Clover (the ES) is right at the weight you mentioned. The Californian doe I have is heavier and the other two are heavier yet. 
I will post pics asap. When I haven't been working, it's been raining.
Finding a service age buck is proving to be difficult. Lots around of fryer age and size. How young can one be to be useful?


Hens and Roos said:


> we raise Californian and they are a nice sized rabbit. It looks like the English spot would be the smallest of your breeds- senior doe averaging 7 lbs.
> 
> keep us updated as to what you decide to get for a buck and post some pictures of your buck when you get him!


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## Hens and Roos (May 31, 2017)

we separate the bucks out of our litters around 9-10 weeks of age to prevent opps litters.  Some say the bucks can be used as soon as they are ready- 5-6 months might be a good age .  You can always get a young buck and go from there if you cant find an older one.


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## Crazybirdlady2 (Jun 8, 2017)

I found a buck... friend found him and picked him up. Marked mostly like a Dutch, goes about 5#. Has one brown eye and one blue eye. Wouldn't have been my first choice, but then I read several threads about them making a good meat cross. Bred him yesterday.. he knew what to do


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## Bunnylady (Jun 9, 2017)

The blue eye is the giveaway - that buck most likely isn't Dutch. The gene that creates the color known as the Blue-eyed White is called the Vienna gene. Two copies of the Vienna gene creates a white rabbit with bright blue eyes,  while one usually gives you a colored rabbit with white markings, which may or may not have blue eyes (known as Vienna Marked). Sometimes VM rabbits have just little bits of white on their faces or feet, but often they have markings very similar to those of a Dutch rabbit. 

Quite a few small breeds can come in BEW; a 5 lb. VM rabbit could be just about anything. But, a lot of smaller breeds are compact in type, so they are pretty meaty for their size.


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## Crazybirdlady2 (Jun 9, 2017)

That is good information. I don't have any experience with the smaller rabbits, or breeding for certain colors. I do realize that he is not considered a dwarf. The only thing my husband and I have ever had previous is meat-type rabbits. And though there are many meat rabbits around where I live, no one had a 6 month old or better buck that they wanted to part with.  I could get a 10 week old, but I just didn't want my does to sit and eat all summer. But he is a charmer, easy to handle and very gentle with the girls. We bred him Wednesday and today, with two does. So now we wait.


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