# What I need to get started???



## TylerWaugh (Sep 13, 2014)

I want to get 1 buck and 2 does as a hobby and for meat purposes.

What do I need i know the basics like tractor/hutch, water bottles, nest boxes etc but what else will i need? I want to take up as little amount of room as possible while still giving the rabbits more than enough rooms.

Also is it fine to keep the females together until one is pregnant? 

I'm probably going to have alot of questions.


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## SA Farm (Sep 13, 2014)

If you're going to have 3 breeders, ideally you'll want 4 cages (or whatever you decide to use) with the extra one for grow-outs. If you have room, another for separating boys and girls can come in handy - also handy for quarantine or medical emergencies.

If you get sisters or a mother/daughter pair, it's often just fine to leave them together - usually until about 6 months of age when puberty hits as that's typically when territorial issues start to crop up. Some are just fine longer, some will fight earlier, so it's best to be prepared to separate them at any point.

I've even had unrelated young does together for decent lengths of time without fighting, but it depends on the temperaments of the rabbits. Even if I just see one doe mounting the other, I'll separate as fighting can be the next step.

Questions are good, ask away!


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## JakeM (Sep 13, 2014)

Okay, first off a trio is perfect for starting off.

Next, which breed are you looking at. For any meat breed, you'll need a cage at least 18 inches in width, 12 inches in height, and 24 inches in length. You may want larger if you know you'll have large litters (8+ kits).

Water bottles are just fine, but you'll probably need to switch to dishes if they freeze up. As for feed, I know some people free feed all their rabbits, but that doesn't work for me personally, as they get overly fat and then they can't get pregnant. They'll need at least a half cup though. Weaklings can get full feed though.

Nest boxes, you want snug, but not tight. I believe one that is 8 inches wide, 10 inches deep and 10 inches tall would work unless your rabbit get over 10-11 pounds.

I have all of mine in wire cages in a barn, but I also only have show/per rabbits so this may not be ideal for you. You may have more of a hutch, solid floor inside, wire outside. Also, if it always storms or you have cold winters, inside a building would be best. 

Do NOT keep the does together. They are territorial and it's not a good idea unless they grew up together their whole lives or are spayed.

What breed do you have by the way?


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## TylerWaugh (Sep 13, 2014)

I don't have any rabbits yet, I think I'm just gonna get 3 different breeds. Right now I'm thinking a chinchilla, new Zealand and a Californian. Unless you guys have other ideas for me?


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## TylerWaugh (Sep 14, 2014)

I have changed my mind, I think I'm gonna get a buck Californian and 2 doe new Zealands.

Is there any difference in the new Zealand whites and reds or just colour?


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## SA Farm (Sep 14, 2014)

Good combination to get grow-out vigor  White's tend to be a bit bigger, but that's the only difference as far as I know or can tell with mine. I'm not sure you'd get reds from a Californian buck though since red is recessive. The buck would have to be carrying it to produce more reds.


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## TylerWaugh (Sep 14, 2014)

What's grow-out vigor? 

Also I don't really care about the colour of the babies because they would be food. 

I just like the reds so i would like to have 1 Red and one white doe or two red does.

Do rabbits stop breeding at a certain age?


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## SA Farm (Sep 14, 2014)

Typically with the NZ/Cali, in the first generation cross, the kits grow faster than the pures of either breed 
Quitting age varies - some people say they're done by 3 years. We retire ours as soon as their litters start getting really small and they start losing multiple kits per litter. We take it really easy on our does comparatively, so they tend to produce longer than the average.
I think bucks go from 5-7 years before they start becoming less productive. My oldest buck is 4 and still going strong


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## JakeM (Sep 14, 2014)

I only breed my does once a year (twice if the first litter didn't make it) and that allows them to have a comparatively longer reproductive life. The oldest I have bred a doe is 5 or 6 and she had 6 babies, all survived. (Btw, I raise Havanas, a medium sized breed and 6 is the largest I've gotten from them). I haven't bred any doe older than that as her offspring have more than replaced her by then and she's just there as a pet for me. For bucks, I sadly haven't had one live past 5 so far so I can't help you there.

I think it really depends on how often you breed them and what lines you get them from. The longer the break the longer the doe will have to recover (and recondition) which could lead to bigger/better/more babies. I wouldn't use a doe past 6 years as I (personally) would expect something to go wrong (most likely dystocia).


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## TylerWaugh (Sep 14, 2014)

Okay, thanks for all the info guys. 

I've heard that rabbits are fine in the winter without heating but in the summer problems could occur because they don't like heat. What do you guys do to keep them cool?


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## JakeM (Sep 14, 2014)

Well, the barn mine are in cools down due to the concrete floor and open windows. Also, I have a small industrial fan that I turn on. Before it was just to dry the moisture up on the super humid days, but it really cooled the place down so it stayed. Also, freeze water-filled water bottles and put them in with the rabbits when it starts to get too warm out. They will lay against it keeping them cool. Shade is a big one too.

As for winter, they do better in it, but I've had issues with keeping them warm before (here in Minnesota at least), so I found that using clementine boxes work wonders. It somehow traps heat in them and keeps the rabbit off the wire. If it turn too terrible (-30, a blizzard is coming or worse) I move them into our heated garage where they sit until mid February.


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## SA Farm (Sep 14, 2014)

JakeM said:


> Well, the barn mine are in cools down due to the concrete floor and open windows. Also, I have a small industrial fan that I turn on. Before it was just to dry the moisture up on the super humid days, but it really cooled the place down so it stayed. Also, freeze water-filled water bottles and put them in with the rabbits when it starts to get too warm out. They will lay against it keeping them cool. Shade is a big one too.
> 
> As for winter, they do better in it, but I've had issues with keeping them warm before (here in Minnesota at least), so I found that using clementine boxes work wonders. It somehow traps heat in them and keeps the rabbit off the wire. If it turn too terrible (-30, a blizzard is coming or worse) I move them into our heated garage where they sit until mid February.



x2 Frozen water bottles (or pvc pipe to prevent chewing) works great in summer, we have insulated hutches for winter here.


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## TylerWaugh (Sep 14, 2014)

What do you do to keep water from freezing in winter?


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## SA Farm (Sep 15, 2014)

A friend of mine has heated water bottles. I just use crocks (hard plastic) for water in the winter and fill twice a day.


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## JakeM (Sep 15, 2014)

I use crocks as well, and PVC pipe lids work wonders. I've used them for years and since they are virtually indestructible (broke my first one last year and got super sad as it was a big lid) you can smack them until they are free of ice. I wish I could just have the bunnies in a temperature controlled building.


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## Citylife (Sep 28, 2014)

Heat is a rabbit killer Tyler.  Anything over 85 degrees can cause issues.  I am in Kansas City and I have my rabbits in hanging cages in an insulated building.  For the really hot days I have a small a/c unit in there.  I have never needed to use any kind of heat source.  I have friends in Indiana who have had to pack straw around outside hutches in blizzards and that makes sense.  The need to be protected from drafts in the winter.  I do have a couple quarantine hutches outside and I will give them frozen 2 liter bottles a couple times a day if need be.  Give them cold water at least morning and night.  Warm water in the winter at least morning and night.  They do learn when to drink. 
I raise two rare breed Meat rabbits and breed all year round.  My Does are in 36"x36" cages and have room.  They stay nice and fit and are not over fed.  Over feeding will slow them down from getting back into condition.  I have some rabbits that are bred back when their litters are 4 weeks old!  Those are a Texas A&M line that are bred for heavy production and have been for the last 20 some years.  Just remember, a fat rabbit is an unproductive rabbit.  "Storey's Guide to raising meat rabbits"  is a nice rabbit bible to have on hand. 
Good luck with your rabbit raising!


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