Aggressive doe?

Fishychix

Loving the herd life
Joined
Dec 6, 2020
Messages
192
Reaction score
300
Points
153
Location
NE Ohio
Back to back litters, though, can be tough on a doe after a few litters. We let ours have their litter and then wean them at around four weeks with another month of rest after before rebreeding. That gives the doe recuperation time, especially if she was feeding a large litter and lost weight and condition. However, ours are a wool breed (angora) so we keep the same rabbits for years and years. Also, they don't get too moody between litters which for your doe is the current problem. Since she didn't feed a litter and it's already been a few weeks, rebreed her and see if she settles down.
we did manage it finally on Saturday. She was NOT having it so we tried again after dark and with lettuce 🤣🤣🤣
We had two fall offs. Yay! Poor Spyro! He was SO patient with her :lol::lol:
We bred our other doe too, so 🤞🤞🤞
 

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
7,325
Reaction score
25,535
Points
743
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
If you are doing an intensive breeding program like I was you need to increase your pellet to an 18% protein. Then there is no problem with condition loss. I forgot to add that we also used a grain mix that we made ourselves and fed 2 ounces in the am to each rabbit. We bought the ingredients in 50 lb. bags, used an old cement mixer to mix it, and stored it in 50 gallon metal barrels.

Here is the nursing doe & litter formula:

50 lbs. Rolled oats (to avoid the regular oats falling through the screen bottoms in the feeders)
50 lbs. Barley
20 lbs. Calf Manna
25 lbs. Sunflower seeds

For growers, bucks, and show stock:

50 lbs. Rolled oats
25 lbs. Barley
25 lbs. Sunflower seeds

Occasionally we would toss in about 10 lbs. of goat feed per recipe. Not much because of the molasses content, but it would help to control the fines.

FYI: If we ever had rabbits with the runs, I would pull all grain, cut the pellets in half and give them a crock of plain wood shavings for fiber. It cleared up the runs. Chopped straw would do the same thing probably. I also used to toss a square block of 2x4" scrap pine into the cages for them to chew on. This was particularly good for the bucks that got bored, occasionally I would screw a small screweye into a piece and hang it from the roof of the cage with a chain for the bucks to play with. Even in a large meat operation I occasionally gave a treat. LOL The does were busy raising litters, but grower replacement stock would also get a chunk to chew and toss around their cage. As well I used to cut and give them a 9" x 14" piece of gypsum wallboard to sit on. That is meat rabbit size - you can adjust for small breeds in smaller cages. If it got too messy with urine or poop stains I turned it over. When they had chewed that too small, I replaced it with another. WARNING: DO NOT USE GREEN OR PURPLE TREATED drywall board. The treatment chemical is toxic. You can often get scraps or broken drywall sheets for free or a couple dollars. Use a utility knife to score one side, bend on the cut, and it will break evenly. Then take that long piece and score it into the smaller pieces, breaking each off as you go. Super fast and easy. I used to cut the entire piece u and store the cut portions in a box easy to replace in each cage when needed.
 

Fishychix

Loving the herd life
Joined
Dec 6, 2020
Messages
192
Reaction score
300
Points
153
Location
NE Ohio
Did he make any noise when he fell off? We had one who would yodel, strangest bun, ever. Then he'd lay there stunned for a bit, then get up and stomp around letting everyone know "he's the Bun! He's the Bun!" while the doe would just roll her eyes.
Nothing noticeable, maybe a small grunt. Definitely no yodeling :lol:
 

Fishychix

Loving the herd life
Joined
Dec 6, 2020
Messages
192
Reaction score
300
Points
153
Location
NE Ohio
If you are doing an intensive breeding program like I was you need to increase your pellet to an 18% protein. Then there is no problem with condition loss. I forgot to add that we also used a grain mix that we made ourselves and fed 2 ounces in the am to each rabbit. We bought the ingredients in 50 lb. bags, used an old cement mixer to mix it, and stored it in 50 gallon metal barrels.

Here is the nursing doe & litter formula:

50 lbs. Rolled oats (to avoid the regular oats falling through the screen bottoms in the feeders)
50 lbs. Barley
20 lbs. Calf Manna
25 lbs. Sunflower seeds

For growers, bucks, and show stock:

50 lbs. Rolled oats
25 lbs. Barley
25 lbs. Sunflower seeds

Occasionally we would toss in about 10 lbs. of goat feed per recipe. Not much because of the molasses content, but it would help to control the fines.

FYI: If we ever had rabbits with the runs, I would pull all grain, cut the pellets in half and give them a crock of plain wood shavings for fiber. It cleared up the runs. Chopped straw would do the same thing probably. I also used to toss a square block of 2x4" scrap pine into the cages for them to chew on. This was particularly good for the bucks that got bored, occasionally I would screw a small screweye into a piece and hang it from the roof of the cage with a chain for the bucks to play with. Even in a large meat operation I occasionally gave a treat. LOL The does were busy raising litters, but grower replacement stock would also get a chunk to chew and toss around their cage. As well I used to cut and give them a 9" x 14" piece of gypsum wallboard to sit on. That is meat rabbit size - you can adjust for small breeds in smaller cages. If it got too messy with urine or poop stains I turned it over. When they had chewed that too small, I replaced it with another. WARNING: DO NOT USE GREEN OR PURPLE TREATED drywall board. The treatment chemical is toxic. You can often get scraps or broken drywall sheets for free or a couple dollars. Use a utility knife to score one side, bend on the cut, and it will break evenly. Then take that long piece and score it into the smaller pieces, breaking each off as you go. Super fast and easy. I used to cut the entire piece u and store the cut portions in a box easy to replace in each cage when needed.
Never thought of drywall at all.
Right now, I’m just doing a couple of litters and keeping things small. I dont have a space that I can setup for anything bigger. I cant really do my own feed and there arent any feed mills around here unless you count the Purina plant :lol:
I will keep all this in mind though, so thank you 😻
 

Latest posts

Top