Breeding questions

Oh ya, the main structure will be a kit that is a walk in fence structure that can be used for chickens or rabbits (wed still run small square fencing along the sides so far up cuz of raccoon arms) and it has a metal fence top as part of it... so no worries about hawks or raccoons climbing in.
 
Inbreeding is how all breeds come to be. So long as there is NO lethal or unwanted characteristic one can breed with minimal (if a very recessive gene in both the male and female happen to show up in one or more individuals) to no bad issues. Just cull those. The inbred laboratory animals are bred in this method for hundreds of generations to produce virtual clones. Some of the advise that is given is fine while other advise is personal predjudices and percentions.
 
Letting your rabbits have the winter off is very much dependent on where you are geographically. As I am in Texas, which is rather warm during the late spring through early fall, my breeding time is limited to late fall, winter and early spring.

Bucks go temporarily sterile in high temperatures. Please keep that in mind. If your hot temperatures are 85 and above your boys are shooting blanks until the weather cools down AND stays cool. Rabbits are remarkable well suited for cold weather especially if you keep cold wind off of them.

Another thought that I don't think came up in this discussion is I think I read that you are wanting to leave a buck in a colony full time. I don't think this is a good idea as the does may not want the buck pestering the does whenever he gets the notion. I don't have a colony set up so I may be speaking through my hat, but that is what I have read from several sources. I do know that bucks will try to breed even when the doe is not in the mood.
 
animalmom said:
Letting your rabbits have the winter off is very much dependent on where you are geographically. As I am in Texas, which is rather warm during the late spring through early fall, my breeding time is limited to late fall, winter and early spring.

Bucks go temporarily sterile in high temperatures. Please keep that in mind. If your hot temperatures are 85 and above your boys are shooting blanks until the weather cools down AND stays cool. Rabbits are remarkable well suited for cold weather especially if you keep cold wind off of them.

Another thought that I don't think came up in this discussion is I think I read that you are wanting to leave a buck in a colony full time. I don't think this is a good idea as the does may not want the buck pestering the does whenever he gets the notion. I don't have a colony set up so I may be speaking through my hat, but that is what I have read from several sources. I do know that bucks will try to breed even when the doe is not in the mood.
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Im in ohio, so sometimes our winters are in the - digits thats what I was really worried about if it would increase the chances of kits freezing to death. Summertimes vary here with temps, this past year 90s... I call ohio the pms state when it comes to weather lol

with the setup, no buck 100% of the time. It would be a female colony with controlled breeding (so we can rotate the two bucks in a breeding rotation). The bucks would have their own ground hutches that they are locked up in, until it's time for breeding and we bring the females to them (one at a time). So grass etc for them would be brought to them as they would never be "free ranged" unless we closed up the females in the evening in their hutches to let the bucks stretch their legs (prob one at a time so there isn't any fighting by letting them both out), then put back in their hutches.
 
After reading up and doing a lot of research. I think we may go with hutches, because i found a good deal on a double decker hutch kits. Then during the summertime around the end where our gardens will be put them in their own rabbit runs (treat it like a rabbit tractor) so they can forage a bit during the day, but only when we are outside too.

So for those using hutches. I know most probably use the square wire ones. The double decker kits I found have the den area and then an "exercise area"... the pans have a nice rabbit friendly coating on them (they are like drawers) where you don't have to use the wire bottom that goes on top of it. I was reading where wire bottoms aren't always the best for rabbits (thats all we used for my minilops as a kid). I was thinking of just leaving the wire off and taking the time to litter train the rabbits.

I was thinking that it may be healthier for them this way any residue that would be left on the wires wouldn't be on their feet and easier to have a preventative for possible diseases that is pass through their poop. You can correct me if my thinking is wrong or isn't any better then doing a wire flooring lol.
 
minibackyardfarmer said:
After reading up and doing a lot of research. I think we may go with hutches, because i found a good deal on a double decker hutch kits. Then during the summertime around the end where our gardens will be put them in their own rabbit runs (treat it like a rabbit tractor) so they can forage a bit during the day, but only when we are outside too.

So for those using hutches. I know most probably use the square wire ones. The double decker kits I found have the den area and then an "exercise area"... the pans have a nice rabbit friendly coating on them (they are like drawers) where you don't have to use the wire bottom that goes on top of it. I was reading where wire bottoms aren't always the best for rabbits (thats all we used for my minilops as a kid). I was thinking of just leaving the wire off and taking the time to litter train the rabbits.

I was thinking that it may be healthier for them this way any residue that would be left on the wires wouldn't be on their feet and easier to have a preventative for possible diseases that is pass through their poop. You can correct me if my thinking is wrong or isn't any better then doing a wire flooring lol.
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I would reconsider the above with more research that is not by wanna be experts !
 
Bossroo said:
I would reconsider the above with more research that is not by wanna be experts !
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you don't think that these "experts" don't survey the "wanna be experts" to use that as part of their study lol....

thanks for your opinion... but I wasn't seeking expert information just some first hand experience by others and opinions thats it... I can get expert opinions just fine from "expert" resources and depending on which ones you consult they contradict each other lol

Again beyond the point of the post here... Hopefully you go across all the forum posts and make that expert comment cuz many people are looking for opinions of their peers in this forum. :duc
 
Wire does not hurt the rabbit's feet, unless the rabbits have or are prone to sore hocks(wire does not cause the sore hocks- damp flooring does). I have had rabbits for years, all in cages with wire flooring, and no problems yet. Litterbox training would be a waste of your time.
 
DutchBunny03 said:
Wire does not hurt the rabbit's feet, unless the rabbits have or are prone to sore hocks(wire does not cause the sore hocks- damp flooring does). I have had rabbits for years, all in cages with wire flooring, and no problems yet. Litterbox training would be a waste of your time.
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Okay just wasn't sure... again same info gotten from the same person who scolded me when i talked about giving the rabbits corn once a week or so during the wintertime for some extra supplements (whole corn)

Like i said when i was younger my minilops were always wire cages and i never remembered issues.

Do you do like some others where you put a piece of wood or something on a spot so if they want to get off the wire they can?
 
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