Rebechenson75
Exploring the pasture
I am trying to decide if I want to have a colony set up or go with pens. I do not plan to have more than 3 does at a time.
Colony vs cage
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farmerjan
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Welcome to BYH.... I don't have rabbits so cannot help you in any way. Hope that some of the rabbit people on here can chime in.
Do you have any other livestock besides the rabbits you want to get? I love the coat on the Rex rabbits, but would be a wimp about killing any...
Do you have any other livestock besides the rabbits you want to get? I love the coat on the Rex rabbits, but would be a wimp about killing any...
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Rebechenson75
Exploring the pasture
Eventually we want a couple goats and maybe a hog. We only have .57 acre. We are going to use it to the best of our ability to feed ourselves a d allow for another source of income. We also have chickens. 8 pullets that are I months. A cockerel that's the same age. Then we have 10 sex links that are 1 month old pullets and 5 barnyard mixes we hatched out about 21 days ago. And now have 27 eggs in the incubators that are to be sold.
peteyfoozer
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I had a colony in the past but wasn’t happy with the results and several got cocci.
I keep mine in a big 4x8 hutch divided into 4 spaces now, and its been much easier to manage for me
I keep mine in a big 4x8 hutch divided into 4 spaces now, and its been much easier to manage for me
secuono
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Caged colony, sure.
On the ground, huge mess, missing kits, collapsed or flooded tunnels, escapes, rats, snakes, parasites, constant cleaning, extra cost in bedding bc of all the cleaning.
But I prefer cages. Just so much simpler.
On the ground, huge mess, missing kits, collapsed or flooded tunnels, escapes, rats, snakes, parasites, constant cleaning, extra cost in bedding bc of all the cleaning.
But I prefer cages. Just so much simpler.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
All that and harder to keep track of breeding, feeding, kits, and slaughter weights. Don't bother with a colony on the ground. Hanging cages are best. Make worm/manure pits underneath with 2x12's which will give you a good supply of organic fertilizer that can be applied straight to your vegetables and fruit trees. Minimal odor, and you can add fine shavings over the top for the worms to turn into beautiful compost.
Go with a meat breed. DH started with New Zealand Whites and had some of the best, but I prefer Californians. They are calmer, does are about 1 lb. smaller to handle, and the kits finish to slaughter size at 5 lbs. at 8 weeks. They can take deep cold, but heat is hard on them. Avoid a western exposure, eastern exposure is ok. Make sure they are protected from dog attacks. 3 does and a buck should be a good number for production. A doe will give you about 6-8 5 lb. fryers every 3 months. If yoi have liughts for winter yoi can breed all year rund. Just schedule your breedings to avoid high heat. Adut bucks go sterile during high heat in the summer. Either keep a young buck for summer breeding, or breed before and after the main heat of summer.
Good luck!
