new here

[talchemist5]

ok i just wanted to say hi to everyone.

i just got my initial stock 1 week ago, a trio of new zealand reds from a local show/meat breeder. i will try and post some pics this weekend.

the first question i have is about how long on average till they get adapted to their new home and me. they seem to have accepted me walking and talking to them, but go to the cage and open and they can be a little fidgetty. the youngest doe seems good until i touch her but then relaxes as i pet her, the buck is a litle elusive till i get to pet him and her relaxes, the older doe she just hides in the corner as soon as i reach in, now once i let her stop and slowly reach her she will relax while i pet her, but she seems to forget the next time.

second, how long should i wait to place them with the buck? do they realy need to be fully accepting of me or will they be ok as long as i leave them be, they love me at feed time it seems.

final question i have read about using a light to keep 14hr days, should i bother? i have all the parts waiting around except i need a water proof box/gfi to connect it with a timer? (i got extra flourescent strips from doing growth lights for seedlings)

ok thanks for your time and attention, i have to say sopmetimes just sitting and watching them is fun.

oh sorry to ramble but one more quick question, my dog is a good girl and doesnt bother them but she wines when i feed/treat them, and her wining upsets them. is there a way to keep her from wining so much? she is excited since she seems to know they are meat and she eats meat

 

[Rebbetzin]

I really don't know anything about rabbits. Except I think they are cute. I would imagine it is best to keep the dog away from the rabbits. The rabbits probably don't feel real safe with a preditor just outside the cage.

I know once people start to post on this thread, you will find they are nice and have lots of good information for you.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

Welcome!!!

 

[talchemist5]

they are in a fully enclosed shed, the bottom half is a compost bin/worm bin and they have privacy lathe all around, for winter it has tarps that roll up on strings and there is no way for the dog to even get close, and she is afraid to approach the shed.

she just wimpers at them. when she is ignoring them and running aroudn they ignore her, the breeder had a dog/cats and they seem to not care.....it is that she wines and that bothers them...barking they dont even flinch oddly.

 

[tortoise]

It will depend on the temperament of your rabbits. I buy stock from another breeder with excellent temperament rabbits. No stress, no problems. Totally fine with the dogs running around, calm around my 3 yr old son who forgets he can't yell in the rabbits shed.

I got a rabbit from another breeder and he stresses out all the time - not breeding it into my herd!!

I don't have lights on my rabbits, but I have a BIG window on the south side of the shed.

RE: your dog:

I highly doubt your dog has any idea that rabbits = meat. (Unless your dog hunts for and eats rabbit) I got started raising rabbits for meat for my dogs. They don't make any connection between the live version and the meat. I know people that raise chickens for dog food. Dogs are totally oblivious that live chicken = chicken in their food dish.

Dogs can't think that way unless they have hunted rabbit.

 

[dbunni]

It will depend on the temperament of your rabbits.
RE: your dog:

I highly doubt your dog has any idea that rabbits = meat. (Unless your dog hunts for and eats rabbit) I got started raising rabbits for meat for my dogs. They don't make any connection between the live version and the meat. I know people that raise chickens for dog food. Dogs are totally oblivious that live chicken = chicken in their food dish.

Dogs can't think that way unless they have hunted rabbit.

This is where you and I will disagree. Sporting dogs/hunting dogs with a good instinct will connect the two together. I'm a second generation handler, raised within the sporting industry (hunted/raised Weims to spaniels show, obediece, performance and field) ... there is not one on my property that would not take on the animals if allowed. As a youth I was witness to several instances where a dog took out and consumed a rabbit/bird. Animals can be removed through wire... just ask the weim who got out in the middle of the night and pulled, yes pulled, a full grown coated angora through a cage. Not in the field. They were aware of the consequences of that ... when we work we work, but when we are at rest ... ohlala! While I have all of the above on the propery, I would not chance nature and a good instinct. yes, the weims do run close to the animals ... right outside their area actually. And my buns are use to the dogs, cats, goats, etc. We can train dogs, but we cannot train out instinct if it is truly there. Dogs are logical. Don't be fooled by them! Anybody who has shown a dog in any event knows this .. show, obedience, field ... etc. Oh the book I could write on dogs and their logic! Anybody who has handed off a top show dog, awsomely trained, to watch it take advantage of the new handler has witnessed that event! But this is just my opinion.

Don't worry about the sounds your dog makes, the buns will get use to the sound. And if the buns are new, your dog may be more interested in the fact that you are paying attention to them, then them. Also ... i'm sure they look like a great toy! In time both will adjust. Give the dog a new toy while out there to distract. Good luck with the kiddos.

 

[tortoise]

It will depend on the temperament of your rabbits.
RE: your dog:

I highly doubt your dog has any idea that rabbits = meat. (Unless your dog hunts for and eats rabbit) I got started raising rabbits for meat for my dogs. They don't make any connection between the live version and the meat. I know people that raise chickens for dog food. Dogs are totally oblivious that live chicken = chicken in their food dish.

Dogs can't think that way unless they have hunted rabbit.

This is where you and I will disagree. Sporting dogs/hunting dogs with a good instinct will connect the two together. I'm a second generation handler, raised within the sporting industry (hunted/raised Weims to spaniels show, obediece, performance and field) ... there is not one on my property that would not take on the animals if allowed. As a youth I was witness to several instances where a dog took out and consumed a rabbit/bird. Animals can be removed through wire... just ask the weim who got out in the middle of the night and pulled, yes pulled, a full grown coated angora through a cage. Not in the field. They were aware of the consequences of that ... when we work we work, but when we are at rest ... ohlala! While I have all of the above on the propery, I would not chance nature and a good instinct. yes, the weims do run close to the animals ... right outside their area actually. And my buns are use to the dogs, cats, goats, etc. We can train dogs, but we cannot train out instinct if it is truly there. Dogs are logical. Don't be fooled by them! Anybody who has shown a dog in any event knows this .. show, obedience, field ... etc. Oh the book I could write on dogs and their logic! Anybody who has handed off a top show dog, awsomely trained, to watch it take advantage of the new handler has witnessed that event! But this is just my opinion.

Professional dog trainer here. A dog will react to scent, sight, sound, or movement of a prey animal. Unless a dog has hunted before it is unlikely to react to sight. If a dog has hunted or has very strong hunting instinct it will likely respond to scent. A terrier will respond to sound.

However, most dogs will respond to movement. If the rabbit startles, the dog is on the chase. Once on the chase the prey drive takes over and that rabbit will soon be dead rabbit.

Once an individual dog has had that experience, it will connect rabbit=food. In addition, dogs learn from each other. All you need is one rabbit eater and that behavior will be passed on.

I have more experience with terriers. My last terrier would totally ignore a pet rat or a rabbit. Unless it squeaked. Then it was as good as dead.

Right now I have a Golden Retriever and a Choc Lab, both from hunting lines. My lab is out of Barracuda Blue - I really mean it when I say hunting lines. I've had rabbits get loose. They are super tame so they hop around a little bit before I catch them. This happens with the dogs loose outside. But if that rabbit spooks and runs, I'm not sure which dog would catch/eat it first.

And I totally agree that instinct/drive cannot be trained out of a dog, although it can be managed - usually only under direct human supervision.

 

[cattlecait]

Welcome! Congrats on the rabbits, New Zealand Reds are gorgeous!

It shouldn't take them long to get accumulated to their cages and you, maybe a couple of days max. If you want them to be friendly then at the least give them pats and rubs when you feed them, or full out snuggle them every day, whatever time allows. It all depends on the rabbit, New Zealands aren't known to be the most snuggly of breeds.

They really won't need to be accepting of you to breed. Just remember to put HER in HIS cage, not the other way around. I recommend Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits, mine has been passed around the 4-H club dozens of times and is all marked up and highlighted all over like a used college textbook.

If you have the equipment, go ahead and do the lighting. I've never done it, but know people who have and it works great for them. If the set-up doesn't work great for you, I wouldn't bother with it. Just my opinion.

 

[dbunni]

I have had an 8 week old puppy point and hunt ... looking for the bird. No movement in the area, just a bird feeder 10' above... We start pups in a yard with no animals to see if they have the real drive/instinct. it is not something you can train into them. it can be controlled. Sporting dogs & hounds are my game. Although dad has had terriers all my life. Our weim line has been titled in both field and show for 50 years. It is kinda cool watching the kids practice their skills looking for the bird that is chirping high above in a feeder!

 

[Bunnylady]

Your rabbits will eventually get used to the dog, though they instinctively know that she is a predator. As to settling in? Your rabbits may learn to accept you, but they may or may not be friendly toward you. Some rabbits are very handler-oriented, others may prefer to be left alone. I have some rabbits that simply must be petted every time I open their cages, and others that run to the back. They may have had the exact same handling, but some just aren't cuddly bunnies. Whether yours come around or not, I think it's a good idea to wait at least a couple of weeks before trying to breed them. Consider it a "quarantine" period. If they should come down with anything nasty, it's easier to treat an open doe than a pregnant one.

Good luck, and