B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
Put her in with the buck tommrow for 15 minutes, see if that stimulates her into labor....
Xerocles rabbit thread
- Thread starter Xerocles
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #142
Xerocles
Loving the herd life
Cuddles obviously was NOT preggers. I havent re-bred her OR Red yet. Standard chores and big push for garden infrastructure have left me a little short on getting some "should be done things" done.
But, I have some "newby" questions that I need some advice on.
Red's litter is due to be weaned on Monday. They are eating pellets with gusto for several days now. Plus hay. Plus some of the grass that I put on top of the nest box for Mom, which she spills onto the cage floor. I've read conflicting and confusing opinions about weaning and how to accomplish it. My plan is "cold turkey". Monday, all 7 go into the growout cage. Period. No "tapering off". Will this hurt Mom?
Next, they have gotten a little grass as I said. I would like to "tractor" them....at least to a limited extent. How long/ how much supplement of hand pulled grass before dumping them pell mell into an "all you can eat" buffet?
And, we all know baby bunnies are cute. But I am sooooo glad these are bound for freezer camp. They are NOT cute. Well, only marginally cute, but certainly not "I'll love you and cherish you always" cute. Blotched up black and white, indeterminate patterns, with some reddish brown undertones in a few places. Kinda like Jack Skellington would come up with if they did a "Nightmare Before Easter".
But, I have some "newby" questions that I need some advice on.
Red's litter is due to be weaned on Monday. They are eating pellets with gusto for several days now. Plus hay. Plus some of the grass that I put on top of the nest box for Mom, which she spills onto the cage floor. I've read conflicting and confusing opinions about weaning and how to accomplish it. My plan is "cold turkey". Monday, all 7 go into the growout cage. Period. No "tapering off". Will this hurt Mom?
Next, they have gotten a little grass as I said. I would like to "tractor" them....at least to a limited extent. How long/ how much supplement of hand pulled grass before dumping them pell mell into an "all you can eat" buffet?
And, we all know baby bunnies are cute. But I am sooooo glad these are bound for freezer camp. They are NOT cute. Well, only marginally cute, but certainly not "I'll love you and cherish you always" cute. Blotched up black and white, indeterminate patterns, with some reddish brown undertones in a few places. Kinda like Jack Skellington would come up with if they did a "Nightmare Before Easter".
thistlebloom
Herd Master
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Well we definitely need a picture of your "not cute" bunnies. Trust but verify you know.
animalmom
Herd Master
I wean in batches, and by that I mean I'll take two kits and put them in the grow out cage, wait a couple days and take two more and put in the grow out cage, and repeat until done.
Taking all the kits at one time will put your doe in a world of discomfort. Removing the kits over several days will allow her body to slow down and stop the milk making process.
Will she survive if you take them all at once, yes. Will she be happy, no.
Taking all the kits at one time will put your doe in a world of discomfort. Removing the kits over several days will allow her body to slow down and stop the milk making process.
Will she survive if you take them all at once, yes. Will she be happy, no.
- Thread starter
- #145
Xerocles
Loving the herd life
@thistlebloom here ya go. And remember, in the right setting, a good photographer can make even a poor model look good. And I chose the most photogenic one.
Can you say "Waiter, there's a hare in my stew?"
@animalmom. Suggestion taken. 2 moved today, 2 Monday, and 3 about Wednesday.
Can you say "Waiter, there's a hare in my stew?"
@animalmom. Suggestion taken. 2 moved today, 2 Monday, and 3 about Wednesday.
- Thread starter
- #146
Xerocles
Loving the herd life
Frustration. Not defeat. Just Frustration.
1st litter...Mom crushed. Second litter. (F is supposed to be purebred NZ, 9 mos old, M purebred Californian, 20 mos old). This litter, at 6 weeks, are only weighing abt 1 3/4 lbs. NEVER gonna see 5 lbs at 8 weeks. I've started GIVING the kits away. Oh, not exactly unlimited feed, but feeding (Manna Pro Pro 16%) (and I am still learning-they should have been on Grow @ 18%) 2-3 times a day, and they ALWAYS feel like their bellies are about to pop. Mom has been bed again....so definitely last chance time.
Other doe, Cruella/Cuddles. Didn't take her first breeding at my house, though she is supposedly a proven breeder. Put her in with the buck last week. Definitely not in the mood, but at least not trying to fight the buck. So, what the heck. They got an "overnight" experience. Either she kindles this time or she's history too.
Bargain rabbits. $45 for the trio. Live and learn. They have worked well as learning bunnies. Only 1 more month until my Champagnes are breeding age. At $40/ea. I am expecting great things from them.
1st litter...Mom crushed. Second litter. (F is supposed to be purebred NZ, 9 mos old, M purebred Californian, 20 mos old). This litter, at 6 weeks, are only weighing abt 1 3/4 lbs. NEVER gonna see 5 lbs at 8 weeks. I've started GIVING the kits away. Oh, not exactly unlimited feed, but feeding (Manna Pro Pro 16%) (and I am still learning-they should have been on Grow @ 18%) 2-3 times a day, and they ALWAYS feel like their bellies are about to pop. Mom has been bed again....so definitely last chance time.
Other doe, Cruella/Cuddles. Didn't take her first breeding at my house, though she is supposedly a proven breeder. Put her in with the buck last week. Definitely not in the mood, but at least not trying to fight the buck. So, what the heck. They got an "overnight" experience. Either she kindles this time or she's history too.
Bargain rabbits. $45 for the trio. Live and learn. They have worked well as learning bunnies. Only 1 more month until my Champagnes are breeding age. At $40/ea. I am expecting great things from them.
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
Don be in a rush to give up on them ...it took three kindles for one of our FG rabbits to get her stuff together, now she has twelve to fourteen kits per kindle...and none are even close to 5 lbs at 8 weeks.....
- Thread starter
- #148
Xerocles
Loving the herd life
Kits born last night/this morning. Honey. Sparse fur pulled. Temp@ 7:00, 55f. Kits scattered all over the box- cold to touch but still alive. Thank goodness no really cold temps. Put them in a pile & covered with fur and hay. 
.
Her last litter is almost 10 weeks. Still not close to a harvest weight. Since they're mutts, and not even attractive ones....they're probable give-always. If this next litter doesn't REALLY impress me with growout, Honey isn't long for the rabbitry. At least the Champagnes will be breeding age next month. I haven't weighed them lately...they're HUGE. maybe my meat program will finally get some kind of decent start. Oh well...only 5 months into this...and I've learned a lot. But I was sure hoping to be enjoying rabbit for dinner by now.
.Her last litter is almost 10 weeks. Still not close to a harvest weight. Since they're mutts, and not even attractive ones....they're probable give-always. If this next litter doesn't REALLY impress me with growout, Honey isn't long for the rabbitry. At least the Champagnes will be breeding age next month. I haven't weighed them lately...they're HUGE. maybe my meat program will finally get some kind of decent start. Oh well...only 5 months into this...and I've learned a lot. But I was sure hoping to be enjoying rabbit for dinner by now.
- Thread starter
- #149
Xerocles
Loving the herd life
Update. Most of this already went into an emergency help thread, but I like to keep this thread up to date for my future history lessons.
It's a little chilly today, low to mid 50's. Sparse fur, an extra layer of hay, thought they'd be ok. Had to go out of town. Back around 5. Kits cold to the touch and moving less than this morning. Into the bathroom with a space heater, the weakest three under my shirt on my belly in the recliner. Couple hours later, bathroom bunnies squirming like crazy. One in my shirt squirmy. Two Warm, but lifeless.
They're back in the nest box. Base of synthetic cotton, extra hay, every scrap of fur I could collect. Not ideal, but out of options.
Mom immediately went into nest box, but not long enough to nurse. At this point, que sera sera.
Mom is history. After weaning, or as soon as I have time if the kits don't make it.
It's a little chilly today, low to mid 50's. Sparse fur, an extra layer of hay, thought they'd be ok. Had to go out of town. Back around 5. Kits cold to the touch and moving less than this morning. Into the bathroom with a space heater, the weakest three under my shirt on my belly in the recliner. Couple hours later, bathroom bunnies squirming like crazy. One in my shirt squirmy. Two Warm, but lifeless.
They're back in the nest box. Base of synthetic cotton, extra hay, every scrap of fur I could collect. Not ideal, but out of options.
Mom immediately went into nest box, but not long enough to nurse. At this point, que sera sera.
Mom is history. After weaning, or as soon as I have time if the kits don't make it.
JHP Homestead
Loving the herd life
That momma rabbit sounds like she’s going to be delicious.
I’ve only had one first time doe lose her little and it was because I wrote the dates down wrong and she kindled a week earlier than I thought she was supposed to. Never had any issues with does not making a good enough nest to keep kits warm on a 50 degree day either, that’s pretty warm when you’re in a fur blanket. Anyways, just wanted to say that not all first time does are failures and there are lots of good momma rabbits out there. Hopefully your Champagnes will be on board with the program.
I’ve only had one first time doe lose her little and it was because I wrote the dates down wrong and she kindled a week earlier than I thought she was supposed to. Never had any issues with does not making a good enough nest to keep kits warm on a 50 degree day either, that’s pretty warm when you’re in a fur blanket. Anyways, just wanted to say that not all first time does are failures and there are lots of good momma rabbits out there. Hopefully your Champagnes will be on board with the program.
