- Thread starter
- #31
Xerocles
Loving the herd life
Kinda like dogs? Trim, and the "quick" will receed gradually?
Xerocles rabbit thread
- Thread starter Xerocles
- Start date
promiseacres
Herd Master
Exactly
- Thread starter
- #33
Xerocles
Loving the herd life
YOUNG LOVE!
Quick recap. Bunnies came home Sunday afternoon. Buck went to a temp cage.
Monday morning I put the spreader bar on the buck cage. And moved him to his permanent home. Which just happened to be right next door to the 6 mo old NZred. Now this is the same doe that the breeder said refused to breed the day before.
I was ASTONISHED! It was like the high school cheerleader and the star quarterback! Very quickly she approached the wire and sniffed noses. Then it was ON. The brazen little hussy! They would sniff noses for a few minutes, then she'd RUN (she had never been able to run in her old cage)full speed in a full circle around her cage, two laps. Then back to the buck, turn her backside to him and twitch her cottontail. The buck, being older and experienced, was glued to the wire, sniffing at every oppoortunity. They used the rest of the day in the same fashion. Sniff,run,offer. With a little time out raising as high in the cage as possible to explore for a way to get through. I had some good laughs at her running episodes.
Now, I still don't buy into that breeding through the wire stuff, but if its possible, those two got it on Monday night. Anyhow, this made me break my vow of no intervention for a week. Tuesday morning they were still acting like a couple of love struck bunnies, practically joined at the wire. So.... I retrieved the doe from her cage and introduced her to the buck cage. 4 falloffs in about 20 minutes. Well, in all honesty in his case it was more like 4 roll offs. But completions in any case.
Now let me defend myself upfront, because I can already hear the chides coming in. Yes, I am aware that I just set my doe up to deliver in the coldest month of the year. I put a great deal of thought into this, based on the information I have. First, she is turning 6 months old. True or not, info I have read indicates a doe should be bred at six months, and delays will lead to smaller litters subsequently throughout life. If I waited until Feb, (a much saner month for breeding) she would be 8 months. Also, first time mamas also often have problems with the first litter anyway. And lose some or all the kits. So, a double whammy. First timer in the coldest month. But if it goes bad for Any reason, she's got that "new mama" thing off her. If I waited til Feb, and she lost the litter to "new mama oops", I'm waiting until April or May for a reasonable surviving litter. Now, cold hearted maybe, but I figure if you're gonna gamble, go big. Lo
se the first litter in January, at least I'm ahead for a spring litter. I don't Want the kits to die, but it just feels like a reasonable gamble to me.
But bring it on. I'm ready. Tell me how I screwed up this time.
Oh, and for questions, yes I have the nest box. Kindling date is Jan 11, and nest box goes in on 7th
She's on open feed already. And full time hay rations. Gonna hold off on black oil sunflower or any other supplements because her system has never had anything before.
Hmmm. Tomorrow maybe we should talk about Cruella.
Quick recap. Bunnies came home Sunday afternoon. Buck went to a temp cage.
Monday morning I put the spreader bar on the buck cage. And moved him to his permanent home. Which just happened to be right next door to the 6 mo old NZred. Now this is the same doe that the breeder said refused to breed the day before.
I was ASTONISHED! It was like the high school cheerleader and the star quarterback! Very quickly she approached the wire and sniffed noses. Then it was ON. The brazen little hussy! They would sniff noses for a few minutes, then she'd RUN (she had never been able to run in her old cage)full speed in a full circle around her cage, two laps. Then back to the buck, turn her backside to him and twitch her cottontail. The buck, being older and experienced, was glued to the wire, sniffing at every oppoortunity. They used the rest of the day in the same fashion. Sniff,run,offer. With a little time out raising as high in the cage as possible to explore for a way to get through. I had some good laughs at her running episodes.
Now, I still don't buy into that breeding through the wire stuff, but if its possible, those two got it on Monday night. Anyhow, this made me break my vow of no intervention for a week. Tuesday morning they were still acting like a couple of love struck bunnies, practically joined at the wire. So.... I retrieved the doe from her cage and introduced her to the buck cage. 4 falloffs in about 20 minutes. Well, in all honesty in his case it was more like 4 roll offs. But completions in any case.
Now let me defend myself upfront, because I can already hear the chides coming in. Yes, I am aware that I just set my doe up to deliver in the coldest month of the year. I put a great deal of thought into this, based on the information I have. First, she is turning 6 months old. True or not, info I have read indicates a doe should be bred at six months, and delays will lead to smaller litters subsequently throughout life. If I waited until Feb, (a much saner month for breeding) she would be 8 months. Also, first time mamas also often have problems with the first litter anyway. And lose some or all the kits. So, a double whammy. First timer in the coldest month. But if it goes bad for Any reason, she's got that "new mama" thing off her. If I waited til Feb, and she lost the litter to "new mama oops", I'm waiting until April or May for a reasonable surviving litter. Now, cold hearted maybe, but I figure if you're gonna gamble, go big. Lo
se the first litter in January, at least I'm ahead for a spring litter. I don't Want the kits to die, but it just feels like a reasonable gamble to me.
But bring it on. I'm ready. Tell me how I screwed up this time.
Oh, and for questions, yes I have the nest box. Kindling date is Jan 11, and nest box goes in on 7th
She's on open feed already. And full time hay rations. Gonna hold off on black oil sunflower or any other supplements because her system has never had anything before.
Hmmm. Tomorrow maybe we should talk about Cruella.
Baymule
Herd Master
I started breeding rabbits in September through April. Summer time was no-breed time. Heat kills. Fat, pregnant, wearing a fur coat, 90+ to 100 degrees guarantees a heat stroke dead doe.
No flack, you did good. You did your homework and yes, breeding her at 6 months was the right thing to do. I know you don't have electricity to your rabbit barn. Can you run an outdoor extension cord to it? Go up a post, over, then drop down over the nest box. Use a 60 or 100 watt regular light bulb and place the aluminum shield over the nest box on freezing cold nights. Just keep the cord UP off the cage or you'll get fried rabbit sooner than you wanted, but you already know that.
No flack, you did good. You did your homework and yes, breeding her at 6 months was the right thing to do. I know you don't have electricity to your rabbit barn. Can you run an outdoor extension cord to it? Go up a post, over, then drop down over the nest box. Use a 60 or 100 watt regular light bulb and place the aluminum shield over the nest box on freezing cold nights. Just keep the cord UP off the cage or you'll get fried rabbit sooner than you wanted, but you already know that.
- Thread starter
- #35
Xerocles
Loving the herd life
Good stuff! I knew I kept you around for some reason!
And maybe I'll slide a piece of pvc over the cord from the cage top to the light fixture "just in case".
Thanks... For thinking FOR me.
- Thread starter
- #36
Xerocles
Loving the herd life
And, in fact, I am planning on running electric out there....want to use electric fence. But that won't happen before January I don't think. But a drop cord...I've got one long enough.
Hens and Roos
Herd Master
Sounds like you are off to a good start with your rabbits!
- Thread starter
- #38
Xerocles
Loving the herd life
Thanks......and maybe. Wait'll we talk about Cruella before we make that call.
Duckfarmerpa1
Herd Master
My husband gets a kick of watching and so cheers them on..I tell him he’s 12...he hears that a lot...YOUNG LOVE!
Quick recap. Bunnies came home Sunday afternoon. Buck went to a temp cage.
Monday morning I put the spreader bar on the buck cage. And moved him to his permanent home. Which just happened to be right next door to the 6 mo old NZred. Now this is the same doe that the breeder said refused to breed the day before.
I was ASTONISHED! It was like the high school cheerleader and the star quarterback! Very quickly she approached the wire and sniffed noses. Then it was ON. The brazen little hussy! They would sniff noses for a few minutes, then she'd RUN (she had never been able to run in her old cage)full speed in a full circle around her cage, two laps. Then back to the buck, turn her backside to him and twitch her cottontail. The buck, being older and experienced, was glued to the wire, sniffing at every oppoortunity. They used the rest of the day in the same fashion. Sniff,run,offer. With a little time out raising as high in the cage as possible to explore for a way to get through. I had some good laughs at her running episodes.
Now, I still don't buy into that breeding through the wire stuff, but if its possible, those two got it on Monday night. Anyhow, this made me break my vow of no intervention for a week. Tuesday morning they were still acting like a couple of love struck bunnies, practically joined at the wire. So.... I retrieved the doe from her cage and introduced her to the buck cage. 4 falloffs in about 20 minutes. Well, in all honesty in his case it was more like 4 roll offs. But completions in any case.
Now let me defend myself upfront, because I can already hear the chides coming in. Yes, I am aware that I just set my doe up to deliver in the coldest month of the year. I put a great deal of thought into this, based on the information I have. First, she is turning 6 months old. True or not, info I have read indicates a doe should be bred at six months, and delays will lead to smaller litters subsequently throughout life. If I waited until Feb, (a much saner month for breeding) she would be 8 months. Also, first time mamas also often have problems with the first litter anyway. And lose some or all the kits. So, a double whammy. First timer in the coldest month. But if it goes bad for Any reason, she's got that "new mama" thing off her. If I waited til Feb, and she lost the litter to "new mama oops", I'm waiting until April or May for a reasonable surviving litter. Now, cold hearted maybe, but I figure if you're gonna gamble, go big. Lo
se the first litter in January, at least I'm ahead for a spring litter. I don't Want the kits to die, but it just feels like a reasonable gamble to me.
But bring it on. I'm ready. Tell me how I screwed up this time.
Oh, and for questions, yes I have the nest box. Kindling date is Jan 11, and nest box goes in on 7th
She's on open feed already. And full time hay rations. Gonna hold off on black oil sunflower or any other supplements because her system has never had anything before.
Hmmm. Tomorrow maybe we should talk about Cruella.
- Thread starter
- #40
Xerocles
Loving the herd life
Ahhhhh.....to be 12 again. Go on. Go ahead. Make my day! Tell me I'm 12. I was definitely cheering them on.My husband gets a kick of watching and so cheers them on..I tell him he’s 12...he hears that a lot...
