Hobby Farms article on Rabbit Colonies in upcoming issue

Passing this on from a friend, I think it must have come through an e-mail promo or something or perhaps the current issue as I don't see anything about it on the website:

The next issue of Hobby Farms will profile Rabbits in the July/August issue which will be on sale June 21 – August 16, 2011.

The article will focus raising Rabbits in colonies (multiple rabbits housed together in a large enclosure) and will include a sidebar on breeds of rabbits that do well under these conditions. It includes suggestions for constructing both indoor and outdoor colonies; how to start a colony and avoid territory issues; the advantages of raising mixed breed vs. purebred rabbits; diet considerations for colony rabbits. Breeds suggested include: American, American Chinchilla, or Silver Fox, Blanc de Hotot, Silver, Belgian Hare, the Beveran, the Crême d’ Argent, the Giant Chinchilla, the Lilac, and the Rhinelander.

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I'm already a little nervous, considering it's suggesting Belgian Hares for colonies which, in my questioning the Belgian community, that is considered a very bad idea. I really hope it emphasizes that colonies are not the EASY solution to rabbit keeping or for those that are just trying to cut corners. They take just as much maintenance, work, management and vigilance as caged rabbits.

Sometimes they take even more work than cages... and certainly more vigilance since problems are often not as obvious several feet or yards away as when they are under your nose in a cage situation. I like my modified colony (two floor pens, actually, each with a matriarch doe and her offspring with the buck commuting between them) but it' not really a time-saver. I like the lifestyle it gives the rabbits and it combines well with the natural feeding, but it's definitely not easier.

If it's like most magazine articles it will not give much useful how-to information anyway. The articles are so short, all they do is whet the reader's interest.

We have some meat rabbits. I like the idea the ones we don't sell to raise in Colonies since they will really only be there for 5 months before they are harvested for meat. But the plan is to try to sell them first.

Why wouldn't the Belgian Hares be suitable for colony raising? These rabbits need a ton of exercise, and a more free-roaming set up would be more ideal, and is of interest to me. I've been warned they hurt themselves easily - but try keeping a thoroughbred horse in a stall and exercising only every few days and see if he doesn't hurt himself when he goes out for a race! Watching my guy race laps around the house and do leaps and bounds higher and faster than any rabbit I've ever seen indicates to me this is a pretty athletic rabbit who needs to be treated like an athlete to remain healthy. My rabbit gets to exercise freely outside his (large) pen for 2-10 hours a day. He's strong and nimble.

I'm curious what you heard indicating otherwise for this breed regarding Colony raising. While that's not the set up I'm currently working I was considering it down the road. Thanks!

I got the new Hobby Farms magazine in the mail today. The article about Colony raising is very basic, but at least it's showing people they have more options. It's helping me convince my husband a little more about keeping meat rabbits in a colony setting.

I think with the hares it might be harder to contain them in a fenced yard.

hoping13
did they have any info on cremes?

tailwagging":3hknos52 said:

I think with the hares it might be harder to contain them in a fenced yard.

hoping13
did they have any info on cremes?

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There was a little blurb about rare breeds in colony settings, and it mentioned them.

wwhhhooohoooo

Stormy":2u53eaay said:

Why wouldn't the Belgian Hares be suitable for colony raising? These rabbits need a ton of exercise, and a more free-roaming set up would be more ideal, and is of interest to me. I've been warned they hurt themselves easily - but try keeping a thoroughbred horse in a stall and exercising only every few days and see if he doesn't hurt himself when he goes out for a race! Watching my guy race laps around the house and do leaps and bounds higher and faster than any rabbit I've ever seen indicates to me this is a pretty athletic rabbit who needs to be treated like an athlete to remain healthy. My rabbit gets to exercise freely outside his (large) pen for 2-10 hours a day. He's strong and nimble.

I'm curious what you heard indicating otherwise for this breed regarding Colony raising. While that's not the set up I'm currently working I was considering it down the road. Thanks!

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I was interested in them and contacted quite a few Belgian breeders, asking about colony raising since that was where my interest lie at the time. Every single one of them said that the does would turn on each other, even if they were littermate sisters raised together, as they matured and got hormonal. Several had tried it themselves, others passed on the information second hand, but not one of them thought it was a good idea which is saying a lot since it is a breed that requires special housing and colony-style housing would be much more practical.

Thanks Rachel for sharing what you heard. What I wonder is how much room the hare does were given considering they seem to need a ton of space - more than what is listed on sites I researched before getting my hare - and most the setups I've seen listed here would be too small. If given a really large fenced pen where they can actually get away from each other and have plenty of room to run, I would think the territory and hormonal issues would be less a problem. (Thanks whomever posted the Harvest Moon Rabbitry site - videos very helpful - really huge pastured areas, like for livestock!) Although it is true these hares do tend to get very hormonal from what I've heard from the breeders - although I've met some does who did not. It might be case by case.

@Hoping13, would it be possible to scan or take a picture of the article and post it here? Or anyone else have that ability? I'd love to see it.

Stormy":2wp73k2o said:

@Hoping13, would it be possible to scan or take a picture of the article and post it here? Or anyone else have that ability? I'd love to see it.

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Afraid that's probably quite illegal, actually. copyright rights and all that legal stuff.

I agree with Ann. We would only have to remove it. Only printed matter that is in the public domain (because the copyright has expired) can be posted. If you find something interesting and relevant online, you can post a link to it.

I read that article and its what started me on rabbit colonies........but they made it sound pretty easy...