Katduck
Well-known member
Yesterday I posted about Sophia's litter and how I planned to keep a buck from one of these kits that was 1 lb at 3 weeks. They are pure NZW.
Today I weighed the sole surviving kit from Delilah. 8 1/2 weeks and it weighs 4lbs 11oz.
It's wasn't the only kit in the womb, there were eight. Six were stillborn and one died of an injury. It didn't receive more milk because I fostered six kits to Delilah so she raised seven.
Now I'm torn. Which one should I keep? Delilah is Vienna Marked like the blue doe in our picture so this buck could carry a blue eyed gene. If I breed him back to Delilah I might get large BEW rabbits. This buck also has a bit of color on it's nose and ears. The NZW is all white. This one is 1/2 NZW, 1/4 Cal & 1/4 Beveren. Could the size be from hybrid vigor and I wouldn't get that if I used him as a herd buck? If I keep the NZW I would get hybrid vigor with all but one of the does in my rabbitry. Should I even care about hybrid vigor?
Both bucks would only be related to one doe in my rabbitry. Delilah is bred to the same buck that produced this buck and is due on 2/19. I don't have room to keep them both and they will be replacing a 3ry old 1/2 NZW 1/2 Cal buck I have.
My priority is large meaty rabbits.
What should I do??? :gossip: What would you do??
Today I weighed the sole surviving kit from Delilah. 8 1/2 weeks and it weighs 4lbs 11oz.
It's wasn't the only kit in the womb, there were eight. Six were stillborn and one died of an injury. It didn't receive more milk because I fostered six kits to Delilah so she raised seven.
Now I'm torn. Which one should I keep? Delilah is Vienna Marked like the blue doe in our picture so this buck could carry a blue eyed gene. If I breed him back to Delilah I might get large BEW rabbits. This buck also has a bit of color on it's nose and ears. The NZW is all white. This one is 1/2 NZW, 1/4 Cal & 1/4 Beveren. Could the size be from hybrid vigor and I wouldn't get that if I used him as a herd buck? If I keep the NZW I would get hybrid vigor with all but one of the does in my rabbitry. Should I even care about hybrid vigor?
Both bucks would only be related to one doe in my rabbitry. Delilah is bred to the same buck that produced this buck and is due on 2/19. I don't have room to keep them both and they will be replacing a 3ry old 1/2 NZW 1/2 Cal buck I have.
My priority is large meaty rabbits.
What should I do??? :gossip: What would you do??