How are these weights for PB Holland Lops?

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Cedar Point Rabbitry

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Note: it's winter here :D and really cold, so they have lost a little condition and I used a hanging scale :lol: but overall how are their weights? :) These are purebred Holland Lops. Ages listed, I'm hoping this list isn't too complicated! :D

1#: Year old doe: 2lbs
2#:Year old doe: 2lbs 2oz
3#: 7.5 month old doe: 1lb 2oz
4#: 9 month old doe: 1lb 6oz
5#: 9 month old doe: 2lbs
6#: 1 yr, 8 month old buck: 1lb 7oz
7#: 8.5 month old buck: 1lb 9oz
8#: 4 yr 5 month old buck: 1lb 8oz

#2 doe is the dam of #3. #3's sire is #6 buck.
#2 doe's sire is #8 buck.
#3 buck is the half brother (through dam) to does #4 & #5.
#8 buck is the sire of does #4 & #5.

#1 doe is unrelated to any others. #7 buck is unrelated as well.
 
All but 3 are under weight for Hollands, and those 3 are borderline underweight - the breeds minumum junior weight is 2lb and maximum senior weight is 4 lb

Do they feel boney?

I'd ask for pictures but it would be hard to tell if they are malnourished with all their fur
 
They do feel a tad boney...could use more fat coverage. I would like more fat on all of them, so hopefully as it warms up they'll pick up weight again. But doing really good considering how cold this winter has been. I think the scale may be a tad off....because a couple feel heavier then their 'listed' weight :)
And not to sound silly, but how much bone should be able to be felt when running a hand down their back? How much is too much bone?

What are some malnourished signs to watch for? They are all bright eyed with slick, thick coats.
 
They sound tiny!!

I have a mini lop buck (United States) and I'd say he's probably a good 5lbs now... last time I weighed him he was 4.5lbs and he seems to have grown some :oops:
 
I did find my NDwarfs took a bit longer to full out their muscles and Hollands are a close relative to the breed, but my ND were definitely meaty by 6 months old.

IMHO you should not be able to feel the backbone of rabbits over 16 weeks old (or younger in meat breeds) because of the loin muscles that run parallel down both sides of the spine.
 
Ok, then most of them are too boney. What are some ways to put weight on them? They get pellets, hay, and whole oats/barley. I also give them herbs in their water.

Yeah, #3 and #6 have always been tiny, I was surprised to say the least at how small they stayed!
 
I don't know what your set up is like but get them out of the cold.

My ND were outside but I didn't breed them between Sept and March, the does were kept in pairs, they had double doored and insulated wooden houses in their cages that were stuffed with straw and anyone who lost weight was brought into the garage where it stayed above freezing, usually it was the rabbits that were older than 8 that lost condition and needed to be brought in
 
Ok, thank you for the info...I'll see what I can do about warming them up :) Do you have trouble with pairing the does? I had my rabbits in pairs, but the does started picking on each other, even if they were sisters and grow up together...
 
I did have a couple does who had attitude but I only had 6 females at a time and sold off any who couldn't be paired - surprisingly most of my rabbits got on fine with other bunnies but we're people agressive :)
 
That is small, generally the rabbits doing well on the show table are 3 to 3.5 pounds. You want them small but massive.
 
The cold won't make them boney if you are feeding them well. Mine are housed outside 24/7/365

So I have to ask the following.

1. are you feeding them enough?
- I feed most of my hollands 1/2 cup in the warm weather, and a bit more than that in the cold. They do not lose condition in the winter. my smaller ones get 1/3 cup of feed as they won't eat a 1/2 cup. but they love getting a scoop of grain as well.

2. are they healthy.. no worms taking up extra resources? No coccidia taxing their systems?

3. are they out of the wind?

4. any chance of being over bred?
 
They are getting enough...I feed them enough so that they leave some in their feeders when they are done...
All are healthy, I haven't had any problems with coccidia for quite a while :) I haven't noticed anything related to worm problems.
Yes, they are out of the wind.
I wouldn't think so...I generally don''t breed them during the winter.
 
you need to figure out what is going on then.

they shouldn't be boney.

are you feeding them a good quality feed?
How much are they eating per day?
 
You should not be able to feel bones just by running your hand down their backs, if you can they are very underweight for a HL. You should be able to feel bone when you press lightly along the spine or hips. There should not be protruding bones. Their weight should match their overall size and bone structure. Are they very small that way or ? Is there any chance they are digging the feed out? Are they getting adequate water? Once or even twice a day is not enough. Along with the others suggestions, have they gotten hay or straw to hide in? Just a box in sub zero temps won't work either. Some lines are genetically bony, but not all over usually (more prone to pronounced pin bones and spines but nothing else). Even my smallest is slightly under 3lbs but you can't feel a bone on him just by running your hand over him, you can feel when slight pressure is applied or fur rubbed the opposite way though. He will fit on completely on a 6 inch plate though set up.
 
That makes more sense :) When just running a hand over most of them, then I can't feel bones. I have to press a bit to feel the spine/rub the coat the wrong way.
My lines do tend to be small, especially one....it's tiny small :) Their weights fit their size look pretty well. Although I'm thinking that my scale is off, because some of the does feel heavier then what the scale says.
I'll check if they dig their food out...but normally they all are pretty good about keeping it in :)
Hot water twice a day.
Yes, generally they have hay to hide in.
 
You may have to up water, twice a day if water freezes in minutes...they may just not be getting enough to drink and a rabbit not drinking will not eat. :)
 
Ok, thanks Rebel.Rose! :) I'll do that :) <br /><br /> __________ Tue Jun 02, 2015 12:54 pm __________ <br /><br /> So...I finally realized something...the above weights are actually Kilograms, not pounds! :oops: I read the hanging scale on the wrong side...oops.

So they actually aren't too small :D I weighed most of them today, and they are all between 2.8lbs and 5lbs. Phew!
 

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