I know, it takes a buck and a doe... not sure what happened here. I was butchering some rabbits today and I went out to an area of the colony that had a mother and four daughters. I took one of the daughters out, ran her through a homemade rabbit wringer and hung her up to process. Wasn't I surprised when I opened her up and she was probably about three weeks along with four kits. Not a very happy Truckinguy. Needless to say the rest of them will be separated for a month to see if they are pregnant too and butchering will proceed accordingly.
I had left them longer than I expected due to a busy summer and starting turkey processing but it was just a mother and daughters together so I figured it wasn't a big deal. The section of the colony beside them has a buck in it but he has no access to them except the cage wire between them. Is it possible he is a little sniper and just shooting it at them?? Can they mate up against the wire? I've had rabbits for nearly ten years and I can tell the boys from the girls pretty good. I checked them twice today, grabbed the last one after the first two confirmed to be girls and figured "Okay, YOU'VE got to be the boy" but nope, another girl. I'm a bit perplexed and it sure brought my planned butchering day to a halt.
I guess that begs another question: Can you eat a pregnant doe? Do the hormones make the meat taste any different? These were still young rabbits so she should still be tender.
I had left them longer than I expected due to a busy summer and starting turkey processing but it was just a mother and daughters together so I figured it wasn't a big deal. The section of the colony beside them has a buck in it but he has no access to them except the cage wire between them. Is it possible he is a little sniper and just shooting it at them?? Can they mate up against the wire? I've had rabbits for nearly ten years and I can tell the boys from the girls pretty good. I checked them twice today, grabbed the last one after the first two confirmed to be girls and figured "Okay, YOU'VE got to be the boy" but nope, another girl. I'm a bit perplexed and it sure brought my planned butchering day to a halt.
I guess that begs another question: Can you eat a pregnant doe? Do the hormones make the meat taste any different? These were still young rabbits so she should still be tender.