:/ so I'm rethinking my rabbits...and I may need help :(

[Sinnfox]

Rabbits have always been little bringers of joy for me...but some of my current ones are making me want to pull my hair out :/ My friends see how stressed I am becoming and told me I should just get rid of them O_O I can't do that...I love my bunnies...even the ones that will be delicious later on >.> I did however realize that the three strike rule has been completely ignored*cough*by me*cough* due to me coming up with various excuses since I am attached to a few more then I should be. >.> Need to work on that a bit >.> ...Well I am trying to decide how to decide which rabbits have to go, and I have no clue how to do that. other then kits in about 2-4 weeks I only have three on the leaving list. I will spend days thinking about it and come to a decision just to have my roommate or my husband give me this heartbroken look and pout because "you cant get rid of that one...you NEED it" ..well it took me days to work up the resolve to decide that one had to go...so I cave. >.> because yeah cute sweet bunny >.> Oh but they want to help...say get rid of that one its a snot um...that's my best breeder...and it just doesn't like you it gives me bunny kisses. :|

Ok so here is where I could use help...if you have to get rid of rabbits say a quarter of your real keepers or so...how would you pick? because I have no clue

I have only one that has an attitude...she hates the food scoop for some reason but she is rather new...only been here three months so still settling in, No biters , Very few unproven (do to age or lack of properly sized proven counter part :/), and most have at least one or two traits I really want to breed into my lines

Any tips or ideas would be appreciated

 

[Random Rabbit]

Years ago ... i kept detailed records... conception rate, litter size, number and weight of fyrers sold. I used the three strike rule...And it worked. I actually broke even on the cost of feed vs the money made. ( however that was in 1980s...)

Now... i've pretty much given up on the breaking even. Feed costs are prohibitive . My focus is show stock... so litter size is not as important to me. The willingness to breed, the quality of the young produced, general disposition. are my decision makers.

Once one figures out what the end Goal is... then one can figure out the guidelines to get there... and set their own culling "rules". It will be different for each person.

 

[Sinnfox]

oh with how much trouble I had with them so far I don't think I'd break even for at least 5 years or so if they all started producing like a dream every time :shock: thing is my main goal at the very first was to have a rabbit..um Yay I succeeded? >.> ok so I need to set culling guild-lines...well stricter ones. So far mine are no crazy evil biting bunnies ...and um...no sneezers :/ i picked all my rabbits based on temperament...so I don't really have any to cull for that...willingness to breed sounds like a good one to add though..

 

[Prisma]

Given your location, you might want to consider health factors as well...some will not tolerate heat as well as others, some may never breed or want to breed in high heat where others will have no issues at all, etc. If you're working on a producing meat line, that may be important in keeping a consistent and thriving string of kids even through (or around) the summer. I know with mine, I'm dreading this 85 degree days lately, that they will probably go sterile soon and I *might* not get any kids until November or later because of it.

 

[ladysown]

sit down
write out a list of where you want to be with your rabbits.

Consider what you think is important
so breedability, health, colours, temperament, fur quality etc.

And then breed and cull to those ends in mind.

If you are breeding only for food on the table then you need to consider what you need to meet that object.
and yes BE objective, but leave room for "X" number of heart/pull string bunnies.

I have room for TWO heart/pull strings bunnies, the rest have to meet an objective of one sort or other.

 

[Cottie]

I will spend days thinking about it and come to a decision just to have my roommate or my husband give me this heartbroken look and pout because "you cant get rid of that one...you NEED it" ..well it took me days to work up the resolve to decide that one had to go...so I cave. >.> because yeah cute sweet bunny >.>

This is why the man has never gotten attached to my rabbits. The kids and I are the ones allowed to get attached, and the two we've had to cull he made the final call. That way someone can be objective about it.

I appreciate this thread because I'm in the same spot, with not knowing the direction, etc. Not as long-term though. I've invested a decent amount of money and don't have anything to show for it, except for 2 dead rabbits.

 

[Miss M]

Ladysown's right. Sit down and write down the purpose of your rabbitry, and the qualities in rabbits that will help you get there. Write down why what you have now is not getting you there.

List your breeders, and how they each conform to the standards you wrote, and how they don't. Be truthful and objective, not putting any rabbit in a better light than it deserves (it's easy to lie to yourself, so that's why I stressed that ).

Determine how many "for fun" bunnies you have room for. Maybe draw a rabbitry layout, showing the space available, marking growout cages, "for fun" cages, buck cage(s), and doe cages.

Then sit down with your family, since they are the ones who keep talking you out of your plans, and present your work. If they can see concretely that in order to reach the objective, not everybunny can stay, maybe they will be on board in stead of trying to pull you off the boat.

 

[Dood]

Culling favourites can be tough. I am usually very practical and don't get attached to my food but every once in a while those big doe eyes get to me.

I have a sweet heart of a doe who is very affectionate but never has more than 6 in a litter, logically I know she MUST to be replaced. I have been trying to sell her as a pet but few want a 12 pound house bunny so if she hasn't found a home in the next month or so she is dinner as I have kept back her nicest daughter, who has her moms sweet temperament, and once she is ready to kindle I need the cage.

It won't be easy but it must be done.

 

[Sinnfox]

I have a sweet heart of a doe who is very affectionate but never has more than 6 in a litter

Sadly that alone makes her better then half my current breeders @.@ well so far..If you were closer I'd want her...says a lot seeing as how i am getting rid of some :/

. I know with mine, I'm dreading this 85 degree days lately, that they will probably go sterile soon and I *might* not get any kids until November or later because of it.

Oh I think it already hit in the hundreds around here at least once..but well with the people around where I live and the golden eagle that nests in the area I keep my rabbits inside..so with luck heat wont be an issue...will bred toward heat tolerance though....only have two that seem affected by it getting warm so I have high hopes there.


I think part of my problem is I got really lucky gathering my stock in I found a lot of amazing traits I really wanted..but I talked to the others here..think I worked out a few that have to go since they have one to many things against them...and one or two others that will get one last chance to prove their worth..now to figure out if I can get away with two saves since their are two I am supper attached to that I know should go >.> at least the others I am attached to are keepers

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

What might help is to not only do as Ladysown said and write down goals and important traits, but order them in order of importance.

For example, with my Mini Rex, I want animals that breed easily, have good type, good coat, good color and are easy to handle. I would order it thus: Type, coat, color, breedability, temperament. In order to stay in my herd, a rabbit has to have three of the list at least AND two of those have to be the two most important...meaning good type and coat are non-negotiable. AND, if I have to choose between two rabbits, where one has all traits and another has only most traits, the one with less good points goes away.

I also make a list of "unforgivable sins." A rabbit who isn't nursing a litter or about to kindle who bites me never again sees the light of day. A buck or doe who habitually fail to conceive or sire a litter has four tries (I ammended my own three-strikes rule) and then they go away. A rabbit with a genetic fault who would DQ in a show has to go. A doe who has a doe kit or a buck who sires a buck kit where the kit is better than the parent...the parent goes to make room for the new bunny.

I have room for one "pet" of each breed I keep. This way I can satisfy my desire to have a snuggly rabbit that I never have to worry about culling. It makes it feel a little easier to cull and cull hard.

I know how tough it can be though. I had a very unproductive doe for about a year...I finally had to throw in the towel and cull her.