So many!

[wsmoak]

In the previous litters, my Cali and NZW does had five each. (Well, the NZW had seven but lost two.) So, I had ten growing out, five in each cage. Very reasonable, I thought.

This time... the Cali doe had ELEVEN and the NZW doe had nine. There are TWENTY kits out there in nest boxes. I think I'll need another set of growout cages!

They're still too small to take decent pictures, and you all know what kits-in-nest look like. I'll be back with pictures when they hop out of the nest.

-Wendy

 

[MaggieJ]

Bumper crop!

:mbounce: :mbounce:

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

They must have conspired to have whopper litters, LOL! Congrats!!!

 

[camanojim]

kinda like the tribbles

 

[PistolPackingMomma]

How many kits are reasonable to put in a grow out cage? (Say, 2'x2'?)

 

[AmysMacdog]

WOW lots of popples! :congratulations:

:lol: "Tribbles"!

 

[skysthelimit]

Very nice

 

[Shelbers91]

Popples popples everywhere! But not a single one to share.. Lol!! Congrats!

 

[grumpy]

if they were first time does....that is probably the reason for the lower numbers.

Mature does give you larger litters with better survival rates in the litter. Eleven is a handful for any doe to try and raise. Don't be surprised if you end up losing a couple. It happens........and it's no one's fault.

grumpy.

 

[LeAnn24]

Congrats!! Can't wait for the pictures of them jumping out of the nest box.

 

[Mickey328]

Holy cow, Wendy...that's a LOT of popples...congrats!

The size of the grow out cages can vary, PPM. Much depends on how big the rabbits will get. It's a totally personal choice but I wouldn't have a 2 x 2 cage at all, unless I were raising a very small breed. We will have 3 grow outs that are 24 x 36 and I'm not even really sure that'll be enough space, depending on how many kits we get. More experienced folk will chime in, I'm sure...but they do need enough room to move around comfortably until they go to camp

 

[Miss M]

I have two 24x30 cages for growout. It does result in crowded bunnies sometimes, but this is the room I had to work with at my uncle's. Now, with more room, I want some more and larger growout cages.

I am considering putting my buck in one of those 24x30s... since he isn't very big anyway. That'll free up a 24x36 for larger growouts, until I can extend the rabbitry and build more cages. I plan to have one or two 24x48s or so. Whatever fits between the posts.

 

[PistolPackingMomma]

Holy cow, Wendy...that's a LOT of popples...congrats!

The size of the grow out cages can vary, PPM. Much depends on how big the rabbits will get. It's a totally personal choice but I wouldn't have a 2 x 2 cage at all, unless I were raising a very small breed. We will have 3 grow outs that are 24 x 36 and I'm not even really sure that'll be enough space, depending on how many kits we get. More experienced folk will chime in, I'm sure...but they do need enough room to move around comfortably until they go to camp

Thanks for the feedback! I may start out with 30x36's, and hopefully add another cage or two for grow out space later down the road. Budget is only so big, but I want the rabbits to be comfortable!

I wonder if I couldn't make a split level in the grow out cages for a bit more floor space...or is there a reason not to do that?

 

[wsmoak]

if they were first time does....that is probably the reason for the lower numbers.

Mature does give you larger litters with better survival rates in the litter. Eleven is a handful for any doe to try and raise. Don't be surprised if you end up losing a couple. It happens........and it's no one's fault.

Yes, they were fairly new (and I'm also new at this) -- this is the Californian doe's third litter, and the NZW's second. I'm watching the big litter and am prepared to lose a couple, but so far they're all alive, if somewhat varied in size.

-Wendy

 

[fuzzy9]

Holy popples!! :wbounce: Yay!

 

[wsmoak]

... and again! The same two does, the NZW has ten and the Californian has twelve. (One is small and may not survive.)

I thought the idea was to breed two does at once so you can foster kits between them? Not so much when they both have this many!

I never did come back with pictures of the last batch... mostly they now look like the picture on my thread about shrink bagging.

-Wendy

 

[Heritage Homestead]

:congratulations: on the new popples!

I never did come back with pictures of the last batch... mostly they now look like the picture on my thread about shrink bagging.

:lol: Very nice rabbits there!

 

[SyP]

if they were first time does....that is probably the reason for the lower numbers.

Mature does give you larger litters with better survival rates in the litter. Eleven is a handful for any doe to try and raise. Don't be surprised if you end up losing a couple. It happens........and it's no one's fault.

grumpy.

Dunno about that my 8 month doe gave birth to 12 recently, but she is 11lbs. :bounce:

 

[Miss M]

... and again! The same two does, the NZW has ten and the Californian has twelve. (One is small and may not survive.)

I thought the idea was to breed two does at once so you can foster kits between them? Not so much when they both have this many!

I never did come back with pictures of the last batch... mostly they now look like the picture on my thread about shrink bagging.

-Wendy

WOW! :congratulations:

Yeah, that's usually the idea, but it doesn't work as intended when you've got a rabbitry full of overachievers! :lol:

 

[AnnClaire]

... and again! The same two does, the NZW has ten and the Californian has twelve. (One is small and may not survive.)

I thought the idea was to breed two does at once so you can foster kits between them? Not so much when they both have this many!

I never did come back with pictures of the last batch... mostly they now look like the picture on my thread about shrink bagging.

-Wendy

ummm, breed 3 does at the same time? :mrgreen: