Introduce Myself and my Rabbits

Diamond · Apr 9, 2012

Hi, I am from the Willamette Valley, Oregon. After much discussion my husband and I have added meat rabbits to our hobby farm. In early March I gathered three nice does from local 4-H kids and also a good-looking proven buck. We spent more time than it was probably worth building cages and then adding a 'rabbit barn' to our greenhouse/tool shed structure. The Rabbit Barn is protected from the southern exposure by the toolshed and has an irrigation ditch on its north side, we plan to have a vent and fan to draw the cool air up from the ditch in the summer to circulate through the barn. It's still a work in progress.....

Here's the menagerie. I weighed each rabbit when I brought them home. We bred our first doe, Diamond, on March 12th and she has gained 14 ounces! I hope its all baby weight!

Here's Diamond, she weighed 10 pounds 4 ounces at 10 months old. She's a Cali/NZ cross doe

Rose, another Cali/NZ cross, weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces at 8 months old

Jasmine, a pedigreed NZ doe, weighed 10 pounds, 12 ounces at 9 months old

and Cheeto, an NZ/ Creme D' Argent cross buck, weighs 9 pounds even and is approximately 2 years old (proven breeder)

ladysown · Apr 9, 2012

welcome. decent looking rabbits there.

Diamond · Apr 9, 2012

...and our bunny barn, functional but not finished. My husband included a cupola with opaque panels to let light in, and vents to let the warm air escape (and let thermodynamics draw cool air from the irrigation ditch)

Inside the rabbitry.....

We have the does each in a double cage by their selves so they can move around a little. Poor Cheeto is stuck in a single-wide but we will be building more cages soon and move him into a bigger home.

fuzzy9 · Apr 9, 2012

Welcome! Very nice rabbits! I like your barn, and set up too. I wish we had put a cupola on our barn when we built it, I can see where it would be very beneficial. Will you keep this as an enclosed rabbitry, or will it be open most the time?

Diamond · Apr 9, 2012

We will be putting a sliding barn-style door on the front (its still a work in progress) to close it off entirely, plus wire mesh at ground level to keep predators out and so I can put rabbits on the floor of the barn for handling, exercise, etc. Needs lights and water, too. There is plumbing and electrical in the adjacent structures, its just a matter of finding time to put the finishing touches on.

Right now we just have straw on the ground due to the mud. Once the ground dries out I will haul in gravel. We use a lot of straw for various things around here, it is dirt cheap ($50 a ton) due to local wheat, rye, and fescue seed farming.

Will eventually have more cages on the opposite wall. As my husband says, its on the list

Right now we need to finish our chicken coop remodel!! Spring gets busy around here.

:bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop:

fuzzy9 · Apr 9, 2012

Sounds really nice! I just asked because if you were going enclosed, make sure you have adequate ventilation, and air circulation. We went enclosed last fall, and have learned sooooo much since then. Initially we didn't have enough ventilation, and ended up losing a couple nice rabbits.

MamaSheepdog · Apr 9, 2012

Looks great! What did you use to frame in the doors on the cages? Looks like Fort Knox! :lol:

bowbuild · Apr 10, 2012

I have got to ask.....I see this quite a bit straw, or hay on the floor of cages?? Why?? I would think it would b e hard to get that stuff out, not to mention the rabbits crapping all over the stuff??? Can someone clue me in on this??? I never put anything on the floor, it is hard enough with hair to keep clean???

Bowbuild

Diamond · Apr 10, 2012

the straw and hay is just for their entertainment. It all goes to the compost pile in the end, in one form or another. No trouble with the poo not finding its way out. They like to nibble on the roughage but most of it finds its way out the bottom of the cage. Compost happens in a big way here, with a 6-stall horse barn plus the goat pen, chicken coop and garden..... it all gets shoveled out to the same place in the end

My husband used aluminum flashing to frame the doors, its what he had on hand in his shop and it keeps the bunnies and my hands from getting scratched on the way in/out of the cages.

Mary Ann's Rabbitry · Apr 11, 2012

fuzzy9":uxqij5hn said:
Sounds really nice! I just asked because if you were going enclosed, make sure you have adequate ventilation, and air circulation. We went enclosed last fall, and have learned sooooo much since then. Initially we didn't have enough ventilation, and ended up losing a couple nice rabbits.

Yes, i say the exact thing. Very important. Having things closed up isnt good with rabbits. I had mine in a barn also. I learned the hard way. I also will NOT buy from someone that has rabbits in a barn or a small shed ect. It would be great if have the 3 walls and leave in the one side open. Great setup.But i have to ask something, Why are the feeders so long. ?

Diamond · Apr 12, 2012

.....feeders made by husband, need I say more? : ) The idea is to be able to free feed a nursing mama and/ or growing litter.... fill 'er up to the top and top off as needed.

Mary Ann's Rabbitry · Apr 12, 2012

Diamond":29tvwaea said:
.....feeders made by husband, need I say more? : ) The idea is to be able to free feed a nursing mama and/ or growing litter.... fill 'er up to the top and top off as needed.

:lol: :lol:

fuzzy9 · Apr 12, 2012

I actually like the tall feeders, you can put alot in those, and those on free feed will never run out for sure!!

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