xD I do not want 5 does!
Since it's a colony, I'm unsure about the room.. I guess if one will be an outcast there's a chanse it messes up the harmony in the group and it might even be easier to keep 4 than 3 in the space.. (and I fel just a tad sorry about the single doe being all alone in quarantine..)
But do I want 4? 3 might be enough and if I have 3, I could add a single one more later if I fall for another breed.. I won't keep 5 in that space.
To make it worse, I could get the single doe plus a french lop doe.. but I don't really like french lops so I don't want it..
How many times a year can you breed a doe without wearing her out? 4 is on the limit according to our standards, but I've read about as many as 8 being done here (though that would wear the doe out quickly). Could 5 be okay?
If I go with 3 does I calculate 96kg meat per year on 4 breedings (imagining I'll get 8 kits a litter, which may not be the case) and with 4 does that would be 126kg... agh.. I want lots of meat to avoid grocery bought ones. But what if I end up not being able to kill at all? Either way it would be about 2kg meat/week for two persons.. I like meat.
I realize my thoughts are not really clear.. :lol:
When is it more easy to introduce the new does to my old ones? When the old ones have weaned but still ''in-the-same-cage" litters or when they're alone? If I get the doe now next week, and if my does get surviving kits, the quaantine will be up when the babies are 3 weeks..<br /><br />__________ Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:28 pm __________<br /><br />It's leaning towards getting the one now.
I think a colony of 3 does are enough for me at the time being... and with 3 I could, if I stumble across the one bunny I just fall for, I could make place for her. I do not want more than 4 does.
I do feel a bit sorry for her being all alone during quarantine, but.. it's not permanent.
Getting her now will let me know if I want to start with the slightly larger breed or stick to the pelts or gotland bunnies.