Easy Ears
Well-known member
So I have a pair of HLs and a pair of DT. I have 3 hutches - two large double decker's - and one 1 floor hutch. Since I have two females and two males, I'd like to keep the does together, but with the DT doe I have now, I wouldn't want to risk it (she's aggressive towards other does). Anyway right now I have both boys in a double decker and just took out the ramp and blocked the hole. My HL doe is in the one deck, and my DT doe has the other double decker (since she is more active)
My DT doe is about 3yrs, and just not producing well at all, so I want to sell her. BUT she has great genes to give me the different colored torts I like with my dwarf buck (dwarf/dutch buck, I'm trying to breed towards a smaller breed of dutch) so I've been trying to get a girl kit from my DT doe. I've bred her a couple times to no availed.
Later this year she had a litter of one (some of you may remember Pumpkin) I sold her to a friend of mine that lives nearby. I talked to my friend and she agreed to have her bred by my DT buck (Pumpkins dad) and I'll keep one of Pumpkins kits to have as my new broody once she gets old enough.
SO now you know some background: the plan is that I’d pick up Pumpkin, and breed both her and my HL doe on January 1st. That way the litters will be born at around the same time, and when they are, I would swap out litters so that my HL doe would care for Pumpkins litter and Pumpkin would care for my HL's. (if they both get prego of course) That way I can get my HL doe used to the DT kits so that when I keep one she will already see it as her young and I won’t have to introduce a whole new rabbit to her. (Since I already wanted them to be in the same cage. ) I will only do this if they show no aggression to the litter switch (I will be watching VERY closely) but I’ve never heard of any problems with this, and know of many who foster, but not really heard of a litter swap... it should be fine....right? I'd like to breed them at the same time anyway just so if Pumpkin isn’t doing well (since she will be a first timer) or if one of the does isn’t producing enough milk etc, I will have a backup doe to foster with. (My HL doe will also be having kits for the first time WITH me. She's had kits with her previous owner.)
By the end of this process I should have one buck in a double decker, one in the one story, and both does in a double decker.
Any flaws? Should I reconsider anything? Thoughts? Comments? I'd love to know your opinions!!
My DT doe is about 3yrs, and just not producing well at all, so I want to sell her. BUT she has great genes to give me the different colored torts I like with my dwarf buck (dwarf/dutch buck, I'm trying to breed towards a smaller breed of dutch) so I've been trying to get a girl kit from my DT doe. I've bred her a couple times to no availed.
Later this year she had a litter of one (some of you may remember Pumpkin) I sold her to a friend of mine that lives nearby. I talked to my friend and she agreed to have her bred by my DT buck (Pumpkins dad) and I'll keep one of Pumpkins kits to have as my new broody once she gets old enough.
SO now you know some background: the plan is that I’d pick up Pumpkin, and breed both her and my HL doe on January 1st. That way the litters will be born at around the same time, and when they are, I would swap out litters so that my HL doe would care for Pumpkins litter and Pumpkin would care for my HL's. (if they both get prego of course) That way I can get my HL doe used to the DT kits so that when I keep one she will already see it as her young and I won’t have to introduce a whole new rabbit to her. (Since I already wanted them to be in the same cage. ) I will only do this if they show no aggression to the litter switch (I will be watching VERY closely) but I’ve never heard of any problems with this, and know of many who foster, but not really heard of a litter swap... it should be fine....right? I'd like to breed them at the same time anyway just so if Pumpkin isn’t doing well (since she will be a first timer) or if one of the does isn’t producing enough milk etc, I will have a backup doe to foster with. (My HL doe will also be having kits for the first time WITH me. She's had kits with her previous owner.)
By the end of this process I should have one buck in a double decker, one in the one story, and both does in a double decker.
Any flaws? Should I reconsider anything? Thoughts? Comments? I'd love to know your opinions!!