Baby bunnies

[RABBITGIRLFORTHEWIN]

My silver fox doe had kits. This was a surprise to me. Because she had no falloffs that I remember. So I didn't write it down as she got bred. Here is the problem, I didn't write it down so I have no idea who she was bred with. She has had kits with one of the bucks (named Thumper color chocolate with lots of silver ticking) and they are normally black when he is the dad (I don't have his pedigree). The other buck (named Chocolate, color chocolate has a good amount of silver ticking) hasn't been a father before (he is pedigreed). The mother is pedigreed so if the father is Chocolate then I can have pedigrees for the babies
and register them in ARBA. If Thumper is the dad then they won't have a pedigree and I can't register them. The kit's color is black but almost blue-looking (tho it is too early to tell for sure) this excites me because then I will have blue-silver fox rabbits. Can the coloring tell me who is the dad? Mama had 5 kits a little small. Usually, they are bigger when she is bred with Thumper. Also, I didn't know she was pregnant so I wasn't giving her what I would have if I knew. I put a nest box in because she was building a nest and pulling fur I knew it would be better to be safe than sorry. So glad I put a nest box in. I want to have pedigrees for these kits because I can't get another rabbit like the mom because the breeder I got her from died.
I don't know much about registering with ARBA. What are the things the rabbit must have to be registered? What numbers do I tattoo on their ears?

 

[eco2pia]

What color is mom? Black, I am guessing.

What you would need to know is if either buck has dilute in their genetic makeup--a blue or lilac parent is a good clue. Unfortunately, because you don't have Thumper's pedigree, you can't say he is NOT the father. Dilute is one of those genes that can hide for generations.

 

[Alaska Satin]

My silver fox doe had kits. This was a surprise to me. Because she had no falloffs that I remember. So I didn't write it down as she got bred. Here is the problem, I didn't write it down so I have no idea who she was bred with. She has had kits with one of the bucks (named Thumper color chocolate with lots of silver ticking) and they are normally black when he is the dad (I don't have his pedigree). The other buck (named Chocolate, color chocolate has a good amount of silver ticking) hasn't been a father before (he is pedigreed). The mother is pedigreed so if the father is Chocolate then I can have pedigrees for the babies
and register them in ARBA. If Thumper is the dad then they won't have a pedigree and I can't register them. The kit's color is black but almost blue-looking (tho it is too early to tell for sure) this excites me because then I will have blue-silver fox rabbits. Can the coloring tell me who is the dad? Mama had 5 kits a little small. Usually, they are bigger when she is bred with Thumper. Also, I didn't know she was pregnant so I wasn't giving her what I would have if I knew. I put a nest box in because she was building a nest and pulling fur I knew it would be better to be safe than sorry. So glad I put a nest box in. I want to have pedigrees for these kits because I can't get another rabbit like the mom because the breeder I got her from died.
I don't know much about registering with ARBA. What are the things the rabbit must have to be registered? What numbers do I tattoo on their ears?

Yeah, like @eco2pia says, you really can't disqualify either sire if you don't know the pedigree, and even then you would not be able to be 100% certain because of that recessive (if the babies are actually blue). So, unfortunately, you're out of luck with this litter as far as pedigrees go.

The consolation is that while having a pedigree is an advantage, if they're purebred it's not absolutely critical. Registration is even less critical, and you would have to grow these guys up to adult size to be able to register them anyway.

Registering rabbits is different from other animals' registries; you can't register whole litters or juvenile animals. To register a rabbit with the ARBA, it must:
- have a permanent identifying tattoo in its left ear (any combination of letters and numbers)
- have a 3-generation pedigree, all of the same breed
- be at least 6 months of age
- be at least minimum senior weight
- be examined by a licensed ARBA Registrar and have no general or breed disqualifications
- its owner must be a current member of the ARBA and present a valid membership card

By the way, nice job noticing her nesting behavior and saving the bunnies!

 

[RABBITGIRLFORTHEWIN]

Yeah, like @eco2pia says, you really can't disqualify either sire if you don't know the pedigree, and even then you would not be able to be 100% certain because of that recessive (if the babies are actually blue). So, unfortunately, you're out of luck with this litter as far as pedigrees go.

The consolation is that while having a pedigree is an advantage, if they're purebred it's not absolutely critical. Registration is even less critical, and you would have to grow these guys up to adult size to be able to register them anyway.

Registering rabbits is different from other animals' registries; you can't register whole litters or juvenile animals. To register a rabbit with the ARBA, it must:
- have a permanent identifying tattoo in its left ear (any combination of letters and numbers)
- have a 3-generation pedigree, all of the same breed
- be at least 6 months of age
- be at least minimum senior weight
- be examined by a licensed ARBA Registrar and have no general or breed disqualifications
- its owner must be a current member of the ARBA and present a valid membership card

By the way, nice job noticing her nesting behavior and saving the bunnies!

I thought that she might be pregnant but I wasn't sure because she didn't feel like she had any babies and I didn't see any falloffs. They must have snuck one in when I wasn't watching.

 

[Mckatie]

My silver fox doe had kits.

Congratulations!!!! So exciting to have new kits!

 

[RABBITGIRLFORTHEWIN]

Next time I will make sure that only Chocolate breeds her. When do you guys rebreed your does?
When do you guys feel is the best time to wean? I want this litter to grow fast and big how and what do you guys do to help your kits grow big fast?

 

[Alaska Satin]

Next time I will make sure that only Chocolate breeds her. When do you guys rebreed your does?
When do you guys feel is the best time to wean? I want this litter to grow fast and big how and what do you guys do to help your kits grow big fast?

In my experience bunnies grow best/fastest if left with the dam longer than strictly necessary. For example, my best meat pen bunnies have been in with their dams for 10 weeks. Weaning at 8 weeks works, too. But I've found that when they're weaned at six weeks, the bunnies often have a brief plateau in their growth rates while they adjust. They pretty much catch up by butcher time, but it takes a little longer, and they don't have as good a growth profile as the ones left longer.

Unfortunately, what's good for rapid bunny growth isn't ideal in terms of producing the most litters/meat. So unless I'm raising bunnies for meat pen competition, I rebreed the doe at 5-6 weeks and wean the bunnies at 7-8 weeks.

Overfeeding the bunnies will make them fatter, but not generally give you more meat.

 

[dlynn]

Next time I will make sure that only Chocolate breeds her. When do you guys rebreed your does?
When do you guys feel is the best time to wean? I want this litter to grow fast and big how and what do you guys do to help your kits grow big fast?

Make sure mom has good nutrition. Always fresh water. I free feed pellets, give handfuls of BOSS, spouted oats, raspberry leaves and stems. Other greens and veggies. Mine live in colony and control their own breeding schedule.they usually space them out a few months. Only one buck in each family , currently 4 does in each, so always know papa. permanent den boxes, more boxes than does so there's space to nest.watching behavior you will know when ready to birth and which doe is nest building. So start watching dens and know when born. I have seen does living together nurse each other's kits. Mom's will wean themself, kits will start following mom to feed bin at about 2 weeks and having little bites. Mom's are feeding cecotrope so kits will naturally adjust to whatever she is eating. another reason to keep feeding a variety of stuff. I remove kits from colony to grow out yards anywhere from 8 to 14 weeks, depending on what's going on. New kits, getting crowded, crabby does...When buck starts chasing the boys it's definitely moving time. My silver fox seem to silver at 8-10 weeks so I use that as a marker. I have found it helpful to have older kits in family. They are "baby sitters". When cold there is often one or 2 in nestbox with little ones, mom resting watchfully outside den box. Several times I have had kits that had wiggled out of nest in cold weather saved. When I found them there was a couple 4-5 week olds curled around the little one keeping it warm till I could pick it up and return to nest. Color can vary. My silver fox carry all colors and usually have mixed nests. Brown I was told is recessive so both parents have to be carriers. My blacks might have a nest of mostly black but there is usually a few grey and brown too.. my enthusiasm runneth over and I get long winded.. good luck!

 

[RABBITGIRLFORTHEWIN]

Make sure mom has good nutrition. Always fresh water. I free feed pellets, give handfuls of BOSS, spouted oats, raspberry leaves and stems. Other greens and veggies. Mine live in colony and control their own breeding schedule.they usually space them out a few months. Only one buck in each family , currently 4 does in each, so always know papa. permanent den boxes, more boxes than does so there's space to nest.watching behavior you will know when ready to birth and which doe is nest building. So start watching dens and know when born. I have seen does living together nurse each other's kits. Mom's will wean themself, kits will start following mom to feed bin at about 2 weeks and having little bites. Mom's are feeding cecotrope so kits will naturally adjust to whatever she is eating. another reason to keep feeding a variety of stuff. I remove kits from colony to grow out yards anywhere from 8 to 14 weeks, depending on what's going on. New kits, getting crowded, crabby does...When buck starts chasing the boys it's definitely moving time. My silver fox seem to silver at 8-10 weeks so I use that as a marker. I have found it helpful to have older kits in family. They are "baby sitters". When cold there is often one or 2 in nestbox with little ones, mom resting watchfully outside den box. Several times I have had kits that had wiggled out of nest in cold weather saved. When I found them there was a couple 4-5 week olds curled around the little one keeping it warm till I could pick it up and return to nest. Color can vary. My silver fox carry all colors and usually have mixed nests. Brown I was told is recessive so both parents have to be carriers. My blacks might have a nest of mostly black but there is usually a few grey and brown too.. my enthusiasm runneth over and I get long winded.. good luck!

Update. I thought the runt was going to die in the night but it surprised me and is doing much better. I have a few other doe's I think are pregnant but I need more nest boxes and cages. I know for sure that one of them is pregnant the others or a 50/50.

 

[Mckatie]

Update. I thought the runt was going to die in the night but it surprised me and is doing much better. I have a few other doe's I think are pregnant but I need more nest boxes and cages. I know for sure that one of them is pregnant the others or a 50/50.

How are your kits doing now?

 

[Mckatie]

@dlynn You mentioned growing "sprouted oats" are these whole oats from the feedstore? Thank you!

 

[RABBITGIRLFORTHEWIN]

How are your kits doing now?

They are all thriving. They just started to open up their eyes. I checked on them tonight and they all had big bellies. Rabbits are amazing.

 

[dlynn]

@dlynn You mentioned growing "sprouted oats" are these whole oats from the feedstore? Thank you!

Yes. I got a 50# bag of whole oats at feed store for $12. Sprouting will make that become 150#. Big scoop gets soaked overnight. then rinse couple times a day for few days. I have even thrown some sprouts in a tray of dirt and grown for a green grass treat in winter. I like to mix some chopped veggies in. Cabbage sweet potatoes etc. sometimes sprouted lentils. I notice some of my grow outs will pick veg and leave oats (fussy teenagers) but the mom's and dads eagerly devour the oats even when I feed plain. guess they know what's good for them.

 

[Mckatie]

Yes. I got a 50# bag of whole oats at feed store for $12. Sprouting will make that become 150#. Big scoop gets soaked overnight. then rinse couple times a day for few days. I have even thrown some sprouts in a tray of dirt and grown for a green grass treat in winter. I like to mix some chopped veggies in. Cabbage sweet potatoes etc. sometimes sprouted lentils. I notice some of my grow outs will pick veg and leave oats (fussy teenagers) but the mom's and dads eagerly devour the oats even when I feed plain. guess they know what's good for them.

Thanks! I bought a 50# whole oats. About $20 here. Some eat it others don't. I will try sprouting a batch. I appreciate your sharing.

 

[Cal Gal]

Hey! This thread caught my eye! I bred my Cal doe April 1st for the first time! I got 2 falloffs the first day, then the second day she wouldn’t lift so I stopped trying. Then May 3rd she had a litter of 9!!! One was a still born.
Then at about 1 week one died being smothered into one of the walls in the nest box. Then I realized the babies were grayish in color! It’s either they got too cold or too hot.
Now at 6 weeks they look ok but they’re still kind of grey. I’m wondering if it will go away???

 

[Alaska Satin]

Hey! This thread caught my eye! I bred my Cal doe April 1st for the first time! I got 2 falloffs the first day, then the second day she wouldn’t lift so I stopped trying. Then May 3rd she had a litter of 9!!! One was a still born.
Then at about 1 week one died being smothered into one of the walls in the nest box. Then I realized the babies were grayish in color! It’s either they got too cold or too hot.
Now at 6 weeks they look ok but they’re still kind of grey. I’m wondering if it will go away???

Yep, they'll probably end up perfectly normal Cals. When it gets too warm, too cold, or too humid in the box, himi-marked kits get what's called "frosting." It can be in all sorts of patterns, and a lot of times it looks like sepia ticking. It goes away after they start getting their first mature coats. It's kind of like baby smut.

As long as they have those pink eyes, you know they're cals.

 

[Cal Gal]

Yep, they'll probably end up perfectly normal Cals. When it gets too warm, too cold, or too humid in the box, himi-marked kits get what's called "frosting." It can be in all sorts of patterns, and a lot of times it looks like sepia ticking. It goes away after they start getting their first mature coats. It's kind of like baby smut.
View attachment 42133View attachment 42134
As long as they

Ok, thank you @Alaska Satin!