Those who know me know that I have doe named Biscuit. She's a mixed breed doe.. about 13 lbs give or take.
She's a demanding doe who LIKES ME, tolerates my boy and hubby, and one short-term rabbit sitter and everyone else needs to mind their manners carefully.
She's a doe who DEMANDS to be bred and her behaviours will get worse and worse until she is bred. I'm able now to hold to about a 7 week post kindle breed (used to be every 4 weeks).
She doesn't bite unless you are a buck too slow about your business.
She's an excellent training tool for people who need to understand proper bunny behaviour and what to be mindful of.
She's had litters regularly of 10-13 kits, with the ability to raise 8-9 successfully. Since three were always small I'd foist them off on one of the small breed does and it all worked out well.
She is now starting to produce litters of about 5. Which is still okay, but not quite what I want to have, so what I'm thinking since I have a fondness for this doe and the idea of selling her or culling dead doesn't appeal to me and she will not make for a pet rabbit.. she simply won't.
She's too demanding.
But then I think I"m just delaying the inevitable...
BUT getting away from that thought as it appeals to me not at all.
This is what I'm thinking.
Breed her whenever I breed 2-3 of my small breed does.
Have one of those small breed does raise her kits and then have her raise their kits.
She is a most excellent mother who teaches her kits to be mindful.
She's an easy foster. Accepts kits any age to foster as long as they are in the nest and gone by the time they are five weeks old. (so I can't give her four week old kits but she's taken up to 17 days old kits).
This means I'll be able to rebreed those small breed does on a faster turn around and still have Biscuit with a job to do. Keeps her bred and busy, and means I get to enjoy her company longer.
NOW.. your turn.
Pros and cons of such a scheme? Help me think thriough anything I'm potentially missing.
She's a demanding doe who LIKES ME, tolerates my boy and hubby, and one short-term rabbit sitter and everyone else needs to mind their manners carefully.
She's a doe who DEMANDS to be bred and her behaviours will get worse and worse until she is bred. I'm able now to hold to about a 7 week post kindle breed (used to be every 4 weeks).
She doesn't bite unless you are a buck too slow about your business.
She's an excellent training tool for people who need to understand proper bunny behaviour and what to be mindful of.
She's had litters regularly of 10-13 kits, with the ability to raise 8-9 successfully. Since three were always small I'd foist them off on one of the small breed does and it all worked out well.
She is now starting to produce litters of about 5. Which is still okay, but not quite what I want to have, so what I'm thinking since I have a fondness for this doe and the idea of selling her or culling dead doesn't appeal to me and she will not make for a pet rabbit.. she simply won't.
She's too demanding.But then I think I"m just delaying the inevitable...
BUT getting away from that thought as it appeals to me not at all.
This is what I'm thinking.
Breed her whenever I breed 2-3 of my small breed does.
Have one of those small breed does raise her kits and then have her raise their kits.
She is a most excellent mother who teaches her kits to be mindful.
She's an easy foster. Accepts kits any age to foster as long as they are in the nest and gone by the time they are five weeks old. (so I can't give her four week old kits but she's taken up to 17 days old kits).
This means I'll be able to rebreed those small breed does on a faster turn around and still have Biscuit with a job to do. Keeps her bred and busy, and means I get to enjoy her company longer.
NOW.. your turn.
Pros and cons of such a scheme? Help me think thriough anything I'm potentially missing.
