Children and Rabbits?

[MoonSpiritMom]

ok so this is our first real foray into Rabbits.

I have 4 children, 15, almost 10, 6 and 2.5

My almost 10 year old has expressed interest in having a rabbit of her own. I haven't said yes or no yet to her.. but I'm considering it. I was thinking of giving her a doe once we finish setting up and have had the rabbits for some time. The doe would be breeding stock and would have a longer lifespan then the kits (from the meaties at least) although my daughter is a very kindhearted soul and tends to fall in love easily. So I'm wondering if this is a good idea or not? of course i know my child best... but what did you do when your child wanted a rabbit of her own?

I'm just worried that she will fall for the kits and then have a hard time with it when it was time to process them.. we have a farm and raise our own meat.. and she has never been involved with the processing. she's too softhearted for it.

I'm not sure what to do here.. i really want her to have something she is responsible for, something that is fully hers, that she would make decisions on (when to bred and such) becuase i think she would get alot of good out of it.... but on the other hand i dont need a heartbroken crying mess at the end of the day either.. does that make any sense?

 

[Zass]

I tried giving my daughter brood stock pets, but...I felt terrible every time one grow up to have behavior problems, breeding problems, or was just shuffled onto the dinner list because she had an interesting daughter I wanted to see kits from, and not enough cages for both.

what did you do when your child wanted a rabbit of her own?

I eventually just bought my daughter a a pet rabbit and granted the rabbit diplomatic immunity from rabbity functions.
We went with velveteen lop, because they are awfully nice bunnies, and pets should be nice.
Mucky lives in the house (in a pen) and is one of the only critters allowed to be here without a specific job.

 

[Rainey]

In your shoes I'd try to get clear about what your daughter is wanting. She already knows that food she eats comes from animals she knows even if she isn't involved with the processing. So is she looking for a pet--something that is hers and is kept for that reason, not for what it produces? (That seemed to be the case Zass was responding to) Or is she interested in breeding and raising something and rabbits seem a good place to start? Does she already have chores she does on the farm that help with developing responsibility? Is she looking now for more opportunity to make the decisions and cope with the consequences? Is she impulsive--wanting a rabbit because you just got some and they look cute and cuddly and apt to want something else next week? Or a child who tends to know what she wants longer term? I just think there's less heartache down the road if you have a clear understanding at the start what you've both are expecting if you give her a rabbit of her own.

 

[MaggieJ]

I agree that you need to talk with your daughter some more, MoonSpirit. If she's looking for a pet to call her own, consider getting her one of a pet breed so that she can take ownership of rabbit care without yet considering the additional decisions and responsibilities of breeding rabbits. A sensitive, soft-hearted ten-year-old may just not be ready for that.

What part of Canada are you in? The picture of the outbuilding in your other thread looked rather northern, but that could be deceptive. So many rabbit questions are climate-related that it would be very helpful if you could add your approximate location (province and maybe a direction like north-west or south-east) to your profile so it will be there for the future. I'm in South Eastern Ontario, in the Quinte region, in case you are wondering.

 

[MoonSpiritMom]

I'm in British Columbia! In the Okanagan Valley.
the cold is actually not to bad here... it can get down pretty low... the coldest i ever had it here in the last 8 years was -30 c. and that is pretty unheard of in recent years. so far the coldest it got this winter was -15. it's usually between -10 and +5 here during the winter.

My chickens and ducks are handling the weather quite well this year. I do know that rabbits are different. my mian concern really is the hot weather... it was pretty hot up at the farm (before we moved 10 km's away) this past summer.. it went up to 38 c... and i know Bunnies just can not handle hot weather as well as they can the cold.

 

[EnglishSpot]

My 10 year old daughter has a rabbit of her own. I have seven. When we got into rabbits, I made it clear my rabbits and their offspring were for meat. Arcticwolflady decided that her rabbit would be bred infrequently for a pet line (which is a shame because she's an awesome mom with big litters). We talked about what would happen if the pet line didn't sell, and we planned in advance of her getting her rabbit of what she wanted from a rabbit.

She doesn't get attached to all the babies coming and going through our place because she understands what their destiny will be, but likes them for the time they're here.

So it's really important to have that involved discussion with your daughter.

 

[MoonSpiritMom]

I will discuss this further with the children and make it clear that we are keeping rabbits for meat purposes right now (but i do have aspirations of building a good solid line of rex's for pet and maybe show...depends on how well i enjoy the meaties) If she's still interested in having a rabbit of her own in 4 months then we will discuss getting her her own (or really any of the older children.. i aint getting a bunny for the 2.5 year old! lol and the 6 year old isn't as interested currently)

another question.. do you handle you meat rabbits alot? or should i be keeping my distance? I'll want to cuddle the breeding meaties i think.. lol

 

[wamplercathy]

The biggest issue is the butchering. Once your children get use to the idea that these are livestock and not pets it will go smoother. At 10 your daughter should be able to handle the basic facts of life.

We started early with ours. She knew burger was once a cow, and sausage was once a pig back in head start. We also never told her the cows were hugging either. They were making more burger. :x :lol: :lol: Sit and explain everything and she should be fine. We have a fair share of kids out here every weekend and they all know that the rabbits are food.

We also give food animals food names. Like pork chop the pig, or burger the cow.

My daughter has 1 doe but she's not a snuggle bunny but she wants to keep one of her kits as a snuggle bunny. I am going to allow it, but she knows her kits will be food to help with feed cost and if the doe is a dud she will be for dinner. Here's :beer2: hoping it works.

 

[EnglishSpot]

the meat babies im friendly to, but not overly so. i call all the babies "Dinner". the brood stock i pet and play with, they're going to be around long enough that i need to to if they're nice enough to keep or are they aggressive and need replacing. brood stock aren't pets, tho. big difference.

 

[Rainey]

another question.. do you handle you meat rabbits alot? or should i be keeping my distance? I'll want to cuddle the breeding meaties i think.. lol

The youngsters are handled to check on them in the nestbox and then to weigh them for record keeping. Any that are kept for breeding are handled more--weighing, cutting nails, feeling backbones. My sense with our rabbits is that while they don't mind being touched, they don't like being picked up. That has been explained as a typical prey animal response to being "grabbed". We've only had one rabbit that was really hostile--bit hard enough to draw blood--and she was culled. There was a really helpful thread on handling rabbits, how to accustom them to the necessary handling so they don't get so frantic. I really enjoy watching the rabbits. I like to take them "treats"--their favorite weeds when I'm weeding gardens. But I and they prefer minimal handling. I'd guess it would be different for rabbits that are pets or are being shown or for wool breeds that take a lot of grooming.

 

[Tiny Buns]

Hello from Kamloops . If you get to that point and are looking for a nice pet, my 14 yr old and I raise Netherlands, holland lops and mini rex for pet/show.

 

[MoonSpiritMom]

My 10 year old does understand where her meat comes from. We have cows, chickens, ducks and a pig currently... and in the past we have raised Turkeys and Sheep for meat as well. that being said.. she has never once be apart of the processing. She just has no interest in it and I'm not the type to force my children (or anyone's child really) to participate in the act. She is fine with seeing it after it's been killed, but can not witness the actual act. I get that. some are not ment for that.

So even when we go to process the Meat kits, i don't think she will be involved. I'm just worried that she'll become overly attached.
WE also give our food animals, food names.. Mutton, Shank, Dinner, Porkchop, lampchop, Stew.. ect. and while we are kind and warm toward our meal animal.. we don't invite them into the house... unless they are coming from the freezer.

I think that if i were to give her a rabbit of her own... it would be as a pet only.. for now. she may develop a passion for rabbit breeding and wish to start a line of her own.

I will keep you in mind Tiny Buns! I wish start with the Meaties and see where that takes us... see how my children like the experience of raising rabbits... then go from there. I do think my 10 year old (well 10 in a few short weeks! can't believe it!) might like a holland lop! but like i said.. 1 step at a time.

 

[Tiny Buns]

We started with 2 nethies and it snowballed into 3 breeds and lots of bunnies. We process some of the bigger ones that just aren't breed standard --and by we, I mean me. My teen has a soft heart and no interest in seeing his rabbits dispatched or processed. I respect that so it's no big deal for him to be absent on meat day. All of the rabbits are treated like pets (which makes dispatching harder for me) but it also makes for happy bunnies.

 

[MoonSpiritMom]

We are off to clean our soon to be rabbit house! kinda excited! which is odd for me.. i usually hate cleaning. <br /><br /> __________ Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:37 pm __________ <br /><br /> Cleaned out the "rabbit house" today and hubby and I pulled the 4 bank out from the farm!! Hubby will put that up in the rabbit house tomorrow while I'm at work... then I'll set them up for the rabbits this week. I'll have to get waterers... are bottles best? or bowls?

a friend of mine built a huge hutch for when she had rabbits as pets. she doesn't have rabbits any more and has no plans on it (turns out she doesn't enjoy keeping rabbits) so i asked her if i could use her hutch! She said i could! I'll pay her for it of course.. thats just fair. But i wont need it right away.. i don't plan on breeding until March (for April kindling) so i wont need the 2nd hutch for a while.. and even then I'd use it as a grow out pen i think.

Anyways.. this is HAPPENING!

 

[MaggieJ]

Glad it's all coming together so nicely for you, MoonSpirit!

It sounds to me like you have a high susceptibility for rampant rabbitosis. Please see our Twelve Step Program if it gets out of hand.

 

[MoonSpiritMom]

I've already visited the 12 step thread.... lol :shock:

My husband isn't as excited as i am..... it's a shame really i think rabbitosis would really work well on him.

a neighbour found out we will have babies in the spring and is already asking if her two children can come pick a baby out when they are ready to go.. lol so I've sold at least one kit before it's even a twinkle in its mother's eye.

I'm hoping to finish up the hutches this week.. I'm going into town tomorrow and I get I'll pick up waterers then.

Then i can tell my friends that i'm getting the rabbits from to bring them over!

:mrgreen: :cheer1: