colony input welcome *update*

[ohiogoatgirl]

what i would like to do for my colony is take my current growout cages (4 cages, each 3x5ft and 2ft tall) and attach them all together. cut "doorways" in the ends of the cages and put them end to end, then J clip them together. this would give about 60 sq ft "floor" space.

i have a doe and her 3 daughters (2.5 months old) that i would be putting in here. i would be taking them out to a bucks cage to breed, then returning them to the colony. the doe is at least a year old and has had several litters. she is english spot and her daughters' sire is a minirex though the girls are all nice size and goodly muscled.

i have cages and a large hutch (4ft by 6ft) for growouts so that isnt a problem. and i have 3 other does who arent going into the colony cage so adding to the colony isnt an option for a long while haha.

wondering if anyone thinks this is too many for that space or any thoughts to add.

thought i had already started a thread for this but i guess i just thought it real hard :roll: hahaha

 

[Dood]

I dont think that is too small for 4 English Spot and X-Mini Rex does.

I would not have 'doorways' linking the cages but would remove the entire end panels. If an opening is too small the rabbits cannot get past each other without entering 'personal space' and the does on the low end of the pecking order may not be able to access food, water or shelter if a more bossy doe blocks the entrance.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

good idea dood.
my reasoning for not cutting the panel completely was because i dont want the floors to just sag and be all wrong. they already are kinda starting to and i'm trying to find a way to NOT have to put wood poles underneath but i think i might have to anyhow.

i'll have to get some pics.

__________ Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:17 pm __________

got pics
this is the mom and 3 young does. plus the lil brown one is a dutch/minirex doe. i dont know if she'll be staying in the colony or not. i told myself i wouldnt keep her but unless someone buys her soon i'm keeping her and her brother (also a chocolate!) to play with breeding them... not that i NEED more! hahaha.

right now they are all in one 3x5 cage. i havent put them together yet. need to find a way to organize them good before i do that.

thats mom in the middle:

the booted brokens:

the broken:

the dutch/MR chocolate doe:

better one of mom:

__________ Mon Feb 18, 2013 11:22 am __________

ok so bit of an update...
lil chocolate didnt stay. third daughter ended up being a son so he went too.

now have mom and 2 daughters together. just lately added my new lop buck lately and i think he's gotten em all. i saw him cover and fall from one and she screamed! never heard that before! i heard a buck scream once but geez, made me jump.

and today i decided the current organization is good as its gonna get so i wiggled things a bit and added the little doorway for them. put bunches of hay in the new area and they were all havin a ball by the time i finished in the barn this morning.

now just to wait and see how the does do with each other while pregnant and if the fur starts to fly when they get close to due. *crosses fingers*

__________ Fri Mar 01, 2013 12:11 am __________

so at least the older doe *should* be due in the next few days. i had removed the buck and palpated the other day. think i felt something in the older does belly but not the daughters so bred them in smaller buck cage. even held them on their backs several minutes after each fall. and each doe was covered 3 times. so hopefully. due date for them 3/27. just gotta watch now... more...<br /><br />__________ Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:28 pm __________<br /><br />alrighty.. update 3/26/13..

the momma, lilac, had a litter of 3 broken black and 4 broken blue. one black wiggled out of the nest ): and died but all the others are fat and sassy! she ended up kindling on 3/14 instead of the 3/2, which would have been 30 days after the first day he was in with them.
and the daughters, blue and spot, didnt kindle.

i bred back lilac to my american white buck before he was sold. due date 4/13.

spot and blue havent been wanting to breed. possible due dates for them are 4/14 and 4/23.

good news too! my cali doe finally can feel babies in her! and gettin a cali buck in trade from someone. she was bred to my american white buck and the black minilop buck, cant wait to see what she has!