colony vs cages.

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I am starting to lean towards colony raising rabbits. I like seeing them running around and enjoying themselves. But i am so concerned on sickness being on the ground. How many does can be together the ones that dont fight with each other. I guess you can only have one buck in there at a time.
with the cages, Not as much sickness and everyone has there own cage. But heat gets to them more , Not as natural.
I think i am talking out loud. But i need to know your pro and cons on this.

 

[Secuono]

Even if does don't fight when first put together, they can start to fight when one or both are pregnant and when one or both have litters on the ground.
I've had 9 does together at one point, then 5 after being bred. But then a doe was about to have her kits and started fighting with the other does, even the doe who already had a litter but was friendly.
Never had the other rabbits or bucks bother any of the kits or the nest, though.

I wouldn't count on breeding happening in any productive way what so ever. The does have too much room and time to hop away, buck is almost never interested because they are always there and always hopping away.
I'll be moving my bucks into their own pens. Moving a doe and buck into a breeding cage and then back to their own pen/colony.

 

[Tegan]

I'm NEW at this, so take it all with a grain of salt. I haven't had any fighting yet, but I started with a mother and two daughters (and the buck of course). Only two have had kits in colony with only one surviving litter (stupid mom...nothing fighting related). They all snuggle together and look out for each other. Even the buck "keeps an eye" on the kits (if I'm messing with them he comes over and makes sure I've put them all back...it's funny). They are much harder to get hands on (adults) in a colony then in a cage. I have one female that I have no hope of ever grabbing....I'm ok with that...she'll come up to me and sniff my boots, but the second I touch her she takes off. Health is an issue....my colony is indoors, but since everyone is a little harder to get a hold of (if not impossible) forget about doing daily or even weekly hands on health checks.

Turkey has something going on with her dewlap, and thankfully it's minor (she got it wet in the dish and then a bunch of bedding got caked on) but I've had a heck of a time cleaning it up and have to do it little by little as she tolerates it, because unless I want to fight with her I'm not going to be able to pick her up and I can only clean it while she's content and eating.

Because mine are inside my house I don't worry about mites or fleas or worms really. Obviously I still keep an eye out for these sorts of things because they can come in on bedding or hay, but I don't have to worry about anything in the "soil".

I do know that securing an outdoor colony can be extra work to keep it predator proof.

And yes, they definitely breed on THEIR time. I was pretty sure Turkey was going to have a litter, had NO idea that Idjet was pregnant, and I could swear that Grumpy would have had kits two weeks ago (and she still looks like she's going to explode, may have to change her name to Piggy). Thankfully Boyo is a very "take charge" gentleman. He seems to be persistent enough without being OVERLY persistent and annoying to the girls. And it helps that the girls are little hussies....(well, except for Grumpy maybe.)

 

[ottersatin]

Each must choose what best suits their situation.
I prefer to have my Rabbits caged as I am the one
who decides when they will be bred and with whom.
I like to be assured of when the litters will arrive
and what colors etc. to expect, but that's just me.
I see from your post that what you chose is working
well for you, so I would not change a thing!
Ottersatin, C.V.R. ldtimer:

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

yes ottersatin. I have mine all in cages and it is working ok for me. I just was wondering if i turn some of them in colony raise if thing would work out ok. I am very worried on health of the rabbit once it is on the ground and the fighting and dont know when you will have babies and cant control there feed so i guess some will eat more than others. I dont think this is for me. thanks everyone for your imput