Cottontail rabbits

[drowe005]

Anyone raise cottontails or anyone you know of? Any breeders?

 

[MaggieJ]

Cottontail rabbits are a different species from domestic rabbits and cannot interbreed with them. They do not do well in captivity and in many areas it is illegal to keep them anyway.

 

[drowe005]

I was just curious about it, I did a google search on it and found limited information on the subject. Seems like a few said they're very easy to raise in captivity, and others say not so much. If they can't interbreed with domestic rabbits, that kinda blows my plans. Between all rabbits, I think cotton tails have the coolest and most interesting furs of all rabbits, just my opinion though. I was either trying to introduce that coloring into a line or breed a pair for meat and fur production. When ever I dispatch a rabbit, not only the meat is kept, but the hide is also and I would love to have a surplus of cottontail hides. As uncommon as it may sound, I think a cottontail jacket would make the best natural camo ever.

 

[arachyd]

There are domestic rabbits with that coloring. You shouldn't have any trouble developing a line of them.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

sounds like you might want to check out san jaun rabbits. please note that i have heard they are illegal to keep in some places, so you would have to find that out.
video link of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho2dMiwZ ... f8iuKRQ%3D
the video has some info on it as well. quite interesting. i have heard that they are difficult to keep though. and heard that they never become friendly. so you may have difficulties moving your breeders.
good luck

 

[drowe005]

Thanks alot, San Juan rabbits to seem to look almost identical fur wise, with the body looking a little larger. I think I may be in the market for a San Juan pair in the near future. Just curious if you knew whether there is much of a market out there for people purchasing San Juans for pets, breeding, etc?

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

most of them sell to people training huntin dogs. only ads i have seen for them were for that.
from what i read of their temperment i would say only sell them as pets if you want a very bad reputation. lol. at least that is the impression i got from the little bit i have found to read of the temperment of the breed. which is very very little.

they seem to be best fit for someone wanting a no-fuss rabbit. and less worry getting too attached to them to be able to slaughter because they arent friendly and arent as appealing to the eye.
personally i like the wild rabbit color alot. i think this is mostly "they are all the same" and ya cant pick favorites kinda idea.

and as for market, really you would have to find out that for your own area.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

The San Juan is basically a feral domestic rabbit. "supposedly' they smell like cottontails-- but, I don't have a beagle's nose- so cannot verify.
here, in Ohio, they may be kept, but like any other domestic species, it is illegal to turn them loose. Most states do have regulations concerning the release of non-native species of animals, and the San Juan is non-native. (They 'escaped' from 'cultivation' on San Juan Island, hence their name)
If ypu want a wild colored rabbit-- get a bunch of reddish cast agoutis, let a bunch breed together, and see what pops out as far as your shading, pattern and color preferences, cull the rest, and you have what you want-- a 'wild' colored rabbit..

 

[Ole Mule]

The European wild rabbits were first documented on San Juan Island in 1929 that's where they got their name from, but are thought to have been introduced much earlier between 1875 and 1895. The San Juan will inter breed with domestic rabbits because all domestic rabbits were developed from European rabbits. The cotton tail Sylvilagus floridanus) will not breed with the European rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus which is what our tame rabbits are.

 

[Secuono]

San Juans are all over the place on CL for dog baiting and hunting. Cheap wild rabbits, they don't look all that fancy to me.
I think if you could keep real cotton tails, a secured, colony type enclosure would work best to get them to breed w/o loosing their wild minds.

 

[azbowhunter]

Sky Island in show low AZ has a line of cottontail look alike that are pretty neat.
Looks just like a cottontail with domestic genetics from what i understand.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

The cottontail rabbit is NOT a colony animal-- They are loners--and even more territorial than our meanest domestic does!!!

 

[Secuono]

The cottontail rabbit is NOT a colony animal-- They are loners--and even more territorial than our meanest domestic does!!!

Then still, in a set up that gives them lots of room and not in a tiny cage where they will thrash and break bones.

I wonder how many generations would it take of selecting the calmest in the litters before you could have them in regular cages w/o them freaking out? Would first generation kits that are handled since birth, be any easier to deal with?

 

[hoodat]

Domestic rabbits that have run wild will eventually revert to the aghouti color which was their original color. It may take a few generations but it will happen, just as wild dogs will revert to the yellow dogs like the dingos in Australia.

 

[Dood]

Would

kits that are handled since birth, be any easier to deal with?

No, I have fostered cotton tail born from injured mothers and young kits when I was an animal rehabilitator and kept adults who could not be released due to injuries. They cannot tolerate handling as adults at all and can literally die of fright, the kits are one of the hardest animals to bottle feed due to the intense stress they experience every time you go to feed them. They never tame up or bond in any way to people, but thankfully they can be released at a comparatively young age and you don't need to worry about them associating people with food.

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

I wonder why do that when every single domestic breed pretty much has the agouti colour in its gene pool? There are even tons out there with a lot more rufous in their coats to make them even more impressive looking! I saw the SKY Island and all they seem to be is NZ crosses but all agouti-coloured. Thats not hard to do if all you breed together are the agouti ones as they are the most dominant colour.....I think though, they may have to explain themselves to know-nothing ag. reps if they get in their radar!

aaand i just realized how old this thread really is!!

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Domestic rabbits that have run wild will eventually revert to the aghouti color which was their original color. It may take a few generations but it will happen, just as wild dogs will revert to the yellow dogs like the dingos in Australia.

Dood, I remember when training to feed cottonatail kits, baby squirrels, etc, we were told 'sternum down'

DUH!!!

Even at 8 weeks, Marsha's kits flip onto their backs to feed-- It is no wonder cottontails are a rehabber's nightmare!!