Done with rabbits

[Azul2342]

Have a lot of used but good condition crap for anyone wanting to start a rabbitry...I've seen better mothers in the ghettos of Chicago...18 babies by these does and have 1 survivor. This is from a buck, 2doe trio that cost 175$..."proven" my hiney. Had so much better luck with none pedigree mutts and freezers full of meat...then I switch to show rabbits and boom..6months of garbage...rant over..on a side not my garden is looking great this year sooooo blah blah blah

 

[AmysMacdog]

So sorry Azul. Raising rabbits can be such a rewarding hobby, I'm sorry your experience has turned out so badly! Hope the rest of your day is great!

 

[ottersatin]

Hello Azul2342,
I will jump in here and possibly get myself in trouble for stating my opinion,
but it IS my opinion and that is all it is! I believe that you are
jumping the gun, if it was easy everyone woulds be doing it! [Raising Rabbits].
You did get 18 kits born, so the Does can deliver. They did not raise them,
but that may be another problem. What were you feeding and how much?
Perhaps improper nutritional balance played a part. Try the Buck on
an unrelated Doe and the Does with an unrelated Buck.
When you do get some litters that YOU get to survive,
Retain the very best typed Buck from each litter and
the two very best typed Does from each litter.;
Breed the Does to their Sir and the Bucks to their Dam.
Give it a chance, Rome was not built in a day!
You may be tossing the baby out with the Bath-water.
I believe that if you just stick it out, you WILL be successful.
As always, JMPO.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[Truckinguy]

I went through a long period, maybe about a year or so, where I lost a few litters, three litters were born full term but dead, lost my first and favourite doe and just generally had a run of terrible luck. I stuck through it, though, and now have a smaller operation which is working well.

My last hatching of eggs was a bad one, started off with 39 eggs and ended up with three live hatchings. Turns out my humidity gauge wasn't working. Got a new batch in there now that is supposed to hatch tomorrow... fingers crossed.

Don't give up, these things go in cycles. Better times are ahead!

 

[andyva]

Livestock and gardens are like a bucket with a hole in it. You get out what you put into it. Weeds are a lot hardier than everything else. You didn't lose money on those rabbits but you might have paid an awful lot for an education in rabbits. You just need to make sure it is their fault before you weed them out.

 

[Peach]

I hope you give it time. Rabbit raising isn't easy. I've had my fair share of bad luck BUT I have seen success with my herd over time.

I went through bot flies, miscarriages,etc...

BUT now the herd is leveled out for the most part. I just ran into trouble for the first time in a while with the Champagnes and culled them yesterday because of obvious signs of snuffles. That's pretty much $160 down the toilet. The breeder has offered to replace one and give me a discount on the other. I'm just taking a break with try out the meat breeds for now.

Now I'm waiting on a doe that cost me $200 and another the same breeder generously gave to me to see if they themselves have a breakout. It's heartbreaking, but I won't give them up.

There are many ups and downs with rabbits. Hold in there. Sometimes the stock you get isn't always what you thought it was. Been there too. My first year had OK rabbits. My second year,with practically a new herd, I'm getting legs on homebreds.

Good things take time

 

[SatinsRule]

Azul, I have been unfortunate enough to lose 3 does over the past 1.5 months. One broke her back when she got her leg caught in the side wire of her cage. The other 2 died literally in the process of trying to give birth. One of the latter two was an experienced mother which did one of the best mothering jobs I've ever seen last year with a fostered litter of 11 rabbits. Losing those 3 litters had a most definitely negative impact on my Cal and White programs, setting me back to almost square one.

Point being is that it happens. There are no givens with either mutt rabbits or purebreds, and as others have already said, everyone would be doing it if it were easy. I encourage you to stick with it and give it more time.

 

[skysthelimit]

Culled almost my whole herd in October, no kits from August to this February. Lost half of a litter of twelve, and entire litter of 8 to no milk, half another litter.

Learned three things....

Rabbits do not breed like rabbits.

Anything that does work does so as a Grace from G-d and an increase of my skills. Some buns will die to teach me those less sons.

The number one ingredient in success is persistence. Quit becuryou don't want to do it, not because it is not working right now. I prefer to leave it on a high note.

 

[SatinsRule]

Culled almost my whole herd in October, no kits from August to this February. Lost half of a litter of twelve, and entire litter of 8 to no milk, half another litter.

Learned three things....

Rabbits do not breed like rabbits.

Anything that does work does so as a Grace from G-d and an increase of my skills. Some buns will die to teach me those less sons.

The number one ingredient in success is persistence. Quit becuryou don't want to do it, not because it is not working right now. I prefer to leave it on a high note.

:yeahthat: :goodpost:

 

[Ivory]

I feel for you Azul, I have lost good quality stock while my crossbreds just go merrily rolling along like they own the world.

 

[Azul2342]

Sorry just got upset and posted before I cooled down and thought about it...still haven't had these kind of problems before..back to the drawling board and give it another go..thanks yall

 

[AmysMacdog]

Thats ok Azul. We all have days like that. Hope things get better for you, if not, time for new rabbits!!!!

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

It DOES sound like some rotten luck, 18 kits with only one survivor? Rotten luck!!!

But I would give it more time. I haven't had a successful litter yet this spring, had terrible rotten luck last fall, and all last summer and before I was struggling with some awful rotten tempered mutts who had lanky lean bodies and were just awful.

I'm finally getting on track, and am waiting eagerly to see if I can get my first live litter in the box in two weeks or so!!!

It can take a long time to get things running smoothly. But I know with a little patience, persistence and practice, all things are possible!!!

And no, rabbits DON'T breed like rabbits, haha!!!!

 

[avdpas77]

My opinion, for what its worth; don't get out of rabbits, just get out of show rabbits.

Successful show animals are line bred (inbred) animals coming from others line bred animals, from other rabbitrys of line bred animals. The chance of any of the kits being a quality show animal is high.. but they have been bred over and over again for confirmation, not health or fertility or ability to raise kits.

If you want to consistently win at big shows of popular breeds like Californians, or minilops or NZW, you are going to need to line breed. I paid $150 dollars for a blue mini-lop buck 30 years ago for my daughter and it was worth every bit of it... because she won at shows and people wanted her rabbits and were willing to pay high prices for them. Actually she was winning small shows before, due to a good rabbit line, but the big show wins started when she got this buck. As the line breeding goes on, one gets more kits of a high quality, but the vigor goes down hill.

So If you just like raising rabbits and want big litters. Pick your bucks and does out at 6 weeks old from does with a litter of 8 or more (don't take the breeders word for it, pick the rabbits out before they are weaned) You will know the kit carries genetics for big litters and the genetics for being a health rabbit and a good mother. Pic the does and bucks out from different breeders, and if you want really healthy rabbits pick them out between different varieties.

I have some beautiful rabbits that are as pretty and of good conformation as any rabbit anywhere. I couldn't get them into a show, except maybe at the county fair. If you just like raising rabbits, it is the way to go, although you won't make much money selling them.

 

[Miss M]

So glad you're not getting out, Azul! Hope you can find some excellent stock, whether purebred or mutt! :clover:

 

[paradox]

I have indeed noticed that "rabbits don't breed like rabbits" just never thought to phrase it that way. Love the verbiage. Just know you are not alone and hang in there. Through the years it has been my experience that anything you want to breed, doesn't do it well. And anything you were hoping like heck didn't breed, has 12 babies about 6 times a year (ok maybe that's an exaggeration) but you get my point. You know what breeds like rabbits? DOVES. We had an aviary at our old house and got a few white doves because they were pretty to look at. Those things are constantly hatching eggs! We gave up because we could not keep up!

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

I have indeed noticed that "rabbits don't breed like rabbits" just never thought to phrase it that way. Love the verbiage. Just know you are not alone and hang in there. Through the years it has been my experience that anything you want to breed, doesn't do it well. And anything you were hoping like heck didn't breed, has 12 babies about 6 times a year (ok maybe that's an exaggeration) but you get my point. You know what breeds like rabbits? DOVES. We had an aviary at our old house and got a few white doves because they were pretty to look at. Those things are constantly hatching eggs! We gave up because we could not keep up!

.............you know doves are delicious, right? :dinner:

 

[paradox]

LOL - I know some people like to eat dove. I can eat them wrapped in bacon and grilled but it isn't my favorite. It is a darker meat than what I care for. We had them just for pets and they were quite entertaining, but too prolific and it gets out of control fast if you don't cull them. I could do quail maybe. I wonder if they are as fun to watch as Dove are...

 

[skysthelimit]

My opinion, for what its worth; don't get out of rabbits, just get out of show rabbits.

Successful show animals are line bred (inbred) animals coming from others line bred animals, from other rabbitrys of line bred animals. The chance of any of the kits being a quality show animal is high.. but they have been bred over and over again for confirmation, not health or fertility or ability to raise kits.

If you want to consistently win at big shows of popular breeds like Californians, or minilops or NZW, you are going to need to line breed. I paid $150 dollars for a blue mini-lop buck 30 years ago for my daughter and it was worth every bit of it... because she won at shows and people wanted her rabbits and were willing to pay high prices for them. Actually she was winning small shows before, due to a good rabbit line, but the big show wins started when she got this buck. As the line breeding goes on, one gets more kits of a high quality, but the vigor goes down hill.

So If you just like raising rabbits and want big litters. Pick your bucks and does out at 6 weeks old from does with a litter of 8 or more (don'ut take the breeders word for it, pick the rabbits out before they are weaned) You will know the kit carries genetics for big litters and the genetics for being a health rabbit and a good mother. Pic the does and bucks out from different breeders, and if you want really healthy rabbits pick them out between different varieties.

So you know I'm going to get back onto my soapbox. This show rabbits have ruined the world is a load of dung from the lips of PETA. Sorry, line breeding is not the enemy, even good meat breeders will tell you that, ask Grumpy, who rarely brings in stock, I'd call that some heavy line breeding.
Secondly, who wants a meaty butt if it won't reproduce and stay healthy? I don't chose conformation over health, temperament, reproductive abilities, etc. I don't know anyone who does. What go would it d me to have a Rex that only has 3-4 kits, can't raise litters, has a high percentage of kits die? This group has been inbred for 4 years. I average 8-11 kits per litter, even the hollands and Jersey Woolies have at least 5 kits. You would just have to take my word for it, i don't allow people to enter my barn and i certainly would not parade the whole litter out for someone to see. By selling age I've culled half the litter for meat and conformation anyway.I have not lost one kit to sickness since I culled that doe. Most of the herd has legs before the Rex aged out, Jerseys have legs, registered, Silver Fox shown and placed well before being bred. With expensive show rabbits, they'd better produce their weight in kits. I don't cull unshowables to pet homes, culls are terminal. One of my special colors, brought clear across the county bit me last week, he was dead within minutes.
The point is, you will find good and bad everywhere, just don't writ it off because they are show lines. My show lines are my meat lines firstly, always inform breeders of your goals, so you can get what you need. And even still, they are living creatures an therefore unpredictable.

 

[SatinsRule]

I am one breeder who prefers smaller litter sizes in terms of numbers, mainly because my overall experience is that rabbits from smaller litters develop better over the long haul, they make more efficient use of what limited cage space I have, and they turn out to be plenty adequate mothers and fathers as adults. I'd much rather have 3-6 really good kits than 8+ average ones.

Don't judge the bucks' or does' success based upon how many rabbits wind up in each nest box. Unless you're specifically raising them on a commercial basis, choose quality over quantity, and the rest will usually take care of itself.