ohiogoatgirl
Well-known member
Ok I just brought home a 1y/o florida white buck and have a ~2y/o dutch/mini lop/ little bit FG doe. She is the same size as the buck. For now they are in cages. I'm hoping to build a large colony hutch. 3 nests with flip up like a chicken coop for easy access. 10ft x 30inch floor space, 3ft tall so I'm hoping to add some shelf area for extra floor space. Then the opposite end from the nests I was thinking make another part with flip up easy access for feeders. This would also have cage wire floor and be about 2ft x 2.5ft.
The openings to the nests and the feed area I'd like to have drop down doors. So they'll be on a string and from the outside I can lift it (open) or drop it (closed) to access the nests and feeders. The idea of the feeding area being to be able to entice the rabbits into it and drop the door to check them or pull out litters. I'm also thinking the roof will be hinged and latched so I could prop it up and net out rabbits if needed. As I don't see another way to access the 'common area' of the hutch easily otherwise. Unless I make the whole front of it into several doors. Which seems like extra work and I still wouldn't be able to reach the whole thing, and doors warp with use so I know I'd be replacing/fixing them. I'm in progress of designing a kind of bulk feeder for hay that could be hung in the center of the common area.
Common space: 10ft x 2.5ft (25sq ft, wire floor)
Nests: 1ft x 20inch (three nests, wood floor)
Feed area: 2ft x 2.5ft (wire floor)
I know I want to keep the buck in a cage. I like to know who was bred to who and when there will be litters. I'm thinking when it's ready I'd breed the doe and move her in. I have other cages I can pull bucks to for finishing. I don't plan to breed a whole lot so it shouldn't get over run. It gets hot over the summer so I'm going to figure out breeding times to fit there being no litters in the hottest time of the year. Probably keep a daughter from a spring litter so she's ready to breed in the fall when temps come down.
I'm wondering for the feed area if it may be too small? I don't think they would pile in there all at once but it would be enough to pull out a couple at a time. And with a hinged roof I could shoo them into the feed area and nests to trap and grab them from if I needed to pull out a bunch.
I'm also wanting to close in the bottom and put a couple chickens there. 30sq ft. Just a few to turn the manure. Don't know if it'd be some cull hens or raise some broilers. Maybe 3 hens or 6 broilers? With the small wire it should keep coons and possums from reaching in anywhere. I would have to make one side able to unlatch and re-attach in order to clean out underneath though.
I just found my dog-proof trap that I'd bought a while ago and I'm going to set it up in front of the current rabbit cages and in the barn. I caught a young coon in the live trap a while ago but they don't fall for the live traps as much. Plus we have some huge ones this year and they wouldn't try to squeeze into the live trap I'm sure.
I have an extra 2 joule energizer for the sheep netting and I'm considering trying to figure out a high tensile wire around the hutch with a timer to be on evening/night.
1/2inch mesh for sides, 2 rolls- $60
Nails- have
Hinges- have
Metal roof- have
Wood- $5 bundle 'ends' from local amish wood mill
Also I'd like to see if I could do a nipple water system on it. I need to look up the parts etc if anyone knows offhand where to buy that stuff online?
I drew it up. I'll try to get a picture to post here.
__________ Mon Jul 27, 2020 8:32 pm __________
This is the breeding schedule I'll probably be doing:
Aug 1- breed
Aug 30- due
Sept 30- wean
~Nov 30- butcher
Nov 1- breed
Nov 30- due
Dec 30- wean
~Feb 28- butcher
Feb 1- breed
March 2- due
April 2- wean
~June 1- butcher
Of course when the hutch is built this would be weaning the bucks to growout cages. In the colony this would put the litters at no crossover if I sell/butcher all the does in the colony by that date. If things changed that I need to breed more I'd probably do like this:
aug 2 breed
aug 31 due
sept 30 wean
nov 30 butcher
oct 1 breed
oct 30 due
nov 30 wean
jan 30 butcher
dec 1 breed
dec 30 due
jan 30 wean
march 30 butcher
feb 1 breed
march 2 due
april 1 wean
may 31 butcher
april 3 breed
may 3 due
june 1 wean
aug 1 butcher
Of course if I went to that much breeding I'd need a reliable buyer because I don't eat that much rabbit :| And in the colony I'd probably be weaning all the litters to growout cages to make it easier. That way the colony would be easy to maintain. I don't see this happening though. I've never found a reliable market here.
With doing litters more spread out and only 3 litters per year I think it will be easier to transition to more natural feeding. I don't know that I'll switch entirely but the more I can feed them cheaper than pellets and still have healthy good growing rabbits the better. <br /><br /> __________ Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:11 pm __________ <br /><br /> Yall :|
Today I went to check the rabbits and found.. no raccoon.. also no trap! So, somewhere is a raccoon with a trap stuck on its arm... :? I guess I'll buy a new trap and some chain to make it stay put this time... *sigh*
So on I go taking care of the rabbits. Dottie was molting and seems to be done, fur looking good. I turn over to check the vent, see how pink it is because I was wanting to breed on Sunday to kindle at the end of the month... Surprise! Penis! :shock: SOMEHOW I managed to NEVER CHECK after I sold the rest of that litter. Because after that I had this one, the dutch (this one's mom), and the mini rex. The dutch couldn't keep rid of ear mites so I put her down. I had just this one and the mini rex for a long time because I kept saying "ok now I'll get a buck and breed" and it kept getting put off. Ugh! Almost a whole year I could have bred this one to the mini rex! :angry:
*deep breathing*
I talked with my friend I got the buck from and she has a new Zealand doe left that she will trade me. She will use my buck to breed for pet litters, since she has a few steady buyers for pets. Other than that she has all florida whites so the last new Zealand doe wasn't what she needed anymore, so it works out for both of us. I still just can't believe all this time it was a buck!
So the plan has been updated to starting with the new buck and now a new doe. See how the babies are doing. And hopefully get the giant hutch built this fall and be ready next spring to keep the best daughter from the March litter.
I also saw in a facebook group space suggestion for colony rabbits as 2sq ft per lb of rabbit. Thought it was interesting.
The openings to the nests and the feed area I'd like to have drop down doors. So they'll be on a string and from the outside I can lift it (open) or drop it (closed) to access the nests and feeders. The idea of the feeding area being to be able to entice the rabbits into it and drop the door to check them or pull out litters. I'm also thinking the roof will be hinged and latched so I could prop it up and net out rabbits if needed. As I don't see another way to access the 'common area' of the hutch easily otherwise. Unless I make the whole front of it into several doors. Which seems like extra work and I still wouldn't be able to reach the whole thing, and doors warp with use so I know I'd be replacing/fixing them. I'm in progress of designing a kind of bulk feeder for hay that could be hung in the center of the common area.
Common space: 10ft x 2.5ft (25sq ft, wire floor)
Nests: 1ft x 20inch (three nests, wood floor)
Feed area: 2ft x 2.5ft (wire floor)
I know I want to keep the buck in a cage. I like to know who was bred to who and when there will be litters. I'm thinking when it's ready I'd breed the doe and move her in. I have other cages I can pull bucks to for finishing. I don't plan to breed a whole lot so it shouldn't get over run. It gets hot over the summer so I'm going to figure out breeding times to fit there being no litters in the hottest time of the year. Probably keep a daughter from a spring litter so she's ready to breed in the fall when temps come down.
I'm wondering for the feed area if it may be too small? I don't think they would pile in there all at once but it would be enough to pull out a couple at a time. And with a hinged roof I could shoo them into the feed area and nests to trap and grab them from if I needed to pull out a bunch.
I'm also wanting to close in the bottom and put a couple chickens there. 30sq ft. Just a few to turn the manure. Don't know if it'd be some cull hens or raise some broilers. Maybe 3 hens or 6 broilers? With the small wire it should keep coons and possums from reaching in anywhere. I would have to make one side able to unlatch and re-attach in order to clean out underneath though.
I just found my dog-proof trap that I'd bought a while ago and I'm going to set it up in front of the current rabbit cages and in the barn. I caught a young coon in the live trap a while ago but they don't fall for the live traps as much. Plus we have some huge ones this year and they wouldn't try to squeeze into the live trap I'm sure.
I have an extra 2 joule energizer for the sheep netting and I'm considering trying to figure out a high tensile wire around the hutch with a timer to be on evening/night.
1/2inch mesh for sides, 2 rolls- $60
Nails- have
Hinges- have
Metal roof- have
Wood- $5 bundle 'ends' from local amish wood mill
Also I'd like to see if I could do a nipple water system on it. I need to look up the parts etc if anyone knows offhand where to buy that stuff online?
I drew it up. I'll try to get a picture to post here.
__________ Mon Jul 27, 2020 8:32 pm __________
This is the breeding schedule I'll probably be doing:
Aug 1- breed
Aug 30- due
Sept 30- wean
~Nov 30- butcher
Nov 1- breed
Nov 30- due
Dec 30- wean
~Feb 28- butcher
Feb 1- breed
March 2- due
April 2- wean
~June 1- butcher
Of course when the hutch is built this would be weaning the bucks to growout cages. In the colony this would put the litters at no crossover if I sell/butcher all the does in the colony by that date. If things changed that I need to breed more I'd probably do like this:
aug 2 breed
aug 31 due
sept 30 wean
nov 30 butcher
oct 1 breed
oct 30 due
nov 30 wean
jan 30 butcher
dec 1 breed
dec 30 due
jan 30 wean
march 30 butcher
feb 1 breed
march 2 due
april 1 wean
may 31 butcher
april 3 breed
may 3 due
june 1 wean
aug 1 butcher
Of course if I went to that much breeding I'd need a reliable buyer because I don't eat that much rabbit :| And in the colony I'd probably be weaning all the litters to growout cages to make it easier. That way the colony would be easy to maintain. I don't see this happening though. I've never found a reliable market here.
With doing litters more spread out and only 3 litters per year I think it will be easier to transition to more natural feeding. I don't know that I'll switch entirely but the more I can feed them cheaper than pellets and still have healthy good growing rabbits the better. <br /><br /> __________ Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:11 pm __________ <br /><br /> Yall :|
Today I went to check the rabbits and found.. no raccoon.. also no trap! So, somewhere is a raccoon with a trap stuck on its arm... :? I guess I'll buy a new trap and some chain to make it stay put this time... *sigh*
So on I go taking care of the rabbits. Dottie was molting and seems to be done, fur looking good. I turn over to check the vent, see how pink it is because I was wanting to breed on Sunday to kindle at the end of the month... Surprise! Penis! :shock: SOMEHOW I managed to NEVER CHECK after I sold the rest of that litter. Because after that I had this one, the dutch (this one's mom), and the mini rex. The dutch couldn't keep rid of ear mites so I put her down. I had just this one and the mini rex for a long time because I kept saying "ok now I'll get a buck and breed" and it kept getting put off. Ugh! Almost a whole year I could have bred this one to the mini rex! :angry:
*deep breathing*
I talked with my friend I got the buck from and she has a new Zealand doe left that she will trade me. She will use my buck to breed for pet litters, since she has a few steady buyers for pets. Other than that she has all florida whites so the last new Zealand doe wasn't what she needed anymore, so it works out for both of us. I still just can't believe all this time it was a buck!
So the plan has been updated to starting with the new buck and now a new doe. See how the babies are doing. And hopefully get the giant hutch built this fall and be ready next spring to keep the best daughter from the March litter.
I also saw in a facebook group space suggestion for colony rabbits as 2sq ft per lb of rabbit. Thought it was interesting.
