Getting a little frustrated.

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guinnessguy

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So I got into rabbits in October. Got myself 2 NZW does, one Palomino (crossed with "something") buck. Then I picked up a Lionhead doe.

So far, I've had one successful litter, from the Lionhead doe. She was due yesterday, and missed. Should my NZW's miss this week, they will respectively be on strike 3 for the one affectionately Top-Left, and strike 2 for Top-Right (cage positions helped me choose their names).

I'm onto my 4th 40-lb bag of feed for these munchers (along with the first litter, now in freezer camp, and 2 Mini Rexes that will be "of age" in march). I'm getting fed up, and not fed!

I've lined up a replacement breeding pair (for strike 3 doe, and my buck), of dutch rabbits. I'm going a bit smaller, intentionally, to save some $$$ on feed. After what I've read about Florida Whites, and what Storey's Guide to Rabbits says about Dutch Rabbits, I hope to fare better. Next weekend, should my NZW miss, she's going to freezer camp, and my buck won't be too far behind.

Thanks for listening/reading. I need to get the frustrations off my chest.

Anyone else grow Dutch's for the table?
 
Now that is some rotten luck. I wonder if they were old? That is an awful lot of missing.

You may have spent some $$ on food, but just try to think of it as tuition...you are learning what works for you. And compared to real tuition it is sort of cheap, you know? Have patience with yourself and it will work out!
 
I am in the same boat. SHelling out feed for rabbits who won't shell out (or NOT kill eachothers litters) hang in there, it is fruserating, but worth it in the end.
 
Hey guinnessguy,
that doesn't sound like very much feed to me.
it takes about 100# of feed for a Doe and litter from breeding to weaning.
To maintain the rest of the herd requires more feed during the colder months
for them to keep warm and hold condition.
Many times a Doe will abort/resorb a litter do to the cold and nutritional needs.
Sometimes due to weather conditions a Doe may require one more STRIKE,
before she is counted out.
Ottersatin. :eek:ldtimer:
 
My parents raised Dutch crosses for meat.we fed them on chicken feed and hay.with some garden scraps.I felt usually they were excellent mothers and dressed out nicely.the temperments are excellent.<br /><br />__________ Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:36 am __________<br /><br />My parents raised Dutch crosses for meat.we fed them on chicken feed and hay.with some garden scraps.I felt usually they were excellent mothers and dressed out nicely.the temperments are excellent.
 
Eco2pia: I've often wondered how old my base stock was as well. I got them from another backyard meat breeder. He assured me that they were 7-8 months, but this lack of production makes me wonder.

Shara: I'm hanging in there. I'm just going to change some of my stock.

Ottersatin: I feed the rabbits the prescribed dose, as per Stoery's Guide.6-8 ounces, every day. As much as I'd like to hang onto these, I need to have rabbits that produce, to justify the whole meat-rabbit project with my significant other. She's not so keen on bunnies in the backyard.

Curlysue: That's exactly the feedback I was hoping for. Can you give me an idea of litter size?
 
Ottersatin: I feed the rabbits the prescribed dose, as per Story's Guide.6-8 ounces, every day.
As much as I'd like to hang onto these, I need to have rabbits that produce to justify
the whole meat-rabbit project with my significant other. She's not so keen on bunnies in the backyard.

You may be feeding the Rabbits too much. Everything is not cut in stone,
some Rabbits will require more or less feed to maintain condition and not become FAT.
Each rabbit should be fed as an individual. A Doe should be maintained and condition watched,
as an overfed Doe may gather Fat on the Fallopian tubes which will prevent pregnancy.
It may not be the Rabbits fault, each breeder must assess there own rabbits to see what is/are
the best feeding regimen for there Herd.
You might want to give those Rabbits one more chance after placing them on a slight diet/restricted feed.
Please don't toss the baby out with the bath water.
Ottersatin. :eek:ldtimer:
 
If you can, Guinnessguy, you might want to reduce the pellets a bit and give them grass hay to satisfy their nibbling needs. It's an easy way to help keep them trim and very good for their GI health. Cheaper too!
 
Two things that I would point out. First, very few people can make money on rabbits. One hopes to break even and get some good food out of the process. The second point may be more in tune with your situation. For whatever reason, new breeders have more problems to fight than those of us who have been breeding for a while. It seems like ones first rabbits are often a problem. I don't know if whether it is because someone sells them bad stock, thinking they can get rid of their non performers, or the change to a new environment for the rabbits, or just other little things the ne breeder isn't used to checking for. It may be a combination of "all of the above" My suggestion is that you don't try to change much except maybe for their breeding rabbits. Once you start raising your won breeding stock, you will know that you have good rabbits. My advice is to start small and be persistent. It might be good to go to a smaller size rabbit till you get the hang of things. One can take a good buck and two unrelated does, and once things start going right have over a hundred breeders in a years time, if one really wanted too. Be patient, hang in there, and try some other does. Don't expect a lot until you get up and running well. If you think you will start raising litters of 8 or more from each doe every month an a half you will be disappointed. You can get their, it just takes a while to get the process going right.
 
Thanks avdpas77. I think your insight into why my rabbits aren't produce are just. I didn't go with a reputable breeder (first mistake), and never got proof of age, breed or origin.
I don't expect to make money at this, just raise rabbits for the family eating. I'm hoping the next "base" stock will set me on the right path. The size of litters matters fairly little to me (as long as I've got a minimum of 4 kits each time), and I'm hoping to produce a litter every 6-8 weeks.
 
The dutch i had produced litters of 5 too 8 usually 6 but they usually raised them all.I really liked them but for showing the patterns drove me crazy.you can get missmarks cheap.<br /><br />__________ Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:54 am __________<br /><br />I had a lot of trouble with Nzws too.the buck i bought was too fat too even breed.i took the does too a neighbors buck and i only ever got one of the does bred.
 
I would also like to make a suggestion... 7-8 months of age for first breeding can actually be too old depending on the bloodline and how they have been selected over the years. My red NZ will not catch if I don't get that first litter in there before 6 months of age. They get fat and lazy and just won't lift no matter what.

Second issue is that you are trying to breed in the late fall/winter when every instinct that doe has is telling her this is a BAD time of year. I often had buyers wanting to get summer kits and start breeding in nov/dec, but I ALWAYS recommend that new breeders start with fall kits and begin to breed in march/april. At that time of year the doe's instinct is urging her to reproduce and you are working WITH her nature rather than against.

Once you have production going, are a little more experienced and know your own stock well, it's easier to keep them breeding during the winter months. But STARTING in the winter with new does and new breeder, well, that is often frustrating.
 
So I did it. I picked up a pair of Dutch rabbits this weekend. 2 1-yr-old maiden chocolate doe, and a 2-yr-old proven black buck (3 litters), from a breeder who shows. I'm hoping to have them bred within a week or so (I'm letting them get settled in the new digs).
 

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