Growout pen help!!

[sjlattimore88]

So I have three 30x36x18 cages for my trio of silver foxes I'm thinking about buying 2 more of the same size and j clipping them together to make a growler pen for the kits I just want to know how many could I fit in a 60x72x18 grow out pen



Also in regards to the male female thing I'm going to be harvesting them for meat so will I have to separate the males from the females or when do the males become aggressive and territorial

 

[JAA]

With 2 breeding does you should have lots of room in a 6 foot grow out pen. As the young are only for meat you don't need to separate the sexes. You would be killing them by 10 weeks I'm assuming so male aggression shouldn't be a factor.

 

[sjlattimore88]

With 2 breeding does you should have lots of room in a 6 foot grow out pen. As the young are only for meat you don't need to separate the sexes. You would be killing them by 10 weeks I'm assuming so male aggression shouldn't be a factor.

Thanks for the help!!

 

[Miss M]

We sometimes go as much as 14 weeks with our rabbits before butchering, and rarely have any aggression issues. It depends on the rabbits, though.

 

[ladysown]

I'd keep them as individual cages, the kits will grow out faster. Just dump 2-4 in each of them. Harvesting the biggest ones first.

 

[wsmoak]

I would also keep them as separate cages. Eventually you will want to select replacements, and that's much easier if you separate by sex.

(At least, my eyes are always drawn to the more substantial boys, and I have trouble choosing a doe from a mixed litter.)

It will also be a lot easier to catch them in a smaller cage!

-Wendy

 

[jessie15273]

I also reccomend seperate grow out cages. That will come in handy if you ever want to grow out a new breeder, or have litters that are different ages. Also, if they are in seperately, there is less competition for food, because no matter how many feed bowls you give, there will always be some that cant pick and will run around and push others out.

 

[sjlattimore88]

Ok so a 30x36x18 cage is a good size for a growout pen im just worried about litter size and planning for the event i have a litter of 10 or 12.

 

[Frecs]

Ok so a 30x36x18 cage is a good size for a growout pen im just worried about litter size and planning for the event i have a litter of 10 or 12.

In which case you would split that litter into several cages. So, for example, you have a litter of 8 -- split that into 2 cages. A litter of 12 - split into 3 cages.

 

[avdpas77]

I have an 96" x 48" grow-out cage and I can easily put 24-30 rabbits in it. There are some advantages though to the doe size cages as the posters above have said. Occasionally, one finds a kit that is OK at 6 weeks is "dynamite" at 12 weeks. If you want to save it as a breeder it is very helpful to know which doe it came from, with mixed kits that is often a problem.

Another thing that I have faced with my large cage, is that the rabbits can (and do)run around it like horses on a race track. Since I keep most of my kits to 10-12 weeks, it can make the meat tougher than those raised in a doe size cage.

Finally, with a doe sized cage, you can use it for a doe, when cleaning out another cage, etc. In fact, when weaning your rabbit, it has its advantages to move the doe to another cage rather than the kits. This prevents some of the stress associated with weaning which can help prevent stress induced enteritis, to which 6 -8 week kits are especially prone.

If it was me, I would keep the cages separated.

 

[sjlattimore88]

I guess my last question is whats the max number of kits can I keep in a 30x36x18 cage until its harvest time 10-14 weeks

 

[Frecs]

In my 36"x36"x18" cages, I have a max of 3 to grow out to 14-16 weeks.

I have two larger hutches -- 36"x48"x24" -- that serve as the first stop after Momma. Up to 11 6 week olds can stay in these for a few weeks. Then, as they start to look crowded -- 11 weeks-ish -- I pull out some. I might either take out one's I want to watch and see....or I'll take out the smallest ones, to put into the 36x36x18's.