Hello from Southern CA!

[Meadowlark22]

Hi, my name’s Lark. I’m a gal who loves rabbits and genetics! I started off with a couple pet rabbits growing up, but my desire for sustainability (and my very own genetics project) led me to start raising rabbits for meat and show. I’m excited to join RT and glean advice and experience from those who have gone before. I have been referring to it since I bought my own rabbits, and it has been an amazing find! Any helpful tips, just toss ’em my way! I’m always down to learn something new.

Currently own NZWs (a buck and 3 does), and a broken black NZ doe.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Hello :] Hope you like Rabbittalk

Those are some chunky ladies

 

[MuddyFarms]

Howdy, howdy! RT has been super helpful for me as well. Your NZ's are beautiful- I have always loved the broken blacks especially!

 

[ladysown]

you have some nice rabbits, good luck with them.

 

[Nibbles]

Hello Lark, welcome to RT. They look so neat and heavy. How much does each one weigh?

 

[Meadowlark22]

Hello Lark, welcome to RT. They look so neat and heavy. How much does each one weigh?

My buck is 11.5lbs, and my white does are 10.5lbs, 10.2lbs, and 8lbs. Broken black is 8.5lbs. Hoping the buck will add some additional weight to future does!

 

[Meadowlark22]

Howdy, howdy! RT has been super helpful for me as well. Your NZ's are beautiful- I have always loved the broken blacks especially!

Same! I just had to get her so I have at least some color/pattern next to the wall of white.

 

[hotzcatz]

Not that I'm all that familiar with the SOP of NZWs, but it looks like yours have some lovely conformation. Do you track their weight gain? Would that be genetic, do you think? Our buns aren't specifically meat types (English angora) so other than weighing them for shows (if there ever are any around here) they don't get weighed much.

Rabbits are real helpful for being sustainable. They eat roughage which we can't get much nourishment from and return it in tasty dinners as well as excellent fertilizer for the gardens. For the buns and us here, we aren't specifically 'sustainable' but we're very aware of the length of the supply chain to reach our islands so we garden with heirloom seeds and the bunny provided 'locally sourced' fertilizer.

Bunnies and gardens are meant for each other. They eat the parts we don't want and get excited about it to boot.

 

[Meadowlark22]

Not that I'm all that familiar with the SOP of NZWs, but it looks like yours have some lovely conformation. Do you track their weight gain? Would that be genetic, do you think? Our buns aren't specifically meat types (English angora) so other than weighing them for shows (if there ever are any around here) they don't get weighed much.

Rabbits are real helpful for being sustainable. They eat roughage which we can't get much nourishment from and return it in tasty dinners as well as excellent fertilizer for the gardens. For the buns and us here, we aren't specifically 'sustainable' but we're very aware of the length of the supply chain to reach our islands so we garden with heirloom seeds and the bunny provided 'locally sourced' fertilizer.

Bunnies and gardens are meant for each other. They eat the parts we don't want and get excited about it to boot.

Yes, I track the babies’ weight gain daily from the time they hit two weeks old until 8 weeks, then once a week until 6-8 months, and then either once to twice a month afterwards (mostly up to my discretion if they look like they might be sick, going off feed, pregnant, etc; otherwise, not at all). I’m not entirely sure if weight gain is genetic, but I’m in the middle of testing that myself. I only save kits that have the most consistent (increasing) weight gain with no drops or stalemates, no DQs, and that have less than three marks against them.

I really wish I loved gardening! It’s the only chore I absolutely despise. Rabbits and the yard go so well together, and I often find that the compost pile/area is the greenest part of the yard. I just need to find a gardening friend who I can exhange meat and fertilizer for produce! At least the buns get our weeds and grass cuttings, on top of their normal pellets and hay. And it’s true, they really enjoy the fresh greens that I wouldn’t consider “edible”.