Hi, I'm new here

[AShelBunny]

I'm new!
I'm anxious.
Resources and helpful advice?
Currently have a male and female pair that have had previous litters and have another doe "in the making" with our friend we are buying.
Have experience with chickens and ducks.
We are doing the baptism by fire method, I guess, that's how we do things. We've had lots of failures.

 

[Hoppy]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Alaska Satin]

I'm new!
I'm anxious.
Resources and helpful advice?
Currently have a male and female pair that have had previous litters and have another doe "in the making" with our friend we are buying.
Have experience with chickens and ducks.
We are doing the baptism by fire method, I guess, that's how we do things. We've had lots of failures.

I think that raising livestock almost always involves baptism by fire and lots of failures, if you stick with it longer than a year or two anyway. Even folks that grow up in ag often find things to be different once they're out on their own, making their own decisions. I know that my close rabbit breeder friends and I - among three of us, we have approximately 70 years of experience - frequently have reason to comment that there's always something new (and usually not good).

The silver lining to coming out the other side of failures, is that I really love it when others can learn from my mistakes. You'll get there too!

I've found the very best resources to be other breeders, so if you can find some of those to stay in contact with, that's ideal. (I'm thinking personal contacts, but this forum is also an outstanding resource in that regard.) When I sell anyone rabbits I try to make them understand that there is no amount of questions that will bother me, and I encourage them to ask, since I really want them to be successful (see above about learning from some else's mistakes!). If you can strike up a relationship with your rabbits' breeder, that would be great. If he/she raises them for show, ask about when the next show is and go walk around and talk to the folks there. I don't know specifically about OK, but most rabbit folks I've met are pretty keen to talk about their rabbits.

For printed resources regarding general rabbit care, some decent ones are:

The ARBA's Official Guidebook to Raising Better Rabbits & Cavies
- You get this when you join the ARBA, and I suggest that's worth doing. It's not expensive, and you also get a bi-monthly color magazine full of interesting and useful information. It's not just for people raising rabbits for show. Find out more here: Join the ARBA
Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits
Rabbit Raising Problem Solver https://www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-raising-problem-solver.html
Websites I like and still use a lot or at least occasionally include:
This forum
The ARBA website https://arba.net/https://www.raising-rabbits.com
Enjoy those new bunnies!

 

[TKT]

I'm new!
I'm anxious.
Resources and helpful advice?
Currently have a male and female pair that have had previous litters and have another doe "in the making" with our friend we are buying.
Have experience with chickens and ducks.
We are doing the baptism by fire method, I guess, that's how we do things. We've had lots of failures.

Welcome!

I'm new and anxious too! I researched (read obsessively for months) both rabbits and Coturnix quail 4 years ago, the husband scoffed, then I decided to go ahead with the quail two years ago when he suddenly wanted chickens, which I can't eat, so I have two years of caring for and raising quail under my belt. I just added rabbits. I've been gardening for years but went big 4 years ago, and doubled my space last summer. I have bags and bags of feed and dog kibble behind my couch and a good stock of wheat berries, lentils, split peas and rice for us because it can also feed the quail, the quail feed us and the dogs, and all the winter greens supplement all of us. My dogs nibble the baby greens like connoisseurs. I have been periodically having trouble getting feed for the quail locally, and found a soy free feed I liked much better than Purina on Chewy, and it just went up $20 a 50 lb bag overnight! So back to square one.

 

[dlynn]

Welcome!

I'm new and anxious too! I researched (read obsessively for months) both rabbits and Coturnix quail 4 years ago, the husband scoffed, then I decided to go ahead with the quail two years ago when he suddenly wanted chickens, which I can't eat, so I have two years of caring for and raising quail under my belt. I just added rabbits. I've been gardening for years but went big 4 years ago, and doubled my space last summer. I have bags and bags of feed and dog kibble behind my couch and a good stock of wheat berries, lentils, split peas and rice for us because it can also feed the quail, the quail feed us and the dogs, and all the winter greens supplement all of us. My dogs nibble the baby greens like connoisseurs. I have been periodically having trouble getting feed for the quail locally, and found a soy free feed I liked much better than Purina on Chewy, and it just went up $20 a 50 lb bag overnight! So back to square one.

I also do both coturnix quail for eggs and meat, and rabbits and find them a great mix. My aviary is in the rabbits yard and they seem to entertain each other. (Watching in or out the windows) when that powder builds up in the rabbits feeders, I scoop it up and dump a pile in the aviary. The quail think it's a treat. I also supplement rabbits with garden goodies, kitchen scraps, tree trimmings and sprouted oats in the winter(mixed with small chopped cabbage and sweet potatoes) good luck and have fun.

 

[TKT]

Thanks, same to you! My rabbits are currently in the quail run.

 

[TKT]

I think that raising livestock almost always involves baptism by fire and lots of failures, if you stick with it longer than a year or two anyway. Even folks that grow up in ag often find things to be different once they're out on their own, making their own decisions. I know that my close rabbit breeder friends and I - among three of us, we have approximately 70 years of experience - frequently have reason to comment that there's always something new (and usually not good).

The silver lining to coming out the other side of failures, is that I really love it when others can learn from my mistakes. You'll get there too!

I've found the very best resources to be other breeders, so if you can find some of those to stay in contact with, that's ideal. (I'm thinking personal contacts, but this forum is also an outstanding resource in that regard.) When I sell anyone rabbits I try to make them understand that there is no amount of questions that will bother me, and I encourage them to ask, since I really want them to be successful (see above about learning from some else's mistakes!). If you can strike up a relationship with your rabbits' breeder, that would be great. If he/she raises them for show, ask about when the next show is and go walk around and talk to the folks there. I don't know specifically about OK, but most rabbit folks I've met are pretty keen to talk about their rabbits.

For printed resources regarding general rabbit care, some decent ones are:

The ARBA's Official Guidebook to Raising Better Rabbits & Cavies
- You get this when you join the ARBA, and I suggest that's worth doing. It's not expensive, and you also get a bi-monthly color magazine full of interesting and useful information. It's not just for people raising rabbits for show. Find out more here: Join the ARBA
Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits
Rabbit Raising Problem Solver https://www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-raising-problem-solver.html
Websites I like and still use a lot or at least occasionally include:
This forum
The ARBA website https://arba.net/https://www.raising-rabbits.com
Enjoy those new bunnies!

 

[TKT]

I ordered this book, thanks for the referral!