Hi, new to the forum and rabbits

[Goatiegirl]

I just wanted to say hi and ask a few questions. I've been reading about raising meat rabbits and, um, it's overwhelming! I'm glad to have found this forum, it looks super helpful and informative.

My biggest question: Is it hard to breed them? I read a lot about people losing kits. I raise dairy goats and am there for every birth and haven't lost any kids so I guess it's easy compared to rabbits. I'm nervous these animals will take a lot of "near perfect conditions" for successful matings and deliveries.

Any tips on getting started in that department? Like is it mostly weather conditions or housing conditions?

Thank you!

 

[Dood]

I re-started raising rabbits in May of 2012 and have lost only 11 kits out if 37 litters and 247 kits : 7 were still borns; 1 was culled due to a birth defect; 3 were weaning enteritis.

Rabbits do breed like rabbits in my experience.

None of my first timers had kits on the wire or failed to get their milk in or neglected them.

I do have one doe, my show quality doe who doesn't like to get pregnant and another that has small litters of less than 7, but both are terrific moms.

I think most people don't want to look like they are bragging when everything goes right for them.

I would shop around for a dedicated breeder of meat rabbits and get a trio of cross or purebreds from them to start your rabbit journey.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Hi, Goatiegirl!

:welcomewagon:

Most of the time raising rabbits is easy. You are likely to lose a kit or two from some of your litters, but for the most part they raise their young very well.

I happen to know a large animal vet and his wife, and they have had nothing but bad luck with their goats. Kids born dead, kids that don't know how to nurse... I think last year they lost 6 or more, and this year they only have one bottle baby. So... experiences vary across the board when you are raising animals.

Weather does play a part. Bucks can go sterile in the heat, and pregnant does may die from heat distress. In the cold of winter, if the doe doesn't build a good enough nest, the kits may freeze.

All in all, rabbits handle the cold far better than heat.

For some basic information, go to each forum and read the "Stickies" at the top of each forum listing. They will be marked with an "S".

 

[AmysMacdog]

Hi Goatiegirl !
Several of us on hear have both goats and rabbits (I have mini-nubian goats and rabbits)
I think you'll find rabbits are easy to care for and alot of fun.
Welcome!

 

[Cottie]

:welcomewagon:

They really aren't that bad, once you realize that they aren't like other animals. :shock: I had a very rough time with it until I got the hang of bunny habits and started pestering everyone here on RT.

I would shop around for a dedicated breeder of meat rabbits and get a trio of cross or purebreds from them to start your rabbit journey.

Please please do this.

Please.

Decide on a breed and research them. Know what you're supposed to be getting before you get it, or you'll end up with a white, red eyed rabbit being sold as a New Zealand but it's really some mutt that eats a lot and never gains weight. Oh, sorry, that was me.

If you have to go very far to get your stock, you might want a back-up buck.

Get all your equipment up front. How will you house them? We're moving toward tractors, but that requires a winter housing option here in Illinois (and Michigan). If you're going to do cages, find a space for them to start with. 2 does and 1 buck will probably need 6 cages. 1 for each original, a quarantine/injury cage elsewhere, and 2 extra for holding back from litters. You'll also need a grow-out cage/area to hold the future dinners.

What will you do with the poop? Rabbits poop a lot. I still haven't figured out what I'll do with it come winter.

If you're slaughtering yourself, you'll need an area to do that.

Do you want to feed pellets or natural? If you want to feed pellets, find out ahead of time how much you're supposed to be feeding each rabbit daily. Otherwise you'll waste feed. If you want to feed natural, find out what you have immediately available that you can feed them. Or do both if you want to combine the two options.

These are all the mistakes I made that immediately come to mind. If I think of more, I'll let you know. :lol:

 

[Goatiegirl]

Thank you all so much for the warm welcome and great advice!

I'm hoping to see what is at our county fair this summer in terms of quality NZ rabbits and then talk to 4-H leaders, breeders and kids that show.

Do you recommend buying at a fair?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Personally, I would be hesitant to buy at the Fair. I think the rabbits are likely to be pretty stressed after being at the showgrounds for a week, and having people feed them all kinds of junk food. However, you might ask the kids who their breeder was.

Another option is to attend a show. Just enter your state in the search engine, and you will see a listing of shows in your state here:

https://www.arba.net/showsSearch.php#showsearch

 

[Miss M]

I second the show idea. Either that, or go to ARBA's website and follow the links to find the club nearest you. They should have contact information for breeders in your area.

Also, unless you are set on natural feeding from the start, I'd recommend starting with pellets. Rabbits are pretty easy once you learn them, but there is a pretty good learning curve. It's probably best for you and the buns if you aren't trying to learn them and the intricacies of natural feeding at the same time. But it can be done.

Welcome to RabbitTalk! :welcomewagon: You have come to the right forum for meat rabbits.

 

[Ivory]

I just wanted to say hi and ask a few questions. I've been reading about raising meat rabbits and, um, it's overwhelming! I'm glad to have found this forum, it looks super helpful and informative.

Welcome to RT, you've definitely come to the right forum. I've learned lots here, and I have raised rabbits for years.

My biggest question: Is it hard to breed them?

Crossbreds, which is what you'll most likely be using for meat, usually breed like, well, like rabbits. Keep back babies from your best mothers (largest litters, most surviving to weaning) for your next generation of breeding stock.

Once you start getting into purebreds, the rarer/more expensive/more you like them breeds, can be guaranteed to give you headaches in the breeding department.

I read a lot about people losing kits.

Rule number 1 for raising rabbits is that rabbits die.
Rule number 2 is that you can't do anything about rule number 1

Expect to lose some kits. Everyone does, sometimes whole litters die through no fault of the breeder.

If you find yourself losing a lot of kits, some thing may be wrong with your rabbit husbandry. (please note, this is the generic "you" I'm referring to here, I don't actually mean you yourself,)

I raise dairy goats and am there for every birth and haven't lost any kids so I guess it's easy compared to rabbits. I'm nervous these animals will take a lot of "near perfect conditions" for successful matings and deliveries.

Rabbits are tough, in a fragile sort of way. We all do our best to keep our rabbits in perfect conditions but its not always possible.

So long as they are well fed, healthy and clean, rabbits will mostly take care of the rest themselves.

[/quote]Any tips on getting started in that department? Like is it mostly weather conditions or housing conditions?

[/quote]

Weather is a big factor in rabbit health. A wild rabbit goes underground to protect itself from the elements, a caged domestic rabbit can't do that, so they need protection from all weather extremes.

Heat is the biggest killer IMO it can kill a perfectly healthy rabbit in a couple of hours.
Cold is usually well tolerated unless the rabbits are compromised in some other way. (young/old/sick/stressed/underweight)
Wet - while a light shower can be tolerated, constant wet conditions will kill rabbits.
Wind - rabbits don't like draughts or wind whistling through their cages, they should always have shelter on the windward side.

I won't get into the intricacies of housing. There are as many ways of housing a rabbit as there are breeds.