How many holes needed for small rabbitry

[squidpop]

I've been thinking of trying to breed blue eyed white BEW Netherland Dwarfs or Jersey Woolies. I can not find any BEW NDs in New Zealand except 2nd generation Mini lop cross to Netherland Dwarf, So I would be starting with BEW minilop/ND crosses and breeding them to typey ND bucks.

So my question is, how many holes/cages would I need?
Also, how many generations would it take?

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

I have no Idea but I wish you the best on your breeding project. What is available there for Jersey Woolys?

 

[-HRanchito]

You can tell which ones carry the vienna gene, yes? So that takes the guesswork out of it. Maybe the question is how many holes you can afford to have? You can use pretty small cages, at least

 

[3mina]

The answer to that question is "how many can you afford?" I have 26 and I'm looking for more all the time

 

[squidpop]

I can afford the cages but it is the space and the physical time it takes to look after them I worry about. I was hoping since its only one color I'm after I could keep it down under 16, but I'm wondering if that is possible?

 

[SatinsRule]

It depends upon what your definiton of a "small rabbitry" is, and upon how many working brood does and bucks you intend to have. The number of different varieties you wish to have will also go a long way toward determining how much cage space you should have.

With only one variety, I cannot imagine that 20-25 cages would be inadequate. Not saying that you have to have that many rabbits on a regular basis, but that number of holes would give you flexibility in allowing development prior to culling.

 

[squidpop]

How do people take care of all their rabbits when they have more than 20? Feeding them and filling all the water bottles and cleaning all the poos and the wees?-- maybe that's another topic for a post, how many hours per day do people spend?

 

[Oceanrose]

Depends on how you have it set up. When bred Dwarfs, I had up to 35 holes going. Now with the Angoras I plan to keep it below 20. But I spent about an hour a day, plus 3-4 hours cleaning a week (I had them all in cages with trays). But at the time, I was small potatoes, most of the dwarf breeders I was around had a minimum of 75 cages. Biggest rabbitry I ever saw in person was a 200 hole one, with 175 rabbits living there. And it was the cleanest, least smelly one too. She loved her bunnies and really spent time keeping them up to her level of care. If I was in a hurry, I could feed/water in 20 minutes easy. I liked to take time and pet and cuddle bunnies too.

This go round I am really anxious to make sure I don't have to spend as much time cleaning, so I am going with no trays except maybe in a couple grow out cages. Of course I also have grooming, but I am keeping that to a system, so no problems with that yet.

 

[SatinsRule]

How do people take care of all their rabbits when they have more than 20? Feeding them and filling all the water bottles and cleaning all the poos and the wees?-- maybe that's another topic for a post, how many hours per day do people spend?

Time management and dedication, my friend. It takes me far less time in a week to feed, water, clean waste, etc. than it typically takes me to drive to a show.

 

[skysthelimit]

How do people take care of all their rabbits when they have more than 20? Feeding them and filling all the water bottles and cleaning all the poos and the wees?-- maybe that's another topic for a post, how many hours per day do people spend?

I spend about 20 minutes in the am feeding and watering. Easier with metal feeders and would even be easier with an auto water system, but I have no way to keep it warm in the winter, so it will be crocks all winter and that will the hard part. I empty 5 trays a day, Mon-Fri, with a total of 35 with trays and 4 without. the winter will be easier because I can leave a tray longer 5-7 days. After work I love to spend time with bunnies, so I don't count that.

 

[squidpop]

Gosh, I must be slow - I think it takes me 30 minutes to feed and water 5, and then I move a hutch outside for the bunny that mows my yard for me. I need to develop a system, also I have a hard time staying on task and not stopping to play with the bunnies.

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

If you are developing BEWS, that will take way more space than going for a colour that is standard or highly available in your area. You will most likely have to rely on very heavy culling to keep things small. BEWs are always a larger project because you have to work with VC's a lot, and introducing excellent type requires usually using non bew to do so.

 

[cowgirl9768]

I own 8 holes (breed BEW's) just have to sell of the ones you don't want. If you are not really looking to make a profit it doesn't matter how many holes. With lionhead when you cross them the 5th generation is purebred. I'm pretty sure it's the same with NDs.

 

[akane]

In colony we feed and water 50 in about 10mins. Downside is twice a year I have to spend several days, often gets dragged out in to a couple wheel barrel fulls a day for weeks, scooping out the colony pens.

 

[squidpop]

Cowgirl omg! your lionhead bunnies are so cute!

 

[Peach]

I have just under 20 fillled ( I should really count them sometime soon LOL) at the moment.I have 32 holes. 28 for Mini Lops only. Others have been given to My bonded pair Jack and Gus ,English lop (I had to have one),cali doe, and my BF's old mutt rabbit. Jfeeders make feeding easier, but I only have water bottles, but I keep a 5 gallon bucket filled and just refill them that way. If I'm in a rush, it takes me only 15-20 minutes to take care of the gang. Playing with them adds a lot of time. I was going to set up a watering system....but then it has started to get cold. They will be a project for spring I have shaving on the floor and maintain it. I hose the ramps for the upper level cages every few days. Full Cleaning is done every 2 weeks(Sometimes even more often.Especially when babies are moved to the main herd). Full Cleaning will take up a few hours because I wheel the waste to a compost pile. Takes a few trips to get back and forth. I'm happy with my number of cages. I only ever meant to have 10, but to be able to grow out stock it has helped a bunch. I wouldn't want to really go over this number of cages with the space I have available. It's a lot of work to clean. A birdie told me I would be getting a shed hopefully by the new year....so if that works out, I'll be able to make adjustments and maybe add a few more.....We will see though. Their feed bill is quite a bit as it is! I don't really rely on pet sales to feed the herd because I hold on to them so much longer than I used to. So many people want them as young as possible, but to pick out your true keeper, you need to give them time. I will only cull major faults at 8 weeks.

 

[skysthelimit]

I hold on to them so much longer than I used to. So many people want them as young as possible, but to pick out your true keeper, you need to give them time. I will only cull major faults at 8 weeks.

When you have a slow growing breed you have to hold onto them longer, and you need more holes. Rex grow so much better in single holes, but with 3 does having litters of 7-12 each, there are not enough holes for them to all grow out . they all look so similar, and I have probably culled kits I shouldn't have for lack of space.

 

[Cindi Davis]

I own 8 holes (breed BEW's) just have to sell of the ones you don't want. If you are not really looking to make a profit it doesn't matter how many holes. With lionhead when you cross them the 5th generation is purebred. I'm pretty sure it's the same with NDs.

HE could use the ND for the Lionheads as well since they were used in developing the breed couldnt he??<br /><br />__________ Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:01 am __________<br /><br />I have 11 cages with rabbits in them and 5 empties for grow outs which will be filled in about a month. Than freezer camp around Thanksgiving

 

[Chastain's rabbits]

By what I know color project take LOTS of time and Patience. I am currently working on 2 color projects, the harlequin dutch and Harlequin/ magpie Netherland dwarf. I currently have 32 holes All filled with more rabbits on the way from convention.

 

[squidpop]

The harlequin and magpie nethies must be beautiful- it I wasn't committed to the bews and wanted to do another color I would try for magpie- there is a person in New Zealand who is working on magpie but she's several generations away from getting the size right.<br /><br />__________ Fri Oct 12, 2012 3:33 am __________<br /><br />I just thought of other questions I have. What size cages would be ideal for a netherland dwarf rabbitry? I can get a really good deal on cages that are 18 x 30 inches including trays, but is that too small? Also, whenever I look at photos of rabbitries they almost never have litter boxes in the indoor cages, seems like litter boxes make things easier so why not litter boxes?