Just thought I'd share something that happened the other day. My husband is always calling me the crazy rabbit lady because of course I have a raging case of rabbitosis, but some of our friends walked in our barn the other day. One of them yelled "How many rabbits does one person need!!!" Well of course I answered her, "at least one more" :twisted: That brings up the question, what does everyone else think, how many rabbits DOES one person need??? :roll:
How many rabbits?
- Thread starter sunrise
- Start date
Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:
I think, about 40 adults would be enough.
probably.
probably.
grumpy
Well-known member
Zass":1xghalwt said:
Close....
42 workin' does & 7 bucks here. That's a little heavy on the bucks, but
I'm working towards 50+ does here pretty soon.
Youngsters....???? Mmm that varies from day to day. 2 does had 22 last
night and saved them all. These new TAMUK bucks haven't missed yet!!
Grumpy.
ottersatin
Well-known member
how many rabbits DOES one person need??
As many as it takes to keep one Happy, healthy,
and comfortably satisfied! I have recently cut back to:
Ten Doe and two Bucks. I just want to keep my finger in the Pie.
I have veered a bit off course and may be starting deeper into Tropical fish
something I had been doing as a yougster many years ago.
I have a small tank now, but like Rabbits it can become Habitual! :twisted:
Ottersatin.ldtimer:
As many as it takes to keep one Happy, healthy,
and comfortably satisfied! I have recently cut back to:
Ten Doe and two Bucks. I just want to keep my finger in the Pie.
I have veered a bit off course and may be starting deeper into Tropical fish
something I had been doing as a yougster many years ago.
I have a small tank now, but like Rabbits it can become Habitual! :twisted:
Ottersatin.
ldtimer:3mina
Well-known member
How many is enough? As many as it takes to still be fun, rewarding and satisfying. I'll let you know when I find that number
6riversfarms
Well-known member
If the cages are full I'm a happy camper. So then the question becomes how many cages do I need lol!
Rght now my count is 37 does, 7 bucks, and 80 something yet to be weaned. I am right where I want to be except for 3 does and 1 buck that need to go camp. So I'll be at 34 does, 6 bucks.
Except I am gonna raise some replacement does out of the current litters so I'll be right back up to 40+ does again. Yikes!
Rght now my count is 37 does, 7 bucks, and 80 something yet to be weaned. I am right where I want to be except for 3 does and 1 buck that need to go camp. So I'll be at 34 does, 6 bucks.
Except I am gonna raise some replacement does out of the current litters so I'll be right back up to 40+ does again. Yikes!
Bandits Bunny Farm
Well-known member
Right now, I'll be happy when I get rid of this last Himalayan, the 3 mixes, and Ollie, my friends mini lop doe (who is out of my rabbitry) goes back home, which will leave me with 3 does, 4 bucks and 10+ bunnies (I have a mini Rex litter due 6/5 and a mini lop/mini Rex litter due 6/7).
BUT... I will be keeping a Chocolate Otter doe and possibly a Black Otter doe from the litter of 10, and if my broken doe has any broken does in her 6/5 litter (which she may or may not, last litter I got from her was a Broken Blue Otter, a Broken Chocolate Otter, and 2 REW..... The 2 brokens and a REW were bucks...the REW doe I sold to a girl who bred her and she got Himalayans once, and now she has solid fawns, which means that she is solid underneath the REW) I will keep one, and retire her.
THEN, when I breed my mini lop doe to ANOTHER mini lop (I was waiting to breed her when she turned Sr on June 1, but my mini Rex buck had other plans :? :lol: ) I will keep a doe or two out of her, so that I have a couple of Mini Lop does just in case something happens...
WHICH will bring me up to...... 12 rabbits (I don't think I need more than that, because with litters, once I get up to my 12 rabbits (8 of which will be does, but my original broken doe will be retired) I will probably have 2 litters every month, one of each breed, back to back (so when the first two kindle, I breed the next two), and if Hazel and her prospective daughters are like Olivia, giving me 7 kits per litter (only, I hope that they will all survive, unlike Olivia, but she only had 2 litters before she died), I will probably wind up with.... Ehhh.... Somewhere between 20 and 30 rabbits. Plus, sometimes random people will call me "can you take this rabbit? I can't care for it anymore", which will add to the number. So, my rabbit popplation kind of fluctuates. :lol: :lol:
BUT... I will be keeping a Chocolate Otter doe and possibly a Black Otter doe from the litter of 10, and if my broken doe has any broken does in her 6/5 litter (which she may or may not, last litter I got from her was a Broken Blue Otter, a Broken Chocolate Otter, and 2 REW..... The 2 brokens and a REW were bucks...the REW doe I sold to a girl who bred her and she got Himalayans once, and now she has solid fawns, which means that she is solid underneath the REW) I will keep one, and retire her.
THEN, when I breed my mini lop doe to ANOTHER mini lop (I was waiting to breed her when she turned Sr on June 1, but my mini Rex buck had other plans :? :lol: ) I will keep a doe or two out of her, so that I have a couple of Mini Lop does just in case something happens...
WHICH will bring me up to...... 12 rabbits (I don't think I need more than that, because with litters, once I get up to my 12 rabbits (8 of which will be does, but my original broken doe will be retired) I will probably have 2 litters every month, one of each breed, back to back (so when the first two kindle, I breed the next two), and if Hazel and her prospective daughters are like Olivia, giving me 7 kits per litter (only, I hope that they will all survive, unlike Olivia, but she only had 2 litters before she died), I will probably wind up with.... Ehhh.... Somewhere between 20 and 30 rabbits. Plus, sometimes random people will call me "can you take this rabbit? I can't care for it anymore", which will add to the number. So, my rabbit popplation kind of fluctuates. :lol: :lol:
Tbgb1912
Well-known member
You can never have too many kits - those adorable we fluff balls melt my heart, and I just can't resist breeding :3
Susie570
Well-known member
It really depends on your plans for the rabbits.
If you're raising for meat, are you raising just for yourself, or do you have arrangements to sell to the local meat market? (This requires special licensing) If just for your family, how much freezer space do you have?
You could calculate how many rabbits you can eat a week, how many average kits per litter, how often you want to breed...
For ME, I still haven't had to dispatch a rabbit. I've not yet eaten a rabbit. I have made arrangements with a local meat rabbit person to do the dispatch and processing for any rabbits I'm unable to sell, but it's not something I'm looking forward to. Maybe rabbits will be so yummy it will help the guilt factor. :roll:
I have 4, 30x36 TSC cages, two large 'condos', and a few smaller cages that can but used for emergencies.
I am planning to build outside hutches. I've been offered a pretty nice, huge cage that appears to be a former chicken cage, but I need to get it moved. It is large enough that I would need to decide how to effectively use it.
I currently only have 4 does (two of which are purebred breeding stock) and one 'pet quality' buck. I need to acquire a nice herd sire buck.
So, to make a long answer short, for me, I plan to ultimately have 3-4 breeding does and maybe 2 bucks.
If you're raising for meat, are you raising just for yourself, or do you have arrangements to sell to the local meat market? (This requires special licensing) If just for your family, how much freezer space do you have?
You could calculate how many rabbits you can eat a week, how many average kits per litter, how often you want to breed...
For ME, I still haven't had to dispatch a rabbit. I've not yet eaten a rabbit. I have made arrangements with a local meat rabbit person to do the dispatch and processing for any rabbits I'm unable to sell, but it's not something I'm looking forward to. Maybe rabbits will be so yummy it will help the guilt factor. :roll:
I have 4, 30x36 TSC cages, two large 'condos', and a few smaller cages that can but used for emergencies.
I am planning to build outside hutches. I've been offered a pretty nice, huge cage that appears to be a former chicken cage, but I need to get it moved. It is large enough that I would need to decide how to effectively use it.
I currently only have 4 does (two of which are purebred breeding stock) and one 'pet quality' buck. I need to acquire a nice herd sire buck.
So, to make a long answer short, for me, I plan to ultimately have 3-4 breeding does and maybe 2 bucks.
I have 9 cages that are readily usable, six cages I only use in summer when the back chain link grows in so neighbors can't see the extra rabbits, and one decent sized grow out pen. Oh, and one large indoor cage too. So far I've been able to stage kits so I don't need the extra six that face the street where the neighbors can see.
I keep a running total of 3 angoras for fiber, five (soon to be six) champagnes for meat/show, and one little pet doe I'm helping a friend test breed her harli her for magpie genetics and selling the kits to pet homes. (Something I never thought I'd do, but have found to be successful selling to responsible owners, surprising!) It's enough for my meat/show/ obsession purposes now, but given a larger barn I'd most definately fill it.
I'd say I'd like to expand to thirty or fourty breeding head so I can actually work on my angoras and introduce Rex again since I like to work with the pelts. I think that would be a sufficient number to show/eat/sell/ raw feed dogs. But that will have to wait until we get a place out in the sticks. Can't squeeze anymore cages on my 1/10th acre without making it extremely obvious we have rabbits.
I keep a running total of 3 angoras for fiber, five (soon to be six) champagnes for meat/show, and one little pet doe I'm helping a friend test breed her harli her for magpie genetics and selling the kits to pet homes. (Something I never thought I'd do, but have found to be successful selling to responsible owners, surprising!) It's enough for my meat/show/ obsession purposes now, but given a larger barn I'd most definately fill it.
I'd say I'd like to expand to thirty or fourty breeding head so I can actually work on my angoras and introduce Rex again since I like to work with the pelts. I think that would be a sufficient number to show/eat/sell/ raw feed dogs. But that will have to wait until we get a place out in the sticks. Can't squeeze anymore cages on my 1/10th acre without making it extremely obvious we have rabbits.
Need ???? Probably not as many as i have. ...
Want ??? a few More.....
Desire ??? A large barn with Every possible variety of the breed i have ...
Want ??? a few More.....
Desire ??? A large barn with Every possible variety of the breed i have ...
I don't covet my neighbors rabbits nor wish to have a variety of breeds to show or sell or whatever. I just want a good buck and maybe 3 good does to breed and raise meat mutts, just for us to eat. The problem is that it is finding those few rabbits. From what I read on RT it isn't easy to buy good stock, even when you keep the best to breed they may or may not pass on the qualities you want. A given doe may have good litters with one buck, not so good with another, even if neither buck has any obvious problem. So what I am trying to figure out is how to get to where I want to be without having more rabbits than I want in order to find the right combination and get there.
I really like knowing where my food, including meat, comes from and find it satisfying to eat what we grew. I like having cute new bunnies on a regular basis. I'm not using hides or fur, but I like a variety of colors which I guess is the reason (not a very good one) that we didn't go with NZW or Cali, the usual meat rabbits around here. I don't tend to want more rabbits or chickens or goats. (This year we're going down to one piglet instead of 2 since we have rabbit meat now.) But I do dream of adding something else--nut trees? fish to stock the pond? honeybees? wine cup mushrooms?
I really like knowing where my food, including meat, comes from and find it satisfying to eat what we grew. I like having cute new bunnies on a regular basis. I'm not using hides or fur, but I like a variety of colors which I guess is the reason (not a very good one) that we didn't go with NZW or Cali, the usual meat rabbits around here. I don't tend to want more rabbits or chickens or goats. (This year we're going down to one piglet instead of 2 since we have rabbit meat now.) But I do dream of adding something else--nut trees? fish to stock the pond? honeybees? wine cup mushrooms?
Prisma
Well-known member
There is no definable number. Just need and want to provide care and be responsible about housing, etc. Any one else's opinion is a mute point and I just see it as plain rude when some one offers up their point of view when they have nothing invested (nor have any interest in what I'm doing) to begin with.
katiebear
Well-known member
This is a hypothetical question...like how many chickens,dogs, cats, goats, sheep ect...The answer is how many can you take care of...before you become "the crazy, insert animal here, lady.... :lol:
But seriously I agree with Rebel Rose..It is no body's business, if they are not paying the feed bill or providing care and housing they can shut their pie holes.....
But seriously I agree with Rebel Rose..It is no body's business, if they are not paying the feed bill or providing care and housing they can shut their pie holes.....
TF3
Well-known member
The number you can care for and keep clean and healthy.
Right now, I am *just about* where I want to be and grow from, with almost enough cages (and ones my husband made much to tall that are awaiting upper apartments!) for that plan.
I have a senior FG mix doe, a senior FG buck that I hope will be herd sire kind of guy.
A junior Cali buck.
A senior Rex cross doe.
2 junior hlops and a junior hlop doe.
(3 does, 4 bucks.. a little skewed!)
We are planning: one more hlop doe and then growouts.
I am keeping 2 FG does and an FG buck for growout (7 weeks now)
I really want a Cali doe (had to cull the one I had) and a light grey FG doe.
My two senior does are due next week, hoping for proper FG colours (potential sandy/ blacks/ rew) to keep, and daughter wants a kit from the rex cross for bunny jumping.
So right now my ideal is 7-8 does and 4 bucks (repping 3 breeds) plus growouts.
Except my husband thinks we have enough! :lol: :lol:
Right now, I am *just about* where I want to be and grow from, with almost enough cages (and ones my husband made much to tall that are awaiting upper apartments!) for that plan.
I have a senior FG mix doe, a senior FG buck that I hope will be herd sire kind of guy.
A junior Cali buck.
A senior Rex cross doe.
2 junior hlops and a junior hlop doe.
(3 does, 4 bucks.. a little skewed!)
We are planning: one more hlop doe and then growouts.
I am keeping 2 FG does and an FG buck for growout (7 weeks now)
I really want a Cali doe (had to cull the one I had) and a light grey FG doe.
My two senior does are due next week, hoping for proper FG colours (potential sandy/ blacks/ rew) to keep, and daughter wants a kit from the rex cross for bunny jumping.
So right now my ideal is 7-8 does and 4 bucks (repping 3 breeds) plus growouts.
Except my husband thinks we have enough! :lol: :lol:
Haha, yeah. my proposed number was for me alone.
Although, having heard everyone's experienced opinions, I think I made to to include some flexibility in my long term plans...you know...in case 40 rabbits proves to be insufficient.
Although, having heard everyone's experienced opinions, I think I made to to include some flexibility in my long term plans...you know...in case 40 rabbits proves to be insufficient.
I was really just joking, but I agree that it's nobody's business how many rabbits we have. I actually did buy more cages, got a super super deal, for 25 more holes, plus a few carriers. Now I promised my husband I would only fill a few and sell the rest. Maybe now I will find out how many rabbits is too many... :lol:
