I'm new to rabbits & really could use help starting a colony

[Savy]

I'm looking to start a colony come spring! I need help though!! Lots of it..lol I have
a general idea of what to do but still don't feel like I have enough
information.

I only want to house 3 does together and bring the buck in for a short
time. Maybe a week or two and then place him back into his own hutch. Do
you think this would be okay or would he be safe to be in the colony all
the time?

I'm also doing my colony outside, but they're will be plenty of room and
shelter! Right now I have one piece of the colony finished. It has two 2ft
high levels and its 7 1/2 ft by 3 1/2 ft. The top level has a completely
enclosed section thats 36x42 (to get out of the rain, wind and snow) It has
a nice wood floor with a roof and wire on the front for looking out. There
is a ramp that goes to the bottom level and its all wire enclosed (except
the back thats against the barn, its wood) The floor has wire so the
buns can graze but still not be able to burrow out.

I'm going to make two more section and add to this, 1 section will be
identical to the one I described only the enclosed area will be on the
opposite side. (facing the other one) The other piece will be like a
connector of the two sections (ground level and all wire) so it would kind of
look like the top half of a capital H once its finished. I can get you my
drawing plans of it if it will help.

I just want to be sure this will be enough room for 3 does and their kits
and possibly the buck too. I'm raising the rabbits for meat but I
do want to make them happy still.

Also I don't know what to put in there as nesting areas and hiding areas
for the buns. Can anybody give me some ideas?

I plan on having 3 does and a buck each being one of these breeds but not
sure what gender to get of each breed yet. Californian, New Zealand, A
Large Lop, and I really want a Flemish Giant but I don't know if I'm ready
to tackle one of them yet so I might go with an American Chinchilla.

Rabbits are new to me and I just want to do the best I can for my buns.
I know I want to colony raise them and would really appreciate any help I
can get.

Also I currently don't have any rabbits but will come spring.
I know this is a lot but if anyone can please help me I would really
appreciate it!

Thanks SO much!

 

[Shara]

I would strongly suggest that your does are all littermates that had never been separated, or mother/daughter that had never been separated. I am going through the issues of does who don't like each other right now, and trust me, you dont want to go there. Two months, three does, and all I have to show is a lonely only, who is that way because another doe attacked his litter. I tried to save them, and inadvertantly killed more, since mom weas no longer accepting them, which I think has a lot to do with the kits being attacked.

REALLY think before you get a bunch of unrelateed does.

Do you just like those breeds, or are you breeding with a meat plan in mind? If you are crossing on purpose with a goal in mind, perhaps you could start with your favoirite breed for all does, biring in a buck of another breed, and switch him out later for another of your favorite breeds?

I am aloso new to colonies, so don't know whether your plan is good or bads (building), but it sounds good. Just give them as much room as you can. Make wooden boxes, put stuff in there, all kinds of stuff, so they can get away if they need to. Careful about your floor, since rabbits dig. Making sure the top is covered will help keep your rabbits alive, and if i were going to start an outdoor colony, I would put a solid SOMETHING across the top...maybe tarps...

Rabbits can climb really well, so remember that, too.

Good luck!

 

[akane]

So you are doing a rectangle with 2 wood structures on the ends and wire on the other 2 sides? It sounds big enough but I'm not sure I really understand. What are the entire perimeter dimensions? Are they allowed on the grass? If they are you'll need to bury wire or cover the whole ground in wire (problems with rusting) to keep them from digging out.

I only want to house 3 does together and bring the buck in for a short
time. Maybe a week or two and then place him back into his own hutch. Do
you think this would be okay or would he be safe to be in the colony all
the time?

I've done this 3 times with success and no problems. The bucks are oblivious to the pecking order and do not react to the does charging them so the does give up quickly.

My does are also not related and were introduced as adults. I got concerned several times by the arguing but found that while it looks bad when they are jumping about knocking each other over and chasing the worst that comes of it is some lost fur. They have yet to draw blood on each other so lately I've just been letting them settle it themselves. My colony is 24x12' though so they have a little more room to avoid each other. The less dominant or newer one tries to keep objects between herself and the one starting the attacks until things have calmed down.

 

[MaggieJ]

Since you are starting from scratch, please get two of three young does from the same litter who have never been separated. You will save yourself a lot of troubleshooting!

Your buck can be unrelated, in fact that would be a good thing. Rabbits can take a lot of inbreeding without problems, so having sister does is not a problem even if you decide to breed the offspring back to the buck.

When deciding on how much space, give them as much as you possibly can. They will need shade and protection from wind and rain. They need a safe place to raise their young. Nest tunnels work very well - about three feet long and 15 inches square with a lid you can open for clean-outs and kit checks. If you are making a unit for two does, make sure the entrances are at opposite ends to avoid territorial disputes.

I've only had my rabbits in a colony since mid-November, but already I find that although daily chores are less and the rabbits are much happier, there are many more things that can go wrong and you need to be able to roll with that and deal with issues as they crop up.

 

[Savy]

Hi guys! Thanks for all the help so far! I attached a layout of my plans on how I'm building my colony pen for you to see. Please let me know what you think of it!
Also would I still need to get litter mate does even if I plan on getting them all at young ages? Around like 4-5 months?
I am planning to breed for meat for my family and the breeds I listed are the breeds I favor for doing so. I wanted to get one of each breed to see how mixing goes.
Please let me know anything I may be doing wrong or anything to better my plan!

Maggie your idea for nesting tunnels sounds really good but I'm not real sure if I'm picturing them right..lol Could you possibly get me a picture?

Thanks alot eveyone!

 

[Shara]

4-5 months is already at sexual maturity (I have a 4 month old doe about to kindle, now) so it is definately too late. all their hormones will be going nuts.<br /><br />__________ Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:54 pm __________<br /><br />Wanted to say, as well. I have three does from one litter, and at aropund three months they started fighting. So it can be hard even WITH sisters kept together from birth.

 

[Jack]

Um I have to separate the males from females by 3 months (12 weeks) and separate the males by about 4-5 months if I want to keep the ears in one piece. That said, I think I'm going to make a multistory grow out cage as I don't have much room for a long cage, but I can build up. Colonies are great for meat, but I don't think it would work so well for show breeding

 

[MaggieJ]

I think you're right about that, Jack. Too many opportunities for little scars and tufts of missing fur. I can see it happening about two hours before one wants to leave for a show...