Just finished my setup.... what now?

[TriumphTriple]

Hello all. I have some questions since I am really new at this. I have been really interested in raising rabbits for about a year now. I build the cages a year ago, but around me there aren't a lot of breeders. Sadly the only place I could find was an Amish farmer. I read a lot a year ago but want to refresh by asking some questions. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

I just finished my stand and I picked up 6 New Zealand rabbits, 3 bucks and 3 does. They are approx 16 weeks old. They look to be very healthy.

I setup a 5 gallon bucket that is gravity feed to the waterers. I put galvanized feeding troughs in each cage.

I am feeding them pellets mainly. I will give them some veggie scraps and hay from time to time. Should I always have hay in their cages? With 6 rabbits, how often should I expect to go through a 50lb bag?

Weather.... I live near philadelphia so it does get 0-20 degrees in the winter. I plan on having a water heater in the 5 gallon bucket and maybe insulating the water lines. When it gets cold, I was going to wrap the back and sides of the stand with a tarp to stop wind from 3 sides. Should I wrap the front as well? Should I put a little wooden house in each cage?

Breeding... I read that New Zealand rabbits reach maturity at 6 months. Is this your experience as well? If so, that mean I have to wait 2 more months.


http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f47/lightsdarkness1/2014-10-21175821.jpg

 

[Zass]

Welcome to RT!
Hay is optional, and so is the amount you choose to feed. The rabbits do love it though, and it helps keep them busy, happy, and healthy.
I have a few questions about your setup.

Why did you get three bucks for only three does? It seems like you will be feeding one or two more bucks than will be useful. (of course, you could always try them out, keep the best, and eat the ones that aren't your favorites)
What age do you plan to wean?
Do you have any growout pens for weanlings?

Should I wrap the front as well?

Protection from wind is more important than protection from cold. You will want to make sure they aren't exposed to any direct drafts. You will also want to make sure they stay dry.

Should I put a little wooden house in each cage?

You don't have to, but the rabbits would probably appreciate it.

I'm in NW PA. The winters here were bitter cold last year. Much colder than average. It's been predicted to be another cold one this upcoming winter. I don't know how bad it gets during a "cold one" down that way.
But, if you find your lines freezing up too quickly, you can always to switch to crocks (ceramic pet bowls) for winter instead of trying to keep those lines from freezing. Dollar tree sometimes has them for...$1. Just make sure to get ones large enough that they are difficult for rabbits to tip.

 

[TriumphTriple]

Thank you Zass.

The reason for the 3 bucks is so I could see which was the best breeder. Also they were only $8 each, so I couldn't pass on getting an extra one. The worst breeding male will get culled. I plan on having just 2 bucks and 3 does. I am going to be very selective with the breeding and track the weights and litters, to see which is the best.

The cages are set up like this. Top row is 3 cages 24x30. 2 bucks and 1 doe. Lower cages will be where the babies will be raised with the mothers. They are 42x30. This may be a dumb question, but which rabbits can I keep together? How many should I be able to keep in each cage size? They are separated right now, just because I am not sure what to do at this moment.

I honestly am not sure at what age I will wean them at. Not at that point yet but will start researching it. I have a few more months before they are mature enough to mate.

I am definitely going to wrap the stand to keep the draft out. I will likely use a clear plastic tarp to do this, so they get some sunlight. At what temperature should I start wrapping the cages at? Should I do it now? It is typically lows of 40's right now.

I know this will be a learning process and mistakes will be made but I appreciate any help. Thank you.

 

[Sagebrush]

Typically you would keep a single dry doe or a buck in a 24X30 cage as far as NZ's go. The 42X30's will work great for the grow outs. I would see about making more of the 24X30's if possible to keep them all separated so that there isn't any fighting among those housed together. Does, when close to kindling, get very territorial if in a small space since they want the best spot possible to have their litters.

 

[Zass]

The reason for the 3 bucks is so I could see which was the best breeder. Also they were only $8 each, so I couldn't pass on getting an extra one. The worst breeding male will get culled. I plan on having just 2 bucks and 3 does. I am going to be very selective with the breeding and track the weights and litters, to see which is the best.

That's a great price for that much rabbit meat! :dinner: I'd have done the same.

Most of us do not keep adult rabbits together. Sometimes it works in colonies, but almost never in regular sized cages.


Bucks can rip each others faces off (I've seen a pretty graphic example at a show) Does can castrate bucks. (This I've only seen in pictures, but it was still pretty graphic.) Does will also fight each other. The most common permanent injury I've seen from that is torn ears.

Not all animals will fight that horribly(or at all), but the problem is that you won't know WHEN they will decide to tear each other apart or how bad it will be until it happens. They could seem to be getting along fine for a while, and then...bloodbath. So anyway, yeah, that's why it's usually one rabbit to a cage.

I have a few more months before they are mature enough to mate.

This depends on the lines. If they have been kept together up until now, it's possible your does could already be pregnant. You will see a few different opinions about when they are "ready," but like most critters, they can surprise us by breeding before we think they should.

Most people separate male kits from their mother and sisters by 12 weeks old to prevent accidental breedings and fighting. The babies could be kept with their mothers in your larger bottom cages until they reach butcher size, assuming they get there by 12 weeks. (Most do)

Also rabbits CAN successfully breed through the wire. It's been observed a few times first hand by RT members. I'm still waiting for someone to catch it on camera. So your bucks kept right next to your does might figure out how to do the job unexpectedly.

I will likely use a clear plastic tarp to do this, so they get some sunlight.

I have a system like that, it almost works like a greenhouse to help keep them warm when the weather cooperates. Just make sure it has good ventilation too, and that you could pull it back for unseasonably warm sunny days. A "greenhouse effect" on a warm day could cook the bunnies.

Another thing you might want to consider is adding baby saver wire to the cages you plan on having does kindle in. It's just a finer mesh wire that goes on the bottom 4 inches of the cage sides to keep stray kits from wandering out.

 

[TriumphTriple]

Wow very helpful.

They have been kept together until I purchased them. I will try mating them every weeks to see if they do the deed.

The larger cages have baby saver wire but only 2-3 inches high on the sides.

 

[Zass]

Wow very helpful.

They have been kept together until I purchased them. I will try mating them every weeks to see if they do the deed.

The larger cages have baby saver wire but only 2-3 inches high on the sides.

That sounds alright. Make sure you have nestboxes ready, in case your girls are pre-loaded with babies. Since it only takes 30-31 days start to finish, you could have kits appear at anytime. They die very quickly if born on wire.

 

[TriumphTriple]

I am going to be making them this weekend. I don't like to be unprepared. Is wood with a wood bottom good or should I do wood with a metal mesh bottom? I have seen both for sale and wasn't sure what was best. I will be making my own. I have some extra plywood laying around, would that work or would it be toxic? Any type of inexpensive wood I can use?

 

[Zass]

I have both the wood and metal types.
The metal boxes are more sanitary and easier to clean, but I still prefer the wood with wooden bottoms because it keeps the kits warmer when the weather is cool. I find I can breed my rabbits all winter long outside with the all wooden nestboxes, even during a bad winter like the last one we had.

Many people add a handful of the pelleted pine horse bedding in the bottoms of nestboxes to help keep things extra dry. It's not necessary, but it's a nice touch. The rest is stuffed with hay or straw. I've also seen paper and wood chips in nestbox pictures, but I believe those are more "indoor" materials.
I usually just use straw in mine because it's the best insulator, stays pretty dry, and the rabbits eat less of it, but I will use hay if I don't have straw, and not worry too much. I just watch a little closer to make sure the doe doesn't eat all the hay, and replace it if it becomes wet. If you clean a nestbox, make sure to save as much of the does pulled hair as you can, and return it to the box.

I have seen lots of nestboxes made of plywood. Not sure if there is a specific type that is preferred, but I believe just about anything that isn't pressure treated is OK. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about that? We haven't built too many of our own.

 

[Marinea]

Welcome to RT, Triumph!

I also raise NZ, and believe it or not, I have 42"x30" cages. They started out as my doe cages, but I am transitioning to 48x30. Right now I have six 7 week old kits in one cage, and five in the other (all from one litter). The cages are full. I can't imagine having an entire litter in just one of the cages. Once I get a few more cages, I will turn the two 42x30 cages into one long cage for grow outs.

Many people breed two does at the same time. This helps if there are issues with litter size, a doe with no milk, etc. If you decide to go that route, you might want to consider more grow out space. Right now, I have two first time moms with kits- one had 11 and one had 9. I can't see those 20 kits in two 42x30 cages. I have one litter together with mom in a 7'x30 cage (it has a removable divider I can use if needed), and the other litter is divided up as I wrote above.

For our nest boxes, we use 1x12 untreated boards and wire bottoms. I usually add a bunch of hay or straw and put a bunch in the cage for mom to add as she wants. In the winter, I add a piece of cardboard in the bottom of the box for added warmth. I also hoard dryer lint and have it on hand in case the mom doesn't pull a lot of fur, or if the fur she pulls get wet during birth.

Good luck with your buns! I would love to see some pictures

 

[TriumphTriple]

Thank you for the advice.

I have a problem, I think. Well the breeder I got the rabbits from was using a bottle type water. When I brought them home, just for a day I used water bowls until I setup the automatic waterers the next day. Once it was installed I removed the bowls. It has been a day now and they don't seem to be drinking from the "nozzle". I just went outside and pressed on the water nozzle and they perked up when the water dripped out and drank anything that came out. They tried drinking from it themselves but gave up after a second. I did this with each rabbit and it was the same with all. I put the water bowls back in for now. Why won't they drink from the nozzle? To me the nozzle seems hard to press. I tried flipping them upside down but the rabbits still wouldn't drink from it. Is there a better one or something? The reviews on amazon show people with rabbits using them with no problem. Thank you.

This is what I am using:
http://www.amazon.com/Commercial-Bargai ... ic+waterer

Update:
I just raised the height of the nozzles to about 4-5 inches. Hopefully that helps. Its pouring out right now so I can't mess with it to much. I left the bowls in for now. <br /><br /> __________ Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:45 pm __________ <br /><br /> Maybe I should remove the water bowls in the morning and wait till I get back from work tomorrow when they are thirsty and introduce them to the nozzle again. I will update tomorrow afternoon.

 

[wsmoak]

I am going to be very selective with the breeding and track the weights and litters, to see which is the best.

I'm interested in hearing what data you track, and how you use it to make decisions.

I just posted this thread about a project I've started to do just that!

-Wendy