Keep or Cull?

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Heritage Homestead

Heritage Homestead

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Hello to all,
I had brought up a question about my sick NZ buck in a different thread (Rabbit Cold?), but I wanted to open another one as my question has slightly changed.
Everyone was pretty sure that my rabbit has some kind of respiratory infection (pneumonia) and I have decided to cull him. :weep:
My question now is this:
I bred my Cal doe to him three weeks ago. At the time he was healthy and looking great (I have only had him for about two months). Would he pass down his weak immune system to the bunnies? I'm just wondering if they would only good for meat and if keeping any of them for breeding stock is a bad idea.
Thanks,
 
Sorry to hear about your buck. Hard call, but it is likely the best thing to do.

Usually people cross NZ's and Cals to get fast growth rate, and they use them all for meat. The theory is that the "hybrid vigor" is lost in the second generation. (There was an extensive post on this topic recently, with different opinions flying freely... I can't remember the specific thread though.)

I will defer to others on whether to keep him- I had to cull my herd sire for a huge abscess, and all my stock is descended from him, so I am not the best person to answer that question!
 
I am planning on using most of the bunnies for meat, but I also wanted to experiment with breeding a cross back to a NZ. Besides the very bad reason of it just being my very first litter and wanting to keep some of my "first fruits" (that do not get eaten). :oops:
Thanks,,
 
Bad reason or not, I'm with you there. I have kept every single doe we bred since starting last April. It was so I could maximize meat production as quickly as possible. Now that I have about 10 grown and producing does, I can start culling them to be replaced by younger stock. I have one that is definitely headed for the crock-pot, and one possible to sell so far- and they will gradually be replaced as the younger generations mature.
 
Glad I am not alone. I know I will have to cull them sometime, but so soon? :(
They aren't even born yet and I'm thinking they may just need to be put in the freezer. Oh well, I'll see if anyone else replies here before I decide. And I better not count my bunnies before they... Hatch? Um... Can't think of a better term. :?
Thanks,
 
don't cull. wait and watch. He may not pass along his poor immune system. Remember.. he is only HALF of the equation. :)
 
Thanks! I think that is what I'll do. It doesn't take much to convince me since I was not wanting to cull them all. :)
I was really wanting to see how they would do since I really like the Mama i got.
Thanks Everyone!
 
I agree. He may pass it down or he may not. Some may get it, some may be fine. I would hang onto them and once they're weaned, I would take them for car rides to see what happens (stress them out a bit). Anyone showing signs gets culled immediately. I would do this a few times a couple weeks apart to be thorough. Not sure if this is the right thing to do, but if they're not stressed in some way they may not show the fact that they have a poor immune system. Just my thoughts.
 
I wouldn't assume he has a poor immune system just because he got sick. I am exposed to hundreds of people, many of them quite sick, every week in close quarters and have only had mild colds about twice a year. I'm getting over a bout with pneumonia now but no one would ever think I had a weak immune system.
 
I'm confused, you think the buck has inherently weak immune system? Or just because he is sick now, you think the kits may become sick themselves with what he has?

If you are breeding for just meat, and since you have a pure Cali and Pure NZ, you shouldn't keep any offspring anyway. You could keep the buck and see how he does. Stress may of weakened his immunity and thus he got sick. Most harbor illnesses for life, no reason to kill him off just for kicks. If you were selling breeding/show stock, then you would have to end him and start anew. If you keep him and he is always fine after this, kits grow out to 10-14wks and are fine, then you could keep an offspring and try the new mix to see what comes of it.
 
What I am afraid of is that since he has gotten pneumonia this time that he might get it again. I have noticed this in other animals (a goat we once had got pneumonia over and over again no matter what we tried) and some of my relatives who have had it get it very easily.
I am not afraid that the kits would be born with pneumonia, just that they may get it more easily because one of their parents had that weakness.
I do not believe that his sickness is due to stress since there is nothing to stress him out and he is an easy going rabbit. I just don't want to be constantly dealing with pneumonia with my rabbits. And if my does would get it that could effect the litters that they are due to have.
 
If (and only if) there is a very promising youngster in the litter, keep it, conditional on it not developing any sign of the sire's weakness. If anything like that develops, cull immediately. At least, that is what I would do.
 

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