Logistics of a part time colony?

[FourRingCircus]

I have 6 hanging cages in a partially fenced in area and was contemplating rigging up some ramps to make it a part time colony. I will have to sets of breeding trios in there so it could work a variety of ways. Letting buck and does out for breeding, letting just singles out. Maybe a couple does at once if it's neutral territory? It's about a 18'x18' area so enough room that they could really spread out so maybe territory won't be as big of an issue? It has house puppies and chickens in the recent past so I am thinking I should lime the area first?

So the most basic question I am curious about is getting up rabbits that aren't quite as friendly... not sure they will automatically go up like chickens, but thinking they could be bribed with pellets? What else to consider?

 

[Preitler]

Hi,

that's pretty close to how I keep my rabbits , although they have appr. 40x5m to roam.

I have max. 5 hutches.
1. holds 3 does (black fury with 2 daughters)
2. a single doe (my Gray, would fight for killing when meeting the black)
3+4 growout hutches for bucklings and doelings
5. my buck.

I have a big garden, but I can only open one hutch after the other or there will be fights or mating. I can let my buck out with unmature kits, but when the bucklings mature they are attacking him, adolescent megalomania.

The does- I guess I'll never get this two to accept one another.

Getting them back is not the big problem, bribing works. I trained them by always shaking the pellet box prior giving them some as treat (they only get them for these occasions. and when I shake all get some), so they come running when I shake it. My does don't need that most times, when they are tired, or had enough exercise they return by themself and rest. Also my buck.
At dawn most return to their hutch anyway.

Of course, there are skittish or determined ones from time to time that will not do what you want, then I show them what I expect (by walking behind them for some minutes herding them to the ramp, and using a stick to touch their hindquaters when they hide to keep them moving - they have no endurance, only when they get close to the ramp I stop, take a step back and wait - they know exactly what you want, but rabbits don't do crap under pressure), it takes sometimes a few minutes to get them in, but it is not often that I have to pick one up. Not easy btw.
If it doesn't work the first time I close the hutch and give the straggler another chance half an hour later, guarding the door so that the others stay in.

Really chasing, catching, grabbing a rabbit can spoil it for a long time, try to never lose your temper, they only go back home while feeling safe. They may be annoyed by what I do, but I try to not be a threat.

 

[Nika]

Letting buck and does out for breeding

That reaaally doesn`t work for me. If I put them out the does are so excited that they "forget" to lift, so I breed them in a hutch and then keep them together and free for about three weeks. You also need to (if it is important to you) let them out with the buck you bred and not the other one - I just had "false pregnancy", doe lifted, acted pregnant and everything, but then days go by and nothing happened. She kindled 3 weeks after her due date.. rabbits right?

Preitler, did you planted the dandelion or is there naturally so much of it? Love it.