More Problems! But now I know why!
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I raise my rabbits in a odd sort of colony in 20x20 pens, winter turn out is much larger. One of my pet peeves about colony raising is that its hard for people to understand when you have rabbits confined, no matter how large the confinement its not like it is in nature. The does can't get away. You also can't keep track of breedings, litters and so on. I show, and I have some rather expensive rabbits so I can't afford to loose litters or not know who bred whom.
I see it all the time on other boards where litters are lost or some issue arises due to colony raising when bucks and litters are left together.
We all learn as we go. This is part of it. I do think that keeping bucks out of the colony is a positive thing for many many reasons. Housing does in other pens or hutches alone while they kindle and raise the litters to weaning has many positive side notes. Think of it like this. If I have a herd of sheep, cattle, goats, horses etc, you're not going to leave the male out year round. I will house all the females together. There is a reason that no one does this in any other type of livestock except for poultry and even then you must separate if you want to know who the father is. Thus keeping good breeding records. Records even for meat pens is important. Saving litters and being able to handle your rabbits is important. Thinking of rabbits more like livestock and less like poultry is helpful I think.
Just my 2 cents
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I see it all the time on other boards where litters are lost or some issue arises due to colony raising when bucks and litters are left together.
We all learn as we go. This is part of it. I do think that keeping bucks out of the colony is a positive thing for many many reasons. Housing does in other pens or hutches alone while they kindle and raise the litters to weaning has many positive side notes. Think of it like this. If I have a herd of sheep, cattle, goats, horses etc, you're not going to leave the male out year round. I will house all the females together. There is a reason that no one does this in any other type of livestock except for poultry and even then you must separate if you want to know who the father is. Thus keeping good breeding records. Records even for meat pens is important. Saving litters and being able to handle your rabbits is important. Thinking of rabbits more like livestock and less like poultry is helpful I think.
Just my 2 cents
http://www.pet-rabbit.netfirms.com
You're fortunate, IAJewel, to be able to afford the beautiful setup you have for your rabbits. I wish I could!
I have a very small backyard rabbitry and raise meat mutts for the table. There is no problem with record keeping or knowing whose kits are whose. All the same, these few months have taught me that rabbit personalities are a bigger factor in making the small colony work. I intend to divide our facility into two with just two breeding does. The buck can alternate between the two pens on a schedule that allows the does to kindle in peace and raise the kits to the out-of-the-nest stage before the buck returns to her. If this doesn't work, I'll have to think of something else. I would prefer not to have to put the rabbits back into cages, but a large outdoor colony is just not possible at this time.
I have a very small backyard rabbitry and raise meat mutts for the table. There is no problem with record keeping or knowing whose kits are whose. All the same, these few months have taught me that rabbit personalities are a bigger factor in making the small colony work. I intend to divide our facility into two with just two breeding does. The buck can alternate between the two pens on a schedule that allows the does to kindle in peace and raise the kits to the out-of-the-nest stage before the buck returns to her. If this doesn't work, I'll have to think of something else. I would prefer not to have to put the rabbits back into cages, but a large outdoor colony is just not possible at this time.
I do understand. Most days we joke about me being a bunny psychologist. I have found that putting does that are aggressive into pre-established pens have best results, even then Its a game to see how can out smart me the fastest.
I also understand the backyard thing. When I was a kid my father had Dutch and every evening he would turn them out to run free in a yard fenced with chain link. Im sure you can picture it. A fence that is anything but rabbit proof and a 7yr kid trying to keep them in. At first I was sure my father was the most sadistic human on earth. Eventually the rabbits actually learned where they could and couldn't go. I have a Dutch doe that runs loose in the yard to this day. Im not saying people should do this. Im just saying that I understand how making a back yard work can be a trick at best. Sacrificing that precious space is hard. I have also found you can't have as many rabbits when you let them run. They eat the ground down to nothing and then you have health issues. In the same space I can have 6 Flemish does in a 20x20 I could have 4 times that in cages. Its a choice thats for sure. The rocking, the filling in holes, the bunny therapy.. LOL.. its a choice but one Im sure brings you as much joy as it does me. Once you get a hold of the minds of the rabbits you solve so many problems. I think as much as feed, shelter etc, the phyc of it all is the key to us being able to enjoy them, or hate them. I have a doe, Cinder that is a total dominate mess. She will literally hunt other rabbits in pens next to her and charge them through the fence. ( or try to) She is under control in a pen with 3 other rabbits. She is the black Flemish in the video. It took some therapy with that one.
Good luck Im sure you will work it out.
I also understand the backyard thing. When I was a kid my father had Dutch and every evening he would turn them out to run free in a yard fenced with chain link. Im sure you can picture it. A fence that is anything but rabbit proof and a 7yr kid trying to keep them in. At first I was sure my father was the most sadistic human on earth. Eventually the rabbits actually learned where they could and couldn't go. I have a Dutch doe that runs loose in the yard to this day. Im not saying people should do this. Im just saying that I understand how making a back yard work can be a trick at best. Sacrificing that precious space is hard. I have also found you can't have as many rabbits when you let them run. They eat the ground down to nothing and then you have health issues. In the same space I can have 6 Flemish does in a 20x20 I could have 4 times that in cages. Its a choice thats for sure. The rocking, the filling in holes, the bunny therapy.. LOL.. its a choice but one Im sure brings you as much joy as it does me. Once you get a hold of the minds of the rabbits you solve so many problems. I think as much as feed, shelter etc, the phyc of it all is the key to us being able to enjoy them, or hate them. I have a doe, Cinder that is a total dominate mess. She will literally hunt other rabbits in pens next to her and charge them through the fence. ( or try to) She is under control in a pen with 3 other rabbits. She is the black Flemish in the video. It took some therapy with that one.
Good luck Im sure you will work it out.
That is so interesting. We colony raise our rabbits also and haven't had a problem like that yet (I don't think).
However, we had the exact same issue recently with our guinea pigs. We had to remove the persistent male so the female could give birth without all the stress of mating at the same time. It was horrible. She had six babies but only two survived that event.
However, we had the exact same issue recently with our guinea pigs. We had to remove the persistent male so the female could give birth without all the stress of mating at the same time. It was horrible. She had six babies but only two survived that event.
I guess it depends on the buck. We thought ours was laid back and even a lazy breeder, but apparently he finds kindling does irresistible.
oh...the mind goes to so many places thinking about Jasper and his pregnant harem....MaggieJ":2wbjcqll said:
I think this is more common than one may think. Rabbits can also get pregnant while pregnant, meaning if they run with a buck, they can have a litter, and then give birth again to a full litter in less 30 days. This meaning one litter must die and one won't have any colostrum. There are just so many reasons not to let a buck run with the does.
