More random rabbit questions..

[ButtonsPalace]

I always wanna make separate posts but don't want to make 90 posts. So here goes...
1.As you most know I processed my first two rabbits last year in around August I wanna say, and I pretty quickly realized I hate cervical dislocation, broomsticking looks so easy, so does holding them behind their ears and doing the pull and twist method I've seen on YouTube, rabbits are really wiggly, and are obviously not going to be still for this. So I've decided I want to use a gun, or something else that's fast and easy, I didn't originally want to use a gun because I don't want to get blood all over the place, but honestly I'd prefer a cap to the skull over hearing a doe scream when I don't pull fast enough any day. (Not sure if anyone noticed but I haven't processed any since the 2nd doe)

2.Next question is about showing rabbits, I want to show Silver Fox and Holland Lops, possibly some Angoras/ Lion heads. I know absolutely nothing about showing, well I do know a few of the acronyms like BIS, and BOB. Any advice, links, etc. Would be great, also I live in Burnsville,NC does anyone else show that lives within about an hour? Because I'd love to talk about showing and where some good local shows are if there are any.

3. I 've decided I wanna get into Holland lops, I want either a trio or quad. Since they will be shown, should I buy from a breeder who shows and does well or should I get some show quality from someone who doesn't breed so I'm not competing with the person I bought from at shows?

4. After seeing how the two does did last time with an accidental litter I decided to breed them together and let them live together, they are about 2 weeks and the only personality change is they are more lovely towards me and don't want their back or belly touched, they also aren't mounting/chasing each other around anymore. I don't know if I've said anything before now but I have a job that interview on Tuesday and I'm the only person she's contacted (Its a local business and I had posted looking for work on an email sald list, that a guy runs for the loc area, and she responded) so it shouldn't be long before I have my new cages setup, once I do I want to push their cage right up against the other cage (currently housing two bucks, separated by a wood divider) and make a hole they can go through to go from one cage to the other, as well as I want to cut that divider in half so they have something to jump over. It would increase their 4w×4d space with a long 4w×2d cage so the length of both cages would be well over 8' and the width would be 2'-4'. I wanted to do a ground colony but there are coyotes nearby and I don't feel comfortable doing so with how close they are.

5. Speaking of coyotes, what can we do to back them off, the river is about 100-200ft from our fence and along the path to the river we've found two dear carcasses. As well as late last year we found a Fox skeleton in perfect condition picked clean. They have moved closer and I know the river being close isn't going to make this battle any easier, but we have small dogs and both the goats look pregnant so I want to do what I can to get them to back up.

6. This is just something random but I thought you guys might enjoy, I was in the feed room doing my normal business but when I opened the bag of rabbit feed and took my first scoop out I was quite shocked to find a mummified frog! I took the little dude out and asked all the older adults if they thought it was still safe to feed, they all said it was so I scooped the top bit that it was on out and went on about my day..

7. I'll be posting pictures of the puppies tonight, be warned there's a lot of cute because I had baby bunnies born the night before them. I haven't took side by side pics yet, trying to wait till both babies have eyes open and are a bit more active.

 

[2CrazyFools]

5. Speaking of coyotes, what can we do to back them off, the river is about 100-200ft from our fence and along the path to the river we've found two dear carcasses. As well as late last year we found a Fox skeleton in perfect condition picked clean. They have moved closer and I know the river being close isn't going to make this battle any easier, but we have small dogs and both the goats look pregnant so I want to do what I can to get them to back up.

Have you considered getting a proper livestock guardian dog? I see them on CL all the time for about $150 (GP x AS cross) and I'm sure you could find one cheaper from accidental litters or something of the sort. To be honest that's really the only sure-fire way (in my opinion) to keep 'yotes off the property and away from your more vulnerable critters unless you want to Fort Knox your entire acreage... while that'd be pretty awesome, it'd also be really expensive with the dig guards and lean-outs. :lol: I think a LGD would be your best bet as far as bang for your buck, they are excellent tools to utilize.

EDIT: I just checked my local CL, here's the anatolian x pyrenese I was thinking of and they are $100. :inlove: Now I want one!

 

[ButtonsPalace]

We haven't had them on the property although we have 2 male dogs and 5 females varying from small to large that all play out in the yard and side area, if it would help I'd gladly fund a outdoor dog house for our pit mix, or just buy a guard dog.

 

[alforddm]

1.As you most know I processed my first two rabbits last year in around August I wanna say, and I pretty quickly realized I hate cervical dislocation, broomsticking looks so easy, so does holding them behind their ears and doing the pull and twist method I've seen on YouTube, rabbits are really wiggly, and are obviously not going to be still for this. So I've decided I want to use a gun, or something else that's fast and easy, I didn't originally want to use a gun because I don't want to get blood all over the place, but honestly I'd prefer a cap to the skull over hearing a doe scream when I don't pull fast enough any day. (Not sure if anyone noticed but I haven't processed any since the 2nd doe)

There isn't really a question in this. Are you asking what you can use?

 

[ButtonsPalace]

Yeah, sorry, there was so much to type I totally forgot.. But yeah, I was wondering what kind of gun would be best, or what other options other people had good results with. Apparently I'm not as comfortable as I thought I would be with the cervical dislocation

 

[shazza]

i think most people would use a pellet gun - a .22 or .117 would work well, and you could also do some varmint hunting with the gun as well so it wouldn't be otherwise useless lol. they're fairly quiet, and you just aim in the x made by drawing lines from one ear to the opposing eye. it's instant and doesn't spoil the neck meat like CD does.

 

[alforddm]

We have one of those high powered pellet guns. It's a .117. My father-in-law and son actually used it once to dispatch some small (around 20lbs) feral hog that he caught in a trap and it worked very well (they were using head shots mostly).

There are also subsonic 22 rounds and that might be a better option as you can shoot both types of ammo if you need to. A 22 is large enough to hunt most small game. This is a child's model 22 that hubby bought for our oldest son and I've sort of claimed. It's only a single shot but it's light and short enough to easily maneuver. At about $130 that is what you'd pay for most pellet rifles. http://www.cabelas.com/product/Crickett ... 706414.uts It will shoot sub-sonic rounds (no loud report which is why pellet rifles are so quite) or regular 22 long rifle rounds. The 22 will require a background check (usually takes about 5 min) the pellet guns usually don't or at least they didn't when we purchased ours.

 

[houston]

As far as showing goes (I'm also a SF breeder!), I'd recommend finding a local sanctioned show and showing a few of your rabbits! The best way, really, is to throw yourself into the show rings! My first show was the 25th, and I was lucky enough to sit next to a Rhineland breeder who was willing to help me out. Everyone there was super friendly-- if you have any questions, I'd talk to pretty much anyone who's also showing. I'd start at a local show, like a county's RBA show. They're small enough that you can hear what's being shown, so you won't accidentally miss your breed.

I would absolutely buy from someone who shows. Since they know what to look for, they're able to hook you up with better stock. Showing against them isn't a bad thing, usually- where I live at least, most breeders have bought and traded show rabbits from each other, sometimes even showing them against their breeder the day they buy them, haha.

As the others said, pellet guns are the way to go. Were the rabbits you 'sticked older? I've found that old rabbits tend to be harder to quickly kill (I also had that experience- putting down my favorite brood doe for health reasons, and she screamed. Not good.) Meanwhile, my fryers I've accidentally pulled the heads off, whoops.

 

[ButtonsPalace]

They were going on 4 months, and I learned I need to keep them from eating for the 24 hrs or 12 before I process. One does stomach busted open.

Back to shows, none local here. I never heard of rabbit showing until I found it on here. The closest show I know of is tha State Fair in Asheville. Where do I go look for shows? There's only one other breeder I know of in my county and she does it for meat and fiber.

 

[Nymphadora]

The closest show I know of is tha State Fair in Asheville. Where do I go look for shows?

Unfortunately a long drive is pretty much the norm when it comes to showing, at least in my area. You can check the ARBA website (https://www.arba.net/Shows.php) for ARBA-sanctioned shows, but they may not list smaller county fair-type shows. But it's a start.

 

[ButtonsPalace]

Thank you! I'll ask around and see if anyone knows any local, or more local shows. My car is old so he can't handle too long of a trip.