My rabbits

[Cali]

We picked up some Satins yesterday! Breeder is going out of business and had them listed for a very reasonable price IMO. Let me know what you think.

buck:

does:

The white doe is bred already to a broken (black), so I will hopefully keep back a baby from her. She's due 12/12. The blue doe is bred to the copper buck. (I've read not to breed blue with copper, is there any reason why not other than color? The babies are for meat..)

 

[3mina]

Its a colour thing is all doesn't affect meat production at all
Welcome BTW

 

[Cali]

Thank you!

 

[Miss M]

Pretty bunnies! Love the copper!

 

[Mickey328]

Pretty buns!

 

[jollysrabbits]

welcome, the awesome thing about just using for meat is there are no rules to follow you can throw whatever two buns together just to see what pops out. I bred a dutch and a mini rex once, kinda funky looking but they tasted good! lol

 

[garden lady]

Pretty! I like the white the best.

 

[Cali]

Thank you! I think the white one is my favorite.. She's so big and cuddly. I need to weigh them so I can figure out if I'm feeding the right amount.. don't want them getting too fat.

 

[shenanigans]

So pretty! I have a copper doe that I'm planning to breed to my siamese, those will be strictly meat rabbits. I would love to get some blues, they are gorgeous!

 

[ZRabbits]

Hi and Welcome! Congratulations! Lovely rabbits all of them. Fingers crossed for easy deliveries and healthy popples.

Have to agree, color doesn't matter in meat. But the surprise in the nest box makes it more fun!

Look forward to hearing what you get! And definitely post pics!

Karen

 

[Cali]

Thank you! I will definitely be posting pics. I'm sure they'll just be too cute!<br /><br />__________ Tue Nov 20, 2012 10:50 am __________<br /><br />A few more pictures.. Sorry for the quality, I need to take my real camera out at some point. These are from my phone.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Congratulations on a beautiful start to your meat herd!

I need to weigh them so I can figure out if I'm feeding the right amount.. don't want them getting too fat.

You can easily check for proper weight without a scale. Run your hand over their spine. It should feel like gently rounded bumps. If it feels spiky, they are too thin (which I doubt from the pics!), and if you can't feel it at all, they are too fat.

Enjoy your rabbits, and good luck on the upcoming litter.

 

[Cali]

Thank you, Mamasheepdog! I tried that and I think they are a good weight. I am concerned about overfeeding though as I realize being overweight in rabbits is very bad for breeding. Should I continue to just fill up their bowls and they'll eat what they need? I am planning on switching to fodder as soon as my system is up and running. I imagine I will need to weigh that so I can feed them the right % of their body weight..

edit:
I wanted to ask but didn't want to start another thread... my buck flinches away from my hand terribly when I reach toward his head. I don't even have to touch him completely (when I DO touch his ears/face, he practically GASPS!) for him to flinch. I noticed that when the man I bought them from was handling him, if they got squirmy he was not shy to grab their ears- I have always been taught not to do this, is it possible that my buck is anticipating an ear grab? I'd like him to trust me. So far I've been going out a couple of times a day and holding them all individually, inspecting ears/paws/nose/mouth etc, I hope that in time he will allow me to touch his ears without being so scared.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Satins bucks should be between 8 1/2 to 10 1/2lbs and does run 9-11lbs. I raise Rex which weigh 7 1/2 to 9 1/2lbs for bucks, 8 to 10 1/2 for does. I feed my does 1 level cup and the bucks get anywhere from about 3/4 to a cup. I feed grains, not pellets, but they received an equal amount when I fed pellets. They also get alfalfa hay daily, and greens and weeds in season.

Free feeding is generally not recommended because some rabbits will over eat. Many people also like to keep their bucks a little lean because they believe a lean buck has more libido. My bucks are all eager breeders, so I keep them at a normal weight.