New Aquisitions

[Cspr]

While I did a silly thing and took in a spayed Mini Lion Lop (sad on the spayed part, in person she has a lovely butterfly pattern), she came with a nice 4.8 sq ft cage for herself and two large bags, one of timothy hay and one of pine shaving bedding that I'm pretty sure is not the best for rabbits so might go into the compost.

But the best thing other than a silly, lop-eared, fluffy-headed, friendly new doe?

A 16.7 sq ft hutch. It has three levels, including a closed in box. It's all wood so I might need to add something to keep them from chewing and something solid up about a foot to keep fleas out (suggestions would be lovely, never done ground cages before). I'm trying to decide how many rabbits to put in it. It isn't set up for being broken into pieces because of how it is made, but I figured I could put a few does and their litters in there. Does related or bought at the same time, mind you. But I'm unsure if that's enough space for a trio of does? I haven't done group housing or hutches, just singletons in all wire cages, so any advice would be amazing.

 

[pwacaviesrcool]

Who doesn't want a spayed friendly doe? The fact that she came with her own cage rocks also. I have never had more than one rabbit together but if you get it to work it sounds like it is going to be a rocking set up. Good luck.

 

[Bad Habit]

Who doesn't want a spayed friendly doe? The fact that she came with her own cage rocks also. I have never had more than one rabbit together but if you get it to work it sounds like it is going to be a rocking set up. Good luck.

lol I wouldn't want a spayed doe! There is an understanding between me and the rabbits - I feed them well, love on them, give them play time and attention... They give me adorable baby bunnies to sell. I couldn't afford to have rabbits if they weren't paying their way.

Now... PICS?!

 

[Cspr]

Planning on adding a wire bottom to the hutch, adding wire on either side of the top ramp (so kits don't fall), painting the roof with pitch or some sort of water proofing, and putting it up on cinder blocks. -puffs up- Work to do, but hopefully my dad can help out.

After all that, I intend to put two does in there for now. My Vienna castor, Primrose, and the REW doe I'm hoping to buy. -crosses fingers- The REW would then be bred to my buck now and Primrose at the end of Sept. See how that works out. Try to keep a doe from both litters and see about bucks. The great thing about REW is that it can cover Vienna, so I could have showable Viennas that can be bred into my BEW program without problem. Trying to see how to go about that. Any suggestions would be welcome.

And, yes, I'll get pics of the hutch and my new bunny tomorrow. She's going to become my sister's pet next year or so if all goes well. I figure the hutch more than pays for her keep until then.

 

[Marinea]

I don't have colony experience, but I have a few concerns about your plan:

- no quarantine period for the REW doe? Buying it, breeding it, and putting it in with Primrose all at once smells like a problem waiting to happen to me;

- two does who are strangers to each other going into a new colony situation AND being pregnant while having to adjust to each other? Again, I would be concerned with fighting, absorbed pregnancies, or problems when the kits arrive.

If it were me, I would find a way to put a temporary divider into the hutch. If you post pics, including one showing the inside of the hutch, the top and bottom of it, I am sure we can think of a way to add one. Then I would put a doe in each side and see how they do in close proximity (after the new doe's quarantine). If all goes well, the divider can be removed, and you can go from there.

 

[Cspr]

Oh! I sounded like an idiot just then. -smacks self- I need to make myself more clear. Not everything would happen at once.

1. REW doe will have full quarantine and be alone in the hutch with her first litter.

2. Primrose and REW doe will be introduced in a neutral space probably with a baby gate between them.

3. If they don't fight like cats and dogs after a few meetings, I might move in Primrose after her litter. If they fight like cats and dogs, they won't go in the hutch. I'll play musical rabbit cages until I find a suitable few rabbits that can make the hutch their home, since there really is little to no way to make it divided without some poor bun getting their head peed on. If worst comes to worst, I'll just move my gigantic American Sable doe into the hutch. XD

4. If I plan to keep any kits, those kits will be introduced young so I can attempt to eventually move them into the hutch.

Hope this helps quell your worries!

 

[Marinea]

I truly believed you just weren't clear in your original post, but I wanted to be sure.

I totally missed the fact that it's a three story hutch- much harder to divide. I think most people have an easier go putting two siblings together, so maybe if one has a couple of sisters you can put them in the hutch.

I would wait to introduce the two does until both litters are weaned.

Good luck with it.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

It would also make a wonderful grow out pen.

 

[Cspr]

Thanks, Mari.

:hmm: I'm just trying to sort out how to best use my cage space! Thoughts would be helpful, honestly. I feel like I've been bopped on my head considering musical cages/hutches.

Okay, as for rabbits!

I Have:

One over five month old Mini Rex buck (Basil); one nearly three month old MR doe (Primrose); one almost-three-year-old AS doe, a true heavyweight who doesn't like being lifted (Anwen); and a spayed, yearling Lion Lop who also doesn't like being lifted (Fiona).

I Might Have:

One January-born REW doe, possibly bred before coming to me OR an about two month old kit from Primrose's breeder, because Primrose, despite being VM, is definitely the best rabbit in my herd.

I Want:

VM/broken VM Basil x Primrose buck (for BEW kits) OR true solid Basil x Primrose buck (for castors and blacks, maybe opals and blues).
Anwen son (for 75% AS meat mutts).
Two properly colored MR does, brood or brood/show quality. One should introduce new blood.

Cage/hutch space!

Two 4 sq ft cages.
Two 5 sq ft cages.
One 16.7 sq ft hutch (more square footage may be added, going to make two levels with ramp, rather than ground floor, shelf, and top nest box).

I could put Basil and Basil's theoretical son in one 4 sq ft cage divided down the middle. Anwen's son could be put in the other 4 sq ft cage. Primrose and New Blood Doe (NBD) could be put in the 5 sq ft cage (might add shelves for more sq ft). Primrose and NBD female offspring could be housed together in large hutch.

Does that sound acceptable? I might house guinea pigs in the other 5 sq ft cage, as it has a plastic bottom and guinea pigs are also lagomorphs and thus interesting to me. I had a friend growing up that had them and they were sweethearts. Don't know enough about them, but I'm considering it. Really like the Satin Abys.

Any and all constructive thoughts very welcome.

 

[Marinea]

Do me a favor? Describe for me and give me the real dimensions of your cages- length, depth and height. Trying to get a better picture of what space you have. I am assuming the "cages" are single story regular cages, unlike the hutch.

 

[Cspr]

Oh, sorry. XD And I just realized I shouldn't try to do math when tired. Whoops.

My Cages:

1 - 24 l x 30 w x 18 h
2 - 30 l x 20 w x 18 h
1 - 3 ft l x 20 in w x 14 in h (rough estimate of height)

My Hutch:

1st Level - 28 in w x 4 ft l
2nd Level (shelf) - 11 in w x 28 in l
3rd Level (nest box) - 20 in x 26 in l
All - 4 ft h (rough estimate of height)

I plan on adding onto the third level, adding more shelving (wood or wire) outside of the nest box so a. kits don't fall and b. the rabbits have more space. So there'd be first level, a hop onto second level, and then a ramp up to third level.

Anwen will keep the 5 sq ft cage to herself. Fiona will go outside into one of the 4 sq ft cages. Basil and another MR buck will have a divided 4 sq ft cage. Primrose (who does well with other animals, including other rabbits) I will try to match up with another young doe, opting for another of Lori Farms' rabbits, and keep them in the hutch. Any son of Anwen will need his own cage, which I will probably build.

This will leave me with an open cage, the guinea pig cage, which may or may not ever house guinea pigs but perhaps another rabbit at some point.

Otherwise? Is it possible to introduce a kit into a litter of existing kits, later on, and still have the mother treat it like a daughter? A curiosity, since I've seen people foster very young kits, but never older kits.

As it is, Primrose is very good with other rabbits. The other rabbits haven't always liked her, but she's good with them. Same with dogs. I'm hopeful if I get another young rabbit when Primrose is still young, it might work out? Is this unrealistic?

 

[Marinea]

Thanks for the measurements- I can see the cages in my mind now.

To be honest, I am not sure any of the cages are big enough to be divided into two. Perhaps the three foot long one could- 18"x20" isn't terribly small. Maybe that's just me, though. The hutch I can see holding two does, or a doe and some kits.

I am not sure about introducing older kits- do you mean after the kits are weaned? No clue on that.

There is no way of knowing whether Primrose and another bun will get along until they're put in that position. From what I understand, your best bet might be keeping Primrose with one of her female kits. Mother/daughter duos appear to do better.

Hopefully, others will chime in so you get some more opinions.