Welcome, to the forum! What breeds are you interested in?
I'm really not sure. I hope to sort that out in the next month, build hutches in March/April, then start searching for breeders to start. I just don't know what I don't know
Fair enough. There are quite a few breeds of meat rabbits out there. Questions:
Welcome!
This is a great post! Thanks!
I pay $20 a bag for my rabbit pellets..but it's buy 10 get 1 free. My straw runs $5. My hay $5-$13.50. Every litter costs me approximately a bag if food. So I sell at least one to cover that cost.
For cold climate I love colony raising in family groups. 1 buck lives with several does and the kits until kits are big enough to move to grow out pens. Their body heats help warm the shared housing. Can cuddle together. Bulk feeding and water makes chores easier. After trying different things I now use 3 gallon double wall metal chicken waterers. I can put heat under them for winter. Shelter that has one half closed in more private with permanent den boxes, and resting shelves.Boxes open to inside for rabbits. Doors at back open for me to check and clean.the other side is wired with recycled windows hinged over to open or close with weather conditions. Pellets and water there. I use a solid floor (repurposed doors from dump) covered by vinal flooring and hay. They have free access thru an 8" door to their yard with brush piles they chew on, play in, greens and treats given in yard. I started with a trio of 8 to 12 week old kits in a large tractor and grew from there. 2 family groups (1 buck and his does in each) 2 grow out pens I move large kits into (one for girls, one for boys) my grow out pens are separated by the family group yards. Multiple shelters and hiding places for young bucks. Boys seem calmer that way. A garden to the south is convenient for feeding greens and weeds and to direct compost the rabbit manure.I love the silver fox breed. They seem very Hardy and adaptable. Good parents. I enjoy watching the social interactions. Bucks seem attentive and protective of kits when given a chance to be father's, not just sperm donors. Good luck with your new adventure! We have enjoyed it more than anticipated.
I raise mine in Manitoba Canada outdoors year around. The kits generally start to come out of the hole in early January. I have nine does and one buck. The does control the breeding in the heard and all will take breaks then start again. I never remove the buck from the heard. My warren is 3000 square feet.
I have a ton of land and have an idea in my head where I want them but no formal plan. I don't have garage or barn space for them, so my current research is to see how much shelter they need and then build that down by the garden or chicken coop. I live in the country and we have 3 local feed stores. All of them sell rabbits supplies. We have a ton of places that sell hay, too. I usually buy a few bales from the farm down the road if I keep pigs for the winter. If I help them load it in the barn they usually just let me take what I need. I store the hay and pellets in the chicken coop (I have a separate small storage area).
I thought about doing this as well, but it doesn't seem as common and I didn't know why. I have a raised 4' x 4' chicken coop with attached run that I thought about putting a family unit in to start. I don't use that chicken coop for anything currently. I'd have to add hardware cloth around the border to keep predators out, but this might be a good way to start?
That's a huge warren. I have plenty of space to do something similar. 9 does to 1 buck? Do you swap out the does or buck periodically to change the blood line, or is that not necessary? Do you have trouble finding kits to grow them out or do you let them grow out with the family? Do you sell for meat or pets?
Are you ever able to handle them well considering you don't even see the Kits for a while?
I currently have 4 does in each family but that can vary. Lots just keep a trio. 5 gallon would be fine. I bought the heaters when I was using widemouth gallon jars, holes near top, flipped upside down into baking pan. Heaters were only rated for 3 gallon. I use permanent den boxes, 12x20" minimum. Flip up tops on them for easy access for checking and cleaning. I try to have more boxes than does so there is extra space. And they like to choose. Rabbits like to climb and jump. Layers, shelves will give more space in a small footprint. I love Pinterest for inspiration. Rabbit Warren Man was inspiring to us when so many were pushing individual cages. Think there are other colony keepers here with lots of different systems. You can hunt site. I love letting mine live as nature made them, social creatures. They give us such joy. in their yard and on the plate. I love rabbit meat! Info I read on colony raising suggested starting with young rabbits and letting them grow up together. Just putting adults together doesn't always go smoothly. my first shelter was a chicken tractor donated by my sister in law. 4' insulated shelter with 6' attached screen space. It's been modified some. Worked for my first trio well. Now serves 5 as their burrow, now that they have free access yard space. Good luck. Keep us posted.
My kits grow out with the heard, I will harvest using a pellet gun while the are feeding on sprouted field pea, black oil seed, wheat, oat mix. I use eves trough to feed out of. I have built a 9x 3 ‘ box with a door and hinged roof that I feed them in. Makes it easy to catch them if I need to deworm or cull.
We always want to do what fits our lifestyle and what is best for the rabbits in my opinion.
