H&R rabbits
Member
Hey all, I'm new here, been lurking for a while, decided I ought to make an account.
So here's a brief, wait, lengthy, introduction. I'm raising rabbits for meat (hence the meat section post), we are raising them primarily for our family (3 soon to be 4) possibly other family and friends, and our dog (130lb) I have some connections to some RAW feeders who said they would buy all I could produce as well. Anyhow we opted for cage style set up since I do have a market and I read a lot about colonies and decided I think our climate here is too wet and they are a tad too unstructured for me to use productively (and I wonder about how scared rabbit that has been chased tastes compared to a rabbit thats calm and doesn't know what's coming). Anyhow I have some great friends that farm. They colony raise Rex rabbits. They were beyond gracious and gave us a doe and buck for free to get started and make sure we are serious. The rabbits have had,naturally, a bumpy transition to cage life. Any how we didn't think she was bred as she kindled 38 days after arriving here and we didn't attempt to breed her after she arrived. She didn't have a nest box because frankly I felt her after 31 days here with no kits, and she didn't feel pregnant. In fact we put her with the buck 24 hours before she kindled ( he sniffed her and gave her loads of room, guess that was a sign). I was fortunate enough to walk out as she was kindling. Given its been about 30-40 some odd degrees lately I immediately ran inside got a box loaded it with hay and her hair and loaded 9 warm wiggly kits in it. I went out that night to check on them and found 1 dead, on the cage floor, missing the back half of its body. Well all 8 remaining were alive last night but we did have a temp drop. I went out this am About the 48 hour mark and found a nest full of dead, cold kits. They seemed a bit shriveled as if she didn't feed them (compared to when they were born, but I'm new, maybe they are always that wrinkly?) anyhow, I'm bummed, naturally, not sure if she opted to to feed them or if they may have frozen, or if she refused the cause I handled them. I did bring them in and try to warm them up (which they never really did) to make sure they were dead and not just really cold. I guess the big question is based off what I've told you, lengthy as it is, what your takes are. Also do you think it's possible for her to adapt and raise kits in her new caged life or do you think it's too much of a shock?
On a side note once we get more cages built I plan on bringing in another trio, I just haven't decided on breed (torn between commercial producers, heritage or flordia white).
Anyhow thanks in advance!
So here's a brief, wait, lengthy, introduction. I'm raising rabbits for meat (hence the meat section post), we are raising them primarily for our family (3 soon to be 4) possibly other family and friends, and our dog (130lb) I have some connections to some RAW feeders who said they would buy all I could produce as well. Anyhow we opted for cage style set up since I do have a market and I read a lot about colonies and decided I think our climate here is too wet and they are a tad too unstructured for me to use productively (and I wonder about how scared rabbit that has been chased tastes compared to a rabbit thats calm and doesn't know what's coming). Anyhow I have some great friends that farm. They colony raise Rex rabbits. They were beyond gracious and gave us a doe and buck for free to get started and make sure we are serious. The rabbits have had,naturally, a bumpy transition to cage life. Any how we didn't think she was bred as she kindled 38 days after arriving here and we didn't attempt to breed her after she arrived. She didn't have a nest box because frankly I felt her after 31 days here with no kits, and she didn't feel pregnant. In fact we put her with the buck 24 hours before she kindled ( he sniffed her and gave her loads of room, guess that was a sign). I was fortunate enough to walk out as she was kindling. Given its been about 30-40 some odd degrees lately I immediately ran inside got a box loaded it with hay and her hair and loaded 9 warm wiggly kits in it. I went out that night to check on them and found 1 dead, on the cage floor, missing the back half of its body. Well all 8 remaining were alive last night but we did have a temp drop. I went out this am About the 48 hour mark and found a nest full of dead, cold kits. They seemed a bit shriveled as if she didn't feed them (compared to when they were born, but I'm new, maybe they are always that wrinkly?) anyhow, I'm bummed, naturally, not sure if she opted to to feed them or if they may have frozen, or if she refused the cause I handled them. I did bring them in and try to warm them up (which they never really did) to make sure they were dead and not just really cold. I guess the big question is based off what I've told you, lengthy as it is, what your takes are. Also do you think it's possible for her to adapt and raise kits in her new caged life or do you think it's too much of a shock?
On a side note once we get more cages built I plan on bringing in another trio, I just haven't decided on breed (torn between commercial producers, heritage or flordia white).
Anyhow thanks in advance!
