NZW temperment??

[Lowell]

Are they a little higher strong/mean than some other breeds?

I have a Lop doe and a Cali buck that have very decent temperment....but the young buck and doe NZ I have had less than 2 months seem aggressive to mean. I would not put my hand in without a glove.

I try to hold them and pet them in thier cage but they slap with thier front feet and the buck sometimes bites my glove.

Any tips to calm them down??

Thanks, Lowell

 

[cudaman68]

All my NZ have great temperament but that is something you breed for in your lines and the lines you have temperament may not have be at the top of the list of traits to breed for. I have a Cali doe that is the same way and will be replaced once my NZ broken red does is ready for breeding.

 

[grumpy]

The NZW's have been allowed to deteriorate in temperament. It is a problem that can be solved by selective breeding. Of course you must have a gentler line to begin with and work from that point forwards.

I've dealt with "aligators" in the past....but no more!! I traced every one of my mean spirited does back to one of the originals I started my herd off with. All are now gone. Either at the end of their breeding carreer or quicker if they were really nasty.

There's no excuse for this to occur. It is through negligent breeding that this trait has been allowed to establish itself so thoroughly through the breed. Most production does are not handled as much as a regular "bunny". Therefore, those traits were more or less ignored and took less precedence than production and weight gain.

They are even beginning to do "temperment-testing" on some of the cattle breeds because of aggressive behavior tendencies now showing itself. If "man" can jack-it-up....he will sooner or later.

grumpy

 

[Dood]

I believe it's not 'man' in general but 'modern man' since farms can be run from a computer and you never need to interact with your animals!

As a small farm we don't have any modern breeds of livestock even though we have aquired many over the years, they always ended up in freezer camp due to health (cannot hack being free range) or terriible temperaments.

In my experience the modern breeds are pretty anti social and fight among themselves or with other critters on the farm, and they also are either so skittish or terrified of people you cannot work with them to give shots or even basic medical care without tying them down or using excessive restraint.

I knew of these attitude issues in show rabbits, I bred Netherland Dwarfs in the '80's and they were very 'feisty' and I am sorry to hear the meat breeds, who I have always found to have very cooperative temperaments, to now be affected.

 

[ollitos]

Whenever I breed a particular doe to my NZW buck, the kits are off the hook crazy! They are the wildest rabbits ever!! So I don't breed those two anymore. I can breed that same buck to any other doe and the litters are fine. I can also breed that doe to any other buck and the kits are just fine. But when those two are bred, it's time to bring out the kevlar. No matter how much socializing I do, they are wild. I never sell those kits as breeders. They are always butchered.

 

[Lowell]

Good info all...thanks much!! Lowell

 

[grumpy]

I traveled a great distance last fall to buy some "super-good" meat rabbits in Iowa. My processor "raved" about them. AWESOME...SUPER...GREAT!! Those were his words.

I thought, "Hmmm, I ought to check these out." Made the trip, 366 miles round trip... I bought 10 junior does and one junior buck. They were NZW/CAL crosses, which I didn't really like. But, they were like BRICKS!!

Long story short.......They were the craziest bunch of rabbits I've ever owned. I grew them out and started to place them in their breeding pens. I had two go berserk and litterally break their necks banging off the cage walls. Sent a "real" pleasant e-mail to the seller and told her she had absolutely no business foisting these nut-jobs off on unsuspecting folks. I had a hunch what they would be, so I wasn't all that surprised. But, I would hate to see someone that is just beginning to end up with these crazy fools.

Can you imagine the "trama" these folks would endure trying to handle these idiots!! It would surely turn them against the idea of raising their own meat.

grumpy.

 

[Demamma]

All my NEW Zealand Whites are sweet. They are a bit more timid. but I have had no problems with them. My favourite is a Doe named Hon Rosie and she is super sweet. I think if any of mine showed up mean or crazy I would introduce them to Crock pot. Hon Rosie' s daughter was headed to freezer camp because of her odd eye. Her sweet personality saved her and I am keeping her now for a breeder. She will come up to the door to be held that is the kind of personality I want in my rabbitry.

 

[Lowell]

Demamma....wish you were closer to me!!! Or as my wife would say..."ROAD TRIP"!!!!

 

[Demamma]

If you were here I would give you one of Hon Rosies girls you would love them. I hope you are able to find some sweet New Zealand Whites.

 

[3mina]

NZ aren't my favorites but I don't think the ones in this area are any crankier or crazier than any other breed.

 

[Demamma]

I now have some crazy New Zealand's and ones like them are probably where they get their bad reputation. They have had very little handling. Their parents came from the same place I got two of mine from and they were hard to handle in the beginning. I am hoping to cross them into my peaceful line and handle the kits a lot. When I went to pick them up one of the littermates bit me. I do think it is important to spend time with the wild ones to hope they tame down. I have them in quarantine in my x' s barn. I have had them for two days now. Last night I sat next to their cages for about 20 minutes and fed them some treats. I will continue this for a while. If they do not settle down then I will cull after I get some offspring from them. I have hope for them though.

 

[Lowell]

Demamma...I have been trying to get on there good side too. The buck seems a little tamer but the doe is still wild...not biting but slapping with front paws and stomping the floor. I don't plan on selling any...just wanted to use for making meat!! If she is a good mother she will be saved otherwise...???