Q & A

[jaxmarblebuns]

I haven't been to a 4-H event in a while and not being able to answer questions and help people is killing me. So, you can ether ask me a question that you need an answer to, or try and quiz me on something you already know.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

How do you know if a Doe is nursing her babies when you can never see her do it?

 

[jaxmarblebuns]

How do you know if a Doe is nursing her babies when you can never see her do it?

i honestly completely forgot i made this post, but a late reply is better than non at all.

you should be checking on the kits at least twice a day (once at morning once at night) the kits should have full bellies at one of these time if they do not than check again in a few hours and monitor when they get fed without disturbing the mother too much. if they apear to not be getting fed than the owner should intervene.

 

[Rogers92]

At what age can you tell the sex of the kits?

 

[jaxmarblebuns]

At what age can you tell the sex of the kits?

Personally I can tell at about 10 days, however i have been breeding a while I think a for beginners about 2-3 weeks is easiest

 

[Rogers92]

How many times can a doe have kit before she has to retire?

 

[MuddyFarms]

Since you have raised Rex- Have you noticed if there certain Rex colors that are more often wanted than others or seem boring to people (in your area)? I was wondering if you might have noticed a pattern with what seems common with 4-H there.

 

[jaxmarblebuns]

How many times can a doe have kit before she has to retire?

Most say when she stops producing or when her little sizes start getting smaller. However, this is what I do. I only breed a doe twice in one year, three times maybe, and I usually never breed a doe that is over 4 years old. They can be bred more and longer, this is what I feel is ethical.

 

[jaxmarblebuns]

Since you have raised Rex- Have you noticed if there certain Rex colors that are more often wanted than others or seem boring to people (in your area)? I was wondering if you might have noticed a pattern with what seems common with 4-H there.

Honestly we were the only ones in my area that showed Rex, at least in 4-H, it was a pretty uncommon breed at the time we had them. Opal seems to be a pretty unwanted color from what I've seen, even though its a pretty common one, people arn't really like " I focus on the opal variety".

 

[MuddyFarms]

Thanks! Makes sense.

 

[Rogers92]

Sorry I have so many questions but I'm a newbie.

Why do most people hang their cages?

 

[jaxmarblebuns]

Sorry I have so many questions but I'm a newbie.

Why do most people hang their cages?

Its no problem, the more questions asked the more knowledge gained

Hanging cages offer a lot of advantages and help to provide the three staples to health which are sanitation, ventilation, and observation. Hanging cages offer a well-ventilated space away from feces and other potentially harmful bacteria and disease that may be on the ground. They offer uninterrupted flooring (bare wire with no wood like a hutch) so poop, hay, etc. can fall through with ease and not build up and cause bacteria to grow. They are space saving as you can stack them on top of each other to get more hole which = more rabbits. Monitory your rabbits can be easier/less work than a colony set up. All in all it gives the owner more control and ease of keeping. Like any setup there are down sides to them, the two main ones being 1(the rabbits don’t have that much room which can lead to aggression, arthritis, and some other problems. 2(if the rabbits are not properly bred, they can get sore hocks from bad genetics combined with the wire. There are a lot of ways to house rabbits, and everyone will probably claim their way is the best, but you need to do research and make sure you do what is best for your situation. There are gunna be downfalls and perks to any set up you just have to decide which ones your ok with. Personally after reading a few studies I have started to lean away from cages (which is what my family has used sense I was 3) and more towards tractors and colony raising, but that’s just my opinion.

 

[SixGun]

Personally I can tell at about 10 days, however i have been breeding a while I think a for beginners about 2-3 weeks is easiest

10 days? I've got to say, I find that hard to believe. After 30 years I can sex at 3.5 weeks - 4 weeks, but I think the averge new breeder will even struggle at 6 weeks.
I'd love to see pictures of sexing at 10 days with what to look for. Maybe there's something I'm missing.

 

[MuddyFarms]

Hey- I found a post with some pictures about sexing newborn kits a while back:

https://rabbittalk.com/threads/sexing-newborn-kits-pics.6152/#post-60593
Never tried it, though!

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Since I have the smallest domestic breed, I can only start telling at 3 months

 

[Rogers92]

Oh that's awesome I'm gonna try whenever I start!!!

 

[LatchawBriarPatch]

I have one of my Rex does with a long shoulder area, not great type, and has been incredibly difficult to get her to gain weight. She is 7 months and 6.9 lbs. I am breeding for meat. As soon as she reaches 7lbs will be my first time breeding my rabbits. Is she worth it? Should I cut her out of my program now, or work with her for a while just so I can learn the ropes on a less expensive less than ideal rabbit? I have a good buck....but I'm anticipating all her offspring being for freezer camp.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Recently my Buck Russia has been acting like a brat lately. He gets grunty/squeaky when we picked him up, but hes super nice when he's in his cage. He's also pooping EVERYWHERE on the floor. He'll follow after out two she-cats, Trubbish and Twitter and try to mount them, as well as trying to mount my arm sometimes. He's going to go to the next show near the end of this month, and I'm hoping he doesn't keep this attitude. He is about 6 and a half months old. Is this a teenager-like state, where he has lots of harmones? Will he stop when he grows up? It started suddenly and he wasn't like this for a while.

 

[LatchawBriarPatch]

When you plan on taking rabbits to a show and you are breeding for it, is there a time table? For example if I plan to show offspring of x and z in June, when do you breed x and z? What is the ideal age?

I am breeding for meat but I realize the best show stock is the best meat stock. I'd also like to have stock that is quality enough to benefit the programs of other local breeders. What is a good routine/time table for when to show vs start breeding your show rabbit?

 

[jaxmarblebuns]

10 days? I've got to say, I find that hard to believe. After 30 years I can sex at 3.5 weeks - 4 weeks, but I think the averge new breeder will even struggle at 6 weeks.
I'd love to see pictures of sexing at 10 days with what to look for. Maybe there's something I'm missing.

why would i lie about something like that? I'd love to show you next time i have kits, if i can figure out a good way to. i do recheck at 8 weeks when weening just to make sure, but I've only been mistaken twice that i can remember. I suppose i should have explained a little better in my original comment because it can vary from breed to breed depending on size. the pictures that muddyfarms posted are pretty accurate as well