Rabbit Scale and Rabbitry Plan...

[Easy Ears]

I plan to keep a kit out of a Dutch litter this year. This will be a first for me. Since my rabbitry is only 4 holes this is a big step in my Dwarf Dutch program!

I'm not entirely sure on my opinion on line breeding...can't there be a lot of health problems come from it? I'm not entirely prepared to cull/kill any defected rabbits with health problems, as I don't have the means or really the place to dispose of them, and it is just not something I want to do right now. When I move out on my own I plan to expand and hopefully better my breeds, but for now, I'm just doing it as a small hobby rebreeding my 2 does 3x a year and selling the kits so that I have enough money to continue to care for my bunnies. Anyway, now that that's out of the way! :lol:
Since I will be keeping one of the kits (A doe, to replace my former broody), I want to monitor the growth of the kit so it doesn't get over fed. Now we come to the title of the topic! I want to get a rabbit scale. I heard somewhere that buying a kitchen scale at Walmart is cheaper...and I looked there, but couldn't find anything big enough. An alternative to this would be placing a bowel on the scale, weigh it, and put the rabbit in the bowel, and subtract the bowels weight from the total to get just the kits weight, but I want your guys' opinion. What do you use to weigh your rabbits? What have you found that works the best? The main reason I want to monitor the kits weight is because I plan to house two does together, but I want to make sure one isn't getting more food than the other. Any suggestions for this?

So to make a long plan short I have 2 breeds, Holland Lops and Dutch Dwarf. I have a double deck hutch I want my HL doe to be in along with my DD (Dutch Dwarf) kit. I have 2 HL (Buck and doe) And 2 DD (Buck and doe) I want to replace my DD doe with a kit, so I plan to breed both my DD doe and HL doe at the same time, and if all goes well, I plan to swap litters so my HL doe raises the DD litter and my DD doe raises my HL litter. The kit I pick from the DD litter will bond with the mother and hopefully will have not problem staying with her and growing up in the double deck hutch. SO my second question is, do you guys have any suggestions as to housing 2 does together without one eating more than the other? :?

Sorry, I kind of went all over the place in this thread, but I will put my questions in bold. Let me know if I didn't explain something well and I'll try to make it clearer!! Thank you to those who actually read this whole thing! Sorry, it's a lot! :x

 

[Zass]

Any breeding can result in offspring with genetic health issues.

Breeding related rabbits increases the likelihood of doubling up harmful recessive genes.
It allows genetic problems in a line to show up very quickly.
This is an asset to breeders who can do the dirty work of removing those recessives(and their carriers) from the gene pools, and to buyers who are glad to have healthier animals.

Breeding only unrelated animals helps spread those harmful recessives out. So that there is less chance of the genes doubling up and expressing.

As an example, a rabbit that would produce unhealthy offspring if paired with a relative (kits get two copies of a harmful gene) can produce otherwise healthy offspring who are simply carrying one invisible unexpressed copy of that harmful gene.

There will always be a chance of harmful recessive genes doubling up in unrelated or distantly related animals too. Any breeder has to be prepared to deal with what might happen in that case.
Short term or long term, genetic issues will definitely crop up when breeding anything.

I use a digital fish scale and cloth grocery bag to weigh my rabbits.

 

[FourRingCircus]

FOr scales, most any digital scale has a "tare" option which means you can put a bowl or basket on it, push that button, and it zeros it out (saving you from having to do the math). Fish scales have that option as well!

 

[Marinea]

I use a digital food scale from Wally World that goes up to 10 pounds.

As far as the does living together, sorry, but I wouldn't do it. Especially when breeding them. Too much chance for problems. At the very least, I would try to find a way to divide the double hutch.

And as far as culling, if you breed, there will come a time when you have to. It's not easy, but having a plan set and ready to go can reduce the stress of dealing with it when it happens.

 

[Ramjet]

I use a digital food scale from Wally World that goes up to 10 pounds.

I got one from Target that goes to 15lbs .... a couple years ago.

As far as the does living together, sorry, but I wouldn't do it. Especially when breeding them. Too much chance for problems. At the very least, I would try to find a way to divide the double hutch.

Yeah that ... I don't see two does co-existing long term , especially with kits involved. Forget it , either split that hutch or .... get another - If you are breeding you'll need more anyhow , there is never enough space ....

And as far as culling, if you breed, there will come a time when you have to. It's not easy, but having a plan set and ready to go can reduce the stress of dealing with it when it happens.

That's a fact , no two ways about it. Sick , injured , poor quality or just lack of cage space ..... Something will crop up that forces you to do what ya gotta do.

Having a plan to make use of those dispatched animals doesn't make the act any easier but it'll let you sleep at night knowing the animals aren't wasted , if you eat them , feed them to the dogs or as reptile food or whatever .... I stick to "breed the best , eat the rest." Having a breed that produces fantastic pelts is a nice perk.

 

[Stephanie]

I bought my scale on ebay, but this is the same model. http://www.amazon.com/10kg-0-5g-digital-Kitchen-Scale/dp/B00HL9090O And, I have a 2.5 gal bucket that is the perfect bunny size. When I put them in the bucket they get nice and calm so I can get an accurate weight.

 

[wamplercathy]

Here is the scale I have:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VQ ... ge_o04_s00

Has the take option and is made to have things hung from it. Trying to get a 11lb NZ to sit on a scale is a pain :x :lol: :lol: Also it takes AAA batteries which can be picked up at the dollar tree, an everything including the kitchen sink is a $1 place, for 8 for a $1. I have a food scale I got from wal-mart years back but it takes those ridiculously high priced round batteries. :x :evil: I could buy a new one for less.

Anyways before buying one check to see how it's operated. I love my hanging one. Have used it for rabbits and for fish.

 

[Homer]

Trying to get a 11lb NZ to sit on a scale is a pain

Cardboard box and a postal scale works great and I weight Flemish Giants in mine. http://www.harborfreight.com/70-lb-32-kg-digital-postal-scale-95069.html Put the box on and then turn it on so it will zero. Uses a 9 volt battery or you can plug it in with the included power supply. Weights in pounds or kilograms and is graduated to 0.2 ounces. It's good to 70# to.

 

[SuburbanHomesteader]

Got my scale at harbor freight - used a coupon and got it 20% off.

http://www.harborfreight.com/70-lb-32-k ... 95069.html

Does pounds and grams - up to 70 pounds - does tare weight.

Platform is large enough for adults - it's plastic so cleans up easily.

I run mine on electricity.

The only thing I DON'T like about it is that it measures pounds and ounces
rather than pounds and tenths of a pound. I just made a conversion chart.

 

[Easy Ears]

I checked out the scales you guys offered....but they aren't quite what I'm looking for. I raise HL's and Dutch Dwarfs which are about 2lbs at full growth. I need something that measures very small amounts, preferably digital, and will never need somehthing higher than 10lbs. I found one at Walmart for around $20 that is bamboo, and quite small, and I don't think it has a tare option--which I'd love! I don't need a fancy one, and would rather not pay over $10 for it if possible, but I'll take the one at Wally World for $20 if need be. I need it to weigh very small amounts, so I can measure my kits growth through time. Practically from birth to adulthood.

As far as the does living together, sorry, but I wouldn't do it. Especially when breeding them. Too much chance for problems. At the very least, I would try to find a way to divide the double hutch.

I plan to divide the hutch when it's time to breed them. And try to get them back together once the kits are gone....if they will. I know of the risks involved.

And as far as culling, if you breed, there will come a time when you have to. It's not easy, but having a plan set and ready to go can reduce the stress of dealing with it when it happens.

Yes, I understand this. All I was saying, is that I am not prepared for "mass murder" with kits with genetic issues or other problems. The more rabbits you have, the more you will potentially have to put down which I am not prepared for. Like I said before, I don't really have the means to dispose of many rabbits at a time. I am prepared to cull any rabbit, kit or adult, of mine that is suffering but I do not have the means to cull litter after litter with genetic problems that may come from line breeding or other natural problems. That is why I stick with 2 does and 2 bucks. I intend to expand when I'm older and out of college, but I am not prepared for it now. This isn't coming out exactly how I'd like, haha, but I hope you get my meaning.
I have a dispatch plan for kits, but would probably have to take an adult to the vet to be euthanized at this point, as I do not have a pellet gun, and wouldn't be comfortable with using a broom. So the more rabbits I have, the more potential problems could arise, which I am not ready for at this point in my life. When I get my own place, I will be able to get the necessary equipment that goes along with more rabbits but for now, a smaller rabbitry has had less problems for me not that I'm saying having less rabbits means no problems! Ah, this isn't really coming out right, but hopefully you get the point.

And as far as culling, if you breed, there will come a time when you have to. It's not easy, but having a plan set and ready to go can reduce the stress of dealing with it when it happens. That's a fact , no two ways about it. Sick , injured , poor quality or just lack of cage space ..... Something will crop up that forces you to do what ya gotta do.
Having a plan to make use of those dispatched animals doesn't make the act any easier but it'll let you sleep at night knowing the animals aren't wasted , if you eat them , feed them to the dogs or as reptile food or whatever .... I stick to "breed the best , eat the rest." Having a breed that produces fantastic pelts is a nice perk.

I understand this, and am prepared for it, just not on a large scale that comes with a 50 hole rabbitry etc. Hopefully you get my meaning.