raising 2 breeds of rabbit?

[dark.lapin]

I am thinking about also raising mini rex rabbits .I am not shure if I should add another breed to herd because I am just starting my flemish giant project.When did you add a second breed? Also is it a bad idea to raise two rabbits starting out? I will probly just buy stock to help me start out and breed the mini rex later.Is it hard to keep up with 2 breeds?

 

[ottersatin]

What you decide to do is:
Nobody's business but your own.
I would suggest that you wait until you are more adept
at the one breed and gain the knowledge needed to create
a successful Herd. With time and experience comes knowledge.
Like I said, YOU are the only one who can make that decision.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[DevonW]

Depending on how much cage space you have raising two breeds can be really tricky or exceedingly easy.

Starting with two breeds is no more difficult then starting with one breed waiting a year or two then adding another, either way you'll still be a newbie in the breed(s).

 

[dark.lapin]

What you decide to do is:
Nobody's business but your own.
I would suggest that you wait until you are more adept
at the one breed and gain the knowledge needed to create
a successful Herd. With time and experience comes knowledge.
Like I said, YOU are the only one who can make that decision.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

I agree..Thanks for your help..The only thing I have somewhat mastered is selecting rabbits for herd but I want to gain more experence with raising show rabbits befor I decide to raise a smaller breed.

 

[Magnolia Place]

What you decide to do is:
Nobody's business but your own.
I would suggest that you wait until you are more adept
at the one breed and gain the knowledge needed to create
a successful Herd. With time and experience comes knowledge.
Like I said, YOU are the only one who can make that decision.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

This ^

 

[dark.lapin]

Depending on how much cage space you have raising two breeds can be really tricky or exceedingly easy.

Starting with two breeds is no more difficult then starting with one breed waiting a year or two then adding another, either way you'll still be a newbie in the breed(s).

I know it will be probly somewhat easier since mini rexs don't need as mutch space as flemish. Plus I do have some experence with breed..but I have never owned a really good mini rex...are you suggesting I wait a year? plus this project will only be around for 3 years then I will be going to college and I honestly have no idea how I willl continue to raise rabbit while going to college. Thanks for your help

 

[akane]

I started with 3 breeds although 2 are Argentes so their only difference is color. I would have added american chins whenever I found them but now we are moving so I'm selling down to the Argentes for meat rabbits and a pair of mini rex.

 

[dark.lapin]

I started with 3 breeds although 2 are Argentes so their only difference is color. I would have added american chins whenever I found them but now we are moving so I'm selling down to the Argentes for meat rabbits and a pair of mini rex.

right now my plan for mini rex is to buy a breeding trio...was it hard to keep up with diffrent breeds?what color is mini rex breeding trio?

 

[akane]

I had no problem getting 3 breeds established except we got 3 supposedly bred does from different people and not one was bred so we had to go back to them for rabbits from their other litters. The mini rex we just kind of collected here and there from shows and individuals. We had castor, chocolate, blue, black, and lilac. The champagnes we ended up with when going to get our pair of blue mini rex from someone who also raises champagne and flemish. Then I wanted cremes to go with my champagnes so the next day we went to get a creme doe. By midwinter we had 3 established breeds.

I'm keeping my first mini rex which is a broken castor doe and then a lilac buck from our latest litter blue buck x chocolate doe. We'll keep a broken doe from the first breeding to breed back to the buck and get some broken chocolates. So we'll have a trio that will also throw castor, black, blue, opal, and lilac with all of those in broken.

 

[PulpFaction]

I started out with Thriantas, but knew all along my real goal was Silver Fox. I've had a lot of luck with having a wonderful mentor in Thriantas and that's made a huge difference and shifted my focus significantly. Silver Fox are still on the back burner, actually, until I find a good buck!

But honestly, I'm having trouble seeing how I'm going to manage both breeds in the space I have available. (Small.) It's a lot of feed and a lot of cages to make REAL progress. But if you want a second breed to just dabble in, maybe a litter or two per year, it's more manageable. I guess it depends on what you're goals are. But I do agree with Otterstain. If your interest is beyond just casual bunny making, wait a bit and gain as much knowledge as you can before jumping into anything else.

 

[dark.lapin]

I had no problem getting 3 breeds established except we got 3 supposedly bred does from different people and not one was bred so we had to go back to them for rabbits from their other litters. The mini rex we just kind of collected here and there from shows and individuals. We had castor, chocolate, blue, black, and lilac. The champagnes we ended up with when going to get our pair of blue mini rex from someone who also raises champagne and flemish. Then I wanted cremes to go with my champagnes so the next day we went to get a creme doe. By midwinter we had 3 established breeds.

I'm keeping my first mini rex which is a broken castor doe and then a lilac buck from our latest litter blue buck x chocolate doe. We'll keep a broken doe from the first breeding to breed back to the buck and get some broken chocolates. So we'll have a trio that will also throw castor, black, blue, opal, and lilac with all of those in broken.

sounds good..just out of curoisty what faults show up the most in mini rexs? Its going to take me forever to figure out the genetics of mini rexs...
so if you breed choclate and blue you get lilac? thanks for sharing your story...

I started out with Thriantas, but knew all along my real goal was Silver Fox. I've had a lot of luck with having a wonderful mentor in Thriantas and that's made a huge difference and shifted my focus significantly. Silver Fox are still on the back burner, actually, until I find a good buck!

But honestly, I'm having trouble seeing how I'm going to manage both breeds in the space I have available. (Small.) It's a lot of feed and a lot of cages to make REAL progress. But if you want a second breed to just dabble in, maybe a litter or two per year, it's more manageable. I guess it depends on what you're goals are. But I do agree with Otterstain. If your interest is beyond just casual bunny making, wait a bit and gain as much knowledge as you can before jumping into anything else.

I plan on showing mini rexs and I know it will probly take me about 2-3 months to find a reptable breeder and to learn all I can about breed..but i know the genteics are going to take awile..Why did you get thriantas? I have heard of people getting popular breeds to support their non popular ones. I honestly don't expect to get a profit off any of my rabbits but having a small breed and large breed I hope will help me get more people to take showing rabbits serously.(mainly my ffa charter) thanks for your advice and good luck with your silver foxes.

 

[PulpFaction]

I got Thriantas because there was really good stock available at a reasonable price, and I enjoyed the one buck I had so far as a pet.

The meat rabbits would definitely go a lot further as far as "supporting my habit"! The Thriantas aren't popular up here at all.

 

[dark.lapin]

I got Thriantas because there was really good stock available at a reasonable price, and I enjoyed the one buck I had so far as a pet.

The meat rabbits would definitely go a lot further as far as "supporting my habit"! The Thriantas aren't popular up here at all.

reallly? I must live in a rabbit state because in texas they are some what popular ..I have seen the breed at every show I go to. I also chose mini rex because I can go to more shows with mini rex than i can with flemish giants..I am surprised that thriantas are somwhat wide spread the breed was sacntioned in 2008..but I honestly know very little.Why is your silver fox project on back burner?

 

[akane]

Finding mini rex with really good type is either difficult or expensive. Most in my area are too long in the shoulder or body. The only person I know who has rabbits which breed quality type every generation ask about $100-$200 per rabbit. I would not suggest castors if you want to show unless you get good quality castors and only breed them to castors. The width of the bands can be messed up by crossing out to other colors. Self colors are pretty easy. You can sometimes get slightly richer chocolates by breeding to black lines but for the most part there is little variation in the color between different rabbits of the same variety.

Lilac is the dilute of chocolate and blue is the dilute of black. Black is dominant to chocolate. So if you cross chocolate x blue you are guranteed black. If neither carries any other recessives all you will get is black. If the blue carries chocolate you can get black and chocolate. If the chocolate carries dilute you can get black and blue. If the chocolate carries dilute and the blue carries chocolate you can get chocolate, black, lilac, and blue. That is the basics of the self colors. Try these sites http://www.debmark.com/rabbits/genetics.htm , http://www.thenaturetrail.com/Rabbit-Co ... -Chart.htm

 

[dark.lapin]

Finding mini rex with really good type is either difficult or expensive. Most in my area are too long in the shoulder or body. The only person I know who has rabbits which breed quality type every generation ask about $100-$200 per rabbit. I would not suggest castors if you want to show unless you get good quality castors and only breed them to castors. The width of the bands can be messed up by crossing out to other colors. Self colors are pretty easy. You can sometimes get slightly richer chocolates by breeding to black lines but for the most part there is little variation in the color between different rabbits of the same variety.

Lilac is the dilute of chocolate and blue is the dilute of black. Black is dominant to chocolate. So if you cross chocolate x blue you are guranteed black. If neither carries any other recessives all you will get is black. If the blue carries chocolate you can get black and chocolate. If the chocolate carries dilute you can get black and blue. If the chocolate carries dilute and the blue carries chocolate you can get chocolate, black, lilac, and blue. That is the basics of the self colors. Try these sites http://www.debmark.com/rabbits/genetics.htm , http://www.thenaturetrail.com/Rabbit-Co ... -Chart.htm

thanks..I wasn't planing on raising castors..hopefully these breeders will be nice and not charge me an arm and a leg..flemish giant are only 75 and i thought that was expesive..I am thinking about raising otters ,blue,red, and black mini rex..are otters hard to get a good show rabbit out of?

 

[PulpFaction]

I got Thriantas because there was really good stock available at a reasonable price, and I enjoyed the one buck I had so far as a pet.

The meat rabbits would definitely go a lot further as far as "supporting my habit"! The Thriantas aren't popular up here at all.

reallly? I must live in a rabbit state because in texas they are some what popular ..I have seen the breed at every show I go to. I also chose mini rex because I can go to more shows with mini rex than i can with flemish giants..I am surprised that thriantas are somwhat wide spread the breed was sacntioned in 2008..but I honestly know very little.Why is your silver fox project on back burner?

Because I have only been able to acquire two does so far, one of them either is a cross-breed or is totally lacking in breed type (silvering, fur, size.) I'm trying to get the wheels turning to get a pair shipped up, but it is a slow and expensive process. I have a waiting list for breeding stock a mile long if I could actually find a buck and get some litters on the ground from at least my one good doe!

Thriantas really are awesome little rabbits. Very deserving of whatever popularity they have. And working with a breed that is, in many ways, still in development is very satisfying. On the other hand, I find really popular breeds like mini Rex to be SO intimidating! With Thriantas, I feel like a best of breed at convention is a feasible goal within the next five years. With Mini Rex...lol. Fahgettahboutit!

 

[dark.lapin]

I got Thriantas because there was really good stock available at a reasonable price, and I enjoyed the one buck I had so far as a pet.

The meat rabbits would definitely go a lot further as far as "supporting my habit"! The Thriantas aren't popular up here at all.

reallly? I must live in a rabbit state because in texas they are some what popular ..I have seen the breed at every show I go to. I also chose mini rex because I can go to more shows with mini rex than i can with flemish giants..I am surprised that thriantas are somwhat wide spread the breed was sacntioned in 2008..but I honestly know very little.Why is your silver fox project on back burner?

Because I have only been able to acquire two does so far, one of them either is a cross-breed or is totally lacking in breed type (silvering, fur, size.) I'm trying to get the wheels turning to get a pair shipped up, but it is a slow and expensive process. I have a waiting list for breeding stock a mile long if I could actually find a buck and get some litters on the ground from at least my one good doe!

Thriantas really are awesome little rabbits. Very deserving of whatever popularity they have. And working with a breed that is, in many ways, still in development is very satisfying. On the other hand, I find really popular breeds like mini Rex to be SO intimidating! With Thriantas, I feel like a best of breed at convention is a feasible goal within the next five years. With Mini Rex...lol. Fahgettahboutit!

who reason why it took me sooooo long to finally make my mind up on mini rexs is they're popularity...if only flemish giants had that kind of support...ugh..to be honest I really want to raise blue otter .I might be able to sell more mini rex than flemish giants and I personally want to work more with flemish than mini rex. It can't hurt to at least try to raise this breed . Besides my first rabbit was black mini rex I really want another black instead of wolf my shy broken mini rex.I hope you are sucessful with silver foxes because I really don't want another breed to not exist in america..plus silver foxes are gorgous.I would not give up on thriantas gaining popularity..its a smaller breed and it does have some followers..besides it newer breed give it about 5 years and maybe a flemish giant or a thriantas will acualy win bob at a covention...now if only people would raise larger rabbits..sighs..Also have you ever met or heard of anyone owning hotot..Its one of my favorite breeds and I love the marking around the eyes.