In selecting kits for vigor after a grow out, how does a person differentiate between an animal that is vigorous vs an animal that aggressively pushes aside its siblings, or does one use aggression as a proxy for vigor?
Selecting For Vigor vs Aggression
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Dominant behaviour towards siblings can very well translate to agressive behaviour towards humans. Correct handling helps, but it is something to keep in mind.
Select for no injuries, healthy weight (just rapid growth can have you end up with animals that put on fat rapidly when nearly mature). And animals that get fat easily quickly become infertile and that costs you replacement breeding stock. So keep in mind that fast growth alone is not the best criterium for good stock. Animals that can maintain healthy weight both with regular litters as well as without give you much less hassle than when you have to breed on a specific schedule to keep them on weight. You never know when you may need to pauze breeding or otherwise end up with longer time before breeding again or a first timer.
The top preformers as in other production breed species require very fine tuned management to be able to do that without complications. Stepping down 10-20% from that gives a lot more wiggle room / resilliance in your herd that saves you a lot of frustrations.
Select for no injuries, healthy weight (just rapid growth can have you end up with animals that put on fat rapidly when nearly mature). And animals that get fat easily quickly become infertile and that costs you replacement breeding stock. So keep in mind that fast growth alone is not the best criterium for good stock. Animals that can maintain healthy weight both with regular litters as well as without give you much less hassle than when you have to breed on a specific schedule to keep them on weight. You never know when you may need to pauze breeding or otherwise end up with longer time before breeding again or a first timer.
The top preformers as in other production breed species require very fine tuned management to be able to do that without complications. Stepping down 10-20% from that gives a lot more wiggle room / resilliance in your herd that saves you a lot of frustrations.
Thanks for the input.
How many generations can I expect to see results in assuming new bucks? Would line breeding be a better or worse idea? My thinking is that most rabbits in my area are bred to pellets and I'd like to breed them off of that diet.
How many generations can I expect to see results in assuming new bucks? Would line breeding be a better or worse idea? My thinking is that most rabbits in my area are bred to pellets and I'd like to breed them off of that diet.
I tend to look at which rabbit is staying at the back of the cage and which are coming forward to greet me when I come into the rabbitry. In my experience, those individuals who hide out in the back of the cage are the ones who grow up and continue to avoid human interaction and contact. To me, those are the animals I do not want as breeders. I want to feel as if I am in partnership with my breeders, that they are happy to be with me and I am happy to be their caretaker, and not a relationship where I am made to feel as if I am forcing them to be with me and them hating me every time they see me (I am humanizing rabbit behavior here, but I think you get the point).
I have had issues with aggression from rabbits I have had as breeders or planned to keep as breeders. One doe came into my rabbitry at already 8 months old, she was the type who stayed in the back of her cage every time she saw me and then she became aggressive towards me with her first litter, which was understandable and ok. However, after the kits were weaned, she was still physically aggressive towards me. She did not respond favorably to the steps we take to remind a rabbit that we are top rabbit and not they.....the same signal rabbits give to one another to establish dominance, which is firmly but gently pressing your hand across their shoulders in a way that pins them down without hurting them while reminding them in a gentle voice who you are and that aggressive behavior will not be tolerated.
Most of my rabbits who behaved out of order have responded favorably to this rabbit language reminder. However, this girl did not. I ended up moving her from the eye level cage she was in down to a knee level cage. Well, that change took away her aggression because she now had a very good idea of just how large I am compared to her. Also, predators come from above, and now I was above her. So, this change of position did not stop her from loathing me from the back of her cage, but it did stop her aggression towards me. However, I still removed her from my breeder stock because I want only friendly rabbits. Both aggression and loathing the presence of humans are two personality traits I do NOT want in my rabbitry.
Another doe I had responded to nothing and constantly bit me. I raised her from birth, she always ran to the front of the cage with the other friendly litter mates, and I chose to keep her as a breeder. All was good until the day I decided to put her in with a buck for breeding. She didn't lift and she never forgave me for it, biting me every chance she got, even when adding food to her bowl. She responded to nothing, so she was eventually removed.
To directly answer your question of vigor. For me, this is mainly found in the numbers. I weigh each rabbit within 24 hours of birth, then at 1 week, again at 2 weeks, and then once every two weeks after that, until they are 12 weeks old, then once per month if I am keeping past that age. To be quite honest, I can see who is going to be a vigorous rabbit in growth and health within those first two weeks. I don't see the ability to fight hard for nipple time as aggressive. I see it as a sign of an extremely healthy rabbit who will serve the rabbit population well. Also, at that age rabbits are completely unaware of themselves as individuals, and they are unaware of themselves as being part of a group. They are simply driven by instinct to survive and nothing more. I have found through observation that this remains the case until about 8 weeks of age. It is after that age where I begin to see the litter starting to play with dominance assertion, etc. But dominance is not aggression. Vigor health and growing at an excellent rate for the breed of rabbit. I hope this helps!
