Should I try colony?

[dayna]

I have three Mommas in three runs all in a row.

Ashley on the outside, then Honey and then her daughter Hazel.

Ashley had dead babies so she's raising Pennys babies (Penny didn't feed them).

There were 8 Penny babies that got fostered to Ashley and Honey. Honey had her own litter at the same time (three does gave birth, two litters lived, two mommas were chosen to feed them).

Also, I have Annies babies. I fostered them onto my two Mommas Honey and Ashley. So between the two there was 6+6+9 babies going between the two mommas.

Hazels babies are like 3 months old, way weaned, in a run on their own. She's pregnant.

Okay, so Ashley and Honey are right next to each other, remember? This is where it gets confusing. The babies go under and over the wire back and forth between the two mommas. Two meals for the price of one!

Well, now they are going into HAZELS run! And she's FINE with it. She currently has no babies, but is snuggling 4 babies (I just checked on her) from THREE different litters.

So I wonder. would the Mommas do fine with each other? Would they fight? Would they hurt the babies?

The first day I put them in, they fought through the wire for about 10 minutes. Then settled down. Now they lay up against the wire up against each other. Snuggling through wire.

How does one even try something like colony on mature does? Could I just watch them and see if they fight after a few minutes? I'm sure there is a bit of adjustment.

Ideas, thoughts, suggestions?

 

[Dood]

Everyone loves babies that doesn't mean their moms are going to get along.

Of my 8 meat does only one is a grouch and doesn't like another does kits (she is from my show line and second on the list for replacement) My 3 Mini Lop house bunnies share a cage and mothering duties but I only have one litter at a time and they are in my living room so I can closely monitor the situation.

Even if the girls get along, i found the biggest problem with colonies is that you pretty much have to breed the does at the same time or you will have problems with older kits stealing milk and/or sneaking into newborns nest and possibly smothering them, other does claiming kits and preventing mom from feeding them, hormonal/receptive does chasing and mounting others etc... (Do a search on colonies and there will be a laundry list of the pros and cons.)

So the question is - Do you want to have 3 litters (8 kits per litter x 3 = 24 fryers) growing at the same time and needing to be butchered around the same time? If you want to expand to 4 or 5 (or more) does there is that many more to process before they begin fighting or getting pregnant.

 

[Ralph]

My does went together in the colony when they were between 8 and 12 months. There was a little hair pulling and chasing they all get along great now. Added a part Flemish to the mix she was about 7 months not a problem at all but she a gentle giant gets along with everyone. Don't know yet how it going to go with preg doe and babies. going to find out soon hope to start breeding next week. Got 7 doe together in the run might get interesting . But they have lots of room the run. Inside run 12' X 15' outside run 12' X 18'.

 

[OwnedByTheBuns]

I introduced an 8 pound doe to a 13 pound doe. OH MY, fur flying, and one doe bit completely through the other's ear. It was crazy. BUT I left them together. The 13 pound doe always remained the "highest" and would always chase the smaller one away from feed.

I won't ever have a colony again. BECAUSE if you have someone get sick, it's kinda a blow out, as everyone was housed together. I had 14 rabbits in my colony days, everyone got along fairly well. Some chasing every once in awhile, that's normal. But if one gets mites or some contagious something, it spreads to EVERYONE. If one gets cocci and is on the ground, EVERYONE gets it. Etcetera.