Somebody make up my mind for me please!!! UPDATED 8/27.

[fuzzy9]

This is Jasper, he's the buck to a couple of my recent litters with brokens in them. I can't decide what to do with him! I'm aiming to improve each litter of brokens, breeding up each time. He's from my very first litter of brokens, his mom is 1/2 English Spot, and 1/2 Cally, and his dad is a big 11 lb Cally. To me, my next step would be to wait for my current second generation broken kits to be old enough to breed, and take it from there, not using Jasper again.

BUT, I weighed him last night, and he's just shy of 8 1/2 lbs at 5 1/2 months. I took him out this morning to really look him over, and he's one of those rabbits that you've tucked away, and don't really look hard at until one day it just surprises you how they've grown. He's a big boy for a cross! My only concern is how much of that is bone, and how much is muscle meat? He has huge feet and legs, he's filled in nice along the back and loin, and then he's a bit narrower in the overall body unlike a NZ or Cal. But he's only 5 1/2 months old too.

Part of me wants to keep him to see how big he'll get, plus he's super sweet, and then I realize I'm limited to cage space, and have other goals.

And I realized today this is where the cross on that kits forehead comes from! I never realized he had this before!!

 

[stone soup farm]

Calis are known for fine bones so that is a plus. Not sure on the english spots structure. I an newer to rabbits but I think it depends on your goals and what other stock he is competing with. Is it that you want bigger rabbits or a certain color combo? How are his kits growing out as well? That would be a factor for me. Hopefully someone has more insight. I like that his daddy is 11 lbs that is real nice.

 

[fuzzy9]

Yes, size matters right now, and color/pattern as well. I'm working towards my own line of spotted black/white broken meat rabbits. They'll all be crossed with a NZ line from here on out.

 

[JDWest]

Wow! He looks and sounds nice. It's extra hard when one is developing wild card projects like yours... something so wonderfully different. Some buns can really surprise you.

I would keep him long enough to grow out your others atleast. By then you'll have enough info to take the next step either way. In my opinion, it's a good idea to keep the foundation stock that gave you the first step in the direction you visioned, for as long as possible. Doing so has really helped me in my Astrex project. It has given me more room for tweaking and not fixed me down any particular road to get to my final destination.

Goodluck...They look fantastic!

 

[fuzzy9]

That's a great way to look at it, JDWest! I appreciate such a well thought out response. It helps, and kind of clears my mind. Sometimes it's just the lack of being able to make a decision, or validate the reasons why to keep them, and it helps to hear the reasons why from other folks who may be doing the same thing.

So thank you! :up:

 

[JDWest]

Oh i hear ya. I find making those decisions like torture.. i waiver back and forth. I feel like i might be closing a door that i wont be able to re open! I hates dat! Lol

So much easier if they are Does...i can justify that to myself. But i have a soft spot for bucks...they can really make or break a heard!; if you have a good one it's worth keeping him so can dip back into that well!! I know i'm down a rabbit hole when i get my husband involved..explaining to him the possible outcomes of either decision i make. He is no help at all, and usually tells me to "just keep it then" or he stares blankly back at me staiting "whatever you think shnoogums" lol

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I think he is really handsome, Fuzzy!

I would keep him at least to maturity- that way you can add his mature weight to your records. That is my plan with my "Leonis Rex" project, so I will have good records from the beginning.

That will also give you time to grow his son/s out for a bit and compare them to his weight at certain ages.

 

[paintrider89]

Oh i hear ya. I find making those decisions like torture.. i waiver back and forth. I feel like i might be closing a door that i wont be able to re open! I hates dat! Lol

So much easier if they are Does...i can justify that to myself. But i have a soft spot for bucks...they can really make or break a heard!; if you have a good one it's worth keeping him so can dip back into that well!! I know i'm down a rabbit hole when i get my husband involved..explaining to him the possible outcomes of either decision i make. He is no help at all, and usually tells me to "just keep it then" or he stares blankly back at me staiting "whatever you think shnoogums" lol

I think my hubby and yours have the dame brain frequencies. Mine won't let me have another horse, but rabbits he just smiles and lets me do my thing. He gets confused when i start talking names though. :?

 

[fuzzy9]

Thanks JDWest, and MSD! I do exactly that, I stew on something like this, and teeter back and forth! To hear legit reasons to keep, like the ones you gave, makes perfect sense, and it's true, it will be nice to have him to look back on once my wee ones have grown!

LOL!!! :lol: My hubby is the same way, he's very supportive to whatever I want, he doesn't care, but ask him to engage in a rabbit conversation.......ain't gonna happen! He's got to much other stuff on his mind. He just says, "do whatever you want!" :lol:

 

[JDWest]

Haha...To be fair, I get the same glazed over look in my eyes when he starts talking about his gunsmithing.
But we both totally support each others pursuits of buns and guns. We should combine our hobbies and call it Buns of Steel!

Sorry, :hijacked: Back to topic....

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Sorry, :hijacked: Back to topic....

No, no! Not yet!!!

Haha...To be fair, I get the same glazed over look in my eyes when he starts talking about his gunsmithing.
But we both totally support each others pursuits of buns and guns. We should combine our hobbies and call it Buns of Steel!

Ba-ha-ha-ha-haaah!!!

Buns and Guns- Buns of Steel! I don't know which I like better!

Sounds eerily like my house... I'm more than happy to fire them, but ask me to reload brass, or replace parts, or clean them, and er--- no. And Hubs is more than happy to eat the buns, but show them, tattoo them, feed them? Er--- no.

 

[fuzzy9]

Here it's tractors and kitchen equipment! :lol: Dave can have a whole conversation with himself about Allis Chalmers tractors, and Alto Shaam ovens! Me......not so much! :lol:

 

[stone soup farm]

I do like the spots. Is your avatar related...possibly the mama?

 

[fuzzy9]

Thank you! Yes! That's Jasper's mamma!

 

[JDWest]

Mwahahahaha you guys.

Hubby recently set up a hot blueing setup for blueing gun parts. I told him he had to move it further from the rabbitry. He cheerfully said ok and promptly went over to the wood shed throwing all our wood out into the yard, hollard at the kids to come restack the wood somewhere else. Lol
Now it looks like a hillbillies chemistry set inside my wood shed....i like it! No one can accuse us of being borring, my boys got good excersice, and my buns are safe from any nasty fumes. 

He often says that if i want, we could go down to the States for rabbit breeds i can't get here. But i think whats really going on is he wants to hit all the awesome gun stores. Pretty good compromise! Maybe if i keep in fuzzy's good books i can one day be blessed with fuzzy's spotted meaty buns :mrgreen:<br /><br />__________ Mon Jul 29, 2013 9:57 pm __________<br /><br />

Thank you! Yes! That's Jasper's mamma!

Stunning!

 

[AmysMacdog]

Fuzzy9 I wish we were neighbors. I'd be more than happy to keep that purty buck for you and you could use him again anytime you wanted!
Jasper's momma is pretty too!

LOL Yep! At my house too. Hubs loves his guns as much as I luv my buns... and of course my dog Mac!
LOL MSD I think "Buns of steel" is catchier!

 

[fuzzy9]

He often says that if i want, we could go down to the States for rabbit breeds i can't get here. But i think whats really going on is he wants to hit all the awesome gun stores. Pretty good compromise!

I see no problem with this! :lol: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner I say......for both parties involved!!

Maybe if i keep in fuzzy's good books i can one day be blessed with fuzzy's spotted meaty buns :mrgreen:

Absolutely!! I've got some nice big NZ black bunrabs too! You may need a nice NZ black to breed to that spotted meaty bun! :lol: Yes mam.......I'm an enabler!!! :lol:

Fuzzy9 I wish we were neighbors. I'd be more than happy to keep that purty buck for you and you could use him again anytime you wanted!
Jasper's momma is pretty too!

AmysMacdog.......it would be nice to have a rabbit neighbor/friend right next door! So when our hubbies are talking about "hubby stuff"....you know, tractors, guns, trucks, yadda yadda yadda.........we can be hanging out in the rabbitry, playing with the rabbits! You know........fun stuff!!! :lol:<br /><br />__________ Tue Aug 27, 2013 12:45 am __________<br /><br />I thought I'd come back and update this just for fun. I weighed the kits tonight that I've gotten out of Jasper's first litters, and I'm really surprised. Granted, the first litter was a small litter, only 4 kits.........but I weaned them at 5 weeks, and separated two per cage for grow out, they've been on free choice pellets only. At 7 1/2 weeks old, this first litter has two kits that are 4 1/2 lbs, and two that are 4 lbs! I never expected to be this close to 5 lbs at 8 weeks with this mixed line, and I'm hoping the two are actually 5 lbs at 8 weeks!

His second litter there was 6, they are 7 weeks, and were weaned at 5 1/2 weeks. I had them all in the same cage together up until late last week, and then separated the two solid black ones out, leaving the 4 spotted together. The 4 spotted are on free choice pellets with some hay. I weighed the spotted ones tonight, there's 2 at 3 lbs, one at 3 1/4 lbs, and one at 3 1/2 lbs. They are growing nice, but definitely need to separate them for grow out.

It does make a difference to have them in smaller groups for grow out, but I'm happy with the grow out weights on my second generation kits, and I think I'm on a good track with my spotted meat project!