Ugh, I messed up..

[HansenHomestead]

In my haste of NOT thinking properly I wanted to get in one more Cal litter before the high temps hit. So I bred up Luna, who already has a litter of 5 week old kits.

My original thinking WAS. I'll get her bred, and by the time the litter is due her current kits will be weaned out, cool simple enough. After stepping back after breeding her it hit me... Where would I put this current litter after they're weaned? Literally every cage I've got is full! Stupid on my part for seeing that before, and knowing how Luna, and Phantom work. She's pregnant.

I have 1 nesting cage holding 6, 15 week old kits for grow out. I was hoping to have them up to weight, and butchered by 10-12 weeks, BUT of course that did not play out as well as I had thought it would. I weighted the grow outs earlier this week, and we are hitting 3-5lbs. So I am REALLY hoping that in a week, or 2 all the grow outs will hit a good weight, and I can make room for Luna's kits.

The other option I have is my husband, and I made temp cages out of large indoor dog kennels. We cut out a section for the J-Feeders, removed the pans, and cut a floor out of like milk crate plastic, made a base for the cage, and that all sits above a drop pan. I'll have to somehow get my tiny butt up to the rafters of the garage, and try to get the wooden base down, and get that set up so I can move the grow outs to that cage, and Cal litter to the other nesting cage.

I am just looking for you guy's opinions on which I should do.

Wait 2 weeks, and butcher the grow out's, or set up the kennel/cage system, and shuffle all the rabbits around?

The 5 weeks old kits have really slowed down on nursing on mom. I see maybe one kit a day go for a teat.

 

[alforddm]

If those growouts are 15 weeks old and 3-5lbs I would go ahead and butcher. After 12 weeks of age your feed conversion generally drops so you're feeding more for less gain. The only reason I would keep a kit past 12 weeks is if I was growing out for fur or keeping for a breeder.

 

[HansenHomestead]

This is going to be the hard part for me. Even though my husband does the dispatch, it's still hard on me.

I do realize what you mean about the feed though. When we first put them on this new food they beefed up quickly, but now they eat, and eat, and I can barely keep up. While they are still gaining weight, it's slowed down more than what it was when we first got the new food.

There is one that I might hole back. It's a little buckling that my 13 year old cousin just loves, but she has a Cavy, and her parents told her she would have to figure out what she wants to do with the Cavy before she gets a rabbit.

I just weighted my 5 week old kits, and they hitting 13-15 ounces.

 

[wamplercathy]

Personally I hate butchering bucks over 10wks. The hide seems harder to pull off. Had a couple that hit 12 wks and while skinning them tore the meat. Making it unsellable in my opinion. I have my does on a 3 wk cycle. Tried the 4 wk one but all that lead to was frustration. No one wanted to breed at all. They keep in shape very well. If they didn't then I would wait to re-breed. But by 7 weeks the does are about to pop and she stops nursing the kits at 6 1/2-7 wks anyways. I plan to place 2-16x24x24 grow out cages above each breeding cage. Just waiting on supplies from kwcages.

For the most part all the kits are butchered by 8-10wks. Waiting till you hit a certain weight could take weeks or even months. I have a doe that is a year and a half old and when not pregnant only weighs about 6 1/2 Lbs, but her kits reach almost to right at 5 Lbs by 8-9 wks.

Just weighted my 61/2 wk old kits 4 out of 6 are 3.5 Lb, the other 2 are 2.75 Lbs. Not to shabby.

For me I have 2 criteria for butchering kits:
1. No older then 10 wks
2. 5 Lb cut off weight.
Which ever comes first. Some kits may never reach the 5 Lb marker. And some might.

Best of luck,
Cathy

 

[HansenHomestead]

Thank you Cathy.

My husband is the one who said that he wanted to reach 5lbs quickly, and I have been trying to get that, but I haven't got it down enough yet to hit that when needed, you know?

I am trying though. They are on a whole new diet, and so far it is coming along nicely. I weighted my 5 week old kits, and we are now hitting 15ounces. Which is A LOT bigger than Luna's first litter, and having those kits on the old diet.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I agree that you should just butcher the growouts, including the buckling. Your cousin will fall in love with another rabbit. He is surely past the "cute bunny" stage and into the "rabbit" stage, and most people prefer to get baby animals as pets.

 

[HansenHomestead]

That is very true, but I love him too haha. That's okay though. I already picked the 2 that are going into the breeding program.

A beautiful Siamese Sable doe, and a HUGE black doe.

 

[wamplercathy]

Thank you Cathy.

My husband is the one who said that he wanted to reach 5lbs quickly, and I have been trying to get that, but I haven't got it down enough yet to hit that when needed, you know?

I am trying though. They are on a whole new diet, and so far it is coming along nicely. I weighted my 5 week old kits, and we are now hitting 15ounces. Which is A LOT bigger than Luna's first litter, and having those kits on the old diet.

It's a great goal but that takes time.

I feed 1/2c pellet twice a day to my bucks and all the hay they want. And a few treats.
Most of the time my does have a litter so free feed pellets and all the hay they want. And a few treats.

This what I feed: http://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/16-rabb ... 76401/cl1/

Been working so far. But when I got my stock I picked very carefully. Finding a breeder that had similar goals and set up to mine. Still, I've had my own boulders to conquer.
Best of luck,
Cathy

 

[HansenHomestead]

I just put everyone on ADM PenPals 16%. The same feed DBA gives to his buns, and so far I love it. All my rabbits just have a J-Feeder that I fill daily. Does with kits, grow outs, and pregnant does get their feeder filled as needed, and they all also get alfalfa cubes, and rolled oats.

 

[akane]

Depended on the breed. I had to set my goals low for the netherlands I was finding. Ended up culling probably 75% of the does I tried to start with. Didn't care too much about litter sizes but that doe that had about 5 each litter made up nearly all my keepers. Bad temperament meant the ones that viciously bit me multiple times for no reason versus the ones that only nipped or attacked me over certain things.

The champagnes I was trying to get the litter size over 5 and had no temperament problem. I rarely had to cull for temperament because they were just laid back, almost floppy, critters that did nothing wrong.

The mini rex were all over the board. Temperament, nest building problems in some and not others, litter sizes, size of the full grown rabbits, on and on..... Which is why I gave up on them pretty early and went to the champagnes.