When picking out largest and fastest....

[Secuono]

....Will saving back the buck be even worth it?
I have three SF bucks, really don't want any more, but all three aren't much in size.
There's 4 in her first litter, 2 smallest bucks, 1 doe and then a gap up to the biggest buck. I'm really hoping this 'buck' switches to a doe!
She should have another litter soon, hoping for big does and less bucks. Should I keep both the big buck and middle doe for now until I see how the new litter grows?
When do I start thinning out the last litter's best? Simply by the weights collected as they grew, hoping they continue to beat out the previous litter?
This would all be so easy if the biggest was a doe! ugh
What do you guys do?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

If you think there is a possibility that the buck will be better than what you have, I would grow him out to see.

 

[Frecs]

I'm a newbie at this two so keep that in mind...

What I would do, is grow out the buck and see how, once full grown, how he compares to your other bucks. If he is bigger, I'd breed him to be sure he can produce. Once that is assured, I'd cull the others and keep the biggest.

I've get a goal to increase the size of my SFs and this is how I've decided to do it. But, to emphasize, never ever cull a known good breeder until you know the replacement will also be a good breeder. It may be bigger...but if it can pass that on, it isn't any good.

 

[Secuono]

Oct 17th weaned weights-
1 Sable buck, 1.18
2 Black buck, 1.38
3 Black doe, 1.46
4 Black buck, 1.80

Oct 22nd updated weights-
1 Sable buck, 1.75
2 Black buck, 2.05
3 Black doe, 2.07
4 Black buck, 2.46

Gain list for 5 days, average of .62, little over half a pound in 5 days. 0.124 gain a day. So 0.868 gain in a week. Hopefully the math is done right, hah. That's slightly under a pound a week, hopefully they continue to gain this well at least!
.57
.67
.61
.66




But this makes me wonder, what are the normal gains for a kit nursing and a kit nursing as well as eating pellets [the gray area of no longer solely milk, but also not weaned yet]?
The milk would have to be super nutritious mixed with good genetics for them to gain a pound a week from birth, which, I've never heard of anyone having a one pound, one week old kit! Seems like they kick off once weaned, no?





Is it worth keeping back the doe along with the buck? #3 and #4 in the above lists.
Looks like I need to keep the buck for sure, possibly the doe as well and see if the next litter has better, same or worse kits, then keep or switch out rabbit.
Still better than the old rabbits did..

 

[GBov]

If you have room, keep em is my way of thinking. After a few months you can evaluate them again and decide.

And roasters make great dinners and better hides. :twisted:

 

[Secuono]

I like adult rabbits, tons of meat compared to the tiny growers. Haven't noticed any toughness issues.

 

[Zass]

I agree to all, I grew out my questionable "why is this one a buck?" and ended up with that monster in my gallery.

I noticed my SF tend to grow slowly at first, and then start hitting some serious growth spurts later.
Right around when my other breeds are slowing down.
I'm growing out all the SF bit more now, cause it was wasting energy to butcher at 12 weeks when they just about double in size between 12 and 16.
Anyone else experience this?

I'm growing out and test breeding a lot of new does too, because I've noticed too darn many SF does have small litters/poor milk/poor mothering. (perhaps responsible for the slow initial growth?)
Can't see those traits on the judging table, after all.
I've yet to actually meet a SF doe I liked. I'm going to grow and test as many does as necessary to get a herd of good mothers with good milk. I can work on eliminating odd genes and getting conformation from there, when I have litters of 10 plump kits to choose from, instead of the 6 I'm averaging now.

 

[Frecs]

That's one thing I have: good mothers! They aren't as big as I'd like but they have litters ranging from 8-13 kits and can easily raise a litter of 11. Size is what I need...more size...and faster growth. And, I've had a few kits (not litters, but individual kits in litters) that just don't grow like the others. These aren't the runts, but they just don't grow. Mother made me keep one that looks like a dwarf SF. I'll never breed him...he is just taking up cage space to give Mother someone to snuggle. Not sure why I'm getting a few very slow growers.

Oh, and I'm wanting this growth and size from rabbits eating a natural diet, no pellets. I'm still using some pellets but trying to get to the no pellet stage while maintaining size and growth.

 

[dangerbunny]

Zass- I'm surprised by that, My SF does have been awesome mothers, My does have between 7 to 8 babies a litter and mother them great, I have yet to lose a kit from poor mothering.

Frecs- make sure your protein content is high enough, the main difference between a commercial diet and a natural one is protein and that will affect growth rate.

 

[Zass]

My mix-breed does are making me 10 or 11 on average and pretty much keeping them all fat. (runts do exist) I get TONS better litter sizes and growth for meat when I cross a SF buck with a mutt doe.

My understanding is that the people who have really good proven does aren't selling them.
Can't say I blame them for that

 

[Frecs]

Protein is a concern. Even the pellets I can get are only 16%...just can not get 18% around here. I am not sure of the protein levels in the sprouted grain mix I use (wheat/oats/BOSS/Flaxseed) but I definitely want to increase the protein. I've just not hit on a good way to do that yet. I've got some "deer plot seed" I am going to toss out in the orchard. It is a mix of clovers and tri-foil and chicory so I think that will be a big boost to the protein levels for my bunnies.

And, sorry Zass, I won't be parting with my does any time soon! Now, if I produce bigger does with equal mothering I will sell you the older does.

 

[Zass]

I'm comfortable at 16% protein, that's what's in the pellets I buy. I like the pellet-free feeding idea, but every time I try to add much forage I get cecals or diarrhea. Giving oats, boss and hay along with my pellets helps though. I'm also adding dried herbs to the mix this winter. I've heard a lot of herb fodders are taken more easily dried? (comfrey for example)

The only pellets my rabbits all digest easily is the $21/bag stuff! I HAVE to cut that cost.

As far as does go, I have genetics I like for my purposes (I need to concentrate that outstanding growth SOME of my rabbits have).
The REW rabbits were allowed in the gene pool because their kits produced that fantastic growth, and I don't regret that at all. Besides, all I need to do to clean it out is growout a bunch of does, cross them back to my confirmed REW carrying buck, and eat the ones that make white kits (and their litter, should be about 1/2 of them, oh yeah, and save one confirmed REW carrying doe to test my bucks with).
Save the ones who produce all black(and blue) kits, and find a clean buck to breed them with. Ta-Da REW free herd.
Finding that genetically clean buck is going to be the challenge! Since steel will never show on a purebred SF, I can deal with that later.

 

[Frecs]

Switching to pellet free can be a challenge...both in the "getting" of the ingredients and in getting the rabbits to the point they can eat it and thrive on it. It is a slower process than I anticipated but we'll get there.

 

[dangerbunny]

alfalfa and mulberry are both good protein boosters

 

[Secuono]

Ah, Fall's finally hit!
My mulberry's dropping leaves like snow! =(
This is what I woke up to this morning. Water is iced over as well.
Gotta get my rake out and feed to the buns!!

<br /><br />__________ Fri Oct 25, 2013 11:20 am __________<br /><br />Filled their cages! Quarter pound for each rabbit, so much free food!

 

[Zass]

I wonder if they could be dried for winter fodder, or is there not enough? I planted mulberries for my chickens and rabbits, but slugs ate the baby trees till they gave up on me *disgruntled*

 

[Frecs]

Your chickens let slugs eat the mulberry saplings?!! You need to have a talk with your chickens! then, get some ducks! ducks love slugs!

 

[Zass]

Your chickens let slugs eat the mulberry saplings?!! You need to have a talk with your chickens! then, get some ducks! ducks love slugs!

town life
*sigh*
I have to have the chickens penned up most of the time. Well, we built them a big pen, at least, and I can sneak them out for an hour in the evenings.

Had ducks for a while, but keeping the kidde pool clean was a nightmare! And the kids loved them so much, eating duck was out of the question.