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Small Cabin Forum / General Forum / Our rabbitry
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Aklogcabin
Member
# Posted: 24 Apr 2021 09:51
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Hello all, glad to report that our 3 doe rabbits had their babies.
With food security becoming such an issue these days I'm kinda glad we got back into rabbits. I think we have around 20 kits between the 3 of them. We can rebreed any time but I like to give our mamas more time to strengthen up. We use a 6 week breeding schedule.
The moose have seemed to moved on , finally.
I did a rough calculation on costs. Food costs were 6 bales of hay @ $12. = 84 bucks. And 7 bags of pellets @ $20 = 140 bucks. So $225 bucks or so.
Our initial cost was $50 each for 3 does n 1 buck from registered breeding stock. $200 bucks. I bought a role of wire for pens on the net for $175 bucks. I used about half a role . So I could sell it, probably for what I bought the whole role for nowadays. But could build 4 more cages. I will probably do that and then sell them. Could easily get $150 bucks apiece. Added value.
My yearly output for food, now that my I initial costs are amortized should be less than $300 bucks. If I sell 5 kits @ $60 bucks my annual costs are covered.
I thought others may find this useful both at cabins or home.
I'll post some baby pictures when they get cuter. They're kind of mixed colors. With a black mama n white pa.
Again the does are New Zealand black n buck is a Californian.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 24 Apr 2021 20:35
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I raised 'em when a kid in 4H and we had also had sheep, a bit strange for dairy & beef country here in south central Wisconsin.
Dont name 'em anything other than Meat if ya have to butcher.

Aklogcabin
Member
# Posted: 25 Apr 2021 08:23
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Yeah we did the 4 H thing. There wasn't any groups near us so I became a 4H leader n started a group. 4H does way more than just animals.

NorthwoodsGuy
Member
# Posted: 25 Apr 2021 13:18
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Another 4H kid here who did rabbits. You've got good meat breeds there. I still enjoy eating rabbit, although finding farmers who raise them is always a moving target. They are fun to raise and super healthy food.

Aklogcabin
Member
# Posted: 14 May 2021 11:35
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A bit of an update on our bunnies. The kits are just over 3 weeks old. So we rebred the 3 does. We will ween the kits at 6 weeks old. That gives our mamas a week to get ready for a new litter.
We have 24 kits. Litter sizes were all good but we did have some hiccups. First mama had 9 kits no problems all kits doing great. Second mama had her kits outside of the nesting box. She had 10 babies, 3 died. 3rd mama had 9 babies but one ended up outside the nesting box . They can get dragged out on mamas teat.
This was their first go round and they are all good mamas. No losses after first couple of days.
Another great trait is that they readily accept the other does kits. Little buggers escaped into each other's pens through the water bowl. And all adults can be handled easily, good attitudes.
I need to get them moved out of the greenhouse though. Our tomatoe plants are getting too big for the dining room. I will set them up with a self watering hydroponic system. And supplement with rabbit poo tea.
I've got the winters worth of poo n hay, a hundred pounds of mowed up leaves, chicken n goat poo , wood chips for the compost pile.
Everything will get used. Kids are figuring out what to do with the hides as they want to learn how to tan them.
I currently pretty much open feed the mamas n kits with pellets. Open feed a timothy/broughm hay. Supplement with all the kitchen vegetable trimmings. Dried leaves , willow n birch sticks. There really liking the pussy willows. Sunflower seeds.
I will be building a new rabbit tractor , a pen that allows us to put them on the lawn.

old243
Member
# Posted: 16 May 2021 09:34
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Better start building more cages. They multiply and divide, every chance they get. I had rabbit's a long time ago. If you are trying to get a doe to accept anothers kits, put a dab of vicks vaporub on the does nose. Keep your pellet costs as low as possible. Supplement with hay and whole grain. Get the kids involved, great learning experience. Farm kids learn early , about the birds and the bees. old 243

Aklogcabin
Member
# Posted: 17 May 2021 08:57
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Thanks old234. Our kids and grandkids are involved. And we will be homeschooling our grandkids. Animal husbandry is an important lesson for all to learn

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