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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 9, 2012 17:44:20 GMT -5
I'm probably going to go look at that litter this weekend. Not sure I'll get anything from it tho. New breeder - just started. Not sure the stock is all that great. Wanna put eyes and hands on the goods first. These are 9 wk olds and I'd hafta grow 'em 4-5 more months to breed. I've forgotten my yahoo info. Gotta find it, as haven't had any luck signing in yet.
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Post by garrett on Feb 11, 2012 21:18:32 GMT -5
get em dawg.lol i knew i shouldda taken that left turn at alberquerkie?lol
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Post by annclaire on Feb 12, 2012 14:09:14 GMT -5
TDD, yep, hands on is the way to go ;D
As for whether they have good stock or not, depends on what they started with ... you might be looking at pedigreed stock that is excellent confirmation. Hope so!
As for breeding, research has shown that breeding at 4-6 months is best for production rabbits. Even tho the does are not at full growth, breeding early with appropriate feeding does not stunt their growth. Now, first time moms don't always get it right the first time, or even the second time (but there should be improvement) and the general consensus in the meat rabbits group is to give a doe 3 chances to figure it out. A lot will also depend on what kind of mother she had, but a lot of it is genetic programming and even in the wild, mother nature doesn't get it right the first time all the time.
It is hard to loose a litter because the doe didn't pull enough fur, or make a proper nest, or have the babies IN the nest rather than on the wire, but they should get it right by the 3rd litter.
My EA doe had 1 in the nest box (and she made a good nest), but then had the rest on the wire, and I lost the whole litter of 5. My Satin doe had 11 in the box and had even plucked fur from the angora buck next door LOL to make an awesome nest.
Both were bred at 5 months old and kindled at 6 months old. The Satin doe is 8 months old now and has the adult size and dewlap, the EA doe is the same age, but doesn't have as big as a dewlap as the Satin, but should develop more as the EA breed is a little later in maturing than the Satin line I have.
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 12, 2012 21:31:09 GMT -5
get em dawg.lol i knew i shouldda taken that left turn at alberquerkie?lol Mehhh. The right at Tulsa didn't help non either. Lol.
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 12, 2012 21:43:51 GMT -5
Thank you A.C., I'll give it a shot starting around 4-5 months. That is really good info to know. Especially about the 3 tries to get it right. That is something I would have never thought about.
Well, we went out today and took a looksee. Never, ever take kiddos with you for this particular type of outing. The rabbits looked healthy, not exhibiting any of the things I had read to look out for. I had intended to take a bathroom scale with me and at least get a rough weight, but I forgot. The dam seemed to be a good hefty weight. I would guess closing in 9-10 lbs. The nine week olds seemed to be a little light by my guess, but I got to thinking about it and for a starter-dip the toe in the water- set they didn't look too bad to my inexperienced eye. Of course the kids would have revolted if we didn't take any. The breeder and I checked and both think I've got 1 male and 1 female. Course I've read it's hard to be sure at that age. Markings look good from what I can tell for Californias. White coat, paws and nose all dark.
We brought them home in the old cat carrier and left them in the carrier for a while to acclimatize while I ran and picked up the additonal lumber and hardware cloth to finish up the hutch. The breeder gave me the remains of a bag of feed when I asked, and I'll pick up some straw/hay tomorrow. Making sure to give them plenty of water tonight. I'll finish the hutch tomorrow when the weather is a little more friendly.
I'll take a pick tonight or tomorrow when all kiddos aren't present to hover.
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Post by kay on Feb 12, 2012 23:08:03 GMT -5
Congratulations on the rabbits. Used to raise "checkered giants and Netherland dwarfs". Have to have permission to from the city to have rabbits now.
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 12, 2012 23:30:40 GMT -5
Thank you Kay.
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 13, 2012 0:55:21 GMT -5
Fred and Ethel.
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Post by garrett on Feb 13, 2012 10:14:46 GMT -5
heeeeeeeey looking good thar dawg!
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Post by kay on Feb 13, 2012 11:59:17 GMT -5
They are beautiful!
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 14, 2012 0:19:40 GMT -5
Thanks ya'll.
Worked on the hutch today, but too much rain, cable marking fellow showing up (he had to stop on account of rain), etc., didn't get finished with it.
They definitely have personalities. Fred is more outgoing. Ethel is pretty shy. Both are curious as all get-out. I'll be glad when hutch is finished so they can move around more continuously instead of in sessions when I can let them out of the carrier (large carrier - they aren't cramped).
The side-product is already available in surprising quantity for the size of the donors. Heh-heh.
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Post by garrett on Feb 17, 2012 10:12:30 GMT -5
so's hows all da wabbits doing?
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 17, 2012 10:52:22 GMT -5
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Post by annclaire on Feb 22, 2012 0:12:30 GMT -5
Awwwwwwww, ain't they cute little fuzzballs?
My bet is the doe is bred and will be kindling in 30+ days and she will need a nest box too ;D
At nine weeks, you want to keep them seperate unless you are breeding them, and the doe goes TO the buck's cage for 10-30 minutes CLOSELY SUPERVISED ... or 3 fall-offs by the buck ... and don't be surprised if he is quite vocal about it too LOL
If your doe is pregnant, don't worry about whether she can kindle successfully or whether it will stunt her growth ... she should do fine, and it won't stunt her growth because you will be feeding her a premium feed.
One thing that I supplement with is groats in the winter, and BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) for the angora coat. These are "hot" foods, so you might not need them in your hot climate.
And fresh greens should be introduced slowly and sparingly ... mine get a handful once a week in the winter, and as things start greening up here this spring, I will gather handfuls of the greenest, earliest WEEDS 2-3x per week.
Yes, bunnies like weeds ... not st.augustine or bermuda, but plain-jane weeds LOL Of course, they will also appreciate tops and shavings from processing garden produce, but their main diet is the ALFALFA pellets and you need to be sure not to upset the balance by overloading with greens. Greens are a treat. It is more important that they eat their pellets and keep a good supply of hay moving through their gut.
Bunnie's digestion can be a little finicky, so if they show any upset, or their poops change shape, size, etc, cut back on everything except hay (not alfalfa, a good grass hay) as that is the best way to help stabilize the gut bacteria.
It also looks like you need either more overhang on the top, or have a tarp or clear mylar to drape over the hutch to protect from blowing rains. And a way to tie it down securely LOL With the winds we can get in our respective states,
Otherwise, you are in the bunny business my friend LOL
Now, when they have babies, have you thought about how you are going to convince the kids that they are food? LOL I'm telling you right now, even the old man is wanting me to sell these babies rather than eating them. He thinks I have invested so much time and effort in hand raising them that it would be a shame to eat them LOL He swears he isn't getting soft in his old age, but it sounds that way to me LOLOLOL
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Post by annclaire on Feb 22, 2012 0:22:22 GMT -5
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Post by annclaire on Feb 24, 2012 4:09:57 GMT -5
Hooboy ... I really did it Wednesday! I cleaned the adult's cages. Started with the Satin doe and put her in the babie's redneck grow out cage (green wire garden cart otherwise) and she thumped and snarfed and complained the whole time! Then, after I got her back into her cage with the nest box right back where it was to begin with, she thumped and snarfed and complained again ... hopping up and down off the nest box and throwing her bowls around.
Ignoring Miss 'Tude, I next cleaned the English Angora doe's cage and she was blase and laid back about the whole thing.
Then, I cleaned the buck's cage and while he was in the grow out cart, he was busy sniffing and marking EVERYTHING LOL Poor babies, at least it was the baby girl's night in the cart and not the boys LOL
When I got his cage done and him back in, little Miss 'Tude really got upset when I took down a resting board I had propped up on the buck's resting shelf which I had moved next to the Satin doe's cage. Usually, the rabbits appreciate the redecorating, but this put the buck and satin doe laying side by side and with her pregnant, and her nose out of joint over the cleaning, that was the last straw. I looked over and she looked like she was having a sneezing fit, but it turned out she was barking mad at the buck and actually charged across her cage at him sitting on his resting shelf! It startled him so much he fell off his shelf, jumped into the cubby under the shelf and pouted there for a good half hour! LOL
And then, to top it all off, when I went out to feed Thursday morning, the satin doe had pulled the nest apart over night and rebuilt the whole thing. It is now tighter, further back in the box and has a smaller hole down into it! Man oh man, she was seriously put out!!!
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 24, 2012 10:44:53 GMT -5
Thanks for the input A/C, I was probably overdoing the greens a little, so have cut back on that. No change in poopage. I had to re-stock on pellets and hay. Was hoping to wait until tomorrow so I could go to the feed store, but had to go last night and feed stores aren't open at 9PM, so got a bag at Wally World and some timothy hay. Their favorite of all seems to be the clover that I have spring up in the yard every spring.
Thanks also mentioning the overhang/cover. I had planned on putting the hutch between the houses against mine which will provide significant protection, but will put a clear cover on the sides which can be rolled up/tied down. Mentioning the wind, we had a good bit all day yesterday and even heavier today. They were all over the hutch and skittish. Weren't happy at all about it. I thought the doe might be in heat, but have seen no evidence of romance. Took me a while to think of the wind.
I'll probably grow some black oil seed sunflower to add to their diet this winter.
Yep the convincing everybody is going to be the tough part. Kiddos, the Mrs., the neighbor has already offered to buy frozen chicken and give me periodically instead. Lol. One sister is trying to convince me to try to sell the litters and another one is pointing me to recipes. Haven't convinced the Mrs. that we need a rabbit fur bedspread yet.
I think your satin doe was saying "YOU DID THIS TO ME!" to the buck. Lol.
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Post by garrett on Feb 25, 2012 10:24:30 GMT -5
are fred and ethel ummmmmmm syndicating yet? grins
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 25, 2012 12:44:26 GMT -5
Not yet as far as I can tell. I haven't put on any Barry White yet tho. Lol
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Post by garrett on Feb 25, 2012 22:05:15 GMT -5
and that my friends is REDNECK CHIC!!!!!!!!!!!! SMILES ;D ;D LOOK AT THOSE LINES THE SYMMETRY!
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Feb 25, 2012 22:11:16 GMT -5
Nice hutch, TX. And Fred and Ethel are lovely looking critters; hope they have lots of litters.
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 25, 2012 22:11:35 GMT -5
ROTFLMAO!
What can I say? It was inspired by some really long raised beds I saw once upon a time.
;D
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 25, 2012 22:12:51 GMT -5
Thank ya kindly Blue.
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Post by garrett on Feb 25, 2012 22:27:02 GMT -5
ROTFLMAO! What can I say? It was inspired by some really long raised beds I saw once upon a time. ;D yep dey waz purdy.rotfl hey wait a minute ...... owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwch! durn bad ol dawg!
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 25, 2012 22:37:32 GMT -5
Woof!
Heheheh...wheeze.
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Post by garrett on Feb 26, 2012 9:45:20 GMT -5
ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuchhhhhhhhh. oh we's gimpin hard this weekend.rotfl
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Post by txdirtdog on Feb 26, 2012 20:38:14 GMT -5
After moving a large compost pile with my redneck wheel barrow and spreading it on the other end of the garden, and building a new compost pile out of banana plants and everything else around, I am gimpin tonight!
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Post by garrett on Mar 1, 2012 11:42:30 GMT -5
wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.lol
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Post by gulfcoastguy on Mar 1, 2012 12:19:35 GMT -5
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Post by txdirtdog on Mar 1, 2012 18:21:56 GMT -5
Gotta love Bugs.
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