Kits on the Wire!!

[ChickenPotPie]

The bad momma doesn't have URI symptoms. The good momma has the URI.

Bah. Of course, it would be the good mama that gets sick, huh? Urgh.

Reabsorbtion could happen for a number of reasons from stress to illness, to nutrition. I can't comment on that.

However, I'd talk to the breeder you bought the doe from and see what she says/advises. Was she bought as a proven doe?

I'd still give the doe one more chance and just let her do everything on her own. That way you'll know for sure what she'll do without any outside influence. Then, if you cull her, she'll get culled by her own merits. Unless you think her temperament is just not what you want passed onto her kits, that is.

Sometimes good and bad mothering and milking is hereditary. One of my friends can't stand Cals because they can be terrible milkers. She's lucky to get 1 out of a litter of 7 to survive and that is with bottle feeding after the does just stop nursing their kits. The reason commercial meat breeders cross them with New Zealands is because the NZs are better mothers.

Let us all know what you decide to do.

 

[tortoise]

I did contact her breeder. She was not proven. I had paid for a doe that turned out to be a buck and he sent this doe over as a replacement. She was about 4 months old.

hah! I just realized my bad momma (Pecan) is my avatar bunny.

 

[rebecca100]

Really? I have a bunny that looks identical to her! Mixed though I think. It sounds like you may need to find a different breeder. Telling a buck from a doe is basic! He shouldn't have made a mistake like that.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Telling a buck from a doe is basic! He shouldn't have made a mistake like that.

Was the buck 4 months old, too, when he sexed it?! Yeah, unless he had split penus, it's kind of hard to mistake a 4 month old buck for a doe. Maybe you got him real young? Even so, at 6 weeks old it should be obvious unless you're dealing with a runt of a dwarf breed like I do sometimes and need glasses to see the parts like I do on those occasional super tiny guys.

 

[tortoise]

Telling a buck from a doe is basic! He shouldn't have made a mistake like that.

Was the buck 4 months old, too, when he sexed it?! Yeah, unless he had split penus, it's kind of hard to mistake a 4 month old buck for a doe. Maybe you got him real young? Even so, at 6 weeks old it should be obvious unless you're dealing with a runt of a dwarf breed like I do sometimes and need glasses to see the parts like I do on those occasional super tiny guys.

The buck was 8 weeks when sexed. I could use a lesson in sexing - I got 2 out of 3 right. (Better than the vet! )

I was told circle=male, slit=female. And don't pull skin too much or a female looks like a male.

 

[tortoise]

Really? I have a bunny that looks identical to her! Mixed though I think. It sounds like you may need to find a different breeder. Telling a buck from a doe is basic! He shouldn't have made a mistake like that.

That pic was from when I first got her - before her wool came in.

This pic is from today: http://www.etsy.com/listing/45820951/angora-fiber-csa-chocolate-agouti-wool

I plucked off her prime wool - you can tell in the photo.

 

[TanksHill]

Great idea getting your wool on Etsy. I will have to check out your shop. Do you have much luck selling through them? I tried, and failed.



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[tortoise]

I just posted it a few days ago. Etsy is so HUGE that it is REALLY hard to get a shop noticed. I gave up with my other shop. It wasn't worth it.

It looks like dyed wool sells better than natural. So if I can't sell CSA shares, I think I will try "handpainted" wool.

I've also contacted all the spinner's and fiber art guilds in my state. I need to work on neighboring states too. Whew!

I also got started on localharvet.com. I need to work on hoobly, argiseek and some of the others that get really high search results on google.

I saw a fiber CSA posted on Etsy and was like "OMG! THAT is what I should do!" I'd love for the fiber to pay for the keeping expenses. I wouldn't be pressured to breed for show quality and find show homes for babies. It's hard to start out. I know other FA breeders have waiting lists. I wish I did too!

I started a website (blog) with lots of photos and I need to work on that more to get it to be a site I can refer people to. Rabbitries in general have terrible or no websites. I can get a "leg up" on the others if I am careful.

I really want to earn some spending cash with the rabbits, so I'm trying to create a market. My dog training pays for my car. My SO pays all the other bills. I just want a little bit of shopping money.

 

[tortoise]

Great idea getting your wool on Etsy. I will have to check out your shop. Do you have much luck selling through them? I tried, and failed.



g

Can you do me a favor and "heart" my items? Etsy works great if you can get together in a group to favorite and heart each other's items. Plus buygin from each other to get good feedback. It's hard to sell without feedback! I'd be happy to return the favor!

 

[tortoise]

Happy news! Preliminary results from the culture are back and it is normal. Whew! A couple more days for final results.