Official SS Rabbit Thread

[tortoise]

Not really random musings about my rabbit plans:

Current litter and breeding buck situation:

I decided to keep both bucks from the litter and breed the better of the 2 back to their momma when they are old enough. I hope I don't get crappy babies out of the deal, but here is what I am dealing with:

My buck is 2nd generation purebred. Rabbits are not showable until 4th generation purebred. So saving one out of this litter and breeding back to mom will get me 3rd generation and a better rabbit than 2nd generation. (Not impressed with my buck right now!)

If the 3rd generation is significantly better over the 2nd, I'll save a buck and breed back to mom again to get a showable rabbit. If there isn't a significant difference, I'll save a doe because I will have a new breeding buck by then!!

Out of 6 babies, I have 1 sold, keeping 2, and someone coming over to pick one out. Both of the bucks I keep will be for meat - 1 will be bred first. That leaves 2 more rabbits to sell or eat.

Next topic:

Bad momma. I bred her again because I REALLY want to get those awesome colors out of her! So I bred my good momma too. Unfortunately, I didn't do it close enough together, so cross fingers... I plan to cull good momma's litter (the last litter from that breeding SUCKED big-time anyway) and give her bad momma's kits. As soon as I get live babies out of bad momma, she is out of here!

One more topic:

I have a junior doe that is very nice except she has a screw tail - a disqualification. I plan to breed her once in a few months and see what she produces with one of my 3rd generation bucks. If it is decent, save a 4th generation buck to breed back to her. If I don't like what she produces, she is gone.

I only have the 9 cages - I have to improve on what I have and keep strict breeding standards if I want my rabbits to be profitable. My only hope of being profitable is to improve what I already have rather then spending HUNDREDS on new stock. If I can produce good breeding stock and sell babies for a decent amount of money, eat the culls - that should be profitable.

I'm not in rabbits to make money. But I'm not in rabbits to lose money either!

 

[tortoise]

Bad momma just kindled. 9 fat healthy kits IN THE NEST BOX!



I gave her a different size next box and gave her hay to bed in since she isn't much for wool pulling. I also waited until 3 days before, rather than 7-10 days before.

I saw about 4 dark bodies with pink bellies - those will turn into chinchilla colored rabbits. That is what I've been hoping for. A Lilac tortoiseshell too.

She might be able to earn her keep around here if she raises this litter and I like what she produces.

Good momma is due in a couple days just in case bad momma orphans her litter again.

I'm shocked to see babies in the nest box. A little less pessimistic now.

 

[tortoise]

&*%$-ing rabbits!

Bad momma has NO colostrum. I culled all but 3, took 2 of my adults in to the vet to have blood draw for to collect the serum (the better option would have been a plasma transfusion, but the kits veins are way too small).

So the kits are getting serum orally until 3 a.m. (when they are 12 hours old) or until the 11 mL is gone.

Is it too much to ask for ONE live rabbit out of this breeding?!

I CAN'T WAIT to get new breeding stock this fall.

Ah well... rabbit dinner maybe this week or next. Soon, anyway.