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Post by macmex on Apr 13, 2020 18:49:20 GMT -6
That's a BIG doe! Many of the things I have learned... I learned the hard way: "Why won't that doe go into the nest box? Oh! She can't fit between the top of entrance and the top of the cage!"
If that other doe continues with sore hocks, I'd recommend saving a new doeling, from a litter and replacing her. Sore hocks are usually (but not always) an inherited trait. The exception would be if the rabbit had been kept in a very inhospitable environment which tore up her feet.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2020 19:03:28 GMT -6
He was right about caution for free animals and that it's worth paying for quality. I'm not real happy with the blacks and blue NZ I have except for the size on the one. Looking forward to getting some fresh blood with Blackeye in them.
I didn't have room for Blackeye inside the shed, but I don't think I'm going to allow him near all the others. I'm foraging for them now, so we'll see how prone they are to parasites and disease before any chance of contamination to Blackeye.
Thanks!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 22:38:24 GMT -6
I used George's suggestion today and bagged up the buns in an old window sheer, the loosely woven type. I was holding the buns up like a sack of potatoes in the sunlight while my daughter clipped the claws piercing through the material. Buns were calm, clipping went fast. That was a most excellent suggestion !!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2020 13:51:41 GMT -6
Question: Is it fortuitous to cull pinkies in large kit litters to better conserve milk reserves for bigger growth?
Or do the runts generally produce genetically the same as their larger siblings?
The goal of this question would be to preserve feed to meat ratios and cost efficiency.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2020 22:48:40 GMT -6
You're not gonna believe this, but I was wondering why my doe has not stared nesting. I've witnessed this behavior in a retired meat doe I once had with a false pregnancy. So, I knew what to look for.
Tonight I reached in and felt her tummy. She LOOKS pregnant and I can tell she's probably got arthritis, but not dysfunctional.
At that time i decided to feel her hips to see if she might be too fat. She is big.
MY GAWD. She's too skinny !!!!!! that's why she looks pregnant. I feel awful, but how was I supposed to know this rabbit needs to weigh more than 15lbs? OMG
Anyway, she's nesting now. Unlimited feed and hay are with her including black oil sunflower seeds. I feel horrible, but she seems content otherwise.
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Post by macmex on Apr 22, 2020 5:10:24 GMT -6
I have never culled runts. I have one right now, which was so small, I thought surely he/she wouldn't make it. But it's growing, just going to be smaller than the others. I'll eat him when it's time.
I didn't know that your doe was underweight. I have never had that problem. Mine tend to get fat if I let them eat all they want. Being fat is not a terrible thing, except in young does, which have never had a litter before. Turns out they can develop fat around the Fallopian tube, effectively becoming sterile. Once in this condition, I hear that it's not worth trying to salvage them. Seems that fat just won't go away.
Bon, I would suspect you will be best served if you save one or two doelings to replace your originals. Kits born at this time of year are perfect because they are growing during the hot season, when one can't breed rabbits. By late summer or early fall, they are ready to breed. If your doe has arthritis, she is old and probably living on borrowed time.
I have already set aside a new "Blackeye." Need to get a picture of him. I will set aside one more doeling, as I culled the one I had that was part Dutch. I'll save a doeling from the better stock, like you have in Blackeye. My primary buck is getting up there now. I won't cull him, as he is still functioning very well, but I will have a spare on hand. When I do replace him, I'll probably bring something in from outside, as I am already inbreeding a bit now. Haven't had any negative results, but hey, why wait?
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Apr 22, 2020 10:56:32 GMT -6
Are tame rabbits as prone to having worms as the wild rabbits are? I think wild rabbits catch tapeworms from constantly being in contact with the soil?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2020 16:24:42 GMT -6
Look how big Momma Doe is. She was very receptive. I didn't see any need to wait since I know Black Eye is healthy. He screeched and thumped at me as I reached in to take her out. Next time, I'll grab her when he is still dazed? I had the foresight to wear a heavy long sleeved work jacket. (I still haven't switched out the bottom wire on this cage.)Day 30, still no baby buns. Not pulling fur, but nesting strongly. She's certainly done this before. I wanted to be sure, so I put her in the cage with Blackeye, yesterday. She was NOT happy about that. She'll have em when she has em.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2020 2:41:40 GMT -6
Litter of seven. Bill told Blackeye that he should be ready to pay child support. ha ha
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Post by macmex on Apr 27, 2020 6:13:42 GMT -6
Somehow I missed the activity here for a couple days! Congratulations Bon! That's a decent first litter. Does can vary by several days on gestation time, so one never knows just exactly when the kits will be born.
Ron, I have not heard of worm problems in domesticated rabbits, though it has to happen from time to time. There are a lot of folk doing what they call "colonies," which means the rabbits inhabit an area with soil, digging holes and making nests there. I won't say it can't work out, as I am sure that some are quite knowledgeable, but in Mexico, the folk that did this were my best repeat customers, coming back for more breeding stock.
Still, the domestic rabbit was first developed in colonies, so there must be a way to do it well.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2020 16:09:30 GMT -6
It's okay. I know you're busy George.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Apr 28, 2020 8:23:22 GMT -6
Congratulations, Bon!
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Apr 28, 2020 9:22:20 GMT -6
George,
When I lived in Renton, Maple Valley, in Washington State, tame rabbits ran loose, on open range. They prospered in that environment. I don't suppose they had much of a predator problem there, other than dogs and cats? (unless you count mosquitoes) which would definitely be a problem for a rabbit. I've seen rabbits with so many mosquitoes on their ears that there was a continual fog of wings flying around their heads.
I lived there in a travel trailer for two years. I remember preparing to move my trailer to another campsite once and finding a nest of over a dozen, black and white, baby rabbits, where they had dug a nest between my dual axles. I had to take them all out of the nest, move my trailer, then put them back and cover them with brush, so I could leave the campsite.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2020 11:20:15 GMT -6
You've brought up some really good points, Ron. I haven't thought about the mosquito problem. I might not have been paying attention to the last batch of poopers I owned. The ear mites might have masked a mosquito problem. That was back before I had reconstructive neck surgery. I could barely walk, much less think. Still haven't fully recovered, but way better. I'll definitely keep a watch out this time.
I wonder if mosquito spray is harmful to their tiny lugs? Hmm. I could spray it in my hands and rub it on them like when the kids are little.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Apr 28, 2020 20:58:50 GMT -6
I lived in Duluth, Minnesota one Summer while retrofitting a powerhouse on an island on Lake Superior. The mosquitoes and biting flies were so bad there, that we wore Tyvek suits to work in, with electrical tape around our neck openings, leg openings, and sleeve openings, just trying our best to keep them at bay.
Each morning, we would rub 100% DEET on all our exposed parts. 100% DEET is so strong, it will melt your plastic watch band, or the steering wheel of your truck, but I suppose it's safe for humans? Since that job was 32-years-ago and I'm still here.
I imagine one could wipe DEET on rabbit's ears?
Back when I was working as a Trail Guide, for the Oklahoma Department of Tourism, we would wipe our horse's ears, and hocks, with diesel during really bad botfly and horsefly outbreaks. We'd just keep an old sock, soaking in a one-gallon can, with some diesel poured in it. If the flies were bad, we'd put the sock over our hands and use it to wipe all our horse's ears and hocks. (We had 38-head of horses) so it took a lot of diesel and a lot of time to get them all wiped down.
I don't know if that would work to repel mosquitoes, but it might be something to consider?
Diesel is probably not good for you to have on your skin all day, but neither are mosquitoes, so it's always the lesser of two evils. Rabbit's ears may be too tender for such things? I know diesel tends to magnify heat when it's really hot outside, from having used it on myself at times.
I suppose that might be kind of like using salt to cure Pink-eye. I've used salt to cure it in my own eye, so I know it burns like crazy, but it works, and so I've also used it on cows and dogs.
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