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Post by macmex on May 30, 2020 10:27:48 GMT -6
I rarely lose rabbits to the heat. When I have, it's usually been large bucks, especially if they're fat. It's extremely important not to overfeed and get rabbits fat, unless they are specifically destined for the pot. Weanlings from this time are absolutely the best for replacement breeding stock, as they will be at the perfect age for first breeding when temps cool down.
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Post by macmex on May 30, 2020 18:38:16 GMT -6
Yes, Blackeye's grandad was a show bred New Zealand White. He was extra large. Blackeye's dad isn't as large as grandad was, but he throws good litters that size up well. I suspect that Blackeye is better than his dad. I used Blackeye once for breeding and the litter was quite impressive. I have a full brother to Blackeye maturing in his own individual cage, now. He'll be my extra buck. Maybe after he's been proven I'll get another buck from outside, replacing Blackeye's dad, who is now getting up there in years.
I had one doe who produced nice size litters, but they took 2-3 more weeks to reach eating size. I finally ate her and am replacing her with a New Zealand/Checkered Giant doeling, who should be ready to breed in September.
Remember about a month ago, I said I had a "peanut" in a litter? Well, he or she, whichever it is, has caught up to its litter mates. It was worth leaving.
We had a litter of nine born early this week. My other adult doe is building a nest now. She usually produces 9-10. Both are NZ/Checkered Giant crosses, which I am really happy with. We should go into the summer with LOTS of rabbits maturing. I had two litters within two weeks of butchering now. I'm very happy with how our management has gone. We've had the most productive year ever for the size of our herd. I finally came down on keeping three does and two bucks. I rotate does, so that I'm breeding as if I had two does, but this gives me a buffer, in case something happens to a doe. I don't have to break pace in production while another one matures. The same is true with bucks. I don't absolutely need two, but having a spare keeps production going, even if I should lose one.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jun 6, 2020 20:04:07 GMT -6
That's terrible news, Bon ... What a setback.
My heart goes out to you. This has been a very tough season.
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Post by macmex on Jun 6, 2020 20:11:29 GMT -6
I'm not sure, Bon. I'd isolate and probably put the sick rabbit down, but not assume the young are infected. Clean and sterilize (flame) the cages. Replace feeders and waterers, unless you can really clean them well. Hopefully that'll be the end of it. It could be they were infected when you purchased them, but I've gotten rabbits (in Mexico) from deplorable conditions and managed to clean them up by selection. Be sure to save replacement does. Young from this time of year are the best for fall breeders.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jun 6, 2020 20:31:11 GMT -6
I've used Lemon Virucide diluted with water to clean quite a few animal enclosures. It's the same kind of stuff that I used to clean the Senior Citizen's Center while I was a Janitor in College about Twenty-years ago. I used to buy it from Janitorial Supply in Tahlequah, but I think they've gone out of business since then? As recently as a year ago, I've purchased it on the Internet, but with Covid-19 going on, that might not be a possibility right now?
Diluted bleach might work just as well though, and would be a lot cheaper to buy. I use bleach to clean everything around here in Summer when it's Farmers Market time. I even wash out my truck with it.
If you have a clean (Plastic) pump-up sprayer, you can use that to disperse it over a wide area in a short amount of time. Just make sure it has a chance to dry before returning the animals, or they might lick it and that would not be good. Don't inhale the water vapors if using a pump-up sprayer and be sure none of the animals breathe it either. I scrub all the water containers especially well, using straight bleach and a clean bottle scrubber. Then, after a period of "SHOCK" I rinse the bleach out and refill with clean water. That's pretty much the same way your city water facility is cleaned. (I used to work at the Tulsa Water Treatment Plant). Never use bleach in a metal sprayer, it will react with most metals.
Diluted bleach could be a skin irritant to some folks, so be careful about that too.
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Post by macmex on Jun 7, 2020 12:19:31 GMT -6
I second the bleach suggestion. It really works.
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Post by macmex on Jun 10, 2020 13:27:09 GMT -6
I've known rabbits to "rough up" the feeder, just to shake the pellets down into their reach. Also, they sometimes want to play. Placing an empty tuna can in the cage can give them something harmless to knock around.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jun 11, 2020 11:59:48 GMT -6
Sometimes, you can plainly see the reason rabbits are at the bottom of the food chain. They aren't the brightest creatures, that's for sure. Maybe, you could use a pair of channel locks to widen the mid-section of the 'J' feeder, so big head can reach his food in the center portion of the feed tray?
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Post by macmex on Jun 11, 2020 16:05:17 GMT -6
My favorite feeders are ceramic pans, like used for cats or small dogs. The rabbits have no problem with them, and their weight keeps them from getting flipped over.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jun 11, 2020 22:08:14 GMT -6
I've made feeders by nailing 2x6 lumber in a 'V' shape, with a 2x8 block nailed on each end, so they can't be turned over. The only bad part is that the rabbits tend to lay in the 'V' and crib the lumber with their teeth. (Don't use any treated lumber for rabbits).
That's a good, fast, cheap, way to make feeders in a pinch. Old 2x4s will work too, but don't hold very much feed.
I use the 2x6 size feeders for my chickens, so they eat the feed out of the 'V' instead of getting in there and scratching around with their feet.
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Post by macmex on Jun 27, 2020 15:00:43 GMT -6
Try this:
Rinse carcass, place in a baking tray and season either with Creole seasoning, black pepper and salt, or lemon and salt. Bake at 350 F till tender and crispy. Serve
So very easy but OH SO GOOD! We use the leftovers for stir fry or crock pot them for stew.
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Post by macmex on Jul 3, 2020 17:58:40 GMT -6
That's all great news, Bon! Tell us how you slow fry a rabbit (or chicken). I've never heard of such a thing before now.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2020 15:37:29 GMT -6
I hate to be annoying and bump all the threads again for something non seedy, but I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I need to go to the store and buy meat and I will do so tonight without any problems, but I keep thinking of half empty meat shelves and keep thinking I wish I could breed!. I knew we'd run out right about now since I didn't get to breed all last winter, but availability is still there at the stores.
If all goes well this fall and winter my freezer should rarely be empty again.
That big old doe of mine is a trooper and still kicking. I hope she's good for at least one more litter. Meanwhile, I have 2 backups. These are not quite old enough to breed (4mos), so I will wait until a solid all clear for cooler weather (thinking by 3rd week in Aug when the nights are cooler) if my old doe's health check is good. I had three young does but the third succumbed to snuffles beneath heat stress, indicating that the rabbits are carriers.
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Post by macmex on Aug 1, 2020 16:15:20 GMT -6
I bet you'll have a good breeding season. Sounds like you're doing everything right.
I actually managed two littersin late spring, so I have some butchering to do in a few more weeks. I may sell some as we are going to be butchering a steer this fall, and Jerreth wants more room in the freezer.
I lost a doe this spring, right when her babies were opening their eyes. She had 11 kits and I surely didn't have time to bottle feed 11 kits. But I did have plenty of goat milk on hand, so I tried putting goat milk in a water bottle and hanging that in the cage. It worked! We saved 9 kits that way. I will not save any of them as breeders, though. Both their mother and their grand mother died early. I suspect there's an issue with them genetically.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2020 16:41:54 GMT -6
Very interesting. Did you hang it inside the nest box for them? They grow fast so if they knew it was there, I can imagine them not having a problem getting to it very soon after that.
I have more time than you, even, but I would never bother to bottle feed unless I had no other way of producing breeders. Not only is it time consuming it creates a bond on something that I might end up needing to eat.
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