Raising Rabbits (Page 2 of 3)
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Is it possible to house train them? I'm looking at getting rabbits. I know the kids would want to keep one or two as pets, and I'd be willing to compromise on that. |
"What is socialism? The most difficult and tortuous way to progress from capitalism to capitalism." -Stated at an intel conference, East Berlin, Oct. 1988
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
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Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: Yes…very slowly as they will eat things. Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: Originally Posted By lew: Is it possible to house train them? I'm looking at getting rabbits. I know the kids would want to keep one or two as pets, and I'd be willing to compromise on that. Yes…very slowly as they will eat things. I've seen that electrical cords are of concern. Anything else to look out for as far as hazards go? Train them to use a box or go outside? The only experience I have is with ones destined for the pot (  ).
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"What is socialism? The most difficult and tortuous way to progress from capitalism to capitalism." -Stated at an intel conference, East Berlin, Oct. 1988
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
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Originally Posted By lew: I've seen that electrical cords are of concern. Anything else to look out for as far as hazards go? Train them to use a box or go outside? The only experience I have is with ones destined for the pot ( ).Originally Posted By lew: Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: Originally Posted By lew: Is it possible to house train them? I'm looking at getting rabbits. I know the kids would want to keep one or two as pets, and I'd be willing to compromise on that. Yes…very slowly as they will eat things. I've seen that electrical cords are of concern. Anything else to look out for as far as hazards go? Train them to use a box or go outside? The only experience I have is with ones destined for the pot ( ).We temporarily watched one when I was a kid that was mostly house trained. At least it mostly held it's pee and poo for the litter box in the cage. Wasn't like you wanted to leave it out long term, but if you were playing with it, it would be fine. My favorite pets growing up were rats of all things. My mother hated the idea, yet eventually I'd come home from school and she'd have them out with her while she was sewing/reading/whatever. 
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Originally Posted By haveTwo: We temporarily watched one when I was a kid that was mostly house trained. At least it mostly held it's pee and poo for the litter box in the cage. Wasn't like you wanted to leave it out long term, but if you were playing with it, it would be fine. My favorite pets growing up were rats of all things. My mother hated the idea, yet eventually I'd come home from school and she'd have them out with her while she was sewing/reading/whatever. Originally Posted By haveTwo: Originally Posted By lew: Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: Originally Posted By lew: Is it possible to house train them? I'm looking at getting rabbits. I know the kids would want to keep one or two as pets, and I'd be willing to compromise on that. Yes…very slowly as they will eat things. I've seen that electrical cords are of concern. Anything else to look out for as far as hazards go? Train them to use a box or go outside? The only experience I have is with ones destined for the pot ( ).We temporarily watched one when I was a kid that was mostly house trained. At least it mostly held it's pee and poo for the litter box in the cage. Wasn't like you wanted to leave it out long term, but if you were playing with it, it would be fine. My favorite pets growing up were rats of all things. My mother hated the idea, yet eventually I'd come home from school and she'd have them out with her while she was sewing/reading/whatever. Good info. Thanks! My cousins had rats when we were kids. I thought they were awesome except for those damned sharp claws.  |
"What is socialism? The most difficult and tortuous way to progress from capitalism to capitalism." -Stated at an intel conference, East Berlin, Oct. 1988
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
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Originally Posted By lew: I've seen that electrical cords are of concern. Anything else to look out for as far as hazards go? Train them to use a box or go outside? The only experience I have is with ones destined for the pot ( ).The two big ones are electrical cords (because they have a vegetable coating) and baseboards. Rabbits can’t really be trusted like a dog and you need to pay close attention to them. Ours seems to be doing ok, but we’re just fostering him until they find him a home. |
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Originally Posted By lew: Good info. Thanks! My cousins had rats when we were kids. I thought they were awesome except for those damned sharp claws. Originally Posted By lew: Originally Posted By haveTwo: Originally Posted By lew: Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: Originally Posted By lew: Is it possible to house train them? I'm looking at getting rabbits. I know the kids would want to keep one or two as pets, and I'd be willing to compromise on that. Yes…very slowly as they will eat things. I've seen that electrical cords are of concern. Anything else to look out for as far as hazards go? Train them to use a box or go outside? The only experience I have is with ones destined for the pot ( ).We temporarily watched one when I was a kid that was mostly house trained. At least it mostly held it's pee and poo for the litter box in the cage. Wasn't like you wanted to leave it out long term, but if you were playing with it, it would be fine. My favorite pets growing up were rats of all things. My mother hated the idea, yet eventually I'd come home from school and she'd have them out with her while she was sewing/reading/whatever. Good info. Thanks! My cousins had rats when we were kids. I thought they were awesome except for those damned sharp claws. We had cats from the moment I was born, and if there was any damage from cat claws, the first question I was asked was what was I doing to the cat to provoke it.
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Originally Posted By lew: Is it possible to house train them? I'm looking at getting rabbits. I know the kids would want to keep one or two as pets, and I'd be willing to compromise on that. The rabbits we had would always go to the bathroom in the same place every time. It's just how they roll. Even in the cage, it was always the same place. We just placed the litter box where they went and done. In nature, scent is the mortal enemy of rabbits, so the waste isn't particularly odorous or nasty. And it works miracles in the garden soil. The hardest part about meat rabbits is that they become pets WAY too easily. They have personalities and do cute/funny shit just like any cat or dog. |
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Originally Posted By jos51700: The rabbits we had would always go to the bathroom in the same place every time. It's just how they roll. Even in the cage, it was always the same place. We just placed the litter box where they went and done. In nature, scent is the mortal enemy of rabbits, so the waste isn't particularly odorous or nasty. And it works miracles in the garden soil. The hardest part about meat rabbits is that they become pets WAY too easily. They have personalities and do cute/funny shit just like any cat or dog. Originally Posted By jos51700: Originally Posted By lew: Is it possible to house train them? I'm looking at getting rabbits. I know the kids would want to keep one or two as pets, and I'd be willing to compromise on that. The rabbits we had would always go to the bathroom in the same place every time. It's just how they roll. Even in the cage, it was always the same place. We just placed the litter box where they went and done. In nature, scent is the mortal enemy of rabbits, so the waste isn't particularly odorous or nasty. And it works miracles in the garden soil. The hardest part about meat rabbits is that they become pets WAY too easily. They have personalities and do cute/funny shit just like any cat or dog. Even in the hanging cages they pick a spot to pee. And I'm pretty sure one saves up her pee for when I stand there doing her food and water. |
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Fascinating insights. My plumber gave me a bunch of rabbit crap and worm castings for the compost. It's too damned dry out here with the wind, but it will be helpful once I get a greenhouse going. |
"What is socialism? The most difficult and tortuous way to progress from capitalism to capitalism." -Stated at an intel conference, East Berlin, Oct. 1988
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken
I had the two does I separated next to each other, and tossing over half their food. Mostly from grabbing a mouthful, and pulling back to chew/swallow. I already had a few wider feeders in the garage, mostly because I wanted to make it easier to dump food in. I only did one as a test, and now neither of them are wasting food.  Don't think I'll ever buy the narrow j feeders again (think they are 3 inches?) only the wider ones that are more like 5 inches. Personalities are certainly coming out, and the steel doe is the friendliest, which is good, as her offspring are more likely to be visually appealing as pets. You get close to her cage on either side, and she'll rise up against the sides until you take her out for a few minutes. The all white one is calm when you get her out, and the buck is a bit hesitant. All calm down when you hold them still, which is a good sign. But then I got them from a young 4H girl, so they are going to be breeding for temperament. Always good to consider what you are getting, and get good critters from the start. I've learned that the hard way. Nothing should really change until I start breeding them, which still won't be for a few months, at the end of June. I'll know as that little grows, and gets gone if I'm going to get another unrelated buck and expand beyond just a single generation. I would like to, in order to play with genetics, but I won't know the market for sure until I try. |
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Originally Posted By haveTwo: I had the two does I separated next to each other, and tossing over half their food. Mostly from grabbing a mouthful, and pulling back to chew/swallow. I already had a few wider feeders in the garage, mostly because I wanted to make it easier to dump food in. I only did one as a test, and now neither of them are wasting food. Don't think I'll ever buy the narrow j feeders again (think they are 3 inches?) only the wider ones that are more like 5 inches. Personalities are certainly coming out, and the steel doe is the friendliest, which is good, as her offspring are more likely to be visually appealing as pets. You get close to her cage on either side, and she'll rise up against the sides until you take her out for a few minutes. The all white one is calm when you get her out, and the buck is a bit hesitant. All calm down when you hold them still, which is a good sign. But then I got them from a young 4H girl, so they are going to be breeding for temperament. Always good to consider what you are getting, and get good critters from the start. I've learned that the hard way. Nothing should really change until I start breeding them, which still won't be for a few months, at the end of June. I'll know as that little grows, and gets gone if I'm going to get another unrelated buck and expand beyond just a single generation. I would like to, in order to play with genetics, but I won't know the market for sure until I try. Have you tried to just feed them in a little dish, as opposed to a Feeder? Attached File |
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I have not, well, not as an adult. I think the pet rabbit we took care of occasionally as a kid we fed with a bowl. But I know that a few of them have no problem knocking around the 2 quart rubber water bowls we use when temps get to freezing. I'd have to get something that attaches to the wall. I usually add a pound of food at a time. They are probably eating a bit over half a pound per day for the does. I am about to reduce what the buck gets, as it seems he's grown to a stable size, and I'll have to keep a better eye on his body condition. Our remaining "pet" rabbit has never not free fed, and doesn't seem to overeat. Been a few weeks since I weighed them, but they are over 5 lbs, so I should probably re-check how much each are eating, and weigh them. Supposedly some people start breeding based on weight, but I don't want to push it. I'm reluctant to stress them by breeding early, or by re-breeding fast. I'm tracking income/expenses this time. Last time I didn't sell anything, and didn't care about input costs. I guess I also could go over the drip water system? In a few weeks the risks of freezing lines should pass, so I'll be setting that back up. The absolute biggest thing with those is you HAVE to check the nipples every day for either dripping, or not dispensing water. Less of a concern with a big ol water bowl that you can see the level in. But you don't want animals not having water. I usually test each nipple twice a day, actually, as I check the rabbits at least twice a day. Doesn't take any measurable time to flick each one to make sure there's water, and that it stops. If there's a problem, clamp the hose, and swap in a new one. The good ones you can replace the o-rings in, but I don't bother till I have a few bad ones. Spares are dirt cheap to have, and a bad one will drain the bucket faster than you'd think. We use a small (2.5 gallon?) bucket for up to 6 rabbits. |
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Following along, thanks for the info. I'm planning to get a breeding pair to raise meat rabbits for our consumption. Trained pet rabbits: a friend in college had serious roid rage issues. He destroyed the men's bathroom at a bar, tearing a urinal and mirrors off the wall, and completely dismantling the shitter stalls. His girlfriend (now wife of 15 years) got him a little baby bunny, and it probably saved his life. He immediately stopped going out drinking to stay home and take care of 'his bunny.' I don't know how far he got it trained, but to hear him talk about it you'd think it was a dog. Overnight he straightened up, got the steroids under control and got a doctorate in sports medicine. Now a professor. Anyways, rabbits are cool. |
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Originally Posted By TexCorriente: Following along, thanks for the info. I'm planning to get a breeding pair to raise meat rabbits for our consumption. Trained pet rabbits: a friend in college had serious roid rage issues. He destroyed the men's bathroom at a bar, tearing a urinal and mirrors off the wall, and completely dismantling the shitter stalls. His girlfriend (now wife of 15 years) got him a little baby bunny, and it probably saved his life. He immediately stopped going out drinking to stay home and take care of 'his bunny.' I don't know how far he got it trained, but to hear him talk about it you'd think it was a dog. Overnight he straightened up, got the steroids under control and got a doctorate in sports medicine. Now a professor. Anyways, rabbits are cool. I will say, animals of all kinds can do wonders for people. In my case, damned near nothing can get me out of bed before the sun, expect for stuff like riding bikes, shooting, etc. Well, now that I have animals, I'm almost always up before the sun, and have them turned out, pens/cages cleaned almost before the sun comes up. They are completely dependent on you to supply food/water/cleanliness. Can be a problem if you are a jetset type of person. Of course those can probably afford to pay a minder. 
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One rabbit is still tossing food all over, so I grabbed a new variety to try. Been throwing twigs, sticks, and chucks of wood in the pens. None have gone for the salt wheels, but anything I've grabbed from the ground gets chewed on. The two does are a bit on the light side despite having free access to food. Bought a sack of a different brand to try, as well as calf mana to add, as all the food available is only 16% protein. Dealing with septic issues tomorrow, but next on my list is to put the drip water system back in. Hope to get to it this weekend. Had some wins with my sheep, as I had one with twin ewes, and one with triplets, two bucks, one ewe. Slow going on them, but should pan out with a final count being doubling my ewes this coming year If I haven't mentioned it before, this isn't a quick results game.
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Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: Our little guy is currently shedding, and it’s a mess! He’s also pretty moody and has bit me (maybe accidentally?) when I gave him his food. Could be hormones, I’m not sure as he has been fixed. You feeding directly to him, or putting in a bowl? From what you have said, he's handled pretty regularly, so if be surprised if he was scared. But even though I pick mine up regularly, I still go for positive control, rather than have then sniff me. Mostly. I tend to pick them up, and hold them nose into the crook of my arm. Was showing them to a buddy last weekend who was nervous, and all I had to do when he was holding them was cover their eyes for a bit, then everyone calmed down. I've been bit by animals more often on accident than purposely. I had a rat that was really bad about taking treats, and would regularly almost sink teeth in, then stop, pull back, and then slowly just grab the treat I was holding. (Don't have rats anymore, but I will never miss a chance to say they make fantastic pets!) I'm guessing the shedding is due to the weather? |
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Originally Posted By haveTwo: You feeding directly to him, or putting in a bowl? From what you have said, he's handled pretty regularly, so if be surprised if he was scared. But even though I pick mine up regularly, I still go for positive control, rather than have then sniff me. Mostly. I tend to pick them up, and hold them nose into the crook of my arm. Was showing them to a buddy last weekend who was nervous, and all I had to do when he was holding them was cover their eyes for a bit, then everyone calmed down. I've been bit by animals more often on accident than purposely. I had a rat that was really bad about taking treats, and would regularly almost sink teeth in, then stop, pull back, and then slowly just grab the treat I was holding. (Don't have rats anymore, but I will never miss a chance to say they make fantastic pets!) I'm guessing the shedding is due to the weather? I give him pellets in a little stackable cup that he plays with, but also place lettuce directly into his enclosure. It’s super strange. |
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Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: I give him pellets in a little stackable cup that he plays with, but also place lettuce directly into his enclosure. It’s super strange. Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: Originally Posted By haveTwo: You feeding directly to him, or putting in a bowl? From what you have said, he's handled pretty regularly, so if be surprised if he was scared. But even though I pick mine up regularly, I still go for positive control, rather than have then sniff me. Mostly. I tend to pick them up, and hold them nose into the crook of my arm. Was showing them to a buddy last weekend who was nervous, and all I had to do when he was holding them was cover their eyes for a bit, then everyone calmed down. I've been bit by animals more often on accident than purposely. I had a rat that was really bad about taking treats, and would regularly almost sink teeth in, then stop, pull back, and then slowly just grab the treat I was holding. (Don't have rats anymore, but I will never miss a chance to say they make fantastic pets!) I'm guessing the shedding is due to the weather? I give him pellets in a little stackable cup that he plays with, but also place lettuce directly into his enclosure. It’s super strange. Unless it becomes regular behavior, I don't usually worry about it. One of my horses half started while walking her out this morning, startled about two steps back, looked at the house where the was no activity, no cats, dogs, etc. About 3 seconds later she started walking again like nothing happened.
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Originally Posted By AR15Texan: Now I know this is not GD, but why no picture of at least one rabbit with a pancake on its head? I mean c'mon there is already a picture of a rabbit shoved in a pumpkin. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/124501/IMG_7884_jpeg-3502275.JPG Is it all fur shedding in those lines, or shedding all over, with more fur loss in those lines? I know its normal for some animals to she's more or less based on the area of their body, but that looks unusual. Any irritation of the skin, ear mites, or worms? (I've had bad experiences with small white worms at the rectum) |
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Originally Posted By ICU: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/16226/74D5B68C-7619-43B5-B6C3-095FC423573E_jpe-3502047.JPG Originally Posted By ICU: Originally Posted By AR15Texan: Now I know this is not GD, but why no picture of at least one rabbit with a pancake on its head? I mean c'mon there is already a picture of a rabbit shoved in a pumpkin. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/16226/74D5B68C-7619-43B5-B6C3-095FC423573E_jpe-3502047.JPG I'd need help staging a pic like that, and I already have to keep an eye on my wife treating them too much like pets. 
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Spent a bit this afternoon torturing one of my wife's coworkers. His wife wants a donkey, and they live really close. So we showed them around the critters, horses, donkeys, sheep, and of course, rabbits. The amount of time she was holding baby sheep and rabbits was amusing since I was a third party. Their kids found rocks, sticks, and a variety of poo to play with. I like facilitating such activities. Sounds better than I don't tidy up.
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Originally Posted By haveTwo: Is it all fur shedding in those lines, or shedding all over, with more fur loss in those lines? I know its normal for some animals to she's more or less based on the area of their body, but that looks unusual. Any irritation of the skin, ear mites, or worms? (I've had bad experiences with small white worms at the rectum) It’s all fur shedding, he doesn’t really like being pet right now and I think it’s causing skin irritation. But everything looks normal, no redness or anything. We are giving him all the lettuce and cilantro he can eat in hopes of helping with his digestion. As you may not know, rabbits will groom themselves and digest their fur, so it’s important that things are moving along. This particular isn’t ours, we’re just fostering him until they can find a home for him. He’s actually going to stay with one of the people in charge of the bunny rescue group for a few weeks while we’re on vacation. Hopefully he will be ok. Back to your question, no known mites or worms, as he lives inside our home, the dining room actually. |
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Originally Posted By Joedirt199: Yeah we raised rabbits to eat when I was a kid. Fixed them just like fried chicken. Neighbor came over one day and told mom to quit wasting .22 bullets on killing them and to just do the neck break method. She tried it. Rabbit went limp until she stuck its hind legs on the nails she had sticking out of the clothes line. Rabbit started squealing and kicking. Back to shooting them with the old break action .22 revolver. They were never really much trouble, separating the babies from the adults that try to eat them. Eventually we just gave up on it after a while. If you have an old 2 or 3 cell Maglite, or a piece of dowel rod, hold them by their hind legs head down, they will move for a few seconds then chill out. Whack them in the back of the head with it a time or three, then chop head off immediately. It's worked for me for over 30 years with rabbits. |
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Originally Posted By haveTwo: Good info. Marketing is always a problem, and knowing options is a good thing. Nobody keeps them the same way, and there's lots of ways to consume. How'd you sell them? Live? Processed? My plan certainly includes using excess as personal dog food supplement if I can't sell enough. We have always given the contents of the gut bucket and the heads to our dogs, they love it and probably the most nutrient rich food they get. |
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Cats are hell on rabbits, especially baby rabbits. Years ago we had our closest neighbor as a crazy old meth head broad that had hundreds of cats, yes literally hundreds of them. And of course as the consciencous (sp) pet owner that she was, she didn't feed them worth a crap. So guess where they ended up? Our chicken pen and rabbit hutches. We would find litters of just a couple day old kits literally torn open from the bottom side of the cage- cats would climb up and tear at them. Be careful with cats and dogs. We taught our lead Shepherd to stay away from the small animals and in turn, she would smack down the others dogs that came after her if they even sniffed at the small animals. |
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Originally Posted By Lowdown3: We have always given the contents of the gut bucket and the heads to our dogs, they love it and probably the most nutrient rich food they get. I use organ meat in the dog food I make, since my wife loves to treat ours as kids. Turns out making your own with cheap chicken meat, veggies, and canning it is way cheaper than the high dollar fancy wet dog food. She just can't stand the sight of "natural" until I turn it into something she can scoop out of a jar. Along with giving them chicken feet, and the trimmings from horse hooves, some things I just don't do in front of her.  And she can't get over how one of the dogs coats has changed, and he's way more lively and eager for the food. I figure I'm just providing the smelly stuff he's been bred to eat. Even as an old dog, he still wants what they are meant to eat. Originally Posted By Lowdown3: Cats are hell on rabbits, especially baby rabbits. Years ago we had our closest neighbor as a crazy old meth head broad that had hundreds of cats, yes literally hundreds of them. And of course as the consciencous (sp) pet owner that she was, she didn't feed them worth a crap. So guess where they ended up? Our chicken pen and rabbit hutches. We would find litters of just a couple day old kits literally torn open from the bottom side of the cage- cats would climb up and tear at them. Be careful with cats and dogs. We taught our lead Shepherd to stay away from the small animals and in turn, she would smack down the others dogs that came after her if they even sniffed at the small animals. I'll have to consider that, though I doubt our outdoor cat will cause problems. She'll actually sleep on top of the rabbit cages, or more often on top of pregnant sheep. Sometimes she'll play with young lambs, though not very long, as they quickly become to big for her, and she'll go back to sleeping elsewhere. She's a bit skinny, but we do feed her daily, though a small amount so she's motivated to be a serial killer of mice. Do you use nesting boxes? I know some are open bottom, but maybe I'll start with closed bottom ones just in case. We did lose one rabbit a few years ago when one of our dogs got into the small animal area, and agitated it from below. No direct contact, but as you know, a panicked rabbit isn't exactly a healthy recipe for a happy, long living rabbit. Our dogs are kept locked out of the small animal pen, I really don't trust two of the four anywhere near livestock. (Husky and malamute) |
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Originally Posted By haveTwo: I use organ meat in the dog food I make, since my wife loves to treat ours as kids. Turns out making your own with cheap chicken meat, veggies, and canning it is way cheaper than the high dollar fancy wet dog food. She just can't stand the sight of "natural" until I turn it into something she can scoop out of a jar. Along with giving them chicken feet, and the trimmings from horse hooves, some things I just don't do in front of her. And she can't get over how one of the dogs coats has changed, and he's way more lively and eager for the food. I figure I'm just providing the smelly stuff he's been bred to eat. Even as an old dog, he still wants what they are meant to eat. I'll have to consider that, though I doubt our outdoor cat will cause problems. She'll actually sleep on top of the rabbit cages, or more often on top of pregnant sheep. Sometimes she'll play with young lambs, though not very long, as they quickly become to big for her, and she'll go back to sleeping elsewhere. She's a bit skinny, but we do feed her daily, though a small amount so she's motivated to be a serial killer of mice. Do you use nesting boxes? I know some are open bottom, but maybe I'll start with closed bottom ones just in case. We did lose one rabbit a few years ago when one of our dogs got into the small animal area, and agitated it from below. No direct contact, but as you know, a panicked rabbit isn't exactly a healthy recipe for a happy, long living rabbit. Our dogs are kept locked out of the small animal pen, I really don't trust two of the four anywhere near livestock. (Husky and malamute) You'll definitely need to use nesting boxes. Never had any luck with the ones with bottoms on them. The momma's tend to poop and pee in them and it ruins them or makes them ultra stank in short order. Usually what we will do is this- Put the doe into the bucks cage. Normally it's wham bam thank you ma'am and the buck falls over. The doe can pee out the sperm in the next hour or so IIRC. I usually leave the doe in there for a bit. After seeing the buck fall over, I'll make a note on my phone calendar about 26-27 days out to put a nest box in her cage. Remove the doe and put her back in her cage. Around the time of the note, I'll put in a metal nestbox and a small bit of hay. If you put it in too early, they will sometimes poop and pee all up in there and make it a mess. Kits don't need to be born into doo doo. When you see her start arranging the hay, she's probably close. When she pulls hair, it's usually within a day or two. Leave her alone to do her thing. If she's a good mom, she will make a huge hair pull and the nestbox will be full of hay and hair. Sometimes you can peek around over the top, under the bottom of the cage, etc. and see movement. After a few days if you don't see movement, smell something odd, etc. then I usually reach down under the cages, roll some bunny poop on my hands (nice right??) and then if the momma isn't too skittish, I'll reach it, gently pushing hair aside and find/check for dead kits. Remove them, they will attract ants and of course who wants to sleep next to dead brother Flopsy? Usually by the time the kits have hair, you won't lose any more, certainly once hair is on, eyes are open and they can move around their chances of survival is a lot better. Be careful raising a bunch of rabbits inside, they need airflow. The urea smell can build up and harm them, and it's at the level where you can barely smell it -or so I've heard. Had a buddy in PA that put about 50 breeders in a big barn. His rationale being it's cold AF and they need shelter. Almost all of them died. In general medical issues are best helped the old fashioned way. But I've used Ivomec, just a tiny bit IM on rabbits before and it's helped them. |
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Originally Posted By Lowdown3: If you have an old 2 or 3 cell Maglite, or a piece of dowel rod, hold them by their hind legs head down, they will move for a few seconds then chill out. Whack them in the back of the head with it a time or three, then chop head off immediately. It's worked for me for over 30 years with rabbits. |
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Originally Posted By Lowdown3: You'll definitely need to use nesting boxes. Never had any luck with the ones with bottoms on them. The momma's tend to poop and pee in them and it ruins them or makes them ultra stank in short order. Usually what we will do is this- Put the doe into the bucks cage. Normally it's wham bam thank you ma'am and the buck falls over. The doe can pee out the sperm in the next hour or so IIRC. I usually leave the doe in there for a bit. After seeing the buck fall over, I'll make a note on my phone calendar about 26-27 days out to put a nest box in her cage. Remove the doe and put her back in her cage. Around the time of the note, I'll put in a metal nestbox and a small bit of hay. If you put it in too early, they will sometimes poop and pee all up in there and make it a mess. Kits don't need to be born into doo doo. When you see her start arranging the hay, she's probably close. When she pulls hair, it's usually within a day or two. Leave her alone to do her thing. If she's a good mom, she will make a huge hair pull and the nestbox will be full of hay and hair. Sometimes you can peek around over the top, under the bottom of the cage, etc. and see movement. After a few days if you don't see movement, smell something odd, etc. then I usually reach down under the cages, roll some bunny poop on my hands (nice right??) and then if the momma isn't too skittish, I'll reach it, gently pushing hair aside and find/check for dead kits. Remove them, they will attract ants and of course who wants to sleep next to dead brother Flopsy? Usually by the time the kits have hair, you won't lose any more, certainly once hair is on, eyes are open and they can move around their chances of survival is a lot better. Be careful raising a bunch of rabbits inside, they need airflow. The urea smell can build up and harm them, and it's at the level where you can barely smell it -or so I've heard. Had a buddy in PA that put about 50 breeders in a big barn. His rationale being it's cold AF and they need shelter. Almost all of them died. In general medical issues are best helped the old fashioned way. But I've used Ivomec, just a tiny bit IM on rabbits before and it's helped them. Originally Posted By Lowdown3: Originally Posted By haveTwo: I use organ meat in the dog food I make, since my wife loves to treat ours as kids. Turns out making your own with cheap chicken meat, veggies, and canning it is way cheaper than the high dollar fancy wet dog food. She just can't stand the sight of "natural" until I turn it into something she can scoop out of a jar. Along with giving them chicken feet, and the trimmings from horse hooves, some things I just don't do in front of her. And she can't get over how one of the dogs coats has changed, and he's way more lively and eager for the food. I figure I'm just providing the smelly stuff he's been bred to eat. Even as an old dog, he still wants what they are meant to eat. I'll have to consider that, though I doubt our outdoor cat will cause problems. She'll actually sleep on top of the rabbit cages, or more often on top of pregnant sheep. Sometimes she'll play with young lambs, though not very long, as they quickly become to big for her, and she'll go back to sleeping elsewhere. She's a bit skinny, but we do feed her daily, though a small amount so she's motivated to be a serial killer of mice. Do you use nesting boxes? I know some are open bottom, but maybe I'll start with closed bottom ones just in case. We did lose one rabbit a few years ago when one of our dogs got into the small animal area, and agitated it from below. No direct contact, but as you know, a panicked rabbit isn't exactly a healthy recipe for a happy, long living rabbit. Our dogs are kept locked out of the small animal pen, I really don't trust two of the four anywhere near livestock. (Husky and malamute) You'll definitely need to use nesting boxes. Never had any luck with the ones with bottoms on them. The momma's tend to poop and pee in them and it ruins them or makes them ultra stank in short order. Usually what we will do is this- Put the doe into the bucks cage. Normally it's wham bam thank you ma'am and the buck falls over. The doe can pee out the sperm in the next hour or so IIRC. I usually leave the doe in there for a bit. After seeing the buck fall over, I'll make a note on my phone calendar about 26-27 days out to put a nest box in her cage. Remove the doe and put her back in her cage. Around the time of the note, I'll put in a metal nestbox and a small bit of hay. If you put it in too early, they will sometimes poop and pee all up in there and make it a mess. Kits don't need to be born into doo doo. When you see her start arranging the hay, she's probably close. When she pulls hair, it's usually within a day or two. Leave her alone to do her thing. If she's a good mom, she will make a huge hair pull and the nestbox will be full of hay and hair. Sometimes you can peek around over the top, under the bottom of the cage, etc. and see movement. After a few days if you don't see movement, smell something odd, etc. then I usually reach down under the cages, roll some bunny poop on my hands (nice right??) and then if the momma isn't too skittish, I'll reach it, gently pushing hair aside and find/check for dead kits. Remove them, they will attract ants and of course who wants to sleep next to dead brother Flopsy? Usually by the time the kits have hair, you won't lose any more, certainly once hair is on, eyes are open and they can move around their chances of survival is a lot better. Be careful raising a bunch of rabbits inside, they need airflow. The urea smell can build up and harm them, and it's at the level where you can barely smell it -or so I've heard. Had a buddy in PA that put about 50 breeders in a big barn. His rationale being it's cold AF and they need shelter. Almost all of them died. In general medical issues are best helped the old fashioned way. But I've used Ivomec, just a tiny bit IM on rabbits before and it's helped them. Good info, thanks! Last time I did it much less scientifically, just for personal use, and didn't have any dogs, and could bring them into my shop when the snow hit. Now I've got a number of critters, and actually tracking what I'm doing. |
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Our foster rabbit might be sick, he was totally normal this morning at 6:30 when I left for the day. But now my wife said he’s hunkered down in his little cardboard house and has been there for a few hours. Not sure what to do, and we’re leaving in a few days and will be basically gone for three weeks. We were planning to take him to the lady in charge of the rescue as she agreed to watch him while we’re away. I’ll keep you guys updated. He is shedding a lot not, apparently they shed twice a year? I had no idea. My wife had a rabbit a few years ago while living in Georgia, but it t didn’t shed like this one. |
| I've noticed kinda like a dog, if the nose feels dry and hot it's usually not good. |
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@ChicagoFoodie Eyes clear? I had a bout of some kind of infection years ago that I cleared up with a bird antibiotic I found in a pet store. I mean, his right eye looks normal in the last picture, but you've identified several behavior changes, on top of the shedding. And any shedding I've seen hasn't been that patchy without there also being an issue. Our husky has had issues with skin infections causing patchy hair loss. That was initially cleared up with drugs from the vet, and later on improved more with homemade food. Maybe double check feed ratios? I've had unpredicable results with putting in salt or mineral wheels. Some rabbits devour them, but lately none of mine have been touching theirs. Only thing that changes for their food is occasional treats in the form of plants, and sometimes I give them hay. The bulk of their nutrition come from commercial pellets. |
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Also @ChicagoFoodie Do you handle/inspect regularly? I regularly check their butts to make sure nothing is building up/inflamed. I've lost a few to basically white worms, which I assume are internal parasites. Stepped up my sanitation, and stopped having that problem, so from what I hear about his life, I doubt he is in an unclean environment, but it can't hurt to check. |
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Originally Posted By haveTwo: Also @ChicagoFoodie Do you handle/inspect regularly? I regularly check their butts to make sure nothing is building up/inflamed. I've lost a few to basically white worms, which I assume are internal parasites. Stepped up my sanitation, and stopped having that problem, so from what I hear about his life, I doubt he is in an unclean environment, but it can't hurt to check. Yes, we’ve had a multiple times a day but we probably have to pick them up over a week since he’s been shedding really bad. We change his litter box twice a day, clean his pen once a day, he’s very clean or as clean as he can be. Eyes are clear I don’t know of any other issues maybe he’s just sad because he’s shedding? Current pic: Attached File |
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Originally Posted By haveTwo: You said no redness, I presume no flaking skin either? Nope, skin looks ok. Later this evening he’s going to the lady in charge of the rescue, and will stay there until we get home later this month. I’m sure he will be fine as she has I think a dozen rabbits that she cares for. |
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Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: Nope, skin looks ok. Later this evening he’s going to the lady in charge of the rescue, and will stay there until we get home later this month. I’m sure he will be fine as she has I think a dozen rabbits that she cares for. Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie: Originally Posted By haveTwo: You said no redness, I presume no flaking skin either? Nope, skin looks ok. Later this evening he’s going to the lady in charge of the rescue, and will stay there until we get home later this month. I’m sure he will be fine as she has I think a dozen rabbits that she cares for. Sounds good, if you do find out, please let us know. Always good to hear about problems and their resolutions before it becomes an urgent problem. 
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Originally Posted By TxRabbitBane: I’ve thought about raising meat rabbits (I love rabbit), but the soft hearted mrs TXRB would turn them into pets. That's where we've been for the last 7? years, and why I took a brief forray into quail. Over time, she came around, and she now gets the two does I'm starting with as "pets" and will (theoretically) stay away from the offspring. I think the 5 years or so of raising and selling sheep have helped her change her mind. We also started losing the pet rabbits we got shortly after getting married. She had rabbits growing up, and wanted both the pet part, and the poo part for the gardens. Growing up her dad had a few cattle and horses he kept either in the back, or on a neighbor's property, so generally she was kept insulated from the practial side of animals. So I've been the introduction to directly seeing breeding/raising for meat. Amusingly, I was the one NOT raised around farm animals at all. And I think I have a start on my recurring threat to change her mind on a few things over the course of the rest of her natural life.
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Originally Posted By haveTwo: That's where we've been for the last 7? years, and why I took a brief forray into quail. Over time, she came around, and she now gets the two does I'm starting with as "pets" and will (theoretically) stay away from the offspring. I think the 5 years or so of raising and selling sheep have helped her change her mind. We also started losing the pet rabbits we got shortly after getting married. She had rabbits growing up, and wanted both the pet part, and the poo part for the gardens. Growing up her dad had a few cattle and horses he kept either in the back, or on a neighbor's property, so generally she was kept insulated from the practial side of animals. So I've been the introduction to directly seeing breeding/raising for meat. Amusingly, I was the one NOT raised around farm animals at all. And I think I have a start on my recurring threat to change her mind on a few things over the course of the rest of her natural life. Originally Posted By haveTwo: Originally Posted By TxRabbitBane: I’ve thought about raising meat rabbits (I love rabbit), but the soft hearted mrs TXRB would turn them into pets. That's where we've been for the last 7? years, and why I took a brief forray into quail. Over time, she came around, and she now gets the two does I'm starting with as "pets" and will (theoretically) stay away from the offspring. I think the 5 years or so of raising and selling sheep have helped her change her mind. We also started losing the pet rabbits we got shortly after getting married. She had rabbits growing up, and wanted both the pet part, and the poo part for the gardens. Growing up her dad had a few cattle and horses he kept either in the back, or on a neighbor's property, so generally she was kept insulated from the practial side of animals. So I've been the introduction to directly seeing breeding/raising for meat. Amusingly, I was the one NOT raised around farm animals at all. And I think I have a start on my recurring threat to change her mind on a few things over the course of the rest of her natural life. My wife is a chicken farmer’s daughter - you’d think she’d know better. Sigh… |
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I've come to the conclusion that for a sustainable meat source, they're good but at least in my area, as far as selling them for meat. people here don't eat rabbit like they do, say, in the South. These things eat you out of house and home, and our family doesn't eat much rabbit, si I think we are getting rid of ours. The feed cost is not justifiable for us. |
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Originally Posted By Harmonic_Distortion: I've come to the conclusion that for a sustainable meat source, they're good but at least in my area, as far as selling them for meat. people here don't eat rabbit like they do, say, in the South. These things eat you out of house and home, and our family doesn't eat much rabbit, si I think we are getting rid of ours. The feed cost is not justifiable for us. Have you tried marketing yours to people who have exotic critters or who feed their dogs raw diets? |
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