Various rabbit questions

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Various rabbit questions
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Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 11:40 am Post subject: Various rabbit questions

OK - new to this rabbit keeping malarkey and I need some advice.

We were rabbit sitting some rabbits for friends and our payment was the young rabbits. Ginger only produced 3 live babies which appear to be 2 males and a female. I believe rabbits can become sexually mature from 6-8 weeks (according to various websites) so, being that age I have split off the boys and left the female with Mum.

The problem is my friend wants Mum back so she can breed from her again. My problem is what to do with this lone female. I am not sure a just weaned rabbit should be left alone. I could probably get another female from my neighbour but would I be able to out them together or would they fight?

My plan was ultimately keep a female and mate her with one of my neighbour's males. Note use of word "was" - OH is being stuffy about me keeping rabbits and without him to build be a run it isn't going to happen

. It may be therefore, that I need to know what to do with this lone female until she is ready to slaughter at about 20 weeks.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 11:59 am Post subject:

I'll help you build a run when we come over, if you like. I am seriously considering going that route myself and it would actually help me no end. My supply of rabbit has dried up since the chap who shoots on Ma's ground has had a heart attack - very thoughtless of him!

My understanding is that they are essentially solitary animals and that the trick to breeding them is to keep two does and a buck, all in separate accommodation and rotate the does' pregancies.

In the meantime, could you divide a cage up with wire, so they can see each other - and even cuddle up at night through it - but not actually, ahem-you-know.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9970
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 12:16 pm Post subject:

Chez wrote:

In the meantime, could you divide a cage up with wire, so they can see each other - and even cuddle up at night through it - but not actually, ahem-you-know.

My grandfather used to keep rabbits for meat - unfortunately I was just a kid and didn't pay a lot of attention beyond looking at the rabbits - but I do know he ended up with a pregnant doe even though she was fenced off in a hutch of her own. The offspring looked like wild rabbits... we think that they didn't let the fence stop them.....

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 12:17 pm Post subject:
Good lord. That shows dedication to the stereotype

Liz in Ireland

Joined: 27 Jan 2009
Posts: 1287

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 3:04 pm Post subject:

For a while I had a buck and two does.....and babies.

I found sexing them difficult

Anyway...baby rabbits seem very self sufficient. I had a row of hutches in a row of runs..if you see what I mean. They could all see ech other, and even fight each other, through the wire net

The original two does loathed each other, and I had tried to add the second to the first, but the first made fairly determined efforts to murder it.
So doe number two has been on her own, bar brief sojourns with Roger rabbit, since about 7 weeks old.

Andrea

Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 2260
Location: Portugal

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 4:09 pm Post subject:
Little girl rabbit will be fine alone. I'd be far more worried about the two boys, who will fight if kept together as they get older.

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 5:01 pm Post subject:

Andrea wrote:

Little girl rabbit will be fine alone. I'd be far more worried about the two boys, who will fight if kept together as they get older.

How old do you reckon Andrea? I was planning to pop them in the freezer at about 20 weeks. The friends who own their Mum and Dad keep same sex youngsters together until that age.

Azura Skye

Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 2199
Location: Carmarthenshire

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 6:36 pm Post subject:
how do you slaugher captive rabbits, dare I ask? if it's any sort of throat slitting don't tell me! just wondered if they were shot like wild ones?

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 6:42 pm Post subject:

Azura Skye wrote:

how do you slaugher captive rabbits, dare I ask? if it's any sort of throat slitting don't tell me! just wondered if they were shot like wild ones?

I haven't worked this one out yet - my friends do shoot them so I was wondering if they might do mine too when the time comes.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 6:45 pm Post subject:

Liz in Ireland wrote:

For a while I had a buck and two does.....and babies.

I found sexing them difficult

As a child we had two does..... and babies.

My sexed doe turned out to be a buck.

Azura Skye wrote:

how do you slaugher captive rabbits, dare I ask? if it's any sort of throat slitting don't tell me! just wondered if they were shot like wild ones?

Braking the neck, just like you do when ferreting.

Andrea

Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 2260
Location: Portugal

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 6:46 pm Post subject:

Green Rosie wrote:

How old do you reckon Andrea? I was planning to pop them in the freezer at about 20 weeks. The friends who own their Mum and Dad keep same sex youngsters together until that age.

They could start to fight as soon as they start becoming sexually mature, but in your case that'll probably be delayed as they've grown up together (same applies to opposite sex littermates who have been kept together, they'll delay getting it on compared to those who've been kept apart).

Liz in Ireland

Joined: 27 Jan 2009
Posts: 1287

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 6:47 pm Post subject:

Thats what ended my rabbit breeding

My son was supposedly rearing them as snake food, and I was going to put them in the freezer for rabbit pie.........but I couldn't bring myself to hit them on the back of the head as I had been instructed to. I was afraid of getting it wrong, and then I know they scream when frightened

They all went as pets..........

I wish there was something like I have for the hens - neck in the guillotine - gone.

Andrea

Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 2260
Location: Portugal

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 6:52 pm Post subject:

Azura Skye wrote:

how do you slaugher captive rabbits, dare I ask? if it's any sort of throat slitting don't tell me!

You shouldn't ask really!

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4659
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 6:59 pm Post subject:

Azura Skye wrote:

how do you slaugher captive rabbits, dare I ask? if it's any sort of throat slitting don't tell me! just wondered if they were shot like wild ones?

"Broomsticking" (like with poultry) or there's something called the rabbit wringer. Not done either myself yet.

Azura Skye

Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 2199
Location: Carmarthenshire

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 13 7:03 pm Post subject:
Thanks for letting me know, I had thought about it with the ferrets is all, and a father who likes rabbit meat plus a garden full of weeds. ...although poor Mikko my albino died earlier this year, and I'm not going to get anymore fuzzies in the future.

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