ok Sure I will Raise rabbits and not let them go. Take advice of the wiser And more experienced. Guess I will Do more Reading Before I get take Any stupid Views again. I would liek to breed Rabbits And I will find a Use for them If I only have a couple Does and a Buck, Especially after I get a hawk. plus My sponsor Likes it So I guess Breeding Rabbit Is a Good Idea that I am not so Good at YET. Do some reading you must Young master Cjinx or the Dark side corrupt you it will...
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." -Thomas Paine
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? -Marianne Williamson
O and jelly, I am going to START keyword START with One doe and 1 buck maybe If the First years seems to toough on the Doe I will get another. I really want to have some hands ont expeirience With It before I go Head long down a path I really don't Know IF I want to get into.
I meant you will probably be getting less if you don't breed her constantly. Think of a mother. If she has children every 10 months (some give and go) she will wear out and die young. So you probably don't want to use a mother so often. Using her every time available will also lead to her body rejecting kids or causing stillbirths. Which is more of a lost of profit than not. That is more of what I meant not that you should have more. By all means get more exp. before rushing into it. Just make sure you have the time and money to do so.
Never settle.
"There's nothing like the feeling of knowing that you've made a difference in someone's life, even if that difference is a lifetime of nightmares and a fortune in therapy bills." - Marilyn Manson
Post by HawkingRage on Feb 19, 2007 22:07:58 GMT -5
Have you ever heard that a staple rabbit diet will kill you? It will. Rabbits are not good enough. You might just have better luck with quail or pigeons. They are more nutricious. Not to mention rabbits stink.
I just say this after having a rodent breeding buisness. you really have to be on a large scale to make a profit. I had almost 300 cages.
Yes I read jelly's thread Feeding Rabbits alone Isn't Enough... So My sponsor gets Mice from the Local Colledge Lab. Also I will feed her whatever I can Catch Squirrles,Mice, Chipmunks If There is a Mishap and she gets one, Maybe a Quail If i can find any.Not Just Rabbits... I would feed it When I was training Cause it burns So fast, And use it a little more then Mice, I was not planning On feeding ONLY rabbits Staple Diet Means the Larger Percent of Its Food intake Not 100%. Plus it's always fun to have Live rabbits to Chase with Mini D's! Then I don't ahve to Wait Hours everyday Like my sponsor who Has Alot of problems Finding Quarry cause it's Squirrles and The occasional rabbit if you don't have a Hound Reflushing for you. He has been Trapping Squirrles Every once In a While While he Trys to get his Bird which he admits is pretty Stubborn to Follow he's Having Real Problems. My fault Probably Cause He is really Nice and lets me hang around most of the Time he is flying, Maybe it's jsut People.
Anyway... what happens if you Let them have Open Grounds I know one guy Who gives them like a Dog kennel Type Shelter and lets them run around in a 5by5 Fence? Anything Rong with this? Just asking seems like it would make them a little more Mussle and Less Fat... Plus they get Extra room, The Cons with this are 1 Predetors I would have to put them In cadges at night. the second Elements. Litters would ahve to have special Cadges of which The Doe would have to Stay in while Nursing. and the third More fecing and More expensive for the INITIAL cost I am thing that IT would be cheeper in the long run As I could throw Some Crab apple Sticks ( they eat Crab apple Right said somwhere Apple but not Specific) Plus it would be Easier to feed them Though Wattering cou;d be Difficault O and The Waste and smell Problem would be Cut to a minimum by the Space Plus it would Cut chances of Diseases. Thought anyone?
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." -Thomas Paine
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? -Marianne Williamson
The Waste and smell Problem would be Cut to a minimum by the Space Plus it would Cut chances of Diseases.
Actually You will have more of a problem with disease. The rabbits wont have anyway to get away from their own waste. They will be walking in it.
Plus the rabbits could dig out of the enclosure. On top of that, you'd have to have ways to separate each rabbit because they will fight with eachother unless they are littermates.
Go with Hanging wire cages. I have rows of 24x24in cages that are set up on 5ft metal poles. No trays underneath, the droppings just hit the ground. I only have to shovel it out about 1 time a month. easy keep.
Last Edit: Feb 20, 2007 18:25:44 GMT -5 by Starburst
Sage - Female American Kestrel 2008 -------------------------------------------- Zephyr - Female Red Tail 2008-2010 -------------------------------------------- Saffron - Female American Kestrel 2009-2010
Wait, Are they Actually Hanging by a Wire??? or just attached to the Holes? the problem with that is That it get down To -30 In the Dead of winter and trust me no Rabbit is going to live through that If they are on a Cadge Sitting 5 ft off the ground. it seems to me liek I will need a place to Put them Inside a Shed Like IF you go to Cjinx Mews you can see a Picture OF a would be Mew, though It's Probably Isn't a Very good IDea considering The Hawk would get distracted when I took him out to Wheigh unless the Rabbits were hidden like a Blanket or somthing... I could keep them In our Barn lots of room there but then I run the Risk of BArn cats.. basically Feral Cats that we feed I think there going to have to be Put down one way or another with me getting a Hawk... I have seen them give a Barn owel A run for it's Money and Survive to tell the tale. They JUST WON"T DIE One of them got shot IN THE freaking Eye and It lived, until a Bird of prey got it a year later... Sorry this is off topic but One even got Picked up by a Owel Right accross the Back Well it is Furless there but Still it is alive lol They are Just Crazzy cats Inbred and Wild. well anyway Maybe I think a Stand with bunnies in it Would work ( you know the Miniaturre Cage Line look like a Building. I could just stuff them with HAy on cold night and Cover them with the Shelter with a Blanket. I think It would work Maybe If I could have Doors to keep the Wind out somthing Like this...
Rough Drawking but I think It would work Cold Night I line the Bottom of the cadges with alot of Hay and They are going to be Tostie Warm and safe from Predators I Don't Think This would BE TOTO Expensive Case I have all the Lun\mber except the Post the Bottom
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." -Thomas Paine
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? -Marianne Williamson
Right so here is the Other options... for rabbit housing I will show you A fencing area that could be a Free Grazing area However I was wondering, Do goats carry any diseases that effect rabbits or Vise versa. Aslo do chickens Carry any Viruses That effect Rabbits??? the shed would need some work It is our BEE Shed It owuld need some work but the Cadges could be Placed in there and HAve a Degree of shelter. the bees Are dead ATM Because of 2004 Winter a bit too harsh and a infestation of mites caused the wipe out we might be getting them again so I would ahv e to move my rabbits. but I think I can Figure it out. here they are
The Bee shed
Here is a Playhouse it could serve as a Mews Possibly too But A rabbit shed Is Idea I think for this Building.
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." -Thomas Paine
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? -Marianne Williamson
So i got storyeys guide to raising rabbits and Chewed about 1/4th of it up last night. Very interesting, and helpful.still trying to decided on the type of Structure for them... the hanging ones look Like they would work great, But Alas I think it would be too cold. I like the Idea of having two cadge High hanging structure with Fiber glass roofs tilted down to let the top Cadges Let there waster down onto the roofs wich would be easy to clean. downside I am thinking I will need a Real structure with sides, Rabbits are built to withstand cold tempetures but I don't think they stand out in a Blizzard with out being completely covered I actually like the IDea of building a Cadge frame with Plywood sides and Posts just a Wind protection It would have canvas that could be pulled down in Extreme coditions. Downside reletively Expensive. Or I could put them in the Barn... not very much sun, a free ticket for worms. It's ruled out. The book says two Junior Bucks, a junior doe and a Senior doe, then they can Interwine there Bloodlines. Don't want it big, Just meat for the Bird and me and If Possible some Breed stock, Extra Income for Bird and For the rabbits is always appreciated. I won't Get rich quick, I understand that so please don't lecture. I won't get rich at all rasing a small Quantity of rabbits, but If I show them I could a good pedigreed rabbit for maybe 30-40 bucl\ks, Unlikely but still possible. so I said I thought NZ's would be the best. I read the book and I say OMG i should read Things before I post. NZ's are good rabbit meat and I think they are the Best option... BUT the Tans are supposedly more Economical, smaller More work but less cadge space and Less food for more meat. right. and tans are good Show rabbit Breeding stock sell for 40-50 dollars. you can raise a 10 week Tan that wehighs 3-3 1/2 LB for say food costs $0.20 per pound. And 4 pounds of food makes one pound of rabbit, thats $2.40 for a 3 pound of rabbit! $2.40 plus hay which lets say costs... $0.20 for the rabbits whole life "we get it really cheap It's basically free. $2.60 for a 3 pound tan. that if I can win a Show can produce offspring worth $50 which in a little of 6 or 7 tans is Over $300 which of course would end up being a 150 dollar proft because of the Show cost and pedigrees. Still $150 is pretty nice then I have to feed my hawk. Which is the goal of the rabbit idea. the hawk could probably eat quite a few rabbits in a day so I would have to Have enough rabbits to feed me and my hawk along with any extra breeding stalk I could sell. Good day and HAPPY HAWKING
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." -Thomas Paine
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? -Marianne Williamson
Tans...well...probably NOT your best option for hawk food. They are not built for meat. Yes, they are a nice show rabbit, but they are hard to get your hands on. Trust me. I used to raise Tans. As far as the litters, you wont get 6 or 7 kits in 1 litter. Not from a Tan. Expect 4 or 5 and don't expect $40-50 for them.
NZ's are good rabbit meat and I think they are the Best option... BUT the Tans are supposedly more Economical, smaller More work but less cadge space and Less food for more meat.
As far as the food goes. Tans are Hares. Their Metabolism is at a much higher rate than most domestic rabbits, because of this they will consume more food. When I raised my tans, they went through twice the amount of food my other rabbits went through.
You wont get as much meat off a Tan as you would other breeds. They are not built to pack on muscle, they are lean speed machines.
Less cage space? Again they are hares. Hares are built to run. My tans needed twice the space that my mini rex required and mini rex weigh nearly the same as a Tan.
you can raise a 10 week Tan that weighs 3-3 1/2 LB for say food costs $0.20 per pound. And 4 pounds of food makes one pound of rabbit, thats $2.40 for a 3 pound of rabbit! $2.40 plus hay which lets say costs... $0.20 for the rabbits whole life "we get it really cheap It's basically free. $2.60 for a 3 pound tan.
I just want to point out to help you realize that you are forgetting the extra costs of maintaining your pregnant and nursing doe. A pregnant doe will cost you twice the amount of a normal doe, a nursing doe can cost you almost three times the amount of a normal doe. So now that $2.60 just jumped way up in price.
Look into the medium size breeds of the Compact type. If you're looking for something that wont eat a whole lot of food and doesn't need as much cage space, look into the Havana. That would be my best suggestion if you aren't going with a meat breed.
Sage - Female American Kestrel 2008 -------------------------------------------- Zephyr - Female Red Tail 2008-2010 -------------------------------------------- Saffron - Female American Kestrel 2009-2010
Right I am going with a Meat Breeds NZ's I am Finding a Breeder. Just need some more Info.
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." -Thomas Paine
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? -Marianne Williamson
NZ are great for show but they actually are harder for meat processors as they don't grow as fast. Don't limit yourself though. I would recommend CA as they were easier for me and more amusing. I am looking into a breed call Altex that should be great since they are one of the quickest if not the quickest at meat production.
Never settle.
"There's nothing like the feeling of knowing that you've made a difference in someone's life, even if that difference is a lifetime of nightmares and a fortune in therapy bills." - Marilyn Manson
it's so Damn hard to find a Claifornian, NZ, Even Satins or rexes there impossible to find without going to Around albany or NYC and hte finger lakes... it's a pain can't somebody Breed Rabbit, around me???
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." -Thomas Paine
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? -Marianne Williamson
Yea lol Diana's doing fine, Kinda forgot about my log. she IS doing really well and Goes on 3 mile walk like Every day! she is doing pretty good with her Potty training! and O my gosh she is so smart. I love her so much. The rabbit is in Deep Freeze and usually needs to be unthawed in water when I use it she finds it every time I get it farther and farther away now she'll go to the middle of our Pasture to find it.
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." -Thomas Paine
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? -Marianne Williamson
I settled For Satins, I can't find NZ's or Calif's anywhere around and I am not driving to Downstate to pick up rabbits.... I found some close by and Started the cadges, Got one done and now my hands feel like I just pounded them with a hammer for a couple hours. Well only 3 more to go! somonw I kow got in ATV accident Last night, I have to make cookies for the wake Gotta run!
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." -Thomas Paine
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? -Marianne Williamson