so i was thinking....had anyone tried breeding rabbits? pros Vs cons. (i would think they would be good to breed since some of them can get to 10lbs or more)
Yes 10 LB's or more but you have to feed and water them, hold them so the does don't kick you when you try to breed them. You have to buy feeders and nestboxes (or make them) You have to slaughter them and chop them up into the right sized pieces for your bird. Not to mention Rabbit isn't as nurturing as say quail or mice, it's lean and great human food but it burns off much quicker than mice or quail and cannot be fed without supplement of other, more nurturing foods. It's not a terrible idea but it's not the sweet, easy, cheap way to get Hawk food. You will pay as much as you would pay for a years supply of quail to get started with rabbits and then work your ass off to save the money you are saving when you haven't bought your hawk food. I may a bit pessimistic but make sure your find out what it would cost and what buying Quail or mice from rodent pro would cost... Pros, You do get baggies! Which is good for you and nearby falconers .
"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 was thinking....had anyone tried breeding rabbits? pros Vs cons. (i would think they would be good to breed since some of them can get to 10lbs or more)
Why go to all the expense and do all that work? We get about 80 live domestic rabbits donated every few months from "show rabbit" breeders. These are the rejects that won't win prizes. Nothing else wrong with them. You can also get them from 4Hers who breed for shows and fairs. Visit your state fair for contacts.
After butchering hundreds myself, let me tell you ... domestics are very thick-skinned. As hawk food, we have to remove most of the pelt for the birds (except the bald). Not at all like fragile thin-skinned wild rabbits.
They're really not good for baggies. They don't run, are tough for a hawk to kill, and very hard for the hawk to break into (the hide is tough). And unless you get San Juans, they're the wrong color (not found in the wild).
.
