For those who keep colony rabbits.

[FarmboyBill]

How specifically do you do it? What would you give me as advice in starting up with it. What makes the best fenceing methods. How often and how easy is it to move them around to new grounds?? How would you compare the ease of feeding and watering colony rabbits which may be quite aways from the pump and the grainery, and a regular rabbit pen that is built permanently as close to the pump and grainery as praciticable?? Which system do you feel suffers more losses? Some of these questions would be best answered by those who have done rabbits both ways, and can offer advice from both sides of the question. Thanks for the thoughts and advice,

[brody]

check the raising rabbit forum too - lots of colony posts there

after my today's experience I'd really suggest digging the fence down into the ground - I have a doe who thinks she is preggars dig wayyyyyyyyyyyy under our shed ..I was lucky to get her out ..

I now do a mixed thing - not ideal for everyone but suits my small pet system... hutches or cages by night out in a large dog by day ... in a group divided by wire x pens so they can't fight but they can hang out together - which they often do

rabbits dig a lot so if you want to move them I'd have wire flooring and a a-frame type coop I think ...
if they have natural browse they dont need as much food from you - there is a great thread on natural feeding as a sticky in raising rabbits for profit forum

colony rabbits are more prone to injury - many rabbits also revert to a somewhat feral state and can be difficult to catch if you need to - as I'm movng to fibre bunnies colonies aren't working for me at all now as the coats get wrecked

I haven't yet lost a rabbit to a predator in either way - I would say rabbits with solid fencing and burrows are probably pretty safe - caged rabbits can get cornered though it can be safe too... I suggest you think hard about the types of predators you have - here coyotes are the biggest issue - and my dogs will not let them near the property line


i like the idea of colony raising - it seems natural and easy but I think the hands on care is important .. one thing to consider is where you place the pen - for example if it floods you will lose kits
just a few random thoughts

[Hobbes]

I raised a couple dozen NZ whites this way. Took some metal roof panels and made a fencing around an area for them. Sunk the panels about a foot and a half down in the dirt, but you may want to do more. Never had one dig out, but they came close. I had mine in an open pole barn, so I didn't have to worry about rain flooding. Also, it kept the litter dry so it didn't stink. I kept a layer of hay in there.

The hard thing was getting an idea of how many rabbits you had, and how many litters were going. The thing I liked about the colony style is that feeding and watering was easier. The rabbits liked the cool earth during the summer, too.

I had to get out of the rabbits about two years ago because of frequent business travels.

[Wisconsin Ann]

KSALguy gave me some great advice on colony raising, as did others in the forum. Great bunch of people . I second the idea of going to the rabbits for profit forum here on HT. Do a search on "colony" and you'll get some great threads.

I'm on a colony raising yahoo group and many of them report the same problem with colonies....the rabbits are really difficult to keep tame enough to actually catch. (we're talking about outdoor colony here..theindoor ones seem to be more controllable)

The fencing.....Most suggest putting fencing down (some form of wire fence, or a solid thing) 2 feet so the rabbits won't dig out when they do their dens.

Another idea is to make the area huge....fencing in 1/4 acre or more...and put the feeding station in the middle. Putting it on piers. The rabbits will start building their dens UNDER the feeding station...and unless you go hog wild and have dozens of breeding rabbits...they won't go near the fences to dig.

I'm going to be doing 2 different colonies. 1 will be a fenced area, fencing into the ground 2feet down. pasture and woods combination area. Just 2 does and 1 buck. Meat rabbits. I feel it will work well,from the advice and stories I've been told. Central covered feeder...like a picnic shelter at the park Water will be a 5gallon container feeding an automatic waterer.(dog bowl type) The fencing will be 2x4 welded wire, 5ft tall above ground, and with chicken wire 2ft high around the base to keep little guys in.

The second colony will be in a chicken cooop type building. with shelves for them to climb on...and a small door to the outside. When the door is opened, they'll be able to go out thru a tunnel into a covered fenced area. There will be 3 different fenced areas for them to browse. 1 each day...on a rotation...so that they don't graze any one area down to nothing. They will also get various raspberry and rose canes to munch on.

In addition to feed and the grasses, they will get hay. We'll see how it goes with them. Winter, of course, will be slightly different, with the outdoor colony getting more attention because of the water. Although, bunnies, like chickens, eat snow for water, so they can survive without running liquid water.