Hello all,
I'm pretty new to raising meat rabbits. I bought my first New Zealand Whites back in January of this year, and have already learned a lot. Right now I have two does, one buck, and lots of questions all the time. I hope some of you more experienced rabbit people can help me.
Since the rabbits don't live in a heated barn, I only breed them in the warmer months. My does have produced well, with the average litter size being around ten kits. However, a couple of the kits always die. Is this normal since the litters are larger? Is there something I can do so as not to loose any kits? Is it just that some are stronger than others and get all the feeding time?
I have a doe who is not pregnant right now, and there is a big pile of fur underneath her cage. Is this something that does will do just because? Does she think she's pregnant? Why is she doing this?
For how long can a doe be bred? How old should she be before she is culled? What about the buck? How long is he useful? Though my rabbits were young when I bought them, I'm really not sure how old they are. What's a good age to replace them?
When I replace my rabbits, is it okay to inbreed for one or two generations, or should I look for some new blood? We have had some accidental inbreeding with our pet rabbits, and they didn't seem the worse for it.
Thanks in advance for any and all advice I receive. It will be greatly appreciated.
I'm pretty new to raising meat rabbits. I bought my first New Zealand Whites back in January of this year, and have already learned a lot. Right now I have two does, one buck, and lots of questions all the time. I hope some of you more experienced rabbit people can help me.
Since the rabbits don't live in a heated barn, I only breed them in the warmer months. My does have produced well, with the average litter size being around ten kits. However, a couple of the kits always die. Is this normal since the litters are larger? Is there something I can do so as not to loose any kits? Is it just that some are stronger than others and get all the feeding time?
I have a doe who is not pregnant right now, and there is a big pile of fur underneath her cage. Is this something that does will do just because? Does she think she's pregnant? Why is she doing this?
For how long can a doe be bred? How old should she be before she is culled? What about the buck? How long is he useful? Though my rabbits were young when I bought them, I'm really not sure how old they are. What's a good age to replace them?
When I replace my rabbits, is it okay to inbreed for one or two generations, or should I look for some new blood? We have had some accidental inbreeding with our pet rabbits, and they didn't seem the worse for it.
Thanks in advance for any and all advice I receive. It will be greatly appreciated.