Raising Rabbits..

[Icarry2]

Bringing this to the top incase anyone has developed any more interest or questions. Had a good conversation with my father over this weekend and he asked me if his info has helped anyone, I told him yes.

Hope you are all staying warm..

TJ

 

[Icejon]

What kind of hutch is neccessary for breeding? When I was a kid I had like 3 hutches because I did rabbit dressage for 4-H.

As an adult now, I still love rabbits and I am looking to have a few rabbits to teach my sons responsibility. Send me some link to some plans and I can build a hutch. Our family keeps kosher so we don't want to eat them unless it was extreme SHTF.

For small kids would you recommend a bunch of rex rabbits? I always like the velvet soft rex fur but I only owned Netherland dwarves, dutch lops and himalayans.

 

[foxxie02]

new zealand whites

i raise them and breed them. also sell them 10 dollars a pop. great for meat and fur.

 

[Icarry2]

What kind of hutch is neccessary for breeding? When I was a kid I had like 3 hutches because I did rabbit dressage for 4-H.

As an adult now, I still love rabbits and I am looking to have a few rabbits to teach my sons responsibility. Send me some link to some plans and I can build a hutch. Our family keeps kosher so we don't want to eat them unless it was extreme SHTF.

For small kids would you recommend a bunch of rex rabbits? I always like the velvet soft rex fur but I only owned Netherland dwarves, dutch lops and himalayans.

I would only suggest that you do a search on the net for a hutch, we only raised our rabbits in wire cages which we made from bulk wire rolls.

As for Rex Rabbits as pets, I would not know, never had a rabbit as a pet. I know plenty who have and do have different breeds of rabbitsas pets. To me as long as they are cared for and no one is allergic that they make for pretty good pets.

TJ

 

[Hosshauler]

Yes raising rabbits is making a big come back because of all of the Preppers and Survivalists. A person could live off of rabbits, chickens, and goats. Each have their specific advantages and I have raised all 3 with success. Good post!

 

[Bandrews]

If youre going to breed rabbits and keep them in cages be surw to hang some rwa bacon in the cage of the exspecting doe so as she wont eat her young when she gives birth my Granpa used to breed rabbits for their meat White New Zealand i used to raise Rex rabbits for their fur and meat but anyway i thought id throw that out there for your info , good luck !

 

[Icarry2]

If youre going to breed rabbits and keep them in cages be surw to hang some rwa bacon in the cage of the exspecting doe so as she wont eat her young when she gives birth

I had never heard of this so I called my father and asked him, he hadn't ever heard of it either.

I asked about does eating young and his response was that he believed eating their young was a hereditary issue and thus bad genetics. He said that the last 10-12 years of raising rabbits using the line breeding chart he had, which I previously mentioned, that he had kept these genetic misfires out of his herd and didn’t have any does eat their young.

TJ

 

[linzal12]

Where can you sell the fur? We are butchering our first two litters this weekend.

 

[Momof6]

Wow, for once I've found somewhere I can actually contribute instead of just learn! I was incredibly surprised to find my information on the second page as a breeder, didn't know I was out there that much, though all the contact info has changed. We still raise rabbits and I do all our own butchering. Right now I raise Rex and New Zealand's, and my son won reserve grand champion meat pen at our fair last year! I'm our county 4-h rabbit club leader and love getting kids involved in rabbits, and especially love helping people get involved in raising rabbits for meat.

If I can be of any help, please let me know! We're a very small operation since we live in town and aren't supposed to have them, but we nearly always have some available. I'll definitely be watching this thread.

 

[Scout]

Bump...

Should rabbits be kept/raised indoors in wire cages, or outside in wire/wood? Does it need to be heated and lighted?

 

[skulhedface]

Bump...

Should rabbits be kept/raised indoors in wire cages, or outside in wire/wood? Does it need to be heated and lighted?

Necromancy! Good thread though. You should be fine indoors or outdoors as long as you have adequate ventilation, keep their area clean, and keep them comfortable. They're for food I assume, but it's still important to be humane. So yes to heated and lighted. Happy rabbits taste better. Some breeds are bound to be better suited to your needs and environment, so do plenty of research.

 

[427TriPowered]

greetings...

this is a good bunny photo link...

 

[Enkrypter]

Just don't make it your only source of survival food or your only plan...

Rabbit starvation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

IMHO, chickens are the better way to go.... They are more disgusting creatures, but far more useful. They lay eggs nearly every day, have fat on them, taste delicious, and their feathers can be used as insulation in both clothing and bedding.

Killing rabbits is also not for the feint of heart. They scream and can put off a lot of people who aren't expecting it. Make sure the kids are well prepared before you do it in front of them.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Am I the only one who skimmed this entire thread just to see if BunnyKid weighed in?

 

[cyprant]

My family and I are seriously considering raising rabbits for meat in 2014. Please contact me if you have some outdoor pens for sale or just want to show off your set up as we need ideas atleat...

 

[Bunnykid68]

Am I the only one who skimmed this entire thread just to see if BunnyKid weighed in?

Maybe not, but you are the only that mentioned it

 

[Enkrypter]

My family and I are seriously considering raising rabbits for meat in 2014. Please contact me if you have some outdoor pens for sale or just want to show off your set up as we need ideas atleat...

Keep hutches about 3ft off ground and downwind of anyone who won't like the smell. Rabbits smell horrible if you just let the pellets pile up. Highly recommend your enclosures have removable litter pans and wire grate floors.

 

[sdh]

It has been 25 years since I raised rabbits, and I just ordered 10 wire cages to start again. My 5 year old daughter wants to get into it. I will start off with a few Californian does and a buck to raise mainly for meat for us to eat and my daughter to sell.

 

[gunworks321]

I've had rabbits now for a couple months and keep putting the does in with my young buck but he doesn't get the job done. He is all over them trying his best but can't get it done. Quite hilarious except for the fact I had hoped to have three litters by now. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I'm no help either at my age!

 

[starbreather]

Awesome thread and great input, the timing couldn't be any better for me!!! Subscrided.